#California has crazy weather extremes and amazingly diverse landscapes, sometimes just hours away from each other. •• This is Badwater in Death Valley, the lowest (and hottest) point in North America (-282 feet). The only place in the world with similar temperatures is the Arabian Desert. It’s not recommended to stay here in July and August, and even in the surrounding months, there is an excessive heat warning after 10 AM. •• Not that far from here is the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. About a 2.5 hour drive away, you can go up past 9,000 feet and see snow on the mountains. •• I can’t get enough of this state. . . . .