It’s a Golden Opportunity!

After the Harmony Borax Works, we made a quick stop at Furnace Creek.  At this point, we are 190 feet below sea level!

We watched a movie at the visitor’s center and it was really worthwhile.  We found out that there actually is an Indian tribe—the Timbisha Shoshone—that was allotted tribal acreage in 2000 so that they could live within their ancestral homeland. The Shoshone prefer to call Death Valley Timbisha.  You have to admit, it does sound nicer than Death Valley.

We also learned about different areas of the park we knew we wouldn’t be driving to.  One is called “Racetrack”.  Unfortunately, to get there you take a long drive (about 27 miles) on an upaved, washboard road.  On the park map, this road has a statement, "Tires must be able to withstand sharp rocks."  I don't know about you, but that didn't sound all that inviting to us.  The thought of getting a flat tire in the middle of Death Valley just doesn't ring my bell.  Having said all that, it is truly an amazing natural phenomenon. These large rocks travel on their own over the landscape.  They know they travel because they leave their travel tracks behind them!  They have no idea how the large rocks travel, but they think they might have an answer.  I found a YouTube video that gives an explanation for this weird marvel.  Click on this link to see and learn more:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1hoiHvOeGc

Check out this photo from the Internet because it really is amazing.

Onto Golden Canyon which is easily accessible off Highway 190.  If we didn’t have dogs, we would have walked the whole 2.5 mile round trip hike through this striking canyon.  But we did have the dogs and needed to stay aware of how much time they spent in the car.  We were so thankful because we hit perfect weather and were always able to get parking that kept the inside of the car at a moderate temperature.  Having said that, we decided to walk at least a short distance into the canyon.  Here are pictures of both Gary and me in Golden Canyon.

The rock formations in this canyon were mind boggling.  Turn-after-turn the canyon revealed new, delightful scenery including azure blue skies with just a hint of puffy white clouds.

 

Gary said this mountain looked like an ice cream sundae!  You can barely see the strawberry, there’s a glimpse of the lime, but you certainly can see the vanilla and chocolate!

Next stop on our first day’s journey?  Artist Drive … a colorful canyon created by the Master Creator Himself!

Revelation 5:8-10 // When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.  And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."