back in the air

Boxing Day.  23 days ago.  That was the last time I was on a plane, the last time I was at LAX. 

It won't be as big a year for travel this year, and although I think that is a good thing, part of me really enjoys a busy schedule of travel, I cannot lie.

It's conference time for me this weekend.  I was in the United Club this morning well in time for a bite to eat before my flight.  Once boarded,

we were on our way on time.  Phew!  Time passed, I listened to music and watched some Letterkenny, and Bob's your uncle:  Chicago.

Bloody cold out there, right?

I miss Chicago.

I'm in the United Club in the C concourse at ORD right now.  Boarding in about 35 minutes.  Baltimore by bedtime.  A long day.

And yet, yes, I have missed this, I admit.

road trip to Death Valley, day three

The last part of the road trip saga.  The day we came home, but not without seeing a little more of the park, first.

Late morning, and we checked out

of our delightful hotel. 

It really was a terrific property.  Come on, look at it. 

Glorious.  And that's just part of it.  Did I mention the golf carts?  But even pretty much across the street from the hotel, there were some cool rock formations. 

The park had so much to offer.

We stopped to get a little bite and some coffee (and why oh why did none of the coffee vendors seem to have decaf?  Come on!) and then headed south to Badwater Basin.

The Basin.  The lowest point below sea level in North America. 

See the little sign up there? 

That was sea level.  It was a cloudy Monday, and the crowds were less than we had seen elsewhere the day before.  Equally happily, the clouds meant less glare on the salt flats we all walked out on.

I gather that it is rare to see water in the basin as we did.  A very shallow lake stretched out, reflecting the landscape above it. 

It was so very cool that we got to see that.  We didn't see salt formations like the park guides suggested, but perhaps we didn't wander to the right areas.  It was really something, though to be atop all that salt. 

And at that low point.

We got photos of ourselves,

we got photos of the surrounding area. 

We got in the car, and headed south to eventually exit the park.  The drive was a little desolate in a very wonderful way - it's nice when it feels like you have the whole road and even the valley to yourself.  Ultimately, we made it onto the 15, and, in darkness, onto the 210.  A slog getting home, but we made it in time for me and Conrad to go out for pizza.

That wraps up Death Valley.  I look forward to another national park some time.  And now, to bed.  I have to fly to Baltimore tomorrow....

road trip to Death Valley, day two

Alright, here we go.  Our full day in Death Valley National Park.  We saw a lot, and yet, we saw only a little of the park.  That is NOT a complaint.  Are you kidding?  I hope you get a sense from the photos of what an awesome day it was.  Mild/cool temperatures and blue skies.  Wow.  So thrilled I got to see so much of it.

Not unusually for us, Conrad and I were up well before Van was, so we poked around outside a little, seeing the grounds. 

But we did get Van out of bed, and we did get up to the main lodge for breakfast before taking some photos of the grounds. 

We had our trusty golf cart for the weekend

(each casita is assigned golf cart, and it was the first time driving one for me and for Van and maybe Conrad).  We got ourselves together, and headed out.

First stop, the park's information center about a mile away in Furnace Creek.  Souvenirs, checking out maps, and then it was on the road south.  We had a plan for the day, but the plan didn't pan out.  Oh, that's fine.  No Stress Express for us.  Let's see what we see and enjoy it!

So we were heading to Badwater Basin, but we were entranced by the long, flat stretch of valley coated in salt deposits. 

En route, we stopped at a site called The Devil's Golf Course. 

All these craggy (and sharp!) salt formations to walk amongst.  Oh, and the glare.  Ouch!  And we weren't even in the pure white of salt pans at that point.  So cool to see, though.

We continued south, and turned off the road to see the natural bridge.  A short hike into the canyon to appreciate it. 

Wow.  Very cool, truly.  A lot of the park makes you think and wonder about natural geologic processes.  Past the bridge, deeper up the canyon, there was evidence of waterfalls when the rains or snowmelt hit.  Just so remarkable.  And then to look down the canyon and see how the Panamint mountains were reflected in the water collected on the valley floor? 

Just stunning.

We decided then not to go to Badwater Basin.  We'd see it the next day on the drive home, and so we ventured north.  Next up, the Artist's Drive and a stop at the Artist's Palette. 

Beautiful colours in the rocks, but Van was disinclined to do the easy hikes.  We admired them and despaired of the throngs of people climbing all over (and especially the one woman who took her dog on a leash to a side area to do its business - dogs are not permitted anywhere in the park where cars can't go, and this was not the first one we saw that day.  I hate people sometimes.) and left.  Onward to the Mesquite Flat Dunes in hopes of making it by sunset.  Alas, we were minutes late, and that made a difference for how we saw light on the dunes. 

They were impressive, but the crowds and the encroaching evening made us decide to return to the hotel shortly after getting some shots of the dunes

and of ourselves.

And then it was dinner at the hotel.  A steak for me, some red wine.  A nice time of it.  A full day, an exhausting day, and I was utterly happy to have experienced it!