Death Valley - Part 1

We literally "blew into" Death Valley National Park today - amidst 30-40 mph winds with 50 mph gusts! The dust blew so bad at times that you couldn't see in front of you and it pricked your skin. We parked and got out to go into the Visitor Center and it almost blew me over. I was trying to be positive and think how I was getting a free microdermabrasion but I was too gritty to enjoy it! We could even feel sand in our teeth! And the motorhome windowsills are covered with dust.
We got settled in the campground and decided it was too miserable outside to go anywhere so we thought we would go over the to Wrangler restaurant where they offered great steak dinners. At $42 for the cheapest steak we opted for a hamburger in the Saloon!
It gusted and blew and eventually rained - yes, rain! - during the night and this morning it was a beautiful 60 degrees with clear skies and no wind! Average temperature here in April is in the 90's.
The hottest day on record here was in July 1913 at 134 degrees. The caretaker of Furnace Creek Ranch - where we are camped - wrote that birds were falling out of the sky dead.
We explored the Badwater Basin - 282 feet below sea level - named by an early explorer because his donkey wouldn't drink the "bad water" - it was too salty. Roger and I were wondering how they got there to begin with! The ground looks like freshly plowed soil with hard salt crystals. 

We then hiked to Natural Bridge......

 

 

 

This picture is from the 8 mile Artist's Palette Drive ...........

 



 

Our first view of snow covered mountains this trip!