I don't know where I got the idea for this blog, but I like it. Today I am going to tell you about some interesting things you can find in the desert here in Nevada and in California. Some places you might like to check out if you ever have the chance.
The first stop on our tour is Racetrack Playa.
This place is so amazingly cool. It is essentially a dry lake. It only has water maybe two times a year, and even then it is only a few inches deep. The thing that makes this playa so cool is that large rocks move across the playa, leaving tracks in their wake, but the best part is that no one knows how the rocks move. No one has ever seen a rock moving or been able to film a rock moving at Racetrack Playa, but take a look at the pictures and see for yourself! This is definately one of my favorite places to go visit in Death Valley.
*PS- I'm too lazy to use my own photos so I did an image search on google and I found this, which coincidentally was posted by my some of my classmates from UNLV. (Yep, I had classes with everyone in that photo up there). I don't feel so bad stealing pictures from the internet when I am taking them from people that I know.
This is just funny:
Let's move on, shall we?
Stop Two: Ubehebe Crater (that's pronounced You-BEE-HE-BEE)
Ubehebe Crater is a massive crater left from the explosion of a Maar volcano. A maar volcanoe forms and erupts when hot magma comes into contact with groundwater, flash-heating it and the resultant steam blasts a crater in the ground. Ubehebe sits in a field of smaller craters, but Ubehebe stands out because it is half a mile wide, and 777 ft. deep. It is truely an amazing feature to see with your own eyes, though if you ever go see it for yourself, I advise you to be prepared for wind. It is always incredibly windy atop the rim of the crater.
Our trip continues to a man-made feature, but one that is well worth a look if you have the time.
Stop Three: Scotty's Castle
Scotty's Castle was built by a man named Albert Johnson in 1922. He moved to the area because a man named Walter Scott had convinced him to fund a mining venture, which later turned out to be a hoax. Somehow though, Albert Johnson forgave Walter Scott, and Albert built his house at the urging of his wife. See, Albert had a bad back from an old accident and his wife noticed that living in the heat helped him with muscle aches, so they decided to stay. Walter would joke that the house was his and that is how it came to be called Scotty's Castle. (The story of the house goes on, but this is enough for this blog.) The house is now owned by the National Park Service and is open to tourists.
The last stop on our trip today is well worth the reading, because this beautiful feature is on private property, and you will only ever be able to see it in person if you can manage to track down the owner and get his permission to go view it.
Stop Four: Fly Geyser
The story of Fly Geyser began in 1916. A drilling project was started in Northwest Nevada, they were hoping to reach water in order to create some farmland, only the drill encountered a pocket of geothermal water. This turned the area into a sort of marsh and eventually a natural geyser formed. This original geyser is now inactive, but others have come up more recently. Fly Geyser formed in 1960 and is still continuously active today. It is a breath-taking formation of earth and water. The minerals in the water give the geyser it's brilliant colors.
And there you go. The next time you start to think that the desert is only sand and heat, think again and remember these places. I have only shared with you four of the many beautiful things you can find in the desert, but there are many many more stunning scenes to behold. I have lived in the desert nearly all of my life and I absolutely love it. I hope you enjoyed this blog. Goodbye 'till tomorrow.
Wow! I love the moving rocks (creepy) and the Fly Geyser! Awesome!
ReplyDelete...Very good job!!! Cheers! ^)^
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