STL DPB ON THE ROAD - DEATH VALLEY

There is no better place we know in the US to clear out your head than Death Valley. It's two hours drive from Las Vegas and, outside of the central village, you might as well be on another planet (with your fellow tourists). This is Badwater Basin, 282 feet / 85.5 meters below sea level, the lowest point in this country. (I'm talking geography, not politics or history.)    

The mountain range in the background and the one behind me are slowly spreading apart as this section of the valley continues to sink. Springs that originate in the mountains drift toward here and evaporate, leaving a crackling salt crust.