Death Valley Is Love

After Monument Valley, we wanted to go West, back to Nevada, so as we drove we stopped a few times and we didn't really know where we were going to sleep. Our usual method was to go to a McDonald's to connect our wifi and find a place to spend the night. Because we always use offline Google Maps, I was able to spot a McDonald's in a place that looked like a little village in the middle of a desert. As we drove on the road that led there, we started seeing signs that read "if you're transporting nuclear or toxic waste, please go to the right" and all sorts of other weird warnings. We drove forward until we saw a toll and we decided to turn back.

After a few minutes driving we realised, after spotting some gas stations with alien drawings, that we were on the whereabouts of Area 51! Looking for it on google maps, instead of that yellow little person that you place on the street for street view, it actually appears a spaceship instead! We ended up staying in a town called Beatty, a place near Death Valley.

The next day was one of the most amazing days. We started it by visiting a ghost town named Rhyolite. It was created back in 1905 after some successful prospecting in the area, but short after as the main mining exploration declined so did all that was created to support that industry. Next to it, there's Goldwell Open Air Museum, where the last supper is represented by some ghostlike human size figures, among other art installations. I was so impressed by how easy the land in these deserts is used for artistic purposes. I wish there were more places like this in the world. There's also the mysterious grave of Mona Belle and all the land is dotted with warnings about the presence of rattlesnakes.

After Rhyolite we drove to Death Valley, California, and I guess that it was when my love for deserts had its apotheosis. Our lovely Nissan QASHQAI's thermometer hit 50º Celsius (122º F), but what I felt, stepping out of the vehicle was perfect bliss!

It's hard to describe how the hot air embraced me and how amazing I felt when it did. How the arid vastness filled my eyes and my heart with awe. That was also the second time I saw a coyote and the first time I saw a danger sign warning people about bees!

I couldn't get enough of the beauty of the landscape and had an urge to dance inside its greatness.

I was also fascinated by the different parts of the valley. The land was always changing, from totally dry to rocky, until we found Owen's lake, which is a huge salt flat with the most wonderful colours (due to the diversity of minerals found there), near Lone Pine. In some parts the water and salt had different shades of orange: from tangerine to coral, there were also pink, bright green and turquoise. In Lone Pine we were able to stare at the dramatic mountains, including the famous Alabama Hills, that served as set for hundreds of movies since the silent movies era.

It's wonderful how in the same day we experienced extremely different landscapes, on our way to Yosemite National Park we were able to see mountains with snow and waterfalls.

<3

California Deserts

As we arrived in Palm Springs at night, it wasn't possible to understand how it is organised as a city, so the next morning we were absolutely overwhelmed. As I believe I said before, I love the desert and arid places with hot weather. Coachella Valley is as dry as it comes and is embraced by beautiful and dramatic mountains.

Half of Palm Springs is made out of country clubs, as I expected. Whenever I thought of it before coming there I always imagined retired rich people with a dark tan and pastel coloured golf apparel either hanging out next to a swimming pool or driving golf carts around. Sorry if this sounds prejudiced, but I find it kind of funny, though.

One thing I loved was the Spanish architecture heritage and the super organised and lovely neighbourhoods. As we walked and drove around soaking in the vibe, we decided to go north, towards Joshua Tree National Park.

I have never seen Joshua Trees and now I want to have one but can't find it anywhere in Portugal! They're really cool and funky looking and there are thousands of them. On our way to Yucca Valley we had to stop a few times as the surrounding nature was taking our breath away. Yucca Valley is a little city with loads of hipster/alternative shops and coffee shops. We had lunch there and visited some vintage shops.

We heard somewhere that there was this place called Pioneertown, only a few minutes away from Yucca Valley, which was created in 1940's as a set for western movies. So, not as old as it seems, it's old and interesting enough to take a detour. Some of the buildings have real businesses inside.

This day we had to drive to Las Vegas but we had time. The drive is 3 hours and a half , so we had time to stop whenever we wanted.

One thing about driving from point A to point B that I've learned is to enjoy the ride. Because in between are all the things you didn't predict and you can be surprised if you take a minute to look around. You may find amazing things if you do decide to go check what's around you. This is how we found The Amboy Salt Flats and the Amboy Volcano Crater, this black beauty in the middle of the sandy Mojave Desert. I have to say that I've never seen a volcano before, and Luis was laughing at me because apparently this is a really small one. Nonetheless I was psyched to be there and to think how those black rocks laying still on the ground were once vivid lava (don't mind me, I have become an enthusiast of geology and mineralogy throughout the years but I'm still very naïve in the field).

Ok, so, after all, we were driving for a bit on Route 66 without knowing, I guess it could have happened before but we were too absorbed with everything to notice it! 😅

One thing I knew I wanted to see near Las Vegas was Ugo Rondinone's Seven Magic Mountains. They're beautiful and we got lucky to see them as this public art exhibition ended at the end of 2018!

All over the roads we drive by, there are peculiar things, some made by nature and some by men. I'm not sure if I felt this way because of the harsh contrast between it and the calmness of the deserts we were coming from, but Las Vegas did not win my heart. We were even thinking of getting married there before we arrived, but Vegas is not worthy of the celebration of such a pure thing as the love me and Luis have for each other. I guess it's just not for us, as I couldn't feel anything but the cheesiness and fakeness of everything around me. Therefore I will skip my Vegas experience and my next post will be about Grand Canyon!! <3

Salvation Mountain

After changing a flat tire in Mexico and waiting for a while to cross the border to the United States again, we set our way towards Salvation Mountain, a huge folk art site in Imperial County, California. I've always felt a certain allure for this kind of constructions, and always wondered why would somebody dedicate so much time and effort constructing with their own hands such eccentric places. I guess that's what makes them so mystical and I always feel a swirl of bewilderment as I get closer.

This construction is the second one created by Leonard Knight, who, in the last half of the 60's, experienced a spiritual awakening that led him to worship and dedicate himself to God and Jesus up until his death (in 2014). He made his way from Vermont to California in the next two decades, doing this and that, and having in mind the creation of the biggest hot air balloon in the world which would have written the words "GOD IS LOVE". After many attempts the balloon did not thrive and so he decided to make one last effort to spread his faith.

For four years Knight started creating a mountain made out of sand, cement and junk he found in the dump. He then painted his artwork with his beloved sayings and prayers. This first mountain collapsed, creating a huge cloud of dust, due to the overloading of sand and its heaviness.

Having interpreted this setback as a positive message from God, he started reconstructing his mountain with proper and much lighter materials such as adobe clay and straw. This new construction started in 1989 and has evolved ever since. It is possible to walk under it, and there are some 'museum' rooms and nooks, which are all huge altars that praise God with messages of redemption.

Although I don't identify with any kind of religion, I can say I've felt really peaceful and happy and loved with all this naive beauty and all the blissful, endless desert that surrounds it. I guess Leonard Knight wanted to spread love, as he said 'love is the strongest force on earth and can combat the hate that is so prevalent in today’s world' - and I couldn't agree more.

As the sun set, we left and drove lazily in the direction of Palm Springs. We couldn't help stopping the car next to the road to watch the beautiful lake reflecting the sky and the mountains with the thinest moon crowning that eternal sky.

<3