There are a few places that we visit over and over again that never disappoint. If you follow our YouTube channel, you have probably heard me say that I've never had a bad trip to the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. Another of those special locations is Death Valley National Park along the California/Nevada border.
We haven't spent as much time at, or made as many visits to, Death Valley as we had hoped this winter. The bottom line is that it's been a busy snowbird season. Recently we did make a day trip to Death Valley and, as usual, it was a great experience.
Our first stop on this trip was Dante's View. I had made the incredibly steep drive up to Dante's View once or twice before, but Melanie had not experienced it yet. This photo was taken at an overlook from more than 5,000 feet above sea level with the salt flats that are below sea level in the background.
The wind was also memorable during this trip. Despite the sunshine, the wind was harsh and cold so we were bundled up like we were visiting Alaska rather than the hottest place on Earth.
The photos from this trip will be included in an update to my zine, Death Valley: Rugged Desert Beauty.
One thing about Death Valley is that it is big. Really, really big. Despite multiple trips to this fantastic national park over the past 5-6 years, there are still many things that I have not yet discovered. During this trip we took a road that we had not explored before and found these historic ruins.
The Ashford Mill Ruins are all that remains of an early 20th century gold mining and processing operation. Before Death Valley was a national park, it was the site of many mining operations.
The gold ore processing site was once a large structure, but all that remains today are the stone and concrete foundations.
We also discovered the remains of some large equipment that we were not able to identify. A heavy steel frame remains at the old processing site, partially buried in sand and rock.
Since there is never a bad trip to Death Valley, we plan to return many more times in the future. Hopefully we will be able to make at least one more trip this winter, but Death Valley is certainly on our list again for next winter.