“I heard they call it Death Valley because people DIE out there.” — the little one. 

We loaded up the Bambi and took off from Big Bear after school on Friday… accidentally blasted through Barstow (rats, there’s an In N Out there and I’m still on Whole 30 for another 10 days or so) and ended up dining in Baker– that’s the town with the giant thermometer, in case you’re wondering.

From there it was a northerly jump into the desert night. A sky so dark I wondered if I could see my hand in front of my face with the lights off. I didn’t check.

We arrived at Ash Meadows NWR late, with the boys snoozing in the truck.
The next morning we set up Bambi for my mom to stay in, and explored a bit of the refuge. Ash Meadows is home to endangered, and threatened species of Pupfish, and is said to be host the greatest concentration of endemic animal & plant life in the United States– and second greatest concentration of endemic animal life in North America. We learned about the various species of Pupfish that live only in particular spots here, and the fascinating hydrology that supports them. In short order we saw several Pupfish (they’re cute little purple-blue fish maybe an inch long) and saw a Bighorn Sheep, several birds, and some toads.

We stopped by the (super nice!) visitors center and gathered up our Junior Ranger materials before heading out to Death Valley National Park, a short drive away. We took a quick stroll at Zabriskie Point, and I tried not to let my jaw drop too much. I had no idea Death Valley was so beautiful, and here we were just barely scratching the surface. The boys were eager to get their wiggles out, and very much wanted to go “scrambling,” but we weren’t in the appropriate spots for that at the time. We took a drive through Artist’s Palette, and ran around a bit along the way. The desert warmth did not disappoint, with the boys eager to strip off their jackets and relish in the warmth. (ok, all of us)

 

The boys continued to work on the Ash Meadows Junior Ranger certifications in the truck, and later in the camper. Thankfully, help is allowed and the big brother was able to do some of the heavy lifting!

Sunday morning greeted us with more sun and warmer temps. We had a nice morning with a hearty breakfast and some time talking with God, at our picnic table, but not until the little one taught me to how to play Candy Crush– this was a waking desire he’d asked about the night before.
We stopped by the Ash Meadows visitors center and the boys had their work checked before getting sworn in for their Ash Meadows NWR Junior Ranger badges. After that we hustled back to Death Valley for a special event going on as part of the Dark Sky Festival— Build Your Own Mars Lander, hosted by representatives from NASA Goddard, Maryland.
They explained how “interplanetary geologists” such as themselves have been using Death Valley NP for decades to test landers & rovers, thanks to the area’s “otherworldly” characteristics– high heat (DVNP is a little hotter than Mars, though) very dry, sandy, etc. They explained how features such as sand dunes, alluvial fans, and mud cracks are all common to both DVNP, and other planetary exploration areas. Our “family design team” created a Mars Lander of our own with limited resources, time constraints, and performance requirements (land on the circle)… just like real scientists might do. The big kid wore BOTH his favorite NASA hoodie, and his space shuttle tee shirt for the day.
The big kid took engineering lead, the little one was the art director, Gigi was our legal counsel, and I was the project manager.

We made our way out of the park via the long way, my jaw dropping frequently, making mental notes of things we’d like to see next time we come up.