This day was the day I was looking forward too. I don't know exactly why, but I was the most excited to see Death Valley. We started the day off, yet again, bright and early making it to the edge of Death Valley just in time to greet the sunrise with the Joshua trees. We then found a pull off that led us down to a deep steep-walled ravine with an abundance of very out of place lava rock.
After making down into the valley floor, our first stop was the Sand Dunes. Since we got there early enough, it was still safe to head out to climb the tall dunes as there is a heat caution after 10 AM. We set our sights on the tallest dune that was still virgin to the day's footsteps and headed out. Even though I drank a rather large water bottle just before taking off, I was surprised how quickly the dry air sucked the moisture from my throat. The hike was only a mile at most, but in the sand, it could have been three. Once there, we quickly discovered it was worth every step.
For the rest of the morning and early afternoon, we explored the valley floor and its many sights. I've never been to a desert like this before. Most my experiences in the desert have been in high deserts with the terrain feeling so different from Death Valley. A unique place to me was Badwater Basin (the lowest point in North America at -282), it was so low, dry, and hot with salt everywhere. We later made our way up an old gravel road to a viewpoint a little over a mile above the valley. What a perspective to be that low and then that high in one afternoon seeing from the ground and the mountain what a mile of elevation looks and feels like blew my mind.
With the pressure of another long drive ahead of us, we took off for the day with plans to make one last stop at an old ghost town. To our fortune, this ghost town was on our way, but out of the way to most other travelers. This untraveled road must be well known to the locals, as a small pack of four curious coyotes casually crossed the highway ahead of us without a care. We jumped out to have a closer look and shared a few moments with these fantastic beasts.
