Great? How about Grand Landscapes! #SundayStills

Growing up in southern California, I only really knew my neck of the woods. My neighborhood, schools and of course the closest by bike beach. Even as a young adult, my surrounding landscape was your simple 60’s era housing track with green (or brown) grass and junipers. Then, my work travel life kicked into gear and I was traveling to cities near and far but they’re still cities. We’d get a chance here and there to go site seeing but rarely to the great outdoors. Once retirement neared, my travels took a different approach.

It was time to set aside the metropolitan adventures for some real outdoor adventures. Best place to start was visiting our National Parks. So, for our weekly photo theme, the Great Outdoors, I’ll share two very grand yet completely opposite landscapes. And they’re only a days drive apart; well, if you can handle 12 hours on the road, that is.

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is a unique landscape, known as the driest place in America with the highest recorded temperature of 134°F. It features vast and colorful landscapes, offering a blend of history and natural beauty. The park’s extensive salt flats, rugged mountains, and unique geological formations create a truly distinctive environment. Have you visited Death Valley? Share your experiences and the aspects of the landscape that fascinated you during your visit.

Here’s our Death Valley Visit posts:

Redwoods National Park

Death Valley is located on the eastern side of California and the Redwoods is all on the western coast in the northern end of the state. Our trip here started from the Oregon border area as we headed west on Hwy 199. The drive itself is very nice if not a little exciting through a few curvy sections and you find yourself amoungst redwoods before you even hit the Coastal Hwy 101. Old growth coastal redwoods can live to be 2000 years old and grow up to 300′ and they are quite amazing.

Along with trees the wooded areas are abundant with green plant life and the coastal climate provides the cool, foggy air that provides an optimum climate for the trees. The parks also host wildlife and protect rugged coastlines.

The Redwoods National Park also is home to 3 state parks making it one of the few combined parks in the states. The Rewoods parks are spread out through the northern coastal areas which makes this ideal for a road trip. Spend a day and then travel towards another park area for the next days adventure. Our visit was part of a larger California coastal drive adventure and I’m glad we had the opportunity and time to meander through so much of the Hwy 1 / 101 areas.

It can be challenging to plan camping in this area as options along the actual Hwy 1 are very limited but we made it work using both Casino overnight stays and Harvest Hosts. In a truck camper, the road can also be an exhausting drive (and I was the passenger) with it’s lane and a half width and hair pin, cliff hanger turns through a few sections. I don’t think I’d want to drive anything bigger and what we had, but you do pass semi trucks coming and going to do their deliveries. So bigger is possible.

Here’s our CA Coast trip posts and videos:

Contrasting Grand Landscapes

When contrasting Death Valley National Park with Redwoods National Park, it’s like comparing two sides of a coin – starkly different yet equally fascinating.

Death Valley National Park

Located on the eastern side of California, Death Valley National Park offers a harsh and extreme landscape. It features vast salt flats, rugged mountains, and unique geological formations. The landscape is characterized by its desert environment, with sparse vegetation and a color palette dominated by earthy tones. The park’s beauty lies in its stark and surreal scenery, drawing visitors with its otherworldly charm.

Redwoods National Park

In contrast, Redwoods National Park, situated on the western coast in the northern end of California, presents a lush and verdant landscape. The park’s landscape is characterized by its dense forests, rugged coastlines, and diverse wildlife, creating a serene and enchanting atmosphere.

Both parks offer unparalleled natural beauty, yet they showcase the striking contrast between the raw, arid wilderness of Death Valley and the lush, thriving ecosystem of the Redwoods.

Of course there are many equally inspiring and unique National Parks to pick from to visit. There’s also National Monuments, National Grasslands, National Forests, National Seashores, Wildlife Management Areas, State Parks and many other public outdoor spaces with great landscapes. Go visit one, two, ten or twenty. I think we’re beyond the 10 count and maybe even the 20 but there’s so many more to go see.

About the Photo Challenge

A weekly themed photo challenge hosted by Terri. Check out her Blog and come back to visit for more SundayStills and traveling posts!

More Sunday Still Posts

Thanks for visiting our travel blog and I hope you enjoyed finding the #SundayStills Challenge. You can join the weekly challenge by visiting our hosts blog Second Wind Leisure. and checking out Terri’s post for this week, Landscapes of the Great Outdoors.