California Adventures: Death Valley

Love at first sight! These are a few simple words to describe my feelings about Death Valley. Who would have thought that you could love a hot and dry desert? I was one of the doubters that is until I saw Death Valley.

My family and I are traveling in our fifth wheel and in December we went to this desert. We were freezing in Oregon and Washington so Death Valley was an oasis for us. To put an image in your mind of this National Park think of mountains, sand, date trees, palm trees, water (yes water!) and blue skies. Below I will share my favorite spots in Death Valley and hopefully this will give you a picture of this gorgeous National Park. ​

The first stop is Furnace Creek Visitor Center aka the place to get info. I spent a lot of time here talking to the rangers and buying post cards at the gift shop. This Visitor Center beats all visitor centers because it is 190 feet below sea level. Isn’t that awesome! Another great thing about this visitor center is the rangers offer programs which give you more info about the park. This helps make your trip more enjoyable because you learn about the desert, the plants, and animals that live there. 

Badwater basin is 282 feet below sea level. It is the lowest point in North America. I was a little bit nervous about being below sea level, but it wasn’t bad at all. The best part was walking on the salt surface and hearing the salt crunch as you step. The salt surface looked just like snow! Even though Death Valley is a desert there are small pools of water surrounding the basin. I think it’s pretty neat that you can be below sea level without even seeing the ocean! 

Ah Golden Canyon! In this canyon, you feel so small because you are surrounded by tall pillars of rocks for as far as the eye can see. The hike into the canyon is not long at all and all of the rock formations are different. When the sun hits the rocks they turn a beautiful golden color. I especially loved how blue the sky is in Death Valley. My favorite part of the Golden Canyon hike is the end when the sun was setting and the view of the canyon was spectacular. This image will stay in my mind forever. 

Artist Drive was my favorite spot in Death Valley! I have never in my life have seen anything like this before. Believe me it is worth seeing when the sun is setting! As the sun sets, the mountain’s colors become a brighter blue and pink color. One of the best parts for me was walking right up to mountain and seeing all of the beautiful colors. The colors were stunning and the view was amazing! To me it seemed like an artist came and brushed their paintbrush all over the mountain. 

Death Valley you amaze me! Everything about this place is unique. If you are in the California area take a trip to Death Valley National Park and enjoy the beauty of the desert. You'll find things here that amaze you and see things that you have never seen before. And you may even fall in love just like I did!

About the Author
My name is Melissa Marie and I love cooking, traveling, crafting, and especially knitting. Check out my blog The Purl Stitch