Dec 31, 2012 in Death Valley

Because we had no decent internet in the valley, we will be posting days behind real time:

[From Craig] The last day of 2012 was one of the best we've had since we started RVing, in terms of seeing things and recording what we're seeing.

First we drove to the Badwater area, which is the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere. Everyone who comes there is required by law to pose and be photographed with this sign.







Badwater has a mountain right behind it, with a sign that says "SEA LEVEL" nearly halfway up its face.  As photography and web technology advance, someday some may be able to take a picture like this, and someone else may be able to read the sign, probably on a larger image.  For now you just have to take our word for what the little white text says.

Since Badwater is the lowest place around, on the rare occasions when it rains in Death Valley (1.4 inches per year), the runoff wants to come here.  And because the ground in deserts doesn't absorb much water, a fair amount of it gets here and then evaporates leaving its minerals (salt) behind.

Next we drove up the road to a canyon that includes this rock formation called the  Natural Bridge. 

 It doesn't look delicate.

The canyon also includes this dry waterfall, which was carved by the runoff from the (hardly ever) rainfall.

The next attraction along the road was a place called the Devil's Golf Course, which features broken blocks of rock topped with thick salt "frosting".  Here's a closeup.  Every golf shot would be lost between the rocks!

The best place we saw today is called the Artist Drive.  It's a one-way winding road through mountains that have the best colors and contrasts in Death Valley.

By the end of Artist Drive, both Merikay and I were blown away with the beauty of the mountains.  

The last stop of our day was a change of pace: the Harmony Borax Works, which operated from 1882 through 1889 to refine borax for industry and home cleaning. 

 Here Merikay checks out one of the 20 Mule Team wagon rigs used to haul borax to the railroad.






After such a day, we didn't have much energy left for New Year's Eve celebrations. Dinner in the coach, a spirited game of Yahtzee, a bottle of champagne, and finally pickled herring (for luck in the new year) concluded 2012 for us.  Hope you had fun too!