April 10

We set off early into Death Valley. In our view, the best route takes us from Shoshone along Highway 178 to Death Valley Junction, where we make a brief photo stop at the Amargosa Opera House before heading into Death Valley on Highway 190. To get our first overview, our initial destination is the Dante's View overlook (5,476 ft / 1,669 m). From here you have a breathtaking panoramic view of the entire valley. We then drive the one-way Twenty Mule Team Canyon road (unpaved) and stop at Zabriskie Point. Just a few steps from the car, you are rewarded with sweeping views of fascinating rock formations — some even coated in lava.
Next stop is Badwater Basin, the hottest place on Earth and the lowest point in North America (282 ft / 86 m below sea level). You can walk on the salt-encrusted surface and soak in the heat. On the way back we make a brief stop at the Devils Golf Course. The rugged terrain with its jagged salt formations looks like it belongs on another planet. We continue along the one-way Artists Drive and stop at the Artists Palette viewpoint. In one single spot you can see the entire Death Valley color palette — from white through yellow and red all the way to green (not copper). We unfortunately don't have time to visit Golden Canyon (approximately 1.5 miles of hiking). Our next stop is the Furnace Creek Area with its Visitor Center, where we briefly pull over to top up our water. We then visit the Harmony Borax Works — a loop trail around the unspectacular remains of a historic mine. We really want to see a ghost town, and the ranger at the Visitor Center recommends Rhyolite, which adds about 44 miles to our route. Verdict: nice to see — especially the Bottle House — but overall not worth the detour!
Back on our original route toward Panamint Springs, we make a photo stop at the Devils Cornfield and pass through the Stovepipe Wells Area with the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Our final stop before sunset is Mosaic Canyon (there is a signposted hiking trail, which we unfortunately cannot walk due to approaching dusk). After crossing Towne Pass we arrive at our destination for the night: Panamint Springs. Here we check into our vastly overpriced two-person tent with sleeping bags and pillows (a total of $70 — steep, when you consider that in Las Vegas you can sometimes find a four-star hotel room for $35). And by the way, Panamint Springs had the highest gas price we encountered on the entire trip!
Sights we sadly missed — but would definitely recommend — include Titus Canyon, Scotty's Castle Area (a historic mansion with a fascinating history), Ubehebe Crater, The Racetrack (where German cars are also tested for endurance under extreme heat conditions), and Aguereberry Point at 1,000 feet. Near Panamint Springs there is also Darwin Falls — which we unfortunately had to skip due to time constraints.