STL DPB ON THE ROAD - A LAST VIEW OF DEATH VALLEY

Probably. Still at Mesquite Flat Dunes. I think this is one of my better pictures from the trip. You can be your own editor but not your own critic. See what you think.              

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THOSE DUNES

Still at Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley with a point of view pulled back from yesterday's photo. It looks like a romantic 19th Century landscape of the Old West (or that's how it strikes me). The range on the rights is inappropriately called the Grapevine Mountains.

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FRANK HERBERT

Another image from the Mesquite Sand Dunes. The two small figures in the center and right center give some sense of scale, although the sand continues well beyond this ridge. And how far away are the mountains?

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - THE QUIET AND THE SPACE

 

One of the things we like so much about Death Valley is the silence and the enormous sense of space. It's not busy during the week and you can drive a long way before seeing another car. The distances between main sites are tens of miles apart. Whether driving or walking through, you may have a sense of being a tiny observer in a vast universe.

Those of you who know us personally are aware that the last couple of years, and particularly the last couple of months, have been difficult for our family. Our last stop on Tuesday was the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The western skies were cloudy as we approached. I was pessimistic about the light but as we walked out into the sand the clouds parted. I don't need any jackpots when we get back to Las Vegas. I got all I want here. Our rental car has Apple Play and I have a lot of music on my phone. I put on some Chopin as we drove back to Furnace Creek and, in all the space and quiet, a sense of peace fell over me.