Death Valley has always been an intriguing place that we have wanted to explore. With names like Hell’s Gate, Dante’s View, Desolation Canyon and Badwater Basin, how much more appealing could it get? We realized that we were taking on a special challenge when we saw all the warnings as we approached the park: carry water, have a full tank of case, carry more water, don’t rely on cell phones or GPS, drink the water you’ve brought, don’t approach wildlife, avoid canyons during rain storms, keep out of mines, and be sure you have enough water and stay hydrated.

We did all of the above, and for extra good measure we stayed inside our air-conditioned car 99% of the time, because our first foray out of the car proved to us that the heat was quickly debilitating. We reached a high of 111 degrees, with 109 about the average during the few hours we spent in the Valley. You truly are isolated because there is no wireless signal, and even the helpful navigator on our iPhone was out to lunch for the majority of our trip. Fortunately there are few roads and we had a pretty clear idea as to how we would traverse the Valley. What we didn’t realize that once through the valley we would still be driving for hours through some of the most desolate parts of California. It was one of those experiences you (or we, at least) do once in your life, and we’re glad we did, socially distanced to the max!