Up before dawn, grabbed some coffee, quick shower and we set off for Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the USA at 282feet/85.5m below sea level. It was a very balmy 80F as we walked around the boardwalk on the salt flats, and a great big plus, there was no-one else to share the scene with us, the silence was intense.
The colours slowly emerged as the day began, wisps of cloud turned pink, yellow and finally white. It was all magical. I walked out across the salt flats on a well trodden trail, for about ten minutes to get a sense of scale; the flats went on for miles. Ok, enough photos, and I can see a crowd of motorbikes and cars heading down the road towards us, so it's time to go. We had spent over an hour with the place to ourselves, so no complaints.
We returned the way we had come only this time we stopped off a few times. First at 'The Devils Golf Course' an area of salt flats, encompassing some 200 square miles, where the salt crystals have piled high creating all sorts of weird and wonderful shapes. We could hear faint pinging and tinkling as the salt crystals expanded in the growing heat of the day. We drove on the side road called the Artist Drive', a steep climb along a narrow winding road leading to to an area called the Artist' Palette, many different coloured rocks; greens, pinks, red and yellows. Very pretty, so we stopped to look and enjoyed our bagel breakfast.
On then to the Golden Canyon. Ruth had just started to doze, so it was time for a walk! It was a mile and a quarter to the top, to the Red Cathedral. A very pleasant walk, much easier than walking at the altitudes we experienced at Yosemite. The canyon walls were yellow/golden in the morning sun, deeply grooved and eroded by flats flooding over millennia. It took about a hour and a half to reach the Cathedral, but only half an hour to return. The scenery was spectacular, but the sun was getting higher and hotter. By the time we got back to the car it was 95F. Back to the ranch!
Furnace Creek Ranch was originally built, in the 1880s, to service the borax mining activities and only turned to tourism in 1933. It lies on a natural spring and previous owners have planted many date palms, giving it a tropical feel. It is at 190 feet below sea level. There is still the feel of the early 1900s but the amenities are up to date. Our cabin is just a bedroom with bathroom but of a generous size and very comfortable. So much so that when we got back from our morning trip we crashed completely, only waking after 2.30. It was lovely and we felt refreshed if somewhat hungry.
A sandwich lunch, then off to the pool. The heat hit us as we opened the door and a quick check revealed it was 112F (45F) the hottest day yet, which made the pool even more attractive.
We set off around 5 to go to see the sunset, this time at the Artist's Palette. The access road is a lovely drive climbing up from the salt flats into the lower reaches of the mountains, twisting and turning all the time presenting new vistas at every turn. The place was deserted when we arrived so we sat and enjoyed the peace and quiet and the lovely landscape. I wandered off on a trail through the Palette to get a closer look at the different colours.
Eventually the sun set and the colours became more intense and as we drove away, after the sun had gone down, we turned a corner and the sky was lit up a brilliant red by the long set sun. It was a huge sky and absolutely amazing. Time for a beer!
