from Munich to Death Valley - Wild Wild West - USA 2022 - 1
23/24.02. - from Munich to Death Valley
My flight is scheduled to take off from Munich around noon. That means that if I get up just a bit earlier than usual I have enough buffer for the morning drive through Munich and the extra checks at the airport.
In the end, though, that wasn't necessary at all. Normal travel traffic on the way to the airport and the check-in and security check were almost empty. They are now testing new scanners there where you can leave everything in your bags. They seem to work quite well and speed up the whole process considerably.
Boarding takes place in the outer terminal. Because of Covid, however, this is not fully functional yet and so I stay in the lounge on the main side. Since the train to the second terminal also does not run as frequently as usual, I am told to leave at least 30 minutes before boarding starts.
As usual with US flights, one is checked again before entering the gate area, but since I have uploaded all documents, it goes quite quickly. Business-class is 90% full, but few of the passengers look like they are on a business trip.
Apart from having to wear a mask all the time, the flight is nothing special. Since it's a day flight, it feels even longer than it already is. I manage to snooze for an hour or two, watch 3 movies and wait for the time to pass.
Finally, we arrive. The immigration is almost empty. They have removed all the machines and check the documents like in the old days. But although only a few counters are open, it takes me only 10 minutes or so to get through. My luggage is also ready to be picked up and so I make my way to the shuttles that go to the rental car companies.
Same situation at the Alamo rental station: No queues, no questions, no attempts to sell me any extra stuff. There are not many cars, but more than enough for the few people. I take a white Jeep Compass 4x4 with almost 9000 miles.
From home I have booked a motel in Santa Clarita, a few miles north of Los Angeles. The drive is as expected:: It takes me nearly 2 hours for the 35 miles. I check-in and drive to Walmart, which is half a mile away, to buy the essentials for the next few days.
Back at the motel, I manage to stay awake until 9pm. That means I've been awake for almost 24 hours now. But it's still not enough to overcome the jet lag. I wake up early and can't sleep anymore, even though it's only 4am. So I read some more, repack my things as I will need them in the next few days, and am with the first to have breakfast at 6am. Shortly after, I'm on my way to Death Valley.
As this is quite a drive the plan is to make two stops in between. The first one is close by, between Lancaster and Palmdale. In the middle of nowhere, there are two movie sets that are still used today when Hollywood wants to show a 1950s motel.
The first one is called Club Ed Movie Set. Unfortunately, you can't really get close. It's gated off and clearly marked as private property. The second problem is that the sun is directly behind the building. So if you want to go there, you should do it in the afternoon if possible. On the other hand, there are some beautiful Joshua Trees across the street that are now benefiting from the still low sun.
Second stop just a few miles away is the Four Aces Movie Ranch [↗]. This complex is a little bit bigger and is also next to the street, but here a film crew is preparing a shooting. So I just pass by and drive back to the CA-14 to go to my next stop: Red Rock Canyon State Park [↗].
This park consists of two parts that are right on the highway. Coming from the south, the first part is on the right side of the road. I turn off the highway, and there is a huge parking lot that is completely empty except for one truck whose driver goes to the bathroom here and leaves soon after.
This part is the "red one" with nice rock formations. There are some hoodoos as well, but not as impressive as elsewhere. I walk along the cliff, trying to catch some nice compositions.
After a while, I turn around and go back to the car to drive a few yards to the second part that is located on the other side of the highway. Contrary to some descriptions on the internet, there are now reasonable turn lanes to both parts of the park. Just past the entrance, there is a small parking area and a marked trail that I will take. The rock formations are similar to those on the other side but already less reddish.
Up to this point, you can visit the park for free. The paid area starts when you drive further into this part of the park. There is a campground and some more rocks to visit. But since they are completely gray now, I turn around and drive towards Death Valley.
The rest of the drive is nothing special if you have been in this area before. Only the temperature is different from most other months. A little further towards Bishop are some of the most recommended ski resorts in California. So as I turn onto NV-190 the car shows me a warning because the temperature has dropped below 0°C (37°F). Now it is not far and I reach Death Valley National Park.
