Driving Death Valley was tinged with a touch of sadness as our original plan, post-Vegas, had been to head into Yosemite for a few days. This is a total dream of mine. Sadly, it remains just a dream for now as the weather meant we couldn't access the park. So, a detour on our way to California meant heading a little further south before doubling back North to eventually hit San Francisco, where we were starting our trip down PCH.

So, Death Valley wasn't in the plan, but man was it an incredible alternative to Yosemite. We drove through in a day, stopping a lot to see the incredible landscapes.

The most striking thing about the US, for me, is the incredible shifts in the landscape. In small parts from day to day, and also in the huge shifts you see over hundreds of miles. 

Death Valley is like nowhere else I've ever seen. The roads stretch in front of you as the deserts on either side give way to mountains. Huge periods of time pass without ever seeing or hearing another person. There is an eerie silence in the air.

There is nothing there, but there is a hell of a lot of nothing.