Death Defying Furnace Creek Ranch and Resort in Death Valley National Park

Written by Kriss Hammond


Death defying Furnace Creek Ranch and Resort in Death Valley National Park

Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link: http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/cabinweb/furnace/furnace.html

I'm cruising out of Las Vegas through 120 miles of burnt brown desert, through Pahrump and Amargosa Valley, pastrepparttar Amargosa Opera House, then heading west at Death Valley Junction. I putrepparttar 133641 Benz into neutral for a 20-mile coast into Death Valley National Park. There is no Park entrance station, thus no fees, so I smile a desert rat chapped grin.

It is August, heat grippingrepparttar 133642 landscape in a tight infernal fist. Traffic is light. Wave after wave of desiccated mountain ranges unfold as I fall into a silent awe, tires humming, as I glide past Zabriskie Point intorepparttar 133643 lowest point inrepparttar 133644 Western Hemisphere — Death Valley National Park — astriderepparttar 133645 California-Nevada border like a roadkill sidewinder rotting acrossrepparttar 133646 yellow lines onrepparttar 133647 baking tarmac.

I have stayed atrepparttar 133648 Furnace Creek Inn three times, but never inrepparttar 133649 heighth of summer heat. I am anxious to test my resolve in this true, rugged wilderness, but in elegant comfort. At least I am not behind a 40-mule team borax wagon. Do you remember "Death Valley Days" on TV? This is Ronald Reagan country. Salt licks. Salt pans. Panamint Mountains. Lost ghost mines. Borax mounds. Empty skies. Clear horizons. . . Heat. . . Hot. . . Water. . . !

Before leaving Pahrump I stop at a country store for ice water andrepparttar 133650 last chance for ice cream bars. I have to eatrepparttar 133651 ice cream fast, butrepparttar 133652 ice water is now slush, and cold, and good. Don't roll down that window. Tires whirl with an unusual stickiness. Did I just see a buzzard? Nah, not in this noontime heat. Am I cracking up?

Then after a couple of curves there isrepparttar 133653 mirage . . . Furnace Creek Inn, placed on a sandy, desert brow, looking acrossrepparttar 133654 lonesome valley. A refuge from death.

I park quickly, wasting no time inrepparttar 133655 hot box whenrepparttar 133656 A/C shuts down with a rumble and a knock. I crackrepparttar 133657 windows a tad sorepparttar 133658 leather seats don't melt. I grab my kit bag and skip uprepparttar 133659 flagstone entrance to Furnace Creek. The blast of cool air tells me I would never make it as a pioneer, living out onrepparttar 133660 range, drinking jimpson weed water, sweating like a long-eared dog and then becoming as delirious as a dead longhorn steer bloating with death, eyes bugging out . . . flies. . . !

No sirree. It is straight torepparttar 133661 Oasis Bar for a quick one, ice water that is. About a liter or two ought to do. Then I check intorepparttar 133662 hotel and it is back torepparttar 133663 bar to swiperepparttar 133664 sweat off with a cocktail napkin. A whole bunch of cocktail napkins. The bartender eyes me as warily as a coyote checking poisoned bait.

I get caught up inrepparttar 133665 saloon conversation. Talk circulates aroundrepparttar 133666 hotel watering hole about a man who lost his life in this heat sump called Death Valley, and only last June. He had walked only a few miles from his broken down car at Badwater before heat exhaustion took him from this earth. His wife survived inrepparttar 133667 car, using her cell phone to call a tow company;repparttar 133668 crew drove up from Baker, California, and foundrepparttar 133669 hapless motorist dead, sitting on a rock not far fromrepparttar 133670 car. That is why they call this national park Death Valley. After that twisted tale, I am always close torepparttar 133671 pool orrepparttar 133672 bar.

The Playas of Acapulco, Mexico

Written by Kriss Hammond


The Playas of Acapulco, Mexico

Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com 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

Visitors to Mexico can stretch their dollar in Acapulco with authentic, incredible cuisine for under US$10, charming accommodations for less than US$60 and a wealth of activities at great values.

A vibrant port city, Acapulco is home to one ofrepparttar most beautiful bays inrepparttar 133640 world. Acapulco has long been a favorite for celebrities such as Liz Taylor, Placido Domingo and Julio Iglesias. Today,repparttar 133641 destination offers something for travelers of all budgets and is frequented by visitors simply interested in swimming, shopping, dining or just soaking uprepparttar 133642 sun against one ofrepparttar 133643 world's most spectacular backdrops.

Day 1 - Monday (Lunes)

Click For Acapulco City GuideStart off your trip with a walk torepparttar 133644 Zócalo and its Mercado de Artesanías (Crafts Market) and Mercado Municipal. All dayrepparttar 133645 Zócalo is bustling with activity filled with vendors, shoeshine men and people greeting one another.

Locals come to these sprawling markets to purchase their everyday needs, from fresh vegetables and candles to love potions. While Acapulco is not known for its indigenous handicrafts, atrepparttar 133646 crafts market you can test your bargaining skills for Mexican treasures such as enormous sombreros, piñatas,framed paintings done on velvet ofrepparttar 133647 Virgin of Guadalupe and seashell renderings ofrepparttar 133648 crucifixion. Fruits can be particularly inexpensive with mangos and bananas for as little as 25 cents a pound. Both markets are open daily.

Day 2 - Tuesday (Martes)

Driving alongrepparttar 133649 Costera Aleman could be a great option for travelers looking to take inrepparttar 133650 scenes without taking an expensive tour. From El Fuerte de San Diego, which was originally built to protect Acapulco from pirates, to Cici, a modern-day water-oriented theme park for children,repparttar 133651 Costera Aleman provides visitors not only with a spectacular view ofrepparttar 133652 bay but with some of Acapulco's most treasured and low-cost attractions.

Cici - A water theme park for children, Cici has dolphin and seal shows, a freshwater pool with wave-making apparatus, a water slide and mini-aquarium. Entrance is $4.

Parque Papagayo - Papagayo sits on 52 acres of prime real estate onrepparttar 133653 Costera. Children enjoy a life-size model of a Spanish galleon, an aviary, a roller-skating rink and a racetrack with child-size racecars. No entrance fee, rides range from $.70 to $1.80.

Casa de la Cultura - A cultural complex houses a small archaeological museum, an exhibit of Mexican and international crafts andrepparttar 133654 Ixcateopan art gallery. No entrance fee.

Day 3 - Wednesday (Miercoles)

Wednesday night may be justrepparttar 133655 evening to take a sunset cruise along Acapulco's breathtaking bay. For about $12, visitors can enjoy a cruise with open bar and live and disco music. A good deal for those on a budget, Bonanza's cruises leave downtown nearrepparttar 133656 zócalo at 4:30 p.m. Sunset cruises are likely one ofrepparttar 133657 best ways to also seerepparttar 133658 cliff divers. Many hotels and shops sellrepparttar 133659 tickets.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use