Then a grizzled lounge guest blurts out: "It was 170 degrees at ground temperature today." My jaw drops into my drink, cooling with ice. "I placed a thermometer on rocks," amateur geologist states. "But world's record is over 230 degrees, also recorded here." It's true, rocks never cool off in night and I am later conscious of radiating intensity on way down to pool. No wonder original Star Wars had episodes shot in Death Valley. You can find few places as alien as salt pans pouring out of Panamint Mountains.

Furnace Creek Inn is one of my all time favorite hideouts. Just looking out across naked monochrome salt flats makes me feel insignificant. Coyotes call in night. The stars are out in full measure. No Vegas lights blotting out heavens. The Saturday night during my stay there is a magnificent midnight meteorite shower — The Leonides.

My favorite room at Furnace Creek Inn and Resort is pool house, a free standing rock hewn building with windows on all sides, complete with an old fashion screen door on two sides of room, and antique bath with vintage faucets. The only drawback is frolicking romping pool racket rousting far into night. The pool is most popular place for kids, just as Oasis Bar is for adults.

This trip I take an Adobe wing room on hillside, overlooking Palm Gardens. The shady gardens are a nice stroll with birds flitting through trees, then, where palms end it is a blazing hike along green edges of hotel property, an abrupt truncation of civilization meeting brown expanse of wilderness stretching in every direction . . . treeless . . . lifeless . . . beerless.

The natural underground Amaragosa River is tapped by Inn to fill pool and water gardens. The small stream flows out of Palm Gardens and then disappears back into wasteland. Not even a cactus grows out here because of salt. That thought quickly brings me back to pool, a veneer of sweat making cotton T a weeping rag. It does not take long to over-exert in heat. My blood pressure is thumping. Someone should microbrew Death Valley Beer. What a winner that one would be. The only salt I want to see is around rim of a Margarita glass.

Because it is high August, pool is hot during day, but mildly warm in morning, so I exercised in palm shaded pool in early hours, and I am often joined by French and British kids running over oven temped flagstone pavement like fire walkers dancing over hot coals, and then diving into deep end. Laughter and pain are same in all languages.

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Kriss Hammond, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

Day 4 - Thursday (Jueves)

A day at beach is always a day well spent on Mexico's West Coast. For less than a $12 taxi ride or a $.75 bus ride from city, visitors can find two off-the-beaten-path beaches known as Pie de la Cuesta and Coyuca lagoon. For peso equivalent of about $5, visitors can also tour lagoon in a "lancha" or small motorboat where you can witness fishermen casting their nets, a variety of hidden coves and tiny islands inhabited by a variety of bird species.

Another beautiful, less crowded beach is pristine Puerto Marqués. Sheltered within a small bay east of Playa Icacos, it boasts most tranquil waters in area, breath-taking sunsets, charming little restaurants that will set up tables, chairs and umbrellas for you and where a shrimp cocktail and a bottle of Corona will cost about $5.

Day 5 - Viernes

Day trips to nearby silver city of Taxco could be a great way to save on local wares, which can be hard to come across in Acapulco.

Approximately 170 miles north of Acapulco, Taxco, one of Mexico's most picturesque and charming cities, is a relic of its colonial past. An old mining town, Taxco remained isolated for centuries until an American William Spratling fell in love with town and revived its silver mines.

Today, town of Taxco is littered with silver shops and tourists trying to strike a deal on beautifully designed jewelry and wares. While shopping in Taxco is not what many would consider "cheap," shoppers definitely find good value for their dollar. Even if you can't afford to shop, a visit to Mexico's most medieval looking city is worth visit.

Day 6 - Saturday (Sabado)

A trip to Acapulco isn't complete until you've seen world-famous divers at La Quebrada. Trained divers plunge 130 feet into a narrow cove of just 11 feet of water, which is safe only when a wave has come in. You can see dives, while sipping a drink at Plaza Las Glorias Hotel or watch from a concrete embankment where admission is only $1.25.

To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link: http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/globe02/Mexico02/aca/beach/beach.html

Kriss Hammond, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com