It must have been amazing for settlers heading west to arrive in Death Valley and see such unbelievable land scape. Summer months are brutal. Winter months are crystal clear, but cold. There are several ghost towns around from miners who moved on. I am going there between Christmas and New Years. Should be great!

I was talking to someone recently about their bike trip along the West Coast. They started in Los Angeles and rode north up Highway 1 all the way up to Vancouver Island, Canada. What a great way to see the West Coast. I think I will start planning the same trip. See the sand dunes in Oregon and take a ferry over to Vancouver Island.