SeeCalifornia.com

Located five hours by car from Los Angeles in California’s desert region,  Death Valley is the hottest, driest, lowest place in the U.S. The elevation is  282 feet below sea level, there’s no rain, and it’s the perfect window of time to see the beautiful, sandy Mesquite Flat Dunes this week. The temperature is expected peak out at 95 degrees Fahrenheit in the next several days, and may actually drop back down to 80s Thursday through Saturday. But get going now to see the spectacular sand dunes.  In the 10 day weather forecast the temps are climbing back up to near 100 degrees and it’s only going up from there as summer approaches.

Death Valley is home to a beautiful wilderness with a variety of dunes to explore. Among the dunes are: Mesquite Flat, Eureka, Saline Valley, Panamint and Ibix.  The wildflowers haven’t been noteworthy in 2012 but the sand dunes are always a “blast”. Part of the National Parks System (nps.gov/deva) which is open in Death Valley year-round, entrance to the park is currently $20 per car, and is good for 7 days.