Maybe it was because my expectations were not that high, but the Furnace Creek Campground wins for “Most Pleasant Surprise”. We reserved campsite #108. This whole row of campsites had plenty of shady trees; it felt like each campsite had its own mini forest!
Checking out the campsite.
Taking a break while Daddy set up the tent.
Our tent was also the perfect distance from the restroom—approx. 100 ft.–score!
Inside shot, for those who may be curious. After setting up camp, we did some exploring.
Our first stop was Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America.
The white sign says “Sea Level”. Our camera was not powerful enough to take a non-blurry shot.
D really wanted to taste the salt, but thankfully, he resisted.
We witnessed a boy scout leader yell at his troop for going off of the marked path despite this sign:
Our next destination was Artist’s Palette, which is a one-way scenic drive. It was a bit longer than I thought. At one point I actually wondered if we had taken a wrong turn. Being that it was one-way, there was no turning back.
Note the green color—I believe that is why the Artist’s Palette received its name.
Our final stop was to hike Golden Canyon. It was a 2.0 mile hike, which we began at 3:50 and finished at 4:45. The mountains blocked the sun earlier than I thought, but we could still see fine. The diminishing light actually made everything more picturesque and “golden”, if you will.
Love how you can see the moon in this picture!
By the time we arrived at the turnaround point, the kids (especially n), were done. We decided against the additional .25 mi to see Red Cathedral, but we could see it in the distance.
The kids thought this rock looked like a frog/turtle.
Heading back.
We ended up cooking dinner in the dark and ate dinner in the dark. Hence, no pictures of our hot dogs and chili.