It was the worst heat I have ever experienced.
“So sadistic,” a friend jokingly said to me once. “Walking through the flaming desert singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to yourself.” I had just finished explaining why we took a road trip through the California desert in July.
The truth is, though, I am not even a fan of hot weather. Anything warmer than 75 deg. F is already too warm. Maybe the Pacific Northwest has pampered me too much in providing that delicious moody weather.
But there we were in the middle of Death Valley, in the hottest, driest, and lowest point of the United States. Badwater Basin.
At one point, we stopped at an old mining village (or what was left of it), but I was already feeling exhausted and decided to stay in the car while Seni walked around the village. Amazingly, it felt a lot cooler sitting inside the car (turned off) than it did standing under the sun outside.
282 feet below sea level and 120 deg F. It was like walking into a sauna. I was so mind-blown.
I reeeeally wanted to walk to the salty basin. You see the white horizon above? It looked so much closer than it actually was.
We walked and walked but felt like we were not getting any closer.
Or maybe the heat was beginning to affect my brain.
I finally decided it was too hot to keep walking. Every step felt heavy and exhausting…
We snapped a few photos before even making it to the salty flat, and then turned back to our car.
I hate to admit that I felt nauseous and ready to throw up. I felt defeated, but I convinced myself that my mind was probably playing games. Just. A few. More steps…to the car.
Then I got distracted by a kid who was putting the Death-Valley-Egg-Cooking theory to the test :) I remembered this from grade school and was excited to watch. But we left before he finished cooking…
I was done. It was way too hot. I decided that we would drive to one last location and then leave Death Valley. I didn’t care to stay the night anymore.
Artists Drive and Palette
This area is exactly what it sounds like. Everything was so colorful.
Neapolitan Ice-Cream, anyone? :)
The oxidation of various metals birthed this beautiful palette.
There is always room for dessert, right?
I think I squeezed the last of my energy to enjoy this last stop. And it was so worth the effort.
We stopped to eat somewhere in the middle of a sand storm. And as soon as I filled my belly with food, I knocked out cold!
I remember waking up here and there, but feeling sooooo exhausted that I could barely keep my eyes open before falling back into a deep sleep again. I slept a good while as Seni drove us out of the valley.
When I finally woke up, a headache took over my brain, but I eventually started feeling better. WHAT IN THE ACTUAL?! The last time this happened to me, we were in Utah walking through the toadstools in the middle of summer.
We drove out of the Death Valley area and watched the hills turn into gold. These California golden hills were a marvel. I’d never seen hills glisten under the sun the way these hills did…
With an extra day to spend as we wanted and with much cooler temperatures, we made our way to Sequoia National Park.
I think no matter what kind of situations we find ourselves, we try to stay present and enjoy the hours we have. This experience wasn’t an exception. How do you handle the heat?
Join me on the next blog post as we walk among the biggest beings on Earth :)
Love & Adventure,
Denise
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I really love how you document your story with loads of photographs! :)
Thanks so much, Tori <3 and sorry for the delayed response.
Have a fabulous week! :)
This is awesome! Even though it was so hot it’s a fun story!
Thanks lady! :) And sorry for just now getting back.
Denise,
Living in Georgia has been a transition for me. I come from New England where we are used to bitter cold and mountains of snow. The weather can change at any moment. My typical NE summer is 80° degrees and sunny. Here in Georgia is is 105° and sunny and the humidity is thick! To cope, I don’t go outside during the day. I stay in the AC. When the sun goes down, I venture out for walk, errands, etc.
The good news is that the warmth gets more manageable in the other seasons. On Christmas Day it was 82°, which was lovely not to be drowning in snow. My husband is like you and cannot handle the heat. I make sure to always bring water, something for shade, and do small increments outdoors.
As always, I love reading your posts.
~Rhiannon
Hey lady! Sorry for missing this comment earlier.
Oh my goodness, I would go insane with 105 degree weather + humidity! >.< hehehhehe. I felt like I did the same this summer (staying indoors in the AC) and I'm actually looking forward to Fall when I can hopefully venture out in local hikes.
Ahhh, I couldn't imagine 82° Christmases :-D I seriously feel too pampered living in the Pacific Northwest, though I'm concerned our summers are starting to get hotter and dryer. The wildfires this season were just terrible :(
Hope you're doing great, and that the fall weather will treat you both well! <3
Denise
Sure enjoyed your post here! Great photos too.
Thanks for dropping by :) I look forward to browsing through your blog. Where are you based out of?
So. Cal.