“Death Valley Days” is the title of a long-running television series that I vaguely remember but did not watch.  Now I wish I had.  Thanks to my early-adopter dad, we had a small black-and-white television, the only kind available back then. It would have been just fine since the episodes were shot in black and white. There was no color in those days. 

I have since had the pleasure of visiting Death Valley, several times.  My first visit was in 1995,  a brief weekend departure from a trade show that involved stealing a blanket from the hotel.  I spent the night with it in my rental car, at Dante’s Overlook, which provided a bitter cold but spectacular view of sunrise on the Panamint Mountains across the valley.   

I wrote about a more recent visit, experiencing the magic of Racetrack Playa, and I was excited to return this year and explore the park further.  Over the next few essays, I’ll try to convey some of my experiences in this unique place on the planet.

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