The map routing from home took us through Trona, an unincorporated area. The Searles Valley Minerals Company is operating and the nearby homes (walking distance to the plant) are in various states of disintegration. A few minutes with Wikipedia inspired more interest in the history of Trona. A look at Trona homes for sale on Realtor.com is fascinating. The drive was beautiful with visible changes in the vegetation through the valleys. There is evidence of recent flooding in many of the areas as we approached highway 190. Passing through the Searles Valley area without cellular coverage was an interesting experience. I appreciated the sobriety of no immediate access to emergency services that are otherwise readily accessible during most of our lives. Having a Garmin satellite communicator was reassuring.
Most of Death Valley’s attractions are open after the two month closure to work the flooded roads. Highway 190 remains closed South of Badwater Basin. Most of the 4WD roads remain closed.
Zabriskie Point, Golden Canyon, Artists Drive, the Devil’s Golf Course and Badwater Basin after Sunset were beautiful. We look forward to a repeat.