Only Clemson or true college football fans will get the title reference here. Clemson's home "arena" is nicknamed Death Valley. And, I was conceived a Clemson Tiger fan (even though I attended in-state the University of Tennessee). The joke is once my Clemson orange fades, I can wear it to Tennessee games (or to hunt, serve prison time or pick up trash on the side of the road.) Seriously, Tennessee has the worse shade of orange in history. Whoever said orange is the new pink was seriously deranged (thanks, Elle Woods).
Anyways, back to the OG (original gangsta) Death Valley...(for real, I have adult ADHD and embrace it 100%). I recently had the opportunity to visit Death Valley National Park -- the hottest, lowest and dry National Park! Located in California + Nevada, it's the largest National Park in the lower 48 states + home of the Salt Flats!
Truck packed with a cooler full of ice cold water!
This is the hottest place in the USA...in 2018 DVNP broke it's all-time ever heat record at 108.1 DEGREES FARENHEIT! And, for 4 days straight after, the daytime temps were 127 degrees. I'm melting just typing this...
On a serious note, visitors have no cell reception, so it's highly encouraged to stay on well-traveled roads in the park so park rangers and or other visitors can stop to help if your car overheats (highly possible) or you run out of gas or break down. You will die!
Still working off some winter weight...does this pose work? Tee hee, more to love, right?
It's so hot, you'll quickly peel off your shirt!
Ta Dahhhhh! The Salt Flats...
The pictures do no justice whatsoever on how cool this terrain really looks in live + living color...
How did all the salt get there?
Answer: Rain washing the minerals from the rocks down into the basin...
Just amazing, right? God is so creative...
Okay check this out!!!! I'm at the lowest place in the US and still smiling!
When you go low, I go high!
No, but seriously I'm standing at 282 feet BELOW sea level, yo!
Okay serious scientific question: How on God's green Earth is there any water in the desert?
Leave me a comment with your answer (no Google cheating!)
I loved the scorching desert. The west really is the best.
I cannot describe the feeling of this type of heat, but it was so peaceful walking the boardwalk into the basin and out towards the mountain range (or maybe I was slowly dying of dehydration)...
Anyways, it felt like warm kisses to my skin...
There is seriously SO MUCH more to see in this park such as the Ubehebe Crater, the charcoal kilns, Artist Drive, Devil's Golf Course, and Eureka Sand Dunes, just to name a few. Alas, we were on a schedule and couldn't quite fit it all in. One thing I'm kinda bummed I didn't see is the most common species in DVNP...the roadrunner. BEEP BEEP! However, this experience was so wonderful and truly a bucket list item checked!
Stay cool my friends and drink plenty of water. I woke up this morning with severe cotton mouth, which means I was super dehydrated. I've been chugging water like a mad woman!
Love,
Kimmie
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