Did you know that Death Valley National Park in California has the highest recorded temperature on Earth, at 132 degrees Fahrenheit? 🥵 Now, I have to be honest. It wasn't as hot as 132 degrees when I was there, but it was really, really hot. I believe on the day I took this photograph, it had reached 125 degrees!

Death Valley is a unique place, complete with canyons that you could hike through, viewpoints thousands of feet above the scene below, sand dunes that seem to stretch on forever, and, of course, Badwater Basin.

Badwater Basin is the dry salt bed of an ancient lake that has evaporated over time, leaving the salt behind. With the Spring runoff from the towering mountains to the west and east, the basin fills with an inch or two of water. As the water evaporates, it forms incredible salt formations that form polygonal-like patterns on the basin's bottom. But that isn't its only claim to fame. It is also the lowest point in North America, coming in at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level!

But as incredible as that all is, what is more remarkable is the size of this basin. With the Panamint Mountain Range on the west side and the Black Mountains on the east side, this area covers over 200 square miles of salt plains. And the views are just breathtaking!

I weathered the heat and hiked into the salt basin, perhaps a few miles away from the crowd. I searched for a spot with nicely formed salt formations, found the place I thought worked, set myself up, and waited for sunset.

I decided that to take the shot, it would be more impressive to get a few inches above the salt basin. So I set my tripod so it was only a few inches above the basin, with the salt formations in the foreground heading away to the mountains surrounding it. I love the colors of the sunset and how the reddish light lights up the mountains to the south. The salt took on an almost purplish hue and was just magical. I felt like a kid in a candy store and took photo after photo after photo! 📷

This was the best photograph of the lot, and I am pleased to share it with you all!

Stay Cool!