Living Up To The Name

Bad Water -- Two hundred and eight-three feet below sea level. This is Death Valley, where LA thrill-seekers, adventurers and edgy vacationers go to be a little different from the rest.

I took this photo of my buddy Dean, who thought it would be cool to lay down on the road. There were no cars in sight except for our two, VW Westfalias.

In the mid 80s, my buddies and I used to travel all over California to explore back roads, hidden desert canyons and ghost towns. In those days, I was a full-time photographer averaging about $7.50 per hour. The VW van was my transportation and hotel room. I would not have traded those days anything.

Of course, when I was on assignment, my publisher would give me 3 rolls of Kodachrome 64 and ten rolls of Tri-X 400. On trips like this, I shot an entire weekend with a single roll of 64 and two rolls of Tri-X, as seen above.

Walking 282 Feet Below Sea Level

Death Valley -- Bad Water Basin is the lowest point in North America. A few hours drive to the West stands the highest point in the lower 48 States. It is the starting point of the Badwater 135, taking athletes from Bad Water 135 miles to Mt. Whitney at over 14,000 ft. Next year, however, Death Valley National Park put a moratorium on foot and cycling races through the desert until they can find a way to make it safer.

An Understatement...

Olancha, CA -- The gateway to Death Valley and 150 miles left on our scenic drive south to Los Angeles. My friend, Scout and I decided we wanted to get a few up-close shots of the "Rustic Motel" along Highway 395. I've featured this place before.

One reviewer from Trip Adviser suggested that if you are considering staying there, you should "Run Away!" The reviewer continued, "Do NOT STAY HERE. Sleep in your car...." Another review was more positive but still mentioned the spider in the shower.

We walked along the dirt road to the office and began shooting the aged motel from different angles. A woman emerged from one of the decaying screen doors and walked toward us. With her hands on her hips and her head cocked to the side, she asked us, "Can I help you?"

I held my camera up and told her, "We are just admiring your motel."

She nodded her head in disbelief and uttered, "Well, that's odd…!" and walked back into her room.

Road Kill

Death Valley, CA -- My buddy, Dean lays on the highway, hoping to get a shot of on-coming traffic. Thankfully, there was virtually no traffic at the time. This was taken in 1986 with a Nikon FE2, Kodak Kodachrome 64.

7 Dots in Death Valley

One of my favorite destinations in Southern California is Death Valley. Though it's a near five-hour drive from Los Angeles, the ominous name is synonymous with Hollywood and western folklore. My Friend posing with his wax dots in 113-degree heat.