By Wayne Brew | September 25, 2017

Days in Death Valley

Many who are my age remember a TV show called ‘Death Valley Days’ thus the heading title. Death Valley is a great way to teach about desert landforms so I was excited to visit to see first-hand what I teach in Earth Science and Physical Geography. Seeing it with my own eyes was more than worth the long drive and I now have many pictures and video to share with my students. I also got to camp in the desert for the first time and had my first encounter with a tarantula that decided to wonder their way near my car at the campsite who then slowly moved on. The night sky was spectacular and then a full moon appeared and I was awash in a light that you could almost read with. At some point in the early morning hours a wild burro brayed loudly waking me up. The next morning, I drove to the south end of the park to stand at the lowest elevation (see Instagram) in North America (282 feet below sea level) at Badwater. One final note, the temperature when I arrived on the first day was 102 degrees and when camping out that night I would estimate the temperature dropped to the high 30s; a two sleeping bag night!

Now entering Las Vegas

I had planned to visit Las Vegas because I have memories there. I was there in 1969, 1973, 1979, and 1980. My father was very fond of Las Vegas and had spent weekends there in the late 1940s and early 1950s when he lived in Los Angeles so when we took long bus trips in 1969 and 1973 we visited. I went back on my own in 1979 when I was on a long hitch-hiking tour of the western U.S. and again in 1980 when I was a young adult. I wanted to see if anything was recognizable since the time I was last there. I can safely report that little is left of the older Strip, but there are still recognizable parts of the downtown despite turning Fremont Street into a pedestrian mall with a large canopy.

I arrived in Las Vegas a week after the terrible shooting. I had planned to take a picture of the iconic welcome sign prior to the tragedy which has now become a memorial to those who were killed and wounded with 58 crosses.

Second stop at Zion

On my way to Salt Lake City I took an opportunity to visit Zion National Park a second time armed with the knowledge learned during my first visit. This time I arrived at 2 PM and although it was crowded, was able to find parking and was able to see the part of the park that only the shuttle goes to. I was not disappointed and had time to take a 2-mile hike along the Virgin River that runs (and creates) this spectacular canyon. Time did not allow any of the more rugged and spectacular hiking available, but I was pleased that I got a taste of this amazing park.