At Death’s


Brave the drive through Death Valley to find a side of California that’s worlds away from surf towns and sunny beaches, writes David Whitley


door


DESTINATIONS CALIFORNIA |THE US


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he moonscape interlocks like the fingers of gnarled, sulphur-stained hands. The bright yellow, rumpled rocks of Zabriskie Point ripple


across the horizon, while stark treeless mountains jut out behind them. Death Valley is not a gentle place – the name,


frankly, should give that away. But the United States’ largest national park south of Alaska is relentlessly staggering. It is famed for its ferocity and inhospitable nature; the hottest temperature recorded was at Furnace Creek in 1913, at a nearly incomprehensible 56.7C. But Death Valley’s striking, epic beauty is consistently underrated.


UPS AND DOWNS The two-hour drive to Death Valley from Las Vegas gives plenty of what you might reasonably expect – big open road and stark desert landscapes. But it’s the changes in elevation that come as more of a surprise. Travelling from east to west, there’s a constant ripple


² travelweekly.co.uk 21 NOVEMBER 2019 51


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