In some ways, I know the landscape of Death Valley, California like the back of my hand. I’ve pedaled my bike 100 miles in one day there five times as part of the BreakthroughT1D Ride to Cure. I’ve ridden on super hot days, semi windy days and even through an historic rainstorm that destroyed roads, blocked pathways and required snowplows to clear the mudslides to get us back to safety.

I thought I knew this place well.

But this fall I visited Death Valley not as a cyclist, but as a tourist.

I’m here to report that without the weight of that challenging ride and with the addition of the many, many upgrades to The Oasis at Death Valley (https://www.oasisatdeathvalley.com) over the past few years, Death Valley is comfortable, beautiful, fascinating and totally worthy of a top line on your bucket list. I’d rank it as one of the most amazing National Parks I’ve visited.

While summer isn’t the ideal time to visit Death Valley – it being the hottest place on earth – fall, winter and spring are still warm but totally doable.

Getting to Death Valley isn’t hard: Fly into Las Vegas, and then rent a car and take the two-hour drive into Death Valley itself.

Stop off in Pahrump, Nevada on the way to stock up on water, snacks and more. You can find all you need within the park, but having extra to keep in your car is always a good idea. Side note: Binge watch “Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump” to really feel like an insider before passing through.

On your way, you’ll pass some ghost towns and even an old opera house, oddly placed smack in the