I love Las Vegas! I love everything about it: the glitz, the glitter, the gambling, the good food. But, after a few days I start to suffer from sensory overload. I need to clean my brain, refresh my spirit, and get a grip on reality. The solution - head for the desert!
There are many great side trips from Vegas but, without a doubt, a two-day circuit through Death Valley is one of the most unforgettable. If your idea of Death Valley is one of a vast nothingness baking in the shimmering heat, then you are in for a big surprise. Death Valley does hold the record as the hottest place in the United States, and it is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere; but, it is also a place where it often snows and there are some very high peaks.
Contrary to the dire sounding name, Death Valley is a thriving ecosystem that is home to more than 900 species of plants, a wide variety of wildlife and many unique, natural and man-made wonders. It is a place that exemplifies the quintessence of America's frontier spirit of survival. Set aside your preconceptions, open your mind to the subtle beauty inherent in desert terrain and prepare yourself for an unforgettable adventure.
Day One
Stock up on bottles of water, pack a lunch, don your sunglasses, put on your walking shoes, bring your bathing suit and don't forget your spirit of adventure. Head south out of Las Vegas on Interstate 15; at the Route 160 intersection turn west, and let the adventure begin.
The first leg of the trip traverses the southern portion of Red Rock Canyon; resist the temptation to stop and explore. Red Rock Canyon Recreation Area, a beautiful and diverse area, is a wondrous day-trip unto itself.
During the first 50 miles, notice the contrast between Las Vegas and surrounding desert, remembering 
that 50 years ago Las Vegas was a never-heard-of stop on a long, lonesome desert highway. For the next 50 or so miles, feel yourself unwind; tune into the ever-changing desert scenery. The landscape is the first breathtaking feature noticed by visitors. Rock layers, visible throughout Death Valley, reveal a nearly complete record of the Earth's geologic past.
Be on the lookout for wild burros. They are descendants of those that got away from early pioneers. Because they do well in a desert habitat, the burros carved out a niche in Death Valley. The Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971 protects them; however, they compete with the bighorns and other native species, foul water sources, overgraze and trample the undergrowth. To protect the fragile desert ecosystem, the Bureau of Land Management controls the population by capturing some and offering them for adoption.
The Mojave Yucca, easily identifiable by it's starburst of two-foot long leaves, provided food for Native Americans, who also used the fibrous leaves to make cloth and sandals. During World War II, this plant was used in the manufacture of burlap.
This stretch of road could be termed "The Way of Lost Hope and Forgotten Dreams," for it roughly follows the Old Spanish Trail forged by Spanish explorers in 1830. A decade later it was an important route between Mormon settlements in Utah and California.
The '49ers used this trail as a winter route to the gold fields in California. By the time they reached Death Valley, reality had set in, and then things got worse. Shortly after leaving the Red Rock area, the road rises to an elevation of 5,493 feet.
The cottonwoods, juniper trees and pinyon pines in Mountain Spring Pass were evidence to the early travelers that here was a source of water. The white, powdery film on the juniper berries is the yeast that is essential in the making of sourdough bread, a staple of the early miners. The nuts of the pinyon pines were an important food source for Native Americans.
Eighteen miles later turn west toward Tecopa; about 5 miles down the road, make the turn for Cathedral Canyon. A short distance down this side road is one-man's way of coping with his young daughter's untimely death. Rolland Wiley spent more than $1 million turning this mud wash into one of Death Valley's more incongruous sites. Dedicated to peace and harmony among all of God's creatures, the half-mile meandering canyon is decorated with famous quotes, stained glass, waterfalls, pictures, benches and statuary. In the quiet of the desert, one can feel the depth of his loss. Wiley died in 1994, so the area is in dire need of refurbishing.
This little side trip takes about 30 minutes. Return to the main highway and continue west. Large clusters of Mesquite trees along the road are another indication that water is close to the surface. The trees look more like huge bushes because the trunk and lower portions of these trees have been buried by wind-blown sand leaving only the tips of the branches visible.
