Day 9 - Hoover Dam and Death Valley National Park

Wednesday, June 21, 2023 

Nevada ➡️ California 

What an interesting day! 

Hoover Dam was very interesting to most of us. Brandon really enjoyed it and was fascinated with the engineering of it all. 

Death Valley was an unexpected point of interest for Titus and I. It's so big you need a whole day and we planned for two hours and ended up being there 4 hours. 

We did the Artist's (Palette) Drive, Badwater Basin,  and Dante's View. 

We didn't have time to do the Ubehebe Crater and Titus Canyon Road because they were on the other end from the Badwater Basin/salt flats and where we were. It really disappointed us, but yes, like I said, we didn't have enough time here. It's a really big and long National Park. 

At one point the road was straight for a long way. I snapped a picture and when we got to the bend, it was 6 1/2 miles later!

We skipped going to the Kelso sand dunes because we spent more time in Death Valley and also we decided to ride the dunes in Oregon because the boys really wanted to.

And oh my, when we got to Baker, CA and needed gas, well, I think it's time to pass the hat!! $5.85 a gallon!! 🫨😳

Hoover Dam is a dam taming the power of the Colorado River and using it in beneficial ways. 

our guide

fixing a part of the magnet that is in the turbines, they've been working on it for about 2 years

driving on to Death Valley National Park

skyline

California

We ended up not having enough time here because it's a long park and we didn't realize that.  The things we wanted to see were at opposite ends of the park.

beautiful layers in the rock formations

Artist's Palette Drive

One way through

A beautiful drive and it was easy to see why it is called the Artist's Palette.  

The variety and shades of colour that are in the rock.

That white marking says, sea level.

So we are standing below sea level.  

At random spots there would be these muddy/gooey areas.  

Random wetness in the midst of dry and hot salt land.

At one point they tasted it from an area that was off to the side.

It was extreme salty - as described by one, "you know when mom makes us salt water to gargle for a sore throat... that's what it tastes like."

driving back to devil's golf course

dunes in Death Valley

Dante's View views

travelling on

the setting sun's glow

6 1/2 miles later we reached that bend you see way off in the distance. It went on and on and we were mostly a solitary vehicle. 

Ouch!  When you're in a place and you need gas...

well, you don't have much choice but to fill the gas tank!

Barstow/Calico KOA campground for this night. (No picture 🤪🤷‍♀️)