Death Valley National Park

We have visited Death Valley a couple of times in the past few years but it is the kind of place that demands a revisit when we are in the area. So on Monday morning we hit the road at the crack of dawn, naw we really got underway about 10. It is the amazing hills and valleys and colors that bring us back. This is the drive on which the 20 Mule Team Borax commercials were shot years and years ago.

The green of spring is always a surprise to me. This is the view from the visitor center. And when you tire of looking at the grand scenes and the panoramic views, look down and see the spring wildflowers that pop up wherever a bit of moisture settles. These beauties grow very close to the ground and then a sprig will stand 6 inches high.

It is very easy to miss this ground cover type flower; they are very very small.

This one was a very special treat; it is called a Desert Five Spot and is rarely seen. The lavender tulip shaped flower is very thin and fragile and has five bright orange spots in the center. It is one you could easily miss if you were just looking at the snow covered mountains in the distance. See it at the bottom of this picture?

This is the Desert Sunflower that we spotted in the same area. The white flowers are daisy type flowers and I am not sure of their name.

Then the road calls again.

You have to admire the way the roads are laid out. They do allow you to get close to the best colors and formations. But, we spotted a gravel road on which we had never driven, so we took a turn. We found ourselves driving through the salty "bottoms" of Death Valley.

This time, the white on the ground is salt (or an alkaline much like salt). And this is what it looks like close up. The texture cannot really be photographed, it is hard yet spongy.

It wasn't long before the ground changed and we had to stop for Mike to check out the rocks.

Look what he found. Quartz may be hard but it is no match for a determined wildflower.

Along this side road, we saw Shorty's grave,

a natural spring rich with green trees,

and a handsome guy looking for a good meal.

I am glad we took the side trip but it was a long 40 miles and a road we won't be repeating. By the time we approached Pahrump, Mike had driven over 150 miles. But before we called it a day, we had to stop and check out the strange orange/yellow color in the desert. Close up it looks like a net or web.

A focal point from a distance. Really don't know what it is. At the end of this road is Pahrump.

Stay tuned for the last post from Pahrump. We head farther north in a couple of days.