Many miles of nothing...

We left our hotel in Ridgecrest, CA this morning and after 30 minutes of driving around trying to find our way to Death Valley, we're still married--despite the challenges of putting together our Rand McNally book of US maps and two (sometimes warring) GPS devices's along with Kathy's impaired sense of direction.  :o)
As usual, the road was wide and relatively empty...

...the day was bright and sunny and the scenery was wonderful.

Eventually, this handsome dude posed for a photo as we came to the sea level marker in Death Valley.  By 2:30 we reached 288 feet below sea level--the lowest in the contiguous United States. 

 Here's the visitor center and despite this reading, our car said 111 degrees soon after.  It is still spring here.

We're looking east (above) and west (below) in the same place at the same time.  Isn't it amazing how empty (and similar) the landscape is in both directions?

This is called the artist's palette because of all the colors arrayed along the hills.

And finally we arrived, Rick vastly relieved, in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel.  Interesting place.  More tomorrow....