We drove through the desert, where there were almost no signs of civilization, except for a few gas stations, a single post office and a bank in the middle of nowhere. Jan got a little nervous before entering Death Valley National Park, so we stopped to get a full tank of gas, 24 bottles of water and a precautionary last-minute quesadilla, just to be prepared for any type of emergency. (Needless to say, throughout all national parks so far, we used to drive for miles without having phone service.)
At the first vista point in Death Valley, Zabriskie Point, it immediately felt incredibly quiet, especially after Las Vegas.
We took the scenic Artist’s Drive to Artist’s Palette, a stone formation that displays an array of colors, caused by the oxidation of different metals. (OK, science: you’re awesome.)
Death Valley also features the lowest point in North America at 85 m (279 ft) below sea level. The road was a constant uphill and downhill drive, from below sea level to 1000 m of elevation and back to almost sea level.
