This trip has been so cool so far and I have done and seen some really cool stuff, some that I have wanted to see for a really long time. I really liked Yosemite but I think I prefer Zion National Park. I was so impressed with Death Valley. I went there with very little knowledge except that it is really really hot (second highest temperature recorded 134F) and it certainly was. It was roasting but what was really cool was the things to see. The rock formations are amongst the best that I have ever seen and there is so much variety. From the sand dunes at the south east entrance to Mosaic Canyon, to the Point and Devils Golfcourse and Badwater and Racetrack Playa, it is officially my second favorite Park that I have seen in the USA. Check out the video of Racetrack Playa. Well it took forever to get to this place. Death Valley is massive, about the size of Belgium I think. As a result of the only hotel at the Visitor Center being full I had to stay in this little town called Beatty in Nevada, about 50 miles through the middle of nowhere. Whenever i would drive to get there as I stayed there two nights, I would drive these miles at like 9pm and I would not see one other car. Scary as hell as if I broke down, I dont know what I would have done. Cry....a lot!
Anyway, so to get to Racetrack Playa, I left at 7am and drove the 50 miles to the main road junction, then drove another 20 miles to the nearest petrol station as I knew that I needed a full tank for this trip. Then drive the 20 back and join another road for about 100 miles. Once I did that, I took a left on another road going to this Crater - thats another 30 miles. Once you get to the Crater it gets interesting as the road to the Racetrack is on gravel and not just any gravel, the worst kind of gravel road as it had bumps and holes everywhere and very sharp rocks. It was highly recommended to only use a 4X4 but I did not listen. It is only 27 miles to the Playa but I am really not exaggerating when I say that it took me 2 1/2 hours as I could only go about 10 miles an hour. If my tires burst which apparently happens a lot I would be dead. The temp by now (as it was probably about 11am) was getting easily above 110F and on this glorious journey I did not see another car, either behind me or coming the other way. You really are alone in the middle of nowhere. Anyway I finally made it and it was totally worth it. Would do it all over again. Oh and then when I was done with that I had to do the entire journey from the morning back and then another 100 miles to just get out of the park. Once I was out of the park then I had another 300 miles or so to get to Mono Lake which I made there by 7.30pm. That was a lot of driving but totally worth it and so beautiful. This is how Dre does his vacations!!!!
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