We left Las Vegas driving northwest toward Death Valley. To tell you the truth, I was hesitant to go to Death Valley because all I had ever heard of it was the salt flats, the low elevation, the 20-mule teams used in the 1880s for transporting borax (whatever that is), and the heat during the summer. At our campsite, we were below sea level!
About my fear of the heat, the highest temperature recorded in the continental United States was 134 degrees F on July 10, 1913. This was the second highest temperature ever recorded in the world; Sahara Desert topped this record by 2 degrees in 1922 according to information from the park service.
Of course the temperature high the day we arrived was in the low 80s and we didn’t need to use our air conditioner at all. Ah, so much for my fears.
Before we get to Death Valley though, I want to mention Red Rock Canyon just west of Las Vegas. It was one of the most beautiful areas we’ve driven through. If you ever have a chance, check it out. The mountain ranges are amazing.
Dante’s View: Since my knowledge of Death Valley area is nil, I’m starting out learning the basics. Yes, the lowest elevation is below sea level, and the valley is surrounded by tall mountains. So we first went to one of the tallest points, Dante’s View, which is more than 5000 feet above the valley floor that was -178 at our campsite! It was cold and rainy; luckily we had changed to jeans and had jackets with us! The overcast skies did give us some great photos. We could see the white salt flats far below in Badwater Basin, which we’ll see up close while we’re here.
Campground: We’re staying at Sunset campground in the national park at Furnace Creek (about right in the middle of Death Valley) and have beautiful views of the mountains on both sides. I am so glad we’re here. This morning I got to sit outside with my cup of coffee in awe of what was created so many millions of years ago that is now available for our pleasure.
Here’s a view from our RV at sunset.
Residents in the area: What we’ve learned so far about this area is that the exploration started in 1849 with a group of gold rush pioneers thinking that this was a shortcut to California. They named the spot “Death Valley” since they barely survived the trip across the valley and the mountains.
The next group of residents were mining companies that wanted the riches of gold, silver, and borax from the valley’s hills. They pushed out the native peoples in their quest. Wish we could have gotten along.
We’ll be exploring the borax mines later this week and I’ll share the pictures from an outdoor museum we walked through that’s just across the road from us at Furnace Creek Ranch, a resort oasis that has laundry and a place where we can sit outside and drink iced tea in the afternoon.
