Luxury, amid a stark and extreme desert? The Oasis at Death Valley is just that. A delightful contrast, it is a destination vacation off the beaten track, yet accessible and bucket-list worthy. It will take you a couple of hours from Las Vegas, or 4-hours from Los Angeles to be transported to a spectacular location.
The word desert does not usually conjure up the word enchantment, but there is one section of desert that can be considered akin to enjoying a beach all to yourself on a bright, sunny day. The temperature feels perfect—in the upper sixties with zero humidity and not a cloud in the sky. You lie on one of the numerous sand dunes while feeling the gentle breeze. This momentary getaway is so refreshing, so relaxing, you do not want to leave.
It’s not unusual to see oryxes, impalas, springbok, jackals, ostriches, and zebras as you drive the area. At night, the sky is a wonder to behold. Sossusvlei is reputed to be the least light-polluted area in the world. The sky contains a million stars and all are highly visible! The Milky Way is enormous and very easy to distinguish. Since this is the southern hemisphere you can see the Southern Cross but not the Big Dipper.
A long weekend in northern Arizona with good friends — what could be better? Not much! It’s the Grand Canyon and more, in the off-season.
