Day 5, Sunrise, Sunset

March 26, 2023 

Sunrise at Zabriski's Point is one of the must dos at Death Valley. This was relatively easy for us since we are camping fairly close. It was cloudy so the sunrise was not as dramatic as it might have been. Still, we were happy we were there to see the transformation of the colors and shadows on the landscape as the sun rose.

After breakfast, we used the National Park Service's app to follow a self-guided tour of some of the park's highlights. 

We started out at Bad Water Basin, the location of the lowest point in the North America at 282 feet below sea level, as well as the site of 200 square miles of salt flats formed by the evaporation of Lake Manley thousands of years ago. It left salt deposits behind which form fascinating polygons.

Devil's Golf Course was our next stop. The boulders are jagged and sharp but the salt crystals are beautiful.
Artists Palette is one-way scenic drive loop. There are splashes of colors (pink, red, orange, yellow, white, green and purple) formed by different minerals in the rocks. Different colors are more visible at different times in the day.
Our final hike off the day was in the Golden Canyon through tall, towering golden walls. The walk leads to the Red Cathedral, red rocks which have eroded over the years and form tall red pillars.
Our campground is associated with a hotel. We decided to take advantage of Happy Hour Bar Bites but the prices convinced us to only get a refreshing drink while sitting to use the internet. 

After dinner, we rushed back to Zabriski's Point to watch the sunset. Whereas the morning had too many clouds, the evening sky had too few, so not as lovely a sunset as we had hoped. Still, as in the morning, we are happy not to have missed it

It is slightly windy tonight but the clear sky provides a lovely night sky and lots of stars.


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