1. The Professor and I decided to join my brother and sister-in-law for a few days in Death Valley National Park. Now I know you all realize that Death Valley means hot and dry. And yes, it is. And it's often extremely windy. But it is also beautiful! If you like the American Southwest, you will love the magnificent expansive views and breathtaking colors of Death Valley.
2. With my brother as guide since he has visited there numerous times, we drove to Devil's Golf Course, Badwater Basin, and Artist's Palette.
282 feet below sea level. Lowest point in North America.
Oh, the vivid colors at Artist's Palette! The photo doesn't do it justice.
3. Sitting around in the morning by the pool and jumping in to cool off--so refreshing!
My view from under the palo verde tree.
4. Laughing and chatting with my brother and sister-in-law--the best part.
5. This may seem a bit like not-a-fave, but really it is a fave. The wind was SO STRONG that it blew over our tent. Of the six stakes we had in the ground, only one was not dislodged. Fortunately, that one stake held the entire tent. We didn't have to go chasing after our tent and sleeping bags and duffel bags. (We did lose our footprint cloth but found it later four campsites away.)
In the end, we decided to cut our trip short and drive home late at night. Again, we are thankful for a safe drive home in gusting gales of wind along magnificent canyons and valleys.
From 105F to 55F, from 4956 feet above sea level at Towne Pass to 282 feet below sea level, it was a trip of extremes.
