Death Valley
Our first of many.
Our trip to Death Valley National Park in early January 2022 marked the first of many travels together for Christopher and me. At that time, Death Valley would be my fourth national park and Christopher’s first. We chose Death Valley because it offered both convenience and experience. A three-hour flight to San Diego followed by a five-hour drive to the national park hardly sounds convenient or quick, but to experience a landscape so out of this world that it’s where they filmed Star Wars, that eight-hour journey is worth it. In the summer, temperatures in the national park could reach over 120°F (49°C), making our winter trip even more sensible.
We booked an RV in Tecopa through Airbnb, about an hour outside of the national park. Accommodations are few and far between at such a remote place, but there is a hotel at the park center, The Oasis at Death Valley, that in hindsight would have been worth the higher price tag and definitely something we’d book if we visit again. That said, the RV experience, another first, was awesome and not something we’d trade for a bigger bed!
We were in the national park for only one full day, which is a lot less time when the winter sun sets before 5 pm. On our first day, we drove to Zabriskie Point to catch the sunrise. The colors of the land change ever so slightly as the sun rises, hues of pink and red surfacing in the distant peaks, until it looks different altogether. This view will take your breath away. Then, we headed to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes- a surprising plot twist in this land. We didn’t know what to expect, but dunes as tall as 400ft (122 meters) were not one of them. Time ticks more slowly in the desert, and we stayed longer than initially planned, hiking for over two hours. For lunch, we headed to the Last Kind Words Saloon, which surprised us with its authentic Western decor, like something out of a Westworld episode.
Then we drove around. First, to the lowest point in North America, the Badwater Basin. The basin is an ancient lake that evaporated thousands of years ago, leaving a salt flat that expands as far as the eye can see. Then we stopped at the Artists Palette, where the multicored rocks more than compensate for the lack of greenery in the park. As we chased the remaining sunlight, we headed to Dante’s View to experience an epic sunset. At 4:52 pm, the sky is a kaleidoscope. The shades of pink of blue of purple of red - they’re painted on the sky with purpose. I have never seen the sky so beautiful. Then, in 11 minutes, the day was over.
But the night is just beginning. Death Valley is known for some of the clearest skies in the world. Classified as Gold Tier by the International Dark-Sky Association, night exploration here is a must. You will never feel smaller than you do when you see the sky here, and that is so freeing. We parked our car close to the Mequite Flat Sand Dunes and simply looked up, but I encourage joining the national parks’ Dark Sky Astronomy Programs, where rangers guide you across the constellation.
The next day, we made a spontaneous detour to Joshua Tree National Park—because why not? You never know when you’ll get the chance to be this close again. We love RÜFÜS DU SOL and U2, who held performances there. It was a nice feeling to be where they were and to check off another national park. We drove back to San Diego in the afternoon, where we’d spend the remaining day and a half relaxing before coming home. A notable stop is the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve for a cool beach hike.
The trip was short, 4 days and 4 nights, including the flight and drive. There are other sites in the national park worth visiting - the Eureka Dunes and the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns were some painful misses- but we only had time to hit the main ones. Four PTO days were all we could afford to burn at that time, and it ended up working out. My message to you in this post is to book that trip and make it work. The cost-benefit doesn’t appear to be inviting for short trips because our culture values money over experiences, but quality of days is just as important as number of days. We get meager paid vacation days in the US and yes it sucks, but you can make it work. Traveling is not always “go big or go home”; it’s just go.
Trip details:
Cost per person: ~$930
Duration: 4D4N
