Badwater Basin

Our next destination was Badwater Basin in Death Valley.  Badwater Basin was given its name by a man who stumbled upon the shallow water and was desperate for his mule to drink.  The mule stuck its nose up to the water but refused to drink.  Not understanding why, the man simply said it must be bad water.  Since then, the name stuck.  There is a little pool of water (and by little I mean it would go up to my ankle and I could walk through it in about ten steps) (and it's not pictured so I hope you aren't looking too hard for it) and the reason it stays salty is because of the plant life that grows in it.

Once again, our little camera is using all its might to zoom in on this picture, showing us where sea level is.  We are 282 feet below sea level.  The lowest point in North America!

This sandy stuff that Austin is crouching down on is none other than SALT. 

This time I made Carl taste it. 
Open up, shnookums! True love. (And I don't think I've ever said the word "shnookums" aloud.  Fun fact of the day.)

Excuse my shriveled up skin.  Salt really does take the moisture out of things.

Isn't it pretty?  It almost looks like you are looking out over a lake.  Nope, salt.  Salt as far as the eyes can see.

Tonight we will leave Death Valley and head to a town called Beatty.