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12/13/2019 Moving Day and Mojave National Preserve. Today we are moving from Boulder City Nevada to Joshua Tree National Park in California. We have elected to make the most of this moving day, avoid the highway (I-15 in this case) and travel through Mojave National Preserve. Right on the bleeding edge of Mojave is the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility. I have flown over this place in the past on my way to LAX and it took some serious digging to figure out what I was seeing from the sky. Here’s a picture I took in May of 2017.
12/13/2019 Moving Day and Mojave National Preserve. Today we are moving from Boulder City Nevada to Joshua Tree National Park in California. We have elected to make the most of this moving day, avoid the highway (I-15 in this case) and travel through Mojave National Preserve. Right on the bleeding edge of Mojave is the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility. I have flown over this place in the past on my way to LAX and it took some serious digging to figure out what I was seeing from the sky. Here’s a picture I took in May of 2017.
…..and I never expected to stumbled across it by random chance today!
…..and I never expected to stumbled across it by random chance today!
The idea is that they have boilers in a central tower and the towers are surrounded by mirrors. The mirrors follow the sun and focus the heat of the sun on the central tower to make steam. That steam, in turn, drives the turbines that produce electricity. Here’s a better picture that I “borrowed” from Google to give you a better view.
The idea is that they have boilers in a central tower and the towers are surrounded by mirrors. The mirrors follow the sun and focus the heat of the sun on the central tower to make steam. That steam, in turn, drives the turbines that produce electricity. Here’s a better picture that I “borrowed” from Google to give you a better view.
We stopped at the Visitor Center for the Mojave National Preserve, learned some fun stuff about where we were, had some lunch and continued along our merry way.
We stopped at the Visitor Center for the Mojave National Preserve, learned some fun stuff about where we were, had some lunch and continued along our merry way.
This is the Kelso Sand Dune Field. We didn’t really get close enough to photograph it well, but you get the idea.
This is the Kelso Sand Dune Field. We didn’t really get close enough to photograph it well, but you get the idea.
As the sun set for the day, the sky starting displaying color like nowhere else we had been to date. The reds and purples were especially intense.
As the sun set for the day, the sky starting displaying color like nowhere else we had been to date. The reds and purples were especially intense.
12/14/2019 Joshua Tree National Park. We are physically staying inside the park, but as I am sure you know, this place is B_I_G and very spread out. So, we elected to go for a drive and see some sights.
12/14/2019 Joshua Tree National Park. We are physically staying inside the park, but as I am sure you know, this place is B_I_G and very spread out. So, we elected to go for a drive and see some sights.
Grace, Dylan and myself have done a little bouldering here and stumbled across this small cave in the rocks that you sort of have to wiggle yourself into. I’ve gone in first to flush out all the bears and mountain lions.
Grace, Dylan and myself have done a little bouldering here and stumbled across this small cave in the rocks that you sort of have to wiggle yourself into. I’ve gone in first to flush out all the bears and mountain lions.
…and given them the green light to join me inside.
…and given them the green light to join me inside.
Then I leave them behind to live a MUCH more peaceful life! HA!!!!
Then I leave them behind to live a MUCH more peaceful life! HA!!!!
We are at the end of the road watching the sun disappear into the clouds.
We are at the end of the road watching the sun disappear into the clouds.
….and once again, colors in the sky prove to be simply magical in this part of the country. I wish I knew what it was about this area that made the evening sky so darn colorful.
….and once again, colors in the sky prove to be simply magical in this part of the country. I wish I knew what it was about this area that made the evening sky so darn colorful.
12/21/2019 Death Valley National Park. …..and the winner for “Biggest Difference Between Perception and Reality” goes to…….Death Valley!!! In our heads we had Death Valley built up as this place of desolation, despair and relentless torture from Mother Nature. It may be that at certain times of the year, but in late December it had a beauty and uniqueness like we have never seen. We were simply blown away by “The Hottest and Driest” place on Earth.
12/21/2019 Death Valley National Park. …..and the winner for “Biggest Difference Between Perception and Reality” goes to…….Death Valley!!! In our heads we had Death Valley built up as this place of desolation, despair and relentless torture from Mother Nature. It may be that at certain times of the year, but in late December it had a beauty and uniqueness like we have never seen. We were simply blown away by “The Hottest and Driest” place on Earth.
Here, the kids are playing a game where they have to blindly select a card with a creature on it. They then have to hold it up to their head (so they can’t see it) and then ask yes/no questions about it to try and figure out what they are holding.
Here, the kids are playing a game where they have to blindly select a card with a creature on it. They then have to hold it up to their head (so they can’t see it) and then ask yes/no questions about it to try and figure out what they are holding.
Here Grace is trying to explain to me just how horrible a wooden horse saddle would be.
Here Grace is trying to explain to me just how horrible a wooden horse saddle would be.
Our first venture out into sight seeing was to “Dante’s View”. This view point is extremely elevated from the floor of the valley and provides mind blowing 360-degree views of the entire valley and beyond.
Our first venture out into sight seeing was to “Dante’s View”. This view point is extremely elevated from the floor of the valley and provides mind blowing 360-degree views of the entire valley and beyond.
.....and it's windy. We have gotten good at finding windy places on this trip!
.....and it's windy. We have gotten good at finding windy places on this trip!
Back in the car and drive down and around to the valley floor we were just viewing from above. This is “Badwater Basin”. We’ve come here just in time for a Ranger Talk and Walk.
Back in the car and drive down and around to the valley floor we were just viewing from above. This is “Badwater Basin”. We’ve come here just in time for a Ranger Talk and Walk.
