Death Valley National Park, Manzanar National Historical Site, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

Death Valley (March 30): Death Valley National Park is the most vast desolate place I’ve ever seen. There was an odd beauty as we drove the hundred miles across the National Park. Temperatures varied directly as to our altitude, which ranged from 282 feet below sea level to 5000 feet over the passes above sea level. Anything below sea level was HOT–significantly warmer than anything above sea level. Furnace Creek hovered in the mid-90s until at least sunset, while much of the rest of the park was in the 80s. Thank goodness we didn’t camp in Furnace Creek as I had originally hoped–the campgrounds were an open gravel parking lot with no protection from the sun and heat, which was still in the 90s when we drove through at sunset.

Badwater Basin-check out the reflection of the mountains in the water

Lonely flower on the side of the road

The truck is 282 feet below sea level!

Salt flats trail on Badwater Basin

Pure Vast Desolation

Artist Pallet

Artists Palette

Artist Palette drive

Devil’s Golf Course

Manzanar Internment Camp National Historical Site (March 30): In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women, and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were incarcerated during World War II. This was located on the far west side of Death Valley on the east side of the Sierras–that’s what you see in the background–the Sierras.

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (March 31): Rare fish and plants are located in the largest oasis in the Mojave Desert just 5 miles from Shoshone, NV on the SE side of Death Valley, where we camped for 3 nights. A development for 30,000 people was planned for this area in the 1980’s, but it would bring about the extinction of up to 26 unique species of plant and wild life to the area if it had been built with the unique environment of warm springs and alkaline soil. Also, while there is water present in this area, it is no where enough to meet the needs of 30,000 people. I can’t even imagine that development in that area if it has been built. One of the key animals that would have been affected is the pupfish, which was also protected in a few little ponds just behind the campground we were in. I really liked the pupfish!