Spring Break - Death Valley, California

We visited Death Valley National Park this Spring Break. I was expecting very hot dry weather, flat area with lots of kinds of cactus, lizards, bugs and other animals everywhere. But it was a great surprised that Death Valley was nothing like that. It had a great variety of different kinds of terrains, spectacular views from above and on ground level. A very unique place! Following is just a few pictures of most of the places we enjoyed at Death Valley.


Us at Dante's Point
We started our visit of Death Valley National Park by driving up to Dante's Point. It is a place with hiking trail on the high mountains with the amazing view of Death Valley below. The spectacular view is best during the morning hours. It was very windy up there that day and the view of the valley was not very clear but it was still a spectacular view.

Us at Zabriski Point.
Beautiful view of this light color rocky hills!
It was very windy the day we visited Zabriski Point.

a shot of Gordon at Ubeheb Crater.
A volcanic explosion left this crater.

Our first hike was at the Mosaic Canyon.
This hike was very narrow and among rocks full of marble.

But then it opened up nice and wide!

Our second hike was the Golden Canyon.
At this canyon, late afternoon sunlight paints deep golden tones on the canyon walls.

Zulita at a view point of Artist Drive, Death Valley.
This is a beautiful drive among view of hills of at least 6 different color rock.
Oxidation has produced a rainbow of colors in the eroded clay deposits of ancient lakebed sediments. The colors are more intense during the late afternoon. Artist Palette, about
halfway along the drive, is a particularly unusual mosaic of red, yellow, orange, green, violet and black hues. I've never seen anything like this.

A shot of Gordon and Devil's Golf Course, Death Valley.
This area used to be lakes that evaporated and left layers of salt and gravel deposits on the valley floor. The moisture evaporates leaving the salt to crystallize and be sculpted into sharp ridges spires by rain and wind.

Spring Break - Sand Dunes -Death Valley

We visited the Death Valley Sand Dunes and decided to walk them.

We decided to take our jackets since it had been could and windy the night before and is was a sunny but crisped morning.

The ended up to be a hike not a walk.
They did not seemed that big, but once closed, they were each a hard climb.
But it was a lot of fun!

I think Gordon felt free as a bird. He kept getting ahead of me.

Fun walking this dunes!

Great running this dunes!!!

Kept loosing Gordon in the slopes of the sand dunes..... Where is Gordon?

Zulita working hard trying to hike up the sand tunes.
It is a work out.

They seemed to go on forever!

Feeling tired at this point.
wished we did not bring our jackets because it got warm.
I felt smaller that usual in this place.

Spring Break - Bad Waters, Death Valley

Enjoyed our visit to Bad Waters in Death Valley National Park.
Bad Waters is 282 feet below sea level. Lowest point in North America.
Temperature was in the mid 70s for us that day.
But in the summer it could be supper hot, 130 F.
So if you don't like very hot weather, don't visit this place in the summer.

Here is a shot of some Bad Waters in some areas.

Zulita pointing to See Level up that mountain

Lots of salt here. Amazing salt shapes rocks!

Our shoes

Another view of the Bad Waters Basin. When it rains enough, this gets full of water and becomes a lake.

Fun to walk on this unique surface!

Having fun with our shadows!

Thinking about hiking across this dry salt lake basin to the other side of the valley.
Should we do it, should we not?

Spring Break - Red Rock

Visited the Red Rocks State Park.
It stated out us enjoying the beautiful ride among this red rocks and stopping at view points.
There are great hikes among this rocks but it was getting cold to do them. It was also very windy.

Beautiful scenic drive. See the beautiful red mountains behind our car.

While at the highest viewing points, it started snowing with high winds.
Very cold snow started accumulating on Gordon and I.

This is what we saw at the highest view point

We decided to enjoyed the view from the car

Spring Break - Las Vegas

We stated our Spring Break get away at Las Vegas.
We did not go to any of the shows since they were out of our budget. But we had plenty to do just walking the different hotels of the hotel strip. They are all huge and different. Every single hotel has a different theme, decorations, architecture and features something unique.
Following are just a few of the many pictures of some of the uniqueness hotels.

Pirate boat show at the Treasure Island hotel were we stayed
Visited Paris, Paris

Visited an indoor Venice at another hotel. They even offer Gondola rides at their indoor the hotel canals.

Musical fountains show

One hotel featured a beautiful garden full of flowers and butterflies.
I wanted to stay here forever:-)

Notice the red ladybug made out of flowers

Visited New York, New York!

Visited Egypt

One of the hotels had amazing aquarium. There were fish there from all over the world.
Here is Gordon standing in front of one of the exhibits that had all kids of fish. Notice the shark right above his head.

We visited a training aquarium at one of the hotels

We watched as they work with dolphins to train them to do all kinds of things

We visit animals at another hotel

Beautiful big cats!

It was very entertaining to watch the tigers. We watch the tiger to for a long time.

Enjoyed watching the white tigers play.
Had a great time in Las Vegas!

Ben Carson and Take 6

A group of us traveled to the Cristal Cathedral to hear Ben Carson speak

A view of the Cristal Cathedral just before we got in like for the tickets

The Cristal Cathedral inside during daylight

Inside as it was getting dark

Ben Carson speaking. Very refreshing. He is a great speaker

After Ben Carson, we were delighted by a Take 6 concert.
They sure have the greatest harmony, rhythm, and energy.
They were awesome!