“Vivere ardendo e non bruciarsi mai.”
G. D’Annunzio
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Itinerary in pills
- Day 1: Death Valley
- Day 2: Zabriskie point, Valley of Fire and Las Vegas
- Conclusions
Introduction
The aphorism by D’Annunzio with which I introduced the article you are reading perfectly sums up the mood with which I experience my travels, and more generally, the mood with which I try to live my life. Burning without getting burned, a metaphor for life that goes beyond mere existence, a symbol of the intensity with which we should spend every second of our life, seeking immensity and infinity in the awareness of our limits, flying without taking our feet off the ground.
There are moments in life when we feel a particular burning sensation. The most romantic will think of the moment when we fall in love (and, after all, how can we blame them?), film buffs will think of David Lynch, historians of Joan of Arc. As a nature-loving traveler, a category to which I belong, I think more modestly of the hottest places I have ever visited.
Despite having been to Danakil, the hottest region in the world on average, and being originally from Calabria, which in summer can become hotter than the sun itself, my body has experienced the highest temperatures on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, more precisely in California’s Death Valley and Nevada’s Valley of Fire.
It must be said that it was mainly my fault (and that of my very nice traveling companions). In fact, the decision to visit the US parks in July was probably not a very happy one. For a trip to the parks of the western US, I would strongly recommend opting for the mid-seasons, so as to find much more bearable temperatures, while minimizing the chances of precipitation. Unfortunately for us, at the time, this option was not feasible.
In a certain sense, Las Vegas can also be described as hot, not only because it is located in the middle of the desert, but above all because of its liveliness, which makes it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States.
Sweat with me as I tell you about this wonderful part of my trip to the parks of the western United States!
Itinerary in pills
Death Valley and Valley of Fire were the two stops on my road trip through US parks that exceeded my expectations the most (although they weren’t my favorite stops overall). Coming from Yosemite and Sequoia parks, Death Valley is the last Californian park you encounter as you head east, before entering Nevada. It is a rather large park, where you can drive hundreds of kilometers through the desert without encountering a single car.
The most famous attraction in Nevada is undoubtedly Las Vegas, a few kilometers from which is located, among others, the Valley of Fire, a park that is generally not included in the most classic itineraries. Although Nevada is rich in points of interest, including the Hoover Dam, probably the most famous dam in the world, the Black Rock Desert, and the Great Basin National Park, we only spent one day in Nevada, not wanting to sacrifice time on the next stops, planned in Utah and Arizona. Below is a recap of our two days between Death Valley and Nevada.
| Day | Location | Notes | Map |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | Night in Pahrump | Death Valley |
| 2 | Zabriskie point, Valley of Fire and Las Vegas | Night in Las Vegas | From Zabriskie point to Las Vegas Valley of Fire |
Day 1: Death Valley
From a certain point of view, visiting Death Valley is quite simple. There are no challenging trails to tackle on foot, or other things that require particular physical effort. The main points of interest are located near the parking lots, which are easy to reach, considering that the road surface is generally in good condition (except for a few specific points, as I will mention later in the article). The real problem, as you can imagine, is related to the crazy temperatures that can be reached at certain times of the year, making any physical activity more complex than breathing at rest impractical. It is no coincidence that Death Valley is considered one of the hottest places in the world, and in particular the place where temperatures of over 50 degrees have been recorded. Let’s just say that visiting the park in summer, as we did, is not exactly a brilliant idea, but if you have no other choice, at least you can count on air conditioning to survive.
Since we have several kilometers ahead of us, we leave early in the morning from our accommodation in Tulare, where we spent the night after visiting Sequoia National Park. The road from Sequoia National Park to Death Valley is very long, we arrive at the park gates after about 6 hours of driving. As we approach our destination, the road becomes increasingly desert-like, and it is important to refuel whenever possible to avoid the risk of running out of gas. Throughout our road trip, we adopted the strategy of refueling when we reached half a tank, yet in Death Valley we found ourselves running on reserve due to the lack of gas stations.
The park can be accessed from several entrances, and admission costs $25 per car. The first place we want to visit is Racetrack Playa, a dry lake known for its moving rocks, which are eroded from the surrounding mountains and tend to end up on the lake’s surface. Unlike the rest of the park, the road to get there is particularly difficult, and there is nobody on sight. Following the directions on Google Maps, with a connection that doesn’t always work in that area, we arrive at a collapsed hill, which forces us to turn back and give up on the visit, also because we couldn’t find any alternative roads on the map.
Despite the disappointment, I must say that the effort was not in vain, as the landscape behind this stretch of road is truly spectacular. Getting out of the car to stretch our legs, we breathe in the dryness of the area and come across the dried-up corpses of small, cute rattlesnakes.
So we go back and head to the most important parts of the park, or at least those that are easiest to reach.
We start with the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, beautiful sand dunes typical of desert landscapes. The dunes can be seen from the road, and there are signs warning of extreme heat, so we avoid venturing into the sand. The landscape is truly wonderful, and it is very striking that the dunes are located at the foot of the surrounding mountains. We only stop here for a few minutes, as it is almost lunchtime and the temperatures are absolutely unbearable.
The next stop is Furnace Creek, the visitor center, where we also stop for a toilet break, an experience I mention only to say that finding bathrooms in Death Valley is not easy. At the entrance to the visitor center is the famous giant thermometer that records the extreme temperatures in the park. All in all, we’re fine with it; at that moment, it’s only 47 degrees (a temperature that, after all, was also reached a few years ago in Calabria).
Leaving the visitor center, we head towards Badwater Basin, which, at 86 meters below sea level, is the lowest point in North America, as well as in the United States. The water has completely evaporated, allowing us to see a vast expanse of salt crystals. There is a platform on which you can walk to observe the landscape, but of course, it is forbidden to set foot on the expanse itself.
