This place is the most outer worldly landscape I have seen. It is also the driest (60mm of average annual precipitation), hottest (56.7˚C), and lowest (86m below sea level) point in North America.
One of the first stops when arriving in Death Valley NP from Las Vegas is Zabriskie Point. It’s part of the Amargosa Range and has one of the most spectacular scenic views in Death Valley. For those of you who are U2 fans, it is also the picture of the cover of the Joshua Tree album (1987). It’s especially beautiful at sunset.
The most famous place for a photo stop is of course Bad Water Basin, the lowest point of North America. You can take a walk out on the salt flats (you don’t have to travel all the way to Bolivia to do that) and take in some seemingly endless views of Death Valley.
There are not many options in Death Valley in terms of food, but the Wrangler buffet at Furnace Creek was good quality. However, it does get crazy busy in there, so be prepared to arm wrestle for your pasta with marinara sauce.
Accommodations? Well, I have never overnighted near or in Death Valley NP, so I wouldn’t know what to recommend, but I am sure the Furnace Creek Resort is fine. And no it’s not a fatamorgana! They even have a golf course…a true oasis in the middle of the desert landscape.
On the way back to Las Vegas, make sure to stop for a refreshment at the Amargosa Opera Café in Death Valley Junction. The owners are really nice and always willing to tell stories. Maybe you can even catch an evening performance by former Broadway star Marta Becket at the Opera House. This town is quite a cool (no pun intended) place to visit and I think the café, hotel and opera house employ about the entire population of Death Valley Junction (I think it has less than 10 people). If you get out of your car in the middle of the summer, you will understand why. ;-)
Be prepared when you go to Death Valley NP! It gets hot and then hotter! Spring is the best time to visit when the wild flowers are blooming.
Extra credit:
Lowest point in the Western Hemisphere is in Argentina (-105m).
Hottest temperature ever in the Western Hemisphere was measured in Libya (57.8˚C).
For more information:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm
http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/
