Exploring the USA and Europe

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK by Naimul Karim (originally posted on  naimul.net )   Death Valley is an apt name.  This is what Oscar Denton, the caretaker of the Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, had recorded on July 1913,  "It was so hot that swallows in full flight fell to the earth dead and when I went out to read the thermometer with a wet Turkish towel on my head, it was dry before I returned."    Fortunately, when we went, it was February in 2018.  The temperature hovered around a blissful 60 - 70F (16 - 21C) during the day, and the days were bright and sunny.  Perfect conditions for hiking, and we did quite a few of them.  But first, we had to survive passing through the notorious  Area 51 , which we did successfully.  We ended up staying in a hotel in a deserted, rather strange place.  It was Jack Longstreet Hotel, named after a notorious gunfighter and renegade.  All I can say is that it had seen its better days in the 50s.  But to its credit, it did have a character

ZION NATIONAL PARK by Naimul Karim (originally posted on  naimul.net )   2018 was an exceptionally “productive” year because we hiked four national parks in one year!  First, we did a dual trip to Zion National Park and Death Valley National Park.  That was in February.  And later in June, we did another dual trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.  ​ ZION NATIONAL PARK Zion National Park is the oldest NP in Utah and is just a 2.5-hour drive from Las Vegas. The 229-square mile (590 square kilometers) national park is diverse - represented by desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest zones.  Its highest point is 8,726 ft. (2,660 m), and its lowest is 3,666 ft. (1,117 m).  The name Zion is derived from a Mormon expression. Our lodging in Springdale was beautifully located with a gorgeous view of the mountains both from our balcony and from the dining area.  See the picture below as we were heading to the park on the first morning.  But it was February, an