Near Badwater Basin, Dante’s View, a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the basin, is also not to be missed.
After visiting Badwater Basin, we travel along what I personally consider to be the best stretch of road in Death Valley, which takes us to Artist’s Palette. This is an extremely picturesque rock formation (hence the name), thanks to the colors of the rocks resulting from deposits of various metals following volcanic activity.
At this point, it is almost sunset, so we head towards Pahrump, a small town where we spend the night, managing to refuel at the last minute (we were running on empty). Speaking of fuel, it is worth noting that, in Death Valley, the cost was four times the average price.
Day 2: Zabriskie point, Valley of Fire and Las Vegas
Zabriskie Point
We wake up early to visit Death Valley’s most iconic attraction: Zabriskie Point. It is a complex of inlets, dunes, and rocks in various shades of yellow, creating a surreal landscape. The landscape derives from the sediments of a lake that dried up, apparently, over 5 million years ago. The name of this Death Valley attraction comes from the manager of a major mineral extraction company, but its fame is also linked to Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1970 film, aptly titled “Zabriskie Point.”
The best time to see the splendid panorama of Zabriskie Point is at dawn, which we enjoy in the company of very few other people. Even at that time of day, the temperature is very high.
Valley of Fire
We bid farewell to California and arrive in Nevada. Our first destination is the Valley of Fire, which we reach in about two and a half hours by car. The valley is named for the intense red hues of the landscape, which is very reminiscent of Australia’s Red Center, but honestly, the name seems more appropriate for the feeling of being scorched to death as soon as you open the door to get out of the car, given the intense heat.
Like Death Valley, the Valley of Fire can mainly be visited by car, stopping at the most characteristic points, or at most taking a few very short trails to get there. The park is not very popular, in fact, we don’t see any other cars besides ours that day. However, it can be easily visited in a few hours, and admission costs $15.
There are essentially two roads within the park, namely Valley of Fire Highway and Mouse’s Tank Road. Since we have enough time, we decide to drive along both.
The main points of interest along Valley of Fire Highway are, in no particular order:
- The Seven Sisters, seven rocks with similar shapes, stand out from the desert
- Elephant Rock, whose shape, as the name suggests, resembles that of an elephant
- Atlatl Rock, which features Native American engravings and offers stunning views
- Arch Rock, a rock shaped like an arch
- The Beehives, pitted rocks resembling beehives
However, in my opinion, the most impressive attractions in the Valley of Fire are located on Mouse’s Tank Road:
- Fire Canyon, with its intensely fiery red rocks
- Rainbow Valley, a scenic road immersed in a rocky landscape of incredible colors
- Balanced Rock, rock formations that appear to be precariously balanced.
Las Vegas
The visit to the Valley of Fire takes about half a day in total. We arrive in Las Vegas around dusk, which we reach in less than an hour.
I must say that Las Vegas was not one of our main destinations, but since we were passing through, there was no reason to stop and sleep elsewhere, also because there is not much nearby, and the cost of hotels is relatively low. In any case, we were very curious to understand why such a city is so famous.
After checking into our accommodation, we start wandering randomly around the famous Strip, among the most important hotels, clubs, and various shows. We lingered for a while in the area of the most famous hotels, including the Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace, stopping to watch the fountain show at the former and admiring the beautiful ceiling of the latter. After that… I’d say that was enough. Someone will not agree, but honestly, I didn’t like Las Vegas. Not only is it extremely touristy, but I couldn’t find anything that even remotely corresponded to my idea of beauty. It’s definitely a city where it’s easy to have fun, but in general, it seemed fake and extremely kitsch to me. But perhaps that’s also what makes it unique. Along with Los Angeles, it was definitely the destination on my trip that I liked the least.
We still have a great evening, accompanied by the trashy clothing of the people, the shows at the various hotels, the eccentric light displays, and the general chaos that reigns supreme.
The next day, we leave early for Zion National Park. But I’ll tell you about that in other articles.
Conclusions
Death Valley is undoubtedly the California park that I liked the most. In many itineraries that I consulted when planning my own, and even after visiting the park, I got the impression that it was an unpopular destination. I don’t know if this is actually the case (after all, a few years have passed in the meantime), but I would find it hard to believe. The landscapes are truly beautiful and varied, absolutely unmissable despite the extreme temperatures you have to endure at the same time.
If I had to choose my top 3 in Death Valley, I would say:
- Zabriskie Point, undoubtedly the most fascinating spot in the park
- Artist’s Palette, for the beautiful colors that alternate in the mountainous landscape
- Badwater Basin, for its characteristic morphology
While I have my doubts about Death Valley being a little off the beaten track, I have no doubts about the Valley of Fire, and that fact puzzles me a little. In addition to being beautiful, it is a park that I would describe as “easy” to visit, due to the fact that it has only two roads, both in excellent condition, as well as its short distance from Las Vegas.
In my opinion, the best attractions are on Mouse’s Tank Road, but Highway Road is also well worth a visit. In particular, the medal table is as follows:
- Gold to Valley of Rainbow, for the incredible colors of the rocky landscape
- Silver to Fire Canyon, for the shades of red of the rocks, ranging from soft to bright
- Bronze to the view from Atlatl Rock
About Las Vegas, I find it difficult to rank the most beautiful things. According to my idea of beauty, which is closely linked to art when it comes to cities, the only attraction worth mentioning is the ceiling of one of the most renowned hotels, the work of a contemporary artist. For the rest, I would describe the city as flashy, picturesque, colorful, and fun, but not exactly beautiful. I believe that Las Vegas is more of an example of how, with a little talent, you can create wealth out of nothing (in this, the United States is a master from which we have much to learn) and how, often, fame can far exceed merit.
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