The Death Valley — The Wanderers

Welcome to the land of the extreme!

After a few hectic days in Yosemite we decided to drive up to Vegas and spend the weekend there. On our way we made a stop at one of the hottest places on earth: the iconic Death Valley. It’s quite a scary name when you think about it, why anyone would want to stop there?

On top of being one of the driest, hottest and lowest places on earth, The Death Valley is also a breathtaking US National Park with a striking contrast of landscapes.

So here we are again, on the road, alone in the middle of nowhere. Not a single car in sight, nothing but arid and harsh surroundings. The heat is no joke, even though we were inside our car, we could already feel the difference. I can promise you that when driving through the park, your biggest fear will either be running low on fuel or water! You do not want to be stuck there and thankfully for us everything went fine.

We made a first stop at Furnace Creek visitor center to fill up our bottles and get a map of the park. The first thing we saw as we arrived was their giant outdoor thermometer which was already indicating 108 Fahrenheit degrees at 10 AM (approximately 42 degrees Celsius). This place is unlike any other park, it has a very unique and mysterious vibe… like you are outside of this world.

However, the heat is here to remind you that this is a dangerous place to be in, especially during early summer… So after having heard the tips and requirements from the park rangers we were back on the road looking for the next scenic viewpoint.

We first stopped at Zabriskie Point, the famous overlook of colorful, irregular and undulating mudstones. Even the least amount of effort is dreadful, this place is hot as hell. It is not recommended to spend more than 20 minutes outside during heat waves, and you quickly understand why… You can literally feel the sun burning your skin as you walk outside.

We pursued our journey towards the colossal sand dunes. Sand dunes in the Death Valley are less common than what people would expect, they only account for a small portion of the park. The most accessible location to see them is called the Mesquite Dunes viewpoint and is surrounded by surreal mountain ranges. Even though the wind reshapes the dunes appearance with time, the field in itself never moves which makes it very convenient for visitors.

Once we parked the car we started exploring the field, walking on those gigantic hot sand dunes. It’s crazy how you can lose sense of perception and distance when in a desert, everything seemed distorted and walking from point A to B became quite challenging. The heat made the sand extremely hot and prevented us from going too far. Midday temperatures will limit your ability to walk the dunes, so if you want to spend more time at this location aim for an early morning start.

God knows how much I love the great outdoors, and the Death Valley is the epitome of it. The vastness of park, the deserted roads and raw landscapes are breathtaking. It does feel like you are on a different planet, a deceptive environment where life lies somewhere within.

To anyone wanting to visit the Death Valley:

Be prepared for extreme temperatures especially between April and September.
You will be asked to turn off your car’s AC (so you car does not overheat), so be ready to get sweaty!
Early starts are the best to spot wildlife.

Although there are some constraints in driving through the park, this place is a must-see. We could only spend half a day there, but we would love to come back and explore more… maybe during winter this time.

Love,

A