Sand Dunes & Salt Flats in Death Valley

This is a pick-up of yesterday’s post covering the Death Valley super bloom. Following our check-in at Furnace Creek visitor’s center, we only have an hour before sunset. We decide to stop at the Salt Creek area and then check out the sand dunes before heading to our motel for the night. We’ve booked a room in Beatty, Nevada since all accommodation in the park is booked up. Beatty is about 45 minutes from Furnace Creek but it’s the closest town and they have about four motels and restaurants there. FYI, camping is available around Furnace Creek, even on these busy super bloom weekends — in addition to areas that take advance reservations, there are first-come, first-served campgrounds with room for several hundred tents so you should be able to just turn up and camp for $12 a night.

We park along the main road by the Salt Creek area. The bright white salt glows in the distance.

Doesn’t it look like snow? Instead, it’s the opposite temperature — it’s around 90 degrees at 5:30pm.

Look at how the salt erodes living plants here — now I see why they call this place Death Valley:

Greetings from me and my friend Jenny!

It’s late in the day and our shadows stretch long. This is our Warrior II pose:

Beyond the salt flats, life blooms again:

Moments before sunset, looking back towards Salt Creek:

Back in the car we drive north towards the sand dunes. Sunlight still glows on the nearby hills.

Soft light of dusk illuminates the dunes as we park and walk towards them. We passed this area earlier (it’s just beyond Stovepipe Wells) but we were in a hurry to get to Furnace Creek. Now we have time to scope them out.

We drive out towards Beatty, Nevada. Within a mile of the city limits I get cell service again for the first time since shortly after we left Los Angeles.

There are just a few places to stay here and we end up at the Exchange Club Motel. For around $70 a night it’s fine.

After looking at three restaurants right next to each other, we grab dinner at Chili & Beer (just across the street from the motel). I order a bowl of chili for $5 and call it a night.