The Ultimate Guide to Exploring Death Valley - neonmag.fr

California's Death Valley is one of the hottest deserts on the planet. Each year, more than a million tourists go there to experience temperatures that sometimes exceed 50°C. We popped in and discovered that there are at least 9 things to do besides sweating.

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1

See the sun rise over the Mesquite Sand Dunes

I'm not the type of person who normally gets up at 4am. And yet, for the first time in my life, I did not regret it. That morning I saw one of the most beautiful sunrises of my life. We are about ten brave people, each installed on his dune to attend. The sun is not yet visible in the sky, but already it is making the peaks of the Cottonwood mountain range glow behind me. Very quickly, its first rays pierce the Amargosa mountains to the east. The shadows he draws in the dunes are fascinating. Anyway, set your alarm clock.

2

Brake to avoid crashing Beep Beep

It's almost impossible not to come across Bip Bip in Death Valley. This bird made famous by the cartoon is a roadrunner also called the greater roadrunner or the California roadrunner. A slender little bird, it is more apt to run than to fly. I suspect this species to be depressed: these birds take pleasure in crossing the road right in front of your wheels.

3

Swim in the hot spring pool

At Furnace Creek, "the furnace stream", the hottest point in the Valley, where the hottest temperature in the world was measured in July 1913, 56.7°C (now in question), there is a swimming pool. The perfect spot to hang out at the hottest hours of the day. The water is around 30°C, but it is still refreshing. Bonus: the deckchairs are in the shade.

4

The ultimate guide to exploring the Valley of Death Valley - neonmag.fr

Eating a fried donut in the restaurant of the Timbisha Shoshone Indian tribe

Right next to Furnace Creek is part of the Timbisha Shoshone Indian tribe, who have lived in Death Valley for over a millennium. At the taco restaurant, ask Frank, the huge manager of the place, for a fried donut, his specialty. If you have an hour before you, then ask him to tell you where this dish comes from. He will then tell you all the history of his tribe and do not leave before he shows you his tattoos.

5

Being frightened by “Thirsty Bees” signs

In Death Valley, the 1042 varieties of plants, 51 species of mammals, 346 birds, 36 reptiles and we-did-not-find-how-many-insects are thirsty. Bees are not spared. They roam the parking lots around the cars looking for fleet.

6

Cool down in the mountains

Even when the pool water is too hot, there are two ways to escape the heat: chat with the rangers at the air-conditioned Furnace Creek visitor center or climb the mountains. In summer, at low altitude, hikes are to be avoided because of the temperature, on the other hand, there is, for example, at Dante's View a small loop on the mountainside of barely 1.2 km and there is very cool. People who suffer from vertigo will find this walk very very long.

7

Logout

There's very little network in Death Valley and that's a lot of good. Except that it is still one of the reasons why there are deaths every year. “Most often, a visitor breaks down with his car, explains Tom, putting him away in a khaki uniform. As there is no network, this person decides to go on foot to seek help and quickly succumbs to the heat. When the temperature exceeds 50°C the body can very quickly switch off. His advice when this happens: stay in the shade of his car and wait for help: all the marked roads in the valley are traveled by the rangers every day.

8

Enjoy a sunset in a dry basin

Not far from Furnace Creek, Badwater is a dry salt basin, the lowest point in North America, 85m below sea level. I sat on this white expanse to better appreciate the millions of shades of blue that make up the mountains, and my skirt quickly becomes cardboard: the salt has drunk up all the water contained in the fabric. Be careful, it is not when the sun is no longer visible in the sky that it is the most beautiful. It is then just hidden behind the mountains. You have to wait another 15 minutes for it to completely disappear. At that point, it is no longer millions, but billions of colors that will color the sky.

9

Have a drink with Wesley and Corey at the Corkscrew Saloon

This is the last bar open in the whole valley. But it closes at 11pm, so get there early. Corey and Wesley work on it together. The night I went there, the first is behind the bar and the second is leaning on it with a beer. Wesley is spending his 4th summer in Death Valley and he is sure it will be the hottest. They are a few hundred to live here all year round. All have one thing in common: they are nature lovers. The other reasons for their settling in one of the most extreme environments on the planet are diverse: to flee a past that was neither glorious nor sad, to escape the bustle and insecurity of the city or because they had a great professional opportunity.

What else to do?

You can find even more places to discover on the California Tourist Board website.

Go there for cheap

The French airline XL Airways connects Paris CDG to Los Angeles and San Francisco every summer from June to the end of September. Three direct flights are offered each week to these destinations, operated by Airbus A330 equipped with the XL Cloud wireless entertainment system. Round trip from €459 – you won't find it cheaper -, 20 kg luggage in the hold and hot meal included.

Also read >> 12 Useless Facts About Sweat

>> 217 km in extreme heat: I survived the toughest race in the world

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