As a kind of last tribute to California, we made one last trip to enjoy the beauty that can be found all over this wonderful state.

The destination was Death Valley and it definitely lived up to our expectations.

Death Valley is a National Park that falls on the border between California and Nevada, quite close to Las Vegas actually. Death Valley is most famous as the hottest place in the United States as the heat is unbearable in the summer. That's why winter and spring are the perfect times of year to visit. And the climate was near perfect. We camped the one night we were there and it was just the perfect sleeping temperature.

We arrived on Sunday just before sunset which was perfect as we could see the beautiful sky as the sun set over the Panamint mountains from the Mesquite Sand Dunes. The dunes are amazingly created by the winds which bring in and dump the sands and then sculpt them into beautiful curving creations.

After the sun had set we made our way to Furnace Creek where we camped for the night. In the morning we got up before the sun had come up over the mountains and headed to Zabriskie Point to watch the sunrise. The suns first rays on the far mountain range contrasting with the color and shapes of the closer hills was certainly a beautiful sight.

After breakfast we packed up and headed out for the day. We first stopped at the Death Valley Museum which really orientated us well for the things we were to see during the day.

Basically we drove along the road towards the south park entrance at Shoshone, stopping along the way at the various points of interest. We hiked 4 miles near Golden Canyon, did the Artist's Drive loop and stopped at Devil's Golf course. Everywhere we went there were sights that, while lonely and desolate, at the same time had vibrant hints of life and beauty hidden not far below the surface. And the scale of it all was grandiose. Everything is extreme. The distances, the winds, the colors, all of it, is on a grand scale.