Who would think the hottest, driest, lowest location in the U.S. with the word “death” in its name could be so beautiful.  In early December, late in the afternoon we entered the park with just a couple of hours of daylight left.  As we drove to our first stop at Zabriskie Point, we were greeted with different textures and shapes, and layers upon layers of different colored swirls and mounds.  My first impression was a smooth soft dish of chocolate and vanilla ice cream.  Over at the Artist’s Palette, the chocolate-fudge ice cream hills included a hint of pistachio with a little blueberry mixed in.  The colors of the volcanic and sedimentary hills here were incredible; browns and tans, greens and purples - truly amazing.  Just up the road is the Gold Canyon Trail.  We wandered through the twisting narrows and rock formations taking time to appreciate the geological stories that the layers reveal.  Since the light was fading quickly, we called it a day and planned to revisit during our next trip through the area.

Our second trip into the park was at the end of March and began at Dante’s View, an awesome mountain-top overlook more than 5,000 feet above Badwater Basin with the surrounding snowcapped mountains in the distance.  Next, just before Stovepipe Wells Village lies Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes rising nearly 100 feet from the Flat.  Although I would have liked to visit later in the day to capture the ripples and patterns accentuated in the late afternoon light, our stop in late morning was worthwhile and allowed us to view tracks of nocturnal wildlife before they were disturbed.  A little further along, we traveled up a long, bumpy, washboard dirt road toward Mosaic Canyon.  Joe was not too happy, but obliged me as he always does.  But, we both agreed that what was waiting for us was well worth the grueling drive.  This narrow, polished marble-walled canyon was an incredible site and one more example of the area’s geological diversity.  The midday light made photographing difficult, and once again, you just have to see it for yourself.  The next stop was Badwater Basin, the lowest elevation in the U.S. at 282 feet below sea level.  The vast salt flats look and feel like a firm snow pack.  On the way out of the park, we took the long road south past the Ashford Mill ruins and out through Shoshone.