Literally. Today we visited Death Valley National Park. It boasts many superlatives: largest national park in the contiguous 48 states, hottest temperature ever recorded anywhere in the world (134 degrees), and the lowest elevation in the western hemisphere (282 feet below sea level). We didn't have time to explore very much of the park, but we did make it to Furnace Creek, nearly 200 feet below sea level. Thankfully, it was just 80 degrees when we were there, and it felt like a perfect, sunny summer day. (Ironically, I'm writing this just two days later in Madras, OR where the temperature all day has been in the 20s and there is nearly a foot of snow on the ground!)
After leaving the park, we drove north. On our way we passed a couple of brothels (the Shady Lady and the Playmate Ranch), numerous casinos, and several old mining towns, all reminding us that we were still in Nevada, with its distinctive cultural geography. We also passed more Joshua trees (between Beatty and Tonopah). We ended our day in Fernley, just 30 miles east of Reno, having racked up another 399 miles (10,832 for the trip).
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| Heading west toward Death Valley from Pahrump, NV. |
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| Finally there! |
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| At Zabriskie Point, overlooking the badlands. |
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| Gas just 60 miles away in Pahrump was only $2.85 per gallon, a full $1.47 less than at Furnace Creek! Glad I gassed up when I did. |
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| Some of the local culture. |
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| An alluvial fan at the base of a mountain, formed by mudflows from flash floods depositing sediment as they reach a gentler slope and slow down. A playa (dry lake bed) is seen in the foreground (slightly wet still from recent rains). |
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| The stony desert seen here is often referred to as reg, and also as desert pavement. Wind erosion has removed the finer sediments, leaving a "pavement" of coarser stones. |
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| Classic Basin-and-Range scene. |
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| Alkali flats. |
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| Joshua trees! |
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| Downtown Goldfield, NV. |
Want to stay at that hotel someday!
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