Splendid Desolation

A few hours before I board the plane back home, I have some time to write you about what I've done last week (it feels like last month, though).

If I thought the weather in Zion and Bryce National parks where odd, when one night it's 89 (31 c) degrees out, and the following night it's 26 (-3 c). I had a surprise to enter a few days of extremely hot temperature, when at Monday evening, at 6:31 pm, my car's thermometer showed 122 (50 c) degrees (shade or not).





This happened as I left Las Vegas Sunday morning and drove to my last big station on the trip, Death Valley National Park in California back again. Death Valley in one of the biggest national park with over 3.3 million acres. Two days is less than enough in this place, where it's a lot of work getting exposed to the hidden beauty of the park. As soon as I got there, I met a fellow photographer, a road engineer from Switzerland, that took his sabbatical to travel five months around the US. Now that's a photo-trip.




One of the beautiful sand dunes around lies the center of the park, and as the day was coming to an end, we walked a bit inside.




Racetrack Playa , a place I've seen in a lot of images, is a long time favorite place to visit. The drive to the playa takes about 2-3 hours on a 30 mile dirt road. I got there at 2am in order to be in the right place at the right time, without having to wonder around too much in the morning. It's a remote and flat area, and I was the only one there. Was a strange feeling. The Racetrack Playa is a seasonally dry lake (a playa) located in the northern part of the Panamint Mountains. It is famous for 'sailing stones', rocks that mysteriously move across its surface. These moving rocks, are a geological phenomenon found here. The stones are assumed to slowly move across the surface of the playa, inferred from the long tracks behind them, without human or animal intervention. They have neither been seen nor filmed in motion and are not unique to The Racetrack. Similar rock travel patterns have been recorded in several other playas in the region but the number and length of travel grooves on The Racetrack are notable.




Seeing this place, all a lot at sunrise was quite thrilling.


On the way back, passed by this junction where man adds to the beauty and tone of a place.




Since Death Valley Is such a large and secluded area, the two gas stations in it, allow themselves to charge ridiculously amounts of money for gas. this is about a dollar and a half more the in San-Francisco.



The Charcoal Kilns (built in 1867) where used to reduce the local Pinion Pine and Juniper tree's to charcoal by a process of slow controlled burning, the charcoal was then used to smelt gold and lead ore in the local mines. After just a few years of use, they where abandoned and left to decay. In the spring of 1971 a team of Navajo Indians from Arizona, repaired the Kilns and they remain to this day in good condition. There are ten Kilns in all, measuring 30-32ft in diameter and 25 feet in height





Later that day, drove the lowest point in the north America, the Badwater Salt Flats. At 282 feet (85.5 m) below sea level. It's also where I recorded that 122 degrees. Go dead sea....!




A second night in the park was spent close to Stovepipe Wells, a touristic area in the park (with the cheaper gas), Got up before sunrise in order to walk 2-3 miles into the close by sand dunes, as I didn't have enough thee day before. This time I was alone, so spent there about 4-5 hours. It's was a great experience, just me and the rattle snakes.



Took it slow leaving the park that morning, knowing I slowly have to make my way back to SF to the end of this trip. As advised by relatives, drove toward the coast line, where there is a nice road that travels all the way, just meters from the coast, to SF.


Always saw these oil rigs in the movies, so stopped next to them, till i was "approached" and was recommended to leave the area. Also known as the "Nodding Donkey"




What I didn't know, while driving to the coast, is that I'll pass by California's Central Wine Country. It's like a mini Tuscany that you see in the movies. Golden hills and vineyards left to right. There I witnessed one of the marvelous sunsets I've seen in a long while, and surprisingly, got some good shots of it too.

To Cambria, a town just a few miles south of the Big Sur region, I arrived at moonrise. and from a bit further up the road I got up for this moon-set to the ocean scene.




Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the central California, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the pacific ocean. The terrain offers stunning views, making Big Sur a popular tourist destination. This is the only major place in this trip that I didn't came prepared with information before hand, so a lot of improvising and U-terns where taken that morning.







One of the coast cities I drove by was Santa Cruz, where close to the road I saw some kite-surfing took place. since I had some spare time, decided to practice some action sports photography. It was a lot of fun, and even a small paying one time job came out of it.









Soon enough, found my self back at San-Francisco, having only one evening of photography ahead of me, before flying to NY and practically ending this good photo-trip. Moonrise over the city and the golden gate bridge.



In NY I stayed for a 6 days and had a great time staying with family. Only one night had the opportunity to photograph. A very over photographed place, but never had the chance of being there.






I guess this is it. This time I really don't know when the next time will be. I hope you've enjoyed these notes and that I was able to convey even just a bit of what it's been like. Thanks to all of you that commented and responded, here and otherwise. Any further suggestions and/or comment are greatly appreciated.



All the best,



Itai