A Death Valley Thanksgiving

I really like spending Thanksgiving with my new in-laws, because rather than sit around the house getting fat, we sit around and get fat in the great outdoors! We had the full turkey dinner, a la Weber grill and Coleman campstove. I have never eaten a more delectable turkey. And alas, I exaggerate on the getting fat part. We actually got in several good hikes as well.

Where, you ask, did this camping extravaganza occur? None other than the infamous Death Valley. Maybe it isn't the first place that pops into your head when considering thanksgiving vacation hot spots, but this place is crowded for the big turkey weekend! The entire campground was filled to capacity. That is, until the wind storms hit on Saturday. Then, pretty much everyone cleared out.

I have never been to Death Valley before, and I must say that I was suitably impressed. There is the obligatory amount of driving to get to all of the very spread out sites, but if you've got the time, it is well worth it. Sit back and take the photo tour of a Death Valley Thanksgiving to be remembered.

This is all of the gear you will need to prepare your thanksgiving dinner at the campground. Note the modification to the red grill in the foreground. It has a silver extender so that a turkey will fit on the grill. No joke, this was probably the best thanksgiving turkey I've ever had. Mashed potatoes and other sides were made on the Coleman stove, and my ingenious hubby made a delectable pumpkin pie in a cast iron dutch oven in the fire ring. Not bad, eh?

Badwater (pictured above) is the lowest point in the United States, just a little shy of 280 feet below sea level. It is a vast, flatter-than-a-pancake salt flat. And yes, my almost-4-year-old nephew did taste it and confirm that it is definitely salt. If you're ever lacking a shaker-full the next time you are making some popcorn, this is the place to come.

This is the Devil's Golf Course. Wind, rain and evaporation have created these unique crystalline structures on the salt flats. They are very sharp and difficult to navigate.

These hills are dubbed the Artist's Palette, for obvious reasons. The different colors are made by a variety of mineral pigments on the volcanic deposits. Maybe I was just hungry at the time, but it reminded me more of an ice cream sundae.

Behind the biker, you can see the ruins of the ghost town of Rhyolite. This town sprang up in 1904, spawned by a gold strike in the region. Between 1905 and 1910, Rhyolite may have had as many as 8000 citizens. But by 1914 the town was in rapid decline, and by 1919 the post office had shut down and Rhyolite became a ghost town. Most mining towns were built of temporary materials, but Rhyolite was built with the intention of a permanent settlement. In the end, though, it folded up just like the temporary boom towns. Some interesting buildings (or pieces of them) remain, including a house constructed entirely of glass bottles and mud.

Stay tuned for more pictures of Death Valley!