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Artists Drive: Death Valley National Park a beautiful site to visit
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Artist Drive : Colorful view of the canyon and the colors of mineral coating the canyon walls Photo Credit : Clora Teel
The week started off with a great drive to Death Valley National Park, events there were gearing up, the day was calm with clear blue skies and a vast view of the wonderland was to be had. Taking time for lunch, a quick look at the newcomers to the event shows and greeting some friends gave us an opportunity to visit and still have some daylight hours to see places we had not previously gone.
Taking a look at the sky we could see it would soon be sundown and to drive to a site too far from Furnace Creek we might not make it before light got too low. So we opted to tour Artists Drive. This drive is just 11 miles from the heart of Furnace Creek. Along the way are amazing boulders, sitings of animals of the desert, (kit fox) on this day, and the valley, opening to the entrance to Badwater.
The drive has several pull outs for getting a closer look and a good chance to take photos as the light of day was waning. There is also a restroom along this drive.
The colors of the canyon have been created by minerals and layers of sediment collecting over millions of years. The sudden changes of colors and shapes is breath taking. jAnd one feels quite small in the scope of the huge boulders that border Artist Drive highway. There are layers of soft pinks, pale tans and dark lines of black and brown. The constant winds and winter rains create alluvial fans falling down the sides of the huge mountains, creating patterns that cannot be duplicated anywhere. A day of painting in the fall air would please any artist or photographer with a camera for a canvas, to be recorded in the future in fresh paint.
This is a one way road so you must start at the entrance, the dips and valleys as you go through the canyon make a self driven roller coaster. This is such an easy tour there is no need for any special vehicle, unless you have some electric thing that needs a charger, not a good choice at all. No charger to be found there. Leave your electric scooter at home. There are so many sites to see in
Death Valley take time to plan to stay a day or so in the area. There are various hotels and resorts with prices for any budget and campgrounds if that is your desire.
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