One thing that we learned during our December trip to Death Valley was that nobody else comes to Death Valley in December. “I would have thought that this would be the most popular time of year,” I said to a National Park Service manager, “given that one can hike around in comfortable temperatures and barely have to carry water.” He responded that summer was actually the busiest: “We get a lot of Americans driving through and checking us off their bucket list, but also Europeans who come here for heat tourism.” Heat tourism? “They don’t have deserts or extreme heat in Europe so they come here to experience 120 or 130 degrees.”
We did the Artists Drive loop, Natural Bridge trail, and Badwater lowest point from about 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
After lunch, it was time for Golden Canyon Trail.
The next day we drove to Stovepipe Wells, a desolate and crummy place to stay compared to Furnace Creek, stopping first at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes:
After breakfast (masked restaurant staff and unmasked customers), we hit Mosaic Canyon.
We had lunch at the Ranch at Death Valley steak house. Once again, the servers were masked while customers were not. Also, curiously for California, the establishment seemed to be celebrating gun violence.
I’m not surprised by the passion for masks given that we were in California, but I am surprised that people who are sufficiently concerned about Covid to wear a mask didn’t take the opportunity, at some point during the past three years, to change careers into a job that doesn’t involve contact with hundreds of infested-by-viruses humans every day.
The Inn at Death Valley has nicer public areas, but the Ranch at Death Valley has some brand new standalone cottages.
After some time at the pool we went to Zabriskie Point for sunset, along with every other tourist.
Some fun with Apple’s panorama software:
We ate most of our meals at the Inn at Death Valley, just up the hill from the golf course/Ranch. Food and service seemed to be better.
After two days and three nights, it was time to head back through Pahrump to Las Vegas. We did not stop at Sheri’s Ranch for lunch with Hunter Biden, however, because we wanted to visit the Mob Museum before checking into the Cosmopolitan and walking to Din Tai Fung for dinner before Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple. The show was funny in addition to being awe-inspiring. Din Tai Fung made me weep for the paucity of good Chinese food in South Florida. What must we promise to the Taiwanese to get a branch here in Jupiter?
Before we left Death Valley, though, we stopped at Zabriskie Point for some pictures in the morning light.
One more panorama:
It was a great trip and one of the few times in recent memory that I was in a U.S. National Park and not jammed into a Manhattan-style crowd.
My family visited death valley for the last 2 days of last year.
It was indeed quite relaxed for a national park.
It is interesting that they are self sufficient in water, there is an underground river below sea level, and no need to truck in any water.
Nice photos:)
The mask thing is probably mandated by the employers who assume their customers would like to feel “protected”. The whole thing totally degenerated into neofeudal society with depersonalized interchangeable “staff” serving the moneyed lords. Californian “liberal” society simply showing its true colors, nothing new here.
I don’t think the employer was forcing employees to wear masks. The majority of the workers were unmasked (perhaps a 60/40 ratio of lambs to the slaughter to those who were enjoying the full protection of a simple cloth mask or a surgical mask).
“Heat tourism”, I love it. Agree with @averros, employees probably would not wear masks if they had a choice, most certainly it’s mandated. Enjoyed your pics, reminded me of my 2 visits there, in Nov and Dec!
At one point a tour operator in Germany was running ads pointing out it would be cheaper for Germans to spend winter in Turkey where the winters are mild than to pay to heat their houses with natural gas. Another form of heat tourism, I suppose.
Din Tai Fung is slowly rolling from west to east. First one in US was open in Bellevue, WA and this is where we usually go. We go on the weekend day right before opening because otherwise there is always a line. It’s a matter of few years before they achieve total food domination and are everywhere in US.
Pret-a-manger moves from west to east. Can’t wait for them to get to Seattle.
This post certainly gives me ideas for the RV trip but it’s tricky to time it with school breaks and snow on the passes.
Greenspun’s iphone still gets better photos than the average gootuber. We need a Greenspun hike up Mt. Whitney.
@lion I hiked up Whitney last summer, and would sure as hell go back with Phil. I’d even carry his iPhone tripod 😂
@philg: Talk about “On the Same Wavelength!!!”
I started reading this post by lounging back in my chair and taking my good sweet time during dinner by poring over your photos. A bit more than halfway down the page, I think: “You know, I miss those old film camera and panorama views for something like this…”
And BOOM, I scroll a little more…
“Some fun with Apple’s panorama software:”
I can’t say “great minds think alike” but maybe: “philg has rubbed off on me…”
I miss the panorama shots!
Do they offer guides so you can venture farther out into the wilderness, camp, etc.?
Alex: It’s the U.S. government running the place, so they offer everything that you’d expect!