Furnace Creek, Death Valley California

This place is an international hotspot. Literally. It holds the record for scorching heat (134* F. was recorded here one July in 1913 making it the  hottest spot on earth. Furnace Creek is also a sleepover spot for a cavalcade of international travelers who want to experience this vast desert landscape.  For that you need a car.  But the oasis of Furnace Creek is fun to explore on a tiny bike tour around this National Park headquarters.  

Roads: Paved roads. Optional graded gravel. (Off road riding is forbidden since it scars the fragile desert landscape.) 

Route: This is about two square miles of civilization nestled in the midst of DV's ….. square miles.  A mile up hill on the highway will take you to the elegant Furnace Creek Inn. A mile down hill on the bike path leads to the Harmony Borax Works, where workers boiled borax balls into a wash day additive.  

Discoveries: Poking around on two wheels you will find cold drinks and supplies at the general store. Restaurants, stables. Airstrip parking for those who prefer wing into the desert. Acres of manicured golf course greens. An Audubon Bird platform overlooking golf course ponds with an astonishing diversity of water birds. Stands of feathery tamarisk trees, date palm orchard, spring fed swimming pools, The elegant Furnace creek inn, a desert version of a classic national park lodge, with beautiful gardens and a great deck for sunset watching. borax museum, and exhibits in the national park headquarters where rangers are on call to answer your every question. Spin through the camp grounds for a tour of the crazy range of what constitutes american camping. 

Detours and tips.

only mad dogs and englishmen go out in the mid day sun.