Part 6 - Death Valley and a ghost town

Say what you like about Vegas, but you can't accuse it of not being on the warm side. A few days there gave me a bit of a taste for the heat, so although it required a bit of a detour, I paid the hottest place in the world a visit, Death Valley. 

Sadly, despite it being the height of summer and the hottest part of the day, the temperature never topped 51°C (125°F). Would it be such an interesting place to visit if it was called something like Humdrum Valley? I'm not sure. I'm also not certain whether the signs they put up telling you to turn off your aircon otherwise your car might conk out are really just there to make your visit seem more thrilling. 

The detour was definitely worth it because I got to visit a ghost town called Rhyolite that sprung up during the Gold Rush. Strangely, they don't put a sign up to let you know how to find it (maybe there aren't many weirdos like me who love abandoned buildings). The village used to be home to around 4,000 people. Not sure how they stuck the heat, but I'm guessing they were made of sterner stuff back in those days.

Next to the ghost town there was also an open-air "museum" which some weird sculptures by a chap called Albert Szukalski (it was deserted too). 

Driving this route also takes you past Area 51, with all its associated silliness ....

There was even an alien brothel next door

Next up... Silicon Valley, The Big Sur and San Francisco (which after more than 44 years on this planet, I've suddenly realised isn't spelled San Fransisco)