They even tell you to taste the salt…..and yes it’s…..well….salty.
They even tell you to taste the salt…..and yes it’s…..well….salty.
After the Ranger Talk, we continue the walk out into the valley floor and THIS is where the real beauty of where we are, smacked us right in the kisser! As we approached this “water”, I made this assumption that I was seeing a mirage. I was convinced of it actually. After all, we are in the "driest place on Earth", right? Look at the ground at the left edge of this picture and you’ll see the “water” I am talking about.
After the Ranger Talk, we continue the walk out into the valley floor and THIS is where the real beauty of where we are, smacked us right in the kisser! As we approached this “water”, I made this assumption that I was seeing a mirage. I was convinced of it actually. After all, we are in the "driest place on Earth", right? Look at the ground at the left edge of this picture and you’ll see the “water” I am talking about.
OH BOY was I wrong! It was, in fact, water and while it was only a couple inches deep, strolling out into it was genuinely like stepping into a National Geographic calendar. I will be forever changed by these views.
OH BOY was I wrong! It was, in fact, water and while it was only a couple inches deep, strolling out into it was genuinely like stepping into a National Geographic calendar. I will be forever changed by these views.
12/22/2019 Death Valley National Park (Day 2). I think it’s worth mentioning that this is, by a large margin, the largest National Park we have visited to date. At roughly 3.38 million acres this is the largest park in the NPS system in the lower 48 states. As a result, it’s really tough to REALLY see this park without spending large amounts of time here. We are making a good run at seeing the defining things of this park though. Today we are at the “Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes”.
12/22/2019 Death Valley National Park (Day 2). I think it’s worth mentioning that this is, by a large margin, the largest National Park we have visited to date. At roughly 3.38 million acres this is the largest park in the NPS system in the lower 48 states. As a result, it’s really tough to REALLY see this park without spending large amounts of time here. We are making a good run at seeing the defining things of this park though. Today we are at the “Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes”.
I’m not really sure how it happened, but somehow, we just started jumping off the tops of the dunes.
I’m not really sure how it happened, but somehow, we just started jumping off the tops of the dunes.
….and yes, I can play too!
….and yes, I can play too!
….and of course, once you jump down, you have to climb back up! Some of us gave up.
….and of course, once you jump down, you have to climb back up! Some of us gave up.
Some of us strapped on our boots and climbed back up……even if the boots were on our hands.
Some of us strapped on our boots and climbed back up……even if the boots were on our hands.
Once of the things you learn at the visitor center and at the signage here at the dunes is how to identify the desert creatures just by looking at their tracks. These are the tracks of the rare and elusive "Desert Grant Beast"!
Once of the things you learn at the visitor center and at the signage here at the dunes is how to identify the desert creatures just by looking at their tracks. These are the tracks of the rare and elusive "Desert Grant Beast"!
The number of times Grace was on her feet during our time on the dunes was VERY minimal!
The number of times Grace was on her feet during our time on the dunes was VERY minimal!
Ah yes, there goes my little Bedouin tribe
Ah yes, there goes my little Bedouin tribe
Have you ever bought any Borax? I bet it said “Twenty Mule Team” on the box somewhere, didn’t it? This is where that all started!
Have you ever bought any Borax? I bet it said “Twenty Mule Team” on the box somewhere, didn’t it? This is where that all started!
We’ve moved on to the Salt Creek Trail in an effort to spot us some extremely rare Pup Fish. These little guys are classified as “Endangered” and ONLY live here! They live in water that has 4 times the salinity of the ocean and can vary in temperature from 32°F to 116°F. We managed to see a single pup fish during the whole walk, but that’s better than none, so we will take it as a win.
We’ve moved on to the Salt Creek Trail in an effort to spot us some extremely rare Pup Fish. These little guys are classified as “Endangered” and ONLY live here! They live in water that has 4 times the salinity of the ocean and can vary in temperature from 32°F to 116°F. We managed to see a single pup fish during the whole walk, but that’s better than none, so we will take it as a win.
Next stop is Zabriskie Point. This is about as quintessential Death Valley as it gets. It’s right off the main road on the way into the park, it’s an easy walk and it’s VERY pretty. Chances are VERY good that if you have seen pictures from Death Valley, some of the were from this overlook.
Next stop is Zabriskie Point. This is about as quintessential Death Valley as it gets. It’s right off the main road on the way into the park, it’s an easy walk and it’s VERY pretty. Chances are VERY good that if you have seen pictures from Death Valley, some of the were from this overlook.
Side bar story: notice that they are wearing their rain boots today. Remember the stroll through the couple inches of water at Badwater Basin? The salinity level of that water was SO high that as their shoes dried overnight, it turned them into blocks of salt! They were literally white and hard as a rock the next morning!
Side bar story: notice that they are wearing their rain boots today. Remember the stroll through the couple inches of water at Badwater Basin? The salinity level of that water was SO high that as their shoes dried overnight, it turned them into blocks of salt! They were literally white and hard as a rock the next morning!
12/23/2019 Moving from Death Valley. I’ve taken this picture of our Garmin right at our campsite. Yep, we are pretty low.
12/23/2019 Moving from Death Valley. I’ve taken this picture of our Garmin right at our campsite. Yep, we are pretty low.
Are you ready for this? We are STILL within the confines of Death Valley National Park for this picture! …..the hottest and driest place on Earth! Riiiiiiiight!!!!
Are you ready for this? We are STILL within the confines of Death Valley National Park for this picture! …..the hottest and driest place on Earth! Riiiiiiiight!!!!
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