Death Valley is the lowest spot in North America. Signs along the roads provide elevation above sea level or below sea level. Badwater the lowest point, -282 feet below sea level. In the distance behind us, in the picture, are the salt flats, just a layer of salt about 6 inches thick. Nearby is a pond of salt water. An early surveyor wrote "badwater" on his map when his mule refused to drink from the pond nearby. We saw at least three different tiny animals in the pond. One was a water strider. During our whole vacation, the temperature has been pleasant to slightly cool. It was actually a little hot here, i.e., upper 80s or low 90s.
Another interesting place is the "Devil's Golf Course." From a distance the land looks like overzealous plowing. But when you get up close you can see that these huge clods are a mixture of soil and slat. Huge blobs of salt. In the smoother areas, the dried soil cracked. Salt water in cracks evaporated leaving the salt to fill the cracks..Death Valley does have some sand. A young French speaker tried to impress his girlfriend by hitting golf balls off the sand. The bushes are creosote bushes which grow well in the sand because it absorbs and holds water.
The one cool place we didn't see is racetrack playa where rocks are blown across the valley floor leaving tracks.
Since this is Monday, we scooted down to Las Vegas to see Cirque de Soleil's Mystere in Las Vegas. We made it to Treasure Island Hotel and Casino with almost an hour to spare. After the show we drove over to the KOA campground at Circus Circus. This became our base for the next day. Before going to bed we played roulette in the casino for about an hour.
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