Death Valley National Park, California

Some photos from our April, 2014 trip. It had rained the night before and there were actual puddles (two that I saw, about the size of a manhole cover) at Badwater Basin, lowest point in the United States. There's a snail in these sporadic puddles, that exists nowhere else on earth. I studied the nearest puddle earnestly, but spied no snails. It has been an exceptionally dry year here in California and I think the snails are hiding in the rare mud.

More on our Southern California desert tour here.

Badwater Basin (282 feet below sea level) and the Devil's Golf Course—both former lake beds from several thousand years ago, now coated in salt and mineral deposits.

Mesquite Flat sand dunes, about 120 feet tall.

Natural Bridge and Marble Canyon.

Furnace Creek Resort features the lowest point for golf in the U.S. (214 feet below sea level). Date palms in the background. When traveling through this desert region, be sure to try some fresh dates—delicious.