About 15 miles past the California border, the highway crosses the Nopah Mountains at Emigrant Pass. Park the car, walk about 300 yards to the ridge and look back at the valley to see the ruts carved into the floor of the desert by hundreds of pioneer wagons more than 150 years ago. By the time the pioneers had reached this point, their initial enthusiasm had waned; many questioned the wisdom of the adventure, others prayed to just survive.
Another 10 miles down the road, take the turnoff to discover another one of the desert's little secrets. China Ranch is a working family farm set in a lush piece of greenery amidst the forbidding Mojave Desert -- a classic desert fantasy. The Old Spanish Trail is within easy walking distance, as is the historic Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad.
Visitors can hike to nearby old mines, or take an interpretive guided nature walk (make reservations at 760 852 4415). You'll learn about geology, botany, birds, early man in the area, the Old Spanish Trail and much more. The ranch's gift shop sells a variety of items including packaged dates, date shakes, date-nut bread, jams, post cards and unique hand crafted gifts. This detour takes between 45 minutes and two hours.
Back out on the main road, it quickly merges into Route 127; continue about 10 miles to the intersection of Highways 178 and 127 at the town of Shoshone. Near the intersection, the dirt road to the left will take you about a quarter a mile to the Cave Houses. In the early part of the century, settlers and prospectors carved their homes into the soft sediment. The stillness belies the beehive of activity that once encompassed the area.
Back on the highway, two miles down the road, turn left onto Highway 178; 5 miles later you will officially be in Death Valley National Park. Eighteen miles down the road is a photo opportunity. Look for Skull Rock on the left. Use your imagination!
A few miles later, the road dips below sea level for the rest of the day's journey. The long, wide valley was once an ancient lake, 100 miles long and 600 feet deep, called Lake Manly. About 50 miles from the park entrance is the lowest elevation in the United States, and indeed in the Western Hemisphere.
Continue east on Route 190 toward Death Valley Junction, a ghost town setting right out of a 1950s western. However, this ghost town comes alive on Monday and Saturday evenings during the winter when the Amargosa Opera House offers visitors a musical performance by renowned ballet star Marta Becket. It is another one of those incredible desert incongruities. In 1967, Marta Becket, a classical dancer, stopped here to fix a flat tire and left with a dream. She leased the rundown theater for $45 a month, renamed it the Amargosa Opera House, and with her husband began fixing it up. Her first show drew 12 customers; on some evenings, that first year, nobody at all came. So Becket painted an audience on the walls and kept on performing.
Try to time
From here, head back toward Route 160, Pahrump and Las Vegas filled with a new vision of Death Valley and deserts in general. Death Valley National Park, established in 1994, comprises 3,000 square miles (over 3.3 million acres) of widely differing topography, and is now the largest national park in the coterminous United States.
"Death Valley" was the term the first emigrants used after their fateful crossing in the winter of 1849. Indians knew this area as Tomesha, "Ground Afire." The Valley generally receives about 1.8 inches of rainfall per year, but weather conditions vary greatly throughout the region, primarily with elevation.
The hottest day on record in the United States was recorded at Furnace Creek in 1913 when the temperature peaked at 134°F. On a normal summer day, when air temperature is a brisk 120°, ground temperature on the valley floor can be 200 °F. The months between October and March are uniformly cool and pleasant, with highs ranging between 68 and 80 degrees.
Death Valley is not a name anyone in the tourist business would pick; but some tourists leave Death Valley disappointed if they have not experienced temperatures of 120° or higher! You will arrive back in Las Vegas with your appetite whetted for more desert adventures.
Start planning your next trip into Death Valley; there is much more to see and do: visit Scotty's Castle, scramble down Ubehebe Crater, drive through Hell's Gate and more. Or, make a day of it in Nevada's Red Rock Canyon or the Valley of Fire State Park. Never again will you conjure up a mental picture of a vast wasteland with blowing sand and bones whitening in the unmerciful sun when you hear the word desert.
