Death Valley e suas várias atrações

See more at: 20 Amazing Places in the Southwest USA

Situated in California, on the border with Nevada, Death Valley is the warmest and driest park in the country. To access it, the nearest city is Las Vegas. It got its name from the death of a member of a group of explorers from the region in the 19th century.

In 1913 the park recorded temperatures of 57ºC, which until today are the highest ever measured in the history of the Earth. On my 2012 trip, we came to face temperatures of around 42ºC. When we rented a car, they warned us that car tires could burst due to the heat of the asphalt and, therefore, we had to pay a much more expensive insurance.

Here is a list of the places we visited in Death Valley:

• Longstreet Inn: it is not inside the park, but I strongly advise you to stay here. It is a themed hotel and casino with an old west feel;
• Zabriskie Point: viewpoint with views of the Golden Canyon;
• Golden Canyon: canyon with imposing rock formations and erosive features of the most different colors. We did a 3 km trail on it and the heat was brutal;
• Artist Drive: scenic route that passes by car through canyons and mountains of all colors;
• Badwater Basin: it is a huge salar. It is the lowest point in North America, at 86 meters under sea level, and the hottest spot in the park;
• Mosaic Canyon: a beautiful canyon with high walls and many curious erosive formations;
• Sand Dunes: as the name says, they are beautiful sand dunes in the park's desert.

Other interesting attractions that we did not do are the Ubehebe volcanic crater and The Racetrack, a place with large blocks of rock that move mysteriously and leave trails in the mud.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that there is a public transport service from Las Vegas that takes a tour of Death Valley.