My partner and I were determined to visit new places last week when we visited Las Vegas for Thanksgiving.  Having been to Sin City a million times, we knew it was time to visit Death Valley. In fact, it was the only park we had yet to visit in the area.  We had already gone to Red Rock and the Valley of Fire state parks last February.  This national park pleasantly surprised us.  We loved it.  I do concur with fellow travelers who recommend visiting in the fall and winter.  It is more pleasant in the cool seasons than visiting in the middle of summer when the heat is suffocating and oppressive. 

I at first thought that the park was located in the state of Nevada.  But no! It's actually in California although Las Vegas is the nearest city to travel from.  No wonder there are day trips to the park from the Strip every single day.  It's a mere two hour drive compared to four hours from Los Angeles. 

Admission was $30 per car regardless of the number of passengers in it.  We bought a lifetime pass to national parks for $80 instead.  We felt it was worth it.  We do plan to visit more parks in the Bay Area and the visits should pay for the pass quickly. 

Once one pays, the visitor is given a card to display on the car's dashboard.  We did see rangers checking cars parked in various points checking if the people did pay.

Before, the Strip used to be my favorite of all places in Las Vegas.  Not anymore.  The state and national parks are now.