Summer of 21’ was really unpredictable. We were originally going to drive to Alaska in our van, but that didn’t pan out since the US-Canada border didn’t open until August. And then there were the permits we scored back in March to hike the entire JMT (John Muir Trail) starting on Labor Day. This hike is named as one of North America’s most stunning and enchanting hikes, winding along the ridges of the Sierra Nevada mountains, 220 miles from Yosemite to Mt Whitney, the tallest peak in the continental USA. Well, guess what? That didn’t happen either, since wildfire season closed all California National Forest areas in August/September due to the dry ground conditions. But this kind of news isn’t going to discourage us from seeking out a good ole exciting adventure…

Instead, we had something exciting brewing in addition to the plans we made back in July to go where doors/countries were open in Europe - a place dear to our hearts ever since we lived #vanlife there for 2.5 years from 2016-2018. It has been an incredible past few months as we skipped and floated throughout Greece and Portugal, literally and figuratively. Check out our YouTube playlists of Greece and Portugal below.

So what’s that thing that was brewing? After wanting to work with tourism boards so we could share some of the best trip itineraries out there with you, the opportunity presented itself when Travel Nevada reached out, and we were thrilled!

Rewind to February 2020, the “before times,” when we were in Panama looking at land for a potential tiny home of our own, while also helping fellow YouTubers build on their land. We received an email from Travel Nevada with the opportunity to go on the road trip of a lifetime, ironically called the Death Valley Rally. This 340-mile drive goes from Las Vegas to Death Valley with many fascinating sights along the way. As we all know, a month later, The Great Lock-Down took place and everything was cancelled for the foreseeable future. Fast forward nearly two years later - to when our 90-day visas permitting us to be in Europe’s Schengen Area expired. It was time for us to fly back to America, and time for the Death Valley Rally to commence! The timing was PERFECT and we were stoked that this road trip could actually happen!

Fast forward to waking up in Las Vegas: Day #1

Wake up and grab a quick breakfast at our hotel. Load our bags from REI and make a very important pit stop to stock up on road trip snacks and treats. Head off and drive to Red Rock Canyon for our designated entrance time slot (be sure to reserve in advance)! First stop - the Visitor Center to watch the informational movie and get the lowdown on what the best trail was for us, given the amount of time we had. We then make our way to the trailhead along the 13-mile “Scenic Loop,” and admire the lighting as it somehow manages to make the colorful rocky landscape even more beautiful. We send the drone up, as it’s permitted in this park. This comes as a surprise as not all parks are OK with drones. Sweet! We hike out-and-back on the 2.2 mile Calico Tanks Trail, which did a superb job highlighting all the various rock colors and formations in the park - plus we could even see Las Vegas in the distance! We finish driving the park loop and head to Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. Unfortunately our timing isn’t ideal during the midday heat but this park was stunning. We would recommend it for sunset if you have a few more days to add to your itinerary. The tiny town of Blue Diamond is right around the corner and we stop by for a delicious lunch at Cottonwood Station patio. Next stop is an hour drive to Attic Fanatics Thrift Shop in Pahrump. We visit Stonewise Cidery, grab take-home cans to enjoy later that eve at our hotel, drone over Coffinwood and take in the setting sun while driving to the Longstreet Inn in Amargosa Valley. We check in to our charming suite that overlooks a pond - a pond out here in the desert?! Hungry, we keep things simple and order dinner from the hotel restaurant, eating it on a couch in the center of the ballroom as we watch a live music performer do his thing. Super exhausted, we call it a night at 9:30pm, eager to catch sunrise at Death Valley National Park the next morning.

Coffinwood from Above - Eye spy several coffins!

Day #2

Left hotel while it was still dark and made sure to top up the gas tank before leaving (SO GLAD we did this). Raced to Zabriskie Point, the most popular place in Death Valley National Park for sunrise, and we could definitely see why… it was stunning! Ate breakfast in our car (luckily we had our stash of road trip snacks as there was nowhere else around), and just before 8am began our hike on the 7-mile Golden Canyon to Gower Gulch Loop (clockwise). This took us 2.5 hours and boy are we glad we had an early start, as the heat from this scorching landscape was building. Many signs are posted warning hikers not to enter the canyon after 10am. We then drove to Dante’s Peak and could see for miles over the entire valley, and straight down below us was Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America and the US at 282 feet below sea level... how is that even possible?! We enjoyed a picnic lunch and headed to the Death Valley Visitor Center to, of course, watch the 22-minute info movie (we love those) :) Next, we drove to the famous Oasis Hotel and ended the day with an iconic sunset in the Badwater Basin. No over-the-top colorful sunset tonight as thick clouds appeared, but it still felt very special. Drove to Beatty and checked into the Death Valley Motel. Showered and ate dinner at Smokin J’s BBQ. Today was a great adventure!

It’s a feeling 💜 Zabrinski point in the background

Really getting to know our surroundings. 2 miles into the hike.

Salt formation at the Devil’s Golf Course

Day #3

Slept in this morning and it felt really great! Got coffee and a breakfast burrito at the Death Valley Nut and Candy Co. which is said to be the largest candy store in all of Nevada! Drove to nearby Rhyolite, NV, where we were captivated by the history of this old ghost town and its rise and fall in the early 1900s during the Gold Rush. Next, we set out on a little photoshoot just down the road at the Goldwell Open Air Museum, laughing as we tried to fit ourselves inside the different shapes of the plastered ghosts. Grabbed lunch at Gema’s Cafe in downtown Beatty before beginning the 2-hour drive up to Mount Charleston, where we could enjoy a nice hike before the sun set that day. After being in the desert, we could hardly believe there was SNOW on the ground as we hiked the 6-mile Upper and Lower Bristlecone Loop at an elevation of 8,000-9,000 ft. We finished our hike at 6pm, just in time, as darkness was quickly settling in. After checking in to The Retreat on Charleston Peak, we ordered room service and two glasses of wine. Life is good :) Tomorrow, back to Vegas.

Stopping to learn about the old school house

Finding refuge in the “Proton,” meaning Italian for doorway

Having fun braving the elements at high elevation

Day #4

Woke up on the mountain. Ready to go as dark clouds were looming. Craving coffee! Research and find what is supposed to be a great cuppa! Head to the Arts District in downtown Vegas and decide on Mothership Coffee, located in Fergusons Downtown, a great digital nomad place to work, with other fun shops too. While enjoying an A+ cappuccino and breakfast sando, we book tickets to Meow Wolf/Omega Mart. Soon after we receive a call from The Neon Museum. They decide to close due to bad weather and high winds. Bummer! Luckily Meow Wolf/Omega Mart is inside Area 15, so we’re good to go there. The experience was trippy for sure, but overall it had good messaging about the importance of living more conscious lives. Afterwards, we check-in to our hotel and go for a walk along Fremont Street. Hungry, and always in the mood for pizza, we decided to enjoy the last dinner of our trip at Pizza Rock. Great Detroit-style deep dish, and they even have gluten-free for Brittany! Double yum. A very satisfying ending to a very satisfying trip.

For a great trip resource that can help you with planning your own Nevada adventure, be sure to check out the Travel Nevada website and the Death Valley Rally itinerary here.

The Death VALLEY RALLY: HOLD ON TIGHT!

Copyright Mr & Mrs Adventure 2021