DEATH VALLEY

Death Valley is the lowest, driest, and hottest area in North America. Located in the Great Basin, east of the Sierra Nevada mountains. When we arrived it was 107 degrees with winds up to 65mph. To feel so physically challenged by your surroundings and the limits of what your body can handle is a wonderful and very real way to gain appreciation and respect.

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes of Death Valley will transport you to another dimension where illusory distances grow with every step you take.

This dune field includes three types of dunes: crescent, linear, and star shaped. Polygon-cracked clay of an ancient lakebed forms the floor. Mesquite trees have created large hummocks that provide stable habitats for wildlife.

Set alongside the Autry Garden, the California Road Trip room is a destination for rest and inspiration. Through the panoramic and close-up dual projection film, visitors are invited to discover California’s most scenic and varied landscapes and biomes. Sights include: the extreme desert climate of Death Valley, the lowest point in North America; the idyllic ocean bluffs of Big Sur and the central coastline, an exemplary feature of California's topography; the starry skies of Joshua Tree; the majestic giants of the California Redwoods, the tallest trees in the world; and the supreme elevation and jagged granite faces of Mt. Whitney, unforgivingly the highest summit in the contiguous United States, reaching 14,505 feet into the clouds.