When we reached California to visit our son and his family, Ron asked, "How was the trip?"
"It was a tough trip. I went through the valley of death just to see you."
"Really, Dad? So you, a 74-year-old Californian, finally visited Death Valley National Park. Was it worth the time?"
"For a Californian, definitely, YES. But I think for a U.S. citizen, the answer is still, Yes."
After Carol and I drove through Bryce and Zion National Parks on May 10 and 11, our next visit was to Death Valley.
There are three basic routes to visit the Valley: the Fast Route, Scenic Route and the Explorer Route. Any of the three are worth the time spent, although I think the Scenic Route is the most rewarding.
Situated in the northern Mojave Desert, Death Valley is an intriguing part of our country. Here's an interesting travel trivia tidbit. The highest point in the Continental United States (that excludes Alaska and Hawaii) is Mount Whitney. The lowest point in the U.S. is Bad Water. Are you ready? These two geological points are only 88 miles apart. Mount Whitney reaches 14,494 feet above sea level in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, and Bad Water is in Death Valley at 282 feet below sea level.
The Valley is also the hottest spot in the Western Hemisphere. When we visited it on May 12, 2021, the temperature was 110 degrees F. A year earlier, on Aug. 16, the temp reached 130 F. The highest air temperature ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere was in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. It was 134 degrees F. But there's more. The hottest surface temperature ever recorded on earth was in Death Valley on July 15, 1972. That was 201 degrees F, and some folks fried eggs on the ground. I hope they didn't eat them.
The Valley is called a "graben" which is a block of land between two mountain ranges that has dropped, probably due to earthquakes. More than 5,000 years ago, the Valley held a 100-mile-long lake, which was about 600 feet deep.
Have you ever heard of climate change? Long before industries developed and before we contaminated the atmosphere, several thousand years before the Pilgrims came to America, climate change was already well-developed, and Death Valley Lake, along with thousands of others, dried up.
The area turned to desert and most of the water evaporated, which left an abundance of crystalized material; the primary one was borax. Borax was mined heavily from 1883-1907. Have you ever heard of Boraxo, or 20 Mule-Team Borax? It came from Death Valley, and the Pacific Coast Borax Company sponsored radio and television shows called Death Valley Days. The radio program ran from 1930-1945 and the television show ran from 1952-1975. Ronald Reagan was the narrator of the television show from 1964-1965.
Several geological faults intersect in the Valley and the Amargosa River runs into it but disappears in the sand. And, if you're wondering, it snowed once in January of 1922.
The Valley is home to the Native American Timbisha tribe, formerly called Panamint Shoshone. They called the area "tumpisa" which means "rock paint" because red ochre paint is made from the clay found there.
On Feb. 11, 1933, President Herbert Hoover declared the area as Death Valley National Monument, but in 1994 it was renamed Death Valley National Park. Located in California and Nevada, it's the largest national park in the 48 states and has almost 1,000 miles of roads in it. Dress with loose-fitting clothing and take plenty of water with you during your visit.
But why is it called Death Valley?
In the 1849 California Gold Rush, about 300,000 adventurers went to find their fame and fortune. A group of 13 were just a few who entered the Valley but didn't understand the dry heat of the deep desert and didn't take enough water. They were found dead, and people called it a valley of death.
Do you know that millions of people around the world today are searching through an emotional and spiritual valley of death for fame, self-worth or mere acceptance, while others are seeking wealth, power and prestige? That craving will never be satisfied outside a relationship with Jesus Christ. Fulfillment in this life and joy throughout eternity is found only in Jesus.
Visit Death Valley but live for Christ. The treasure you seek can be discovered by reading the treasure-map, the Bible.
-- S. Eugene Linzey is an author, mentor, and speaker. Send comments and questions to [email protected]. Visit his web site at www.genelinzey.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.