When asked what is the most romantic destination, answers may include Hawaii, Cancun or Paris. For my husband and myself, that place is Death Valley, California. It was the destination for our honeymoon.
Three days after Valentine’s Day, we flew to Las Vegas to be married in a small chapel,”Graceland”. Then onto Death Valley. We both loved the desert. Coming from the snowy midwest, we wanted warm, sunny weather.
Death Valley National Park is over 5000 square miles, spanning California and Nevada east of the Sierra Nevadas. We stayed in Nevada, at Furnace Creek. The park includes salt flats, sand dunes, badlands, canyons ,even snow capped mountains. Bad Water basin, is 282 feet below sea level. Fewer than five hundred people live year round in the area, making it a secluded spot.
On our way to Furnace Creek we drove for three hours without seeing another vehicle, except for the burned out ruin of a chassis. I wanted to visit Desert Pupfish Monument located on the way. In the west, distance is reported in driving hours not miles. We did find the parking area for the pupfish. Not another car was there. A metal walkway spanned the opening of underground salt water caverns. Rarely seen except by scuba divers, the spring is protected. We propped the camera to take a selfie of us with the sign and the empty parking lot. twelve years later, while visiting the area with our daughter Ruth, We were able to see the pupfish swimming up the shallow to spawn. The fish are 1 to three inches in length. It is a boney fish silver or tan in color. The males are slightly larger with blue tinges on their gills. They can withstand high temperatures, and the high salt content of the water.
The average rain in the valley is 1.4 inches yearly most of it coming in the fall. Recently, washouts in the canyons of the area have closed several roads.
On our first visit, the weather was dry and warm. On our second trip in 2004, we were caught in a sudden torrent , causing gullies to flood. We drove up into the canyons on narrow roads. The wind blew hard, causing my hair to stand up and the car to rock.
Other natural wonders are a salt deposit area with many holes and divots in the ground. Bad Water Basin, is 282 feet below sea level. It is considered one of the hottest places in the country. It holds the record for the highest temperature of of 134 degrees. The average temperature runs about 91 degrees.
Near the mountains, the weather is more temperate. The weather forecast calls for cool, dry weather in that area.
One of the most colorful areas in the valley is Artist’s palette. The mineral deposits in the cliffs give the rocks hues of blues, purples and pinks. Low sun can highlight the colors in the cliffs.
Scottie’s Castle is a ranch built by Albert Johnson a millionaire from Chicago. He befriended Walter Scot, a local gold miner and story teller. Mr Johnson built an apartment for he and his wife to use and stay when visiting the ranch. In exchange, visitors were told that Scottie owned he ranch and a a hidden gold mine that funded his lifestyle.
The ranch is now part of the Death Valley National Park.
When asked to compare the Grand Canyon to Death Valley, a visitor commented, “the Grand Canyon is immense with vistas and wildlife, but Death Valley has a spiritual component in the desert landscapes,
It is a popular destination for landscape photography.
I choose Death Valley for my Valentine’s destination.
Death Valley
Found in the desert between California and west of the mountains
It is a dry, rugged terrain.
It’s name derived from a group of gold seeking miners that starved in the mountains in 1849, starved
on their way to join the gold rush.
Still today, it is an isolated landscape.
Filled with quiet spiritual beauty.
carolaspot@aol.com February 12, 2024
traveling up and down the blind highway 