Famous for a number of landmarks, we first visited Zabrieski Point (pictured above), an erosional landscape composed of sediments from Furnace Creek Lake which dried up 5 millions years ago. As a result the rocks show colors of yellow, orange and reds. Next up was the Devil's Golf Course (pictured left) - a large crystallized salt pan on the floor of Death Vally aptly named after a National Park guide book stated that 'only the devil could play golf' on it's rough textured surface.
Of all the places we visited in the park, Badwater Salt Flats were my favorite. Located 86 meters below sea level the basin is the lowest point in North America. Consisting of a small spring-fed pool of 'bad water' next to the road, the accumulated salts of the surrounding basin make it undrinkable thus giving it the name. It is truly amazing how Mother Nature runs her course and creates these honeycomb shapes (pictured at the bottom of blog) in the salt as far as the eye can see. The salt flats are about a kilometer from the road making the walk out there an introduction to the main attraction while dodging salt mounds along the way.
As our day came to an end we raced against the sunset making our way up to Dante's View to see the Valley from every angle. It was a busy view point at that time of day with everyone out with their cameras and tripods trying to get the best shot. It was zero degrees when we got up there and as soon as the sun dropped behind one of the mountain peaks, the temp dropped to well below zero. Sitting in the warmth of the car while Caleb got a couple of photos, I watched the masses run for their lives towards their cars to escape the cold. It was really funny as most were in shorts and hoodies & not even remotely prepared for the temps that were happening.
The next day we had officially left all warmth behind. Passing through the other side of Death Valley into California we passed by Scotty's Castle and the Sand Dunes, having to leave them for next time. Once we cleared the mountain pass, we found ourselves crossing another small valley right in the middle of a dust storm. It was like driving through an apocalypse. By the time we realised what we were driving through, navigating the road as we cold no longer see it, we completely forgot to get our cameras out. It was a surreal experience that's for sure. But that wasn't the only thing the drive had planned for us that day. Then, not 2 hours later, we were crossing a mountain pass that had snowed so heavily that the road simply disappeared for miles at a time. It was the first snow we'd seen on our honeymoon. Finally.
The main highlight of our time in Tahoe was snowmobiling! We had skied in New Zealand and rode my brother's jetski at Christmas a few years ago so combine them both together and you get a snowmobile machine. We felt pretty confident as we'd also driven ATVs a number of times so we put our hands up to be at the front of the pack instead of being stuck behind people who had never done anything like this before. We braved -16C with a -30C wind chill as we climbed Spooner Summit, just under 3000m above sea level. The guide made a couple of stops along the way to give us a chance to check out the amazing scenery. The views were incredible and we got a birds eye view of Lake Tahoe itself.
Back in the car we drove through more forests and mountain ranges as we made our way into Oregon. During our drive we came across the gem of the drive that was the Lassen National Forest. In summer the entire place is open for campers. Every side road is closed in the winter but it's still a sight to behold in the snow with it's massive pine trees and untouched wilderness. The following day we passed through Crater Lake National Park which was just an beautiful as we continued to head north west towards our final destination.
And just like that we were finally in Seattle! And of course it was raining. Nothing new for the Pacific North West. That didn't stop us though as we headed over to the Space Needle. Now in true fashion it was cold & miserable with cloud cover and rain so the views weren't the best they could be but it was still a great way for Caleb to see the city for the first time. And it still didn't stop me from standing on the see through glass floor 500 feet in the air.
Our final stop of our epic USA road trip was the Boeing Factory and Future of Flight in Everett. We took a 3 hour guided tour through the main factory for Boeing where they pump out planes like it is going out of style. There were so many numbers thrown at the group on this tour a couple stood out to us and made our jaws drop. If we walked in off the street tomorrow and ordered their cheapest plane it would set us back $296 million USD. And we would get it in 7 years when they got around to making it. But we wouldn't have engines so we'd have to throw in another $40-$50 million each if we want our plane to fly and then we'd have to think about the interior fit out. They don't make a plane until they get a deposited order and they still have a major backlog so we have time to save up the deposit.
They are militant about secrets getting out so there was absolutely no photography allowed on tour. The photos featured are courtesy of Boeing's website. We remained up in the rafters looking down on the production line as we viewed different stages of construction. They have 35,000 employees working 24/7 and even though the factory is one of the largest standalone buildings in the world, it's simply not big enough for the orders they need to fill. Interesting to note that different parts of the planes are made in different countries around the world. Boeing has it's own designed plane - the Dreamlifter - which is used to transport certain parts made elsewhere to the Boeing facility for assembly. In one word this place is incredible.The time had finally arrived to say goodbye to our chariot and prepare for our next adventure. What an amazing drive and experience it has been during all of these weeks thinking back to when we started way back in sunny Miami. The friends we've seen along the way have made this trip so memorable and the hospitality we've received has made any homesickness vanish for a short time. There are so many places still to see in the US and we've been tracking the states visited in our Been App to keep track. We've already talked about an East Coast roadie for next time!
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