Travel to Death Valley National Park in California as a Tourist

Death Valley. The name says it all. There are many ways to die in Death Valley, but surprisingly the leading cause is one-car accidents. Hardly a name for such a place if you're anticipating anything else.

On one of the trips my girlfriend Cindy did something silly and couldn't make it a day before the airline tickets were bought and arrangements were made. She's never been there, but I have. So I did the trip solo.

If you're planning to buy gasoline in the Valley, be prepared to pay what you may consider astronomical prices. If the price of gasoline today is three dollars, be prepared to play eight dollars and fifty cents per gallon. I'm not blaming them, it's just that transportation costs to bring the gas to one of the most desolate spots on Earth have to be covered by someone. And plan to buy your gasoline before 8 PM. The three gas stations in the Valley all close at that time.

Brilliant me. I had "an idea" to save gasoline as I was running a little short one night. I turned my car motor off as I was gliding down the Canyon. Good idea, right? Wrong! What do you think happens-my brakes catch on fire. So that was hazard number one.

Oh, as you can imagine there are many hazards in Death Valley USA. Both seen and unseen. Forget about getting out of your car at night at the risk of stepping on a chilling out scorpion or rattlesnake or sidewinder. This whole website can be filled with hazards of Death Valley. The name can sometimes live up to the reputation.

At the resorts such as Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Scotty's Castle there are signs clear as a bell warning, "do not feed the birds." I do not have to tell you what that's all about. There's a water well at Furnace Creek where water comes up out of the ground for you to drink. The only problem is it comes up at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit . Trust me that is not too palatable. Potable? Perhaps. But not palatable.

On one of my earlier trips there was a tour bus in operation. I went with it. That is always a good thing to do. Go with the tour bus if you want to learn more about your temporary terrain. So we're happily driving along in the van and about 10 miles ahead I notice an area covered in a whole lot of white. Gee, it's snow! So, I figure everything is going to be fine. But even though it's 110 degrees outside your mind doesn't care. All your mind cares about is the snow up ahead.

So, I figure it's fine. Once we get there we will be ok. So we get there, and I'm ready to jump out of the van and bask in the snow. However once I get out to drink some snow, I finally realize this is not snow. This is white borax powder drier than a bone. You cannot drink or even eat this. Talk about desert mirages, huh? That was one.

There's another area called The Devils' Golf Course. It's stark beauty featuring mounds and mounds of salt-encrusted sand. Actually it didn't seem like such a large area, but I was told it took the early settlers two years to cross it with their horses and wagons. Not surprising once you see the terrain.

Then of course there's Spahn ranch which doesn't exist anymore. That was the Manson Family's hideout, where Charlie said there's a bottomless pit down into the center of the Earth somewhere. I believe it's high inaccessible by car.

I got caught in a flash flood while I was there. They are pretty frequent. You should've seen what it did to my car! When I got back to Los Angeles I took the rented car through Sheryl Crow's Car Wash on Santa Monica Boulevard but couldn't get the residual out. Surprisingly they didn't say anything at Hertz when I returned the car. I guess they figured out what it was, and the damage was rectifiable.

Another serious hazard of being in Death Valley is being near the abandoned mines. Don't ever go near an abandoned mine, whether it be in Death Valley USA or anywhere else. They are not always clearly marked either, unfortunately. However the ones that are marked you know to stay far away from. If you venture into of them, you may bet on never coming out again. Dead or alive. They are pocked with these things called winzes, which are unseen drop-off points. You may fall any number of feet. And once you get in there I'm sure the wildlife will not bid you too happy a welcome.

I'm just a kid from the South Bronx, figuring nothing can harm me especially as just a tourist to Death Valley. Some people on my CB radio tried to warn me about what was in store for me. I paid them no mind, even as a well-meaning female local crackled, "they don't know what the heat can do to them."

I don't know why but I always go there when it is record heat. I got to Scotty's Castle and just had to visit Scotty's Grave. So I'm climbing and climbing up an embankment to visit old Scotty. I get there, pay respects to Scotty and descend. Sure, all is fine and dandy until a little while later when I notice for some strange reason I can't get my moccasin to fit on my right foot properly. What happened was that for some reason the heat had actually caused my right instep to swell up. There was no pain, just swelling.

Then when I was leaving the Valley to get back to Los Angeles I fell asleep with the cruise control on. Remember what I said about one car accidents being the leading cause of death in Death Valley? Ipso factso well there you go. Luckily as I fell asleep for awhile with the cruise control on the rumble strips finally woke me up!

I was a grown man but let me tell you I was crying like a baby leaving that Valley. I don't care how grown you think you are. Death Valley is going to get your attention and it is going to get the best of you.

I love it. Have a great time and tell us about your unique adventures in Death Valley USA!