25. Death Valley/CA to Las Vegas/NV

As we descended into Death Valley, the temperature soared, and the landscape shifted from pine forests to barren, volcanic rocks dotted with sagebrush and Joshua trees 🌴. We dropped from 10,000 feet to 200 feet below sea level! Death Valley, the largest national park in the contiguous U.S., is otherworldly. The U2 album cover makes more sense now!

We passed Rainbow Canyon, also known as Star Wars Canyon, where skilled pilots perform daring maneuvers, and visited Mosaic Canyon (picture in previous footprint), an awe-inspiring gallery of natural art. The canyon walls are like intricate murals of dolomite, transformed into marble over centuries. Next, we saw the iconic Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, a stark reminder of the extreme dryness here—Death Valley holds the record for the highest air temperature at 134°F (1913) and went 24 years without a drop of rain between 1929 and 1953.

At Devil’s Cornfield, we spotted the strange arrowweed formations that earned this desert spot its name.

Finally, we reached Furnace Creek, where Borax, known as the "White Gold of the desert," was once mined for ceramics and gold extraction. The day ended with a hot, desert-temperature shower—surprisingly satisfying after all the dust and heat.

Sleeping in the van that night was tough—no air conditioning in Death Valley is no joke—but we survived. We woke early to catch the sunrise at Zabriskie Point, where the views are breathtaking and the rock formations are simply majestic. From there, we hiked the Badlands Loop at 5:30 a.m. to beat the heat, starting at Golden Canyon and passing through Gower Gulch. Other highlights included Devil’s Golf Course, a flat white field of Borax, and Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America (282 feet below sea level), named after a donkey that refused to drink the salty water. We also explored the Natural Bridge and its dry waterfall and admired the vibrant colors of the Artist Palette mountains before ending at Dante’s View, 5,575 feet above the valley floor. The sweeping vistas here felt like a scene out of Star Wars.

Then came the best news of the day—I got approval for my visa extension! Unfortunately, Theo is still waiting for his, but we’re hopeful it’ll come soon.

We’re gearing up to Las Vegas, Nevada to pick up Max from the airport.Читать далее