Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [187]
Near Stovepipe Wells Village, north of Furnace Creek, you can scramble along the smooth marble walls of Mosaic Canyon or roll down powdered sugar at the undulating Sand Dunes (magical during a full moon). Another 36 miles north is the fantastical Scotty’s Castle ( 760-786-2392; adult/child/senior $11/6/9; 9am-5pm), where costumed guides bring to life the strange tale of lovable con-man Death Valley Scotty. About 8 miles west of here, giant Ubehebe Crater is the result of a massive volcanic eruption. Hiking to the bottom and back takes about 30 minutes. It’s slow going for another 27 miles on a tire-shredding dirt road (high clearance required) to reach the eerie Racetrack, where you can ponder the mystery of faint tracks that slow-moving rocks have etched into the dry lakebed.
The most spectacular backcountry adventure, though, is the 27-mile trip along unpaved Titus Canyon Road, which climbs, curves and plunges through the Grapevine Mountains past a ghost town, petroglyphs and dramatic canyon narrows. It’s a one-way road accessible only from Hwy 374 near Beatty; the entrance is about 2 miles outside park boundaries.
Sleeping & Eating
During wildflower season accommodations are often booked solid and campgrounds are full by midmorning, especially on weekends. Campgrounds are first-come, first-served, except for Furnace Creek, which accepts reservations from October to April.
Furnace Creek Inn ( 760-786-2345; www.furnacecreekresort.com; r $275-405, mains lunch $10-14, dinner $21-29; mid-Oct–mid-May; ) Elegant, Mission-style hotel with spring-fed pool and a restaurant that isn’t quite as gourmet as advertised.
Furnace Creek Ranch ( 760-786-2345; www.furnacecreekresort.com; r $116-193; ) is a rambling resort with 224 dated cabins and motel rooms. Its Wrangler Restaurant (breakfast buffet $10, lunch $10-12, mains dinner $19-29; 6am-9:30pm) serves belly-filling buffet breakfasts and turns into a pricy steakhouse at night.
Next door, Forty-Niner Café (mains $6-19; 7am-9pm) cooks up American standards, although the juiciest burgers are at the 19th Hole Bar & Grill (burgers $10; lunch Oct-May).
Long in the tooth but still the most bang for the buck, Stovepipe Wells Village ( 760-786-2387; www.stovepipewells.com; r $91-111, mains breakfast & lunch $5-8, dinner $10-23; ) also has a quirky restaurant that delivers above-par cowboy cooking.
Central camping options:
Furnace Creek ( 877-444-6777; www.recreation.gov; Furnace Creek area; campsites $12-18; year-round) Pleasant grounds, including some shady sites.
Sunset (Furnace Creek area; campsites $12; Oct-Apr) Huge and RV-oriented.
Stovepipe Wells (Stovepipe Wells Village; campsites $12; Oct-Apr) Parking-lot style, but close to the sand dunes.
Texas Spring (Furnace Creek area; campsites $14; Oct-Apr) Small and best for tents; nice hillside location.
Getting There & Away
There is no public transportation to Death Valley. Coming from LA, head north on the I-5 Fwy to CA-14 which turns into US-395 near Inyokern. Turn off onto CA-190 near Olancha and proceed into the park. Gas is expensive inside the park, so make sure you fill up beforehand.
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LAS VEGAS
Vegas is the ultimate escape. A few frenzied sleepless nights here are more intoxicating than a weeklong bender anywhere else. Be as naughty as you want, pretend to be someone else entirely, and watch your most devilish fantasies become real. Sin City stands ready to give you an alibi: what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Who can resist such outrageous temptation? Not you, not me. Sleep? Fuhgeddaboudit. In this city of fake Elvises, everybody lives like a king.
Orientation & Information
Las Vegas Blvd, aka the Strip, is the main north–south drag and lined with the most famous hotel-casinos. Downtown Las Vegas is the original town center with Fremont St as its main drag. For information, rooms or tickets, contact the Las Vegas Visitor Information Center ( 702-892-0711,