- Enjoy the fascinating view at Zabriskie Point
- Badwater: visit the lowest point in the western hemisphere
- Watch Calico Ghosttown on the go
- Continue through the Mojave Desert to Joshua Tree
Again we get up early and have breakfast in the first rays of sunshine. Immediately it becomes uncomfortably warm again. We drive off to the much-photographed Zabriskie Point, where a stiff warm wind blows around our ears. Then we drive south on Highway 178 (also Badwater Road) to the Devils Golf Course. Bizarre-looking stones cover the entire valley floor here. We continue to the Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, even in the western hemisphere. Such depressions can only develop in extremely dry places, otherwise they would fill with water. We are 85.5 m below sea level! The lake is practically completely dry and the broken floor is covered with white salt crystals.
We continue south along the valley. The landscape changes only insignificantly, everything is still dust-dry and apparently lifeless. That a considerable number of specialized plants and animals can still survive here and that even Indians and Mormons have inhabited the place is fascinating. The road now leads back up into the mountains to the desolate Shoshone. From there our route continues via Baker towards Barstow. Shortly before we turn off to Calico. A restored and touristic western town from the 1880s. Most of the buildings are home to various original souvenir shops. The city is beautifully situated on the mountain, from which predominantly silver was mined in massive quantities. Within a few years after it was founded, the city had 1200 inhabitants and was a so-called boom town. When the silver price collapsed, the city was quickly abandoned. But restoration and maintenance has been taking place here since the 1950s. Anyway, a nice break during the long journey.
The rest of the way leads us through the dusty Mojave Desert. Occasionally sand is thrown up and the area looks uninviting and hostile to life. Only shortly before Joshua Tree do more trees of the same name come into view. Now in the evening sun, the silouettes of the bizarre yuccas look wonderful. When looking for a campground, we end up at a small festival. Here we shower, dine deliciously Indian and camp for free next door.
