Road Trip USA 2022
Heat and barren landscape in Death Valley
After two days in Las Vegas, we are now heading back out into the barren expanses of Nevada. As so often, I have picked out a place to have breakfast that is on our route. This time it is Cottonwood Station, about 30 minutes from the hotel. As quickly as Las Vegas appeared out of nowhere two days ago, it disappears again in the rearview mirror, like a mirage. Breakfast at Cottonwood Station is a very pleasant surprise. There are paninis, bowls, breakfast platters, cakes, and good fresh coffee, all at reasonable prices. We pay just under €35 for the three of us.
A few miles further on, we cross the state border between Nevada and California and reach Death Valley Junction after 1 1/4 hours. Here we stop for a quick photo break. The thermometer already shows well over 30°C (86°F), and we wonder why anyone would want to live in such a hostile environment. The town basically consists of a half-abandoned hotel with a café and an opera house in Spanish-Mexican style. At this point, however, we did not realize that we would be back here in a few hours. Because shortly after the next intersection, there was already a sign indicating that the road through Death Valley towards the west (CA-190) was a dead end from there and was “only” passable as far as the Mesquite Sand Dunes. This was annoying because it meant that instead of 190 mi (305 km), we now had about 310 mi (500 km) ahead of us, and it was already almost noon.
Anyway, we take it upon ourselves and drive the CA-190 to the sand dunes. The thermometer now rises very quickly to over 40°C (104°F). Our first stop in the valley is Harmony Borax Works, a historic site where borax was mined from 1883 to 1888. Even the few meters from the parking lot to the facility are exhausting in the heat, and a longer stay is not possible or recommended.
On the way to the sand dunes, we stop once more on the open road and walk a few meters onto the plain to take in this surreal, hostile, yet fascinating landscape once again.
At around 1:30 p.m., we reach the Mesquite Sand Dunes. A few people have made it here despite the fact that you have to drive all the way back again. We walk a little way into the sand dunes, which is notoriously difficult, but the extreme heat makes it even harder.
Is it a must-see? Certainly not, but when will you be there again, and if the roads aren't closed, it's on the way. Incidentally, the road was closed because rainfall had washed loose debris onto the roads. I had a slight sense of déjà vu. On my first visit to Death Valley in 2004, we had a similar situation and had to take a detour.
But now it's time to cover some ground. We have 255 mi (410 km) to go to reach our accommodation for the night. That means at least another 4:20 hours of driving.
As we cross the last mountain range before Bishop, the landscape slowly becomes greener again and no longer looks quite so dry. By this time, the sun is already very low, bathing the landscape in a beautiful warm light.
We arrive in Bishop at around 6:30 p.m. We spend the night at the Cielo Hotel. The entire hotel appears to have been recently modernized. We pay USD 226 for a room with two queen-size beds, including breakfast.
