View from the top of Golden Canyon
Death valley national park is beautiful; probably the most beautiful park we have visited so far. Our pictures do not do it justice; there is a vast nothingness that is breathtakingly glorious. 11,049 foot mountains drop straight down to 282 feet below sea level. This park is almost a religious experience and I know we will return some day.
Hiking Golden Canyon
View from Aguereberry Point
Mountain Goat
There was also (almost) no internet or cell phone signal which was a total bummer. I could see staying weeks at Death Valley if one did not feel so cut off from the “real world”. While disconnecting from the internet is good to do it’s not good when you’re trying to work or get some things accomplished. We dry camped at Sunset Campground in Furnace Creek and Kevin was able to connect for work through the internet at the Furnace Creek Ranch across the street but it certainly wasn’t optimal, was costly, and everything was painfully slow.
Exploring Harmony Borax Works
Petroglyphs
Coyote
What did we do in Death Valley?
- Scenic drives: Artistis drive, Titus Canyon, Aguereberry Point, Mustard Canyon
- Hikes: Golden Canyon, Mosaic Canyon, Sidewinder Canyon, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
- Ghost towns: Rhyolite and Leadfield
- Swam in the hotel pool which was heated by a hot springs & played on the playground
- Visited: Badwater basin (the lowest elevation in North America) where Eloise enjoyed ‘skating’ on the ‘ice’ (which was not ice but rather salt), Devil’s Cornfield, Stovepipe Wells Village, Eureka Mine, Harmony Borax Works, Furnace Creek Ranch
An excited hiker in Sidewinder Canyon (Video Below)
Snow or salt? 🙂
We celebrated Thanksgiving but were unable to get any video calls out to family. On the bright side we did meet another new Fulltime family friend that same day: 3 year old Evie from British Columbia who we were lucky enough to play with almost every day for a week. What fun!
Playing in the pool with friends
Pushing baby sister on the swing
Sidewinder Slot Canyon Cave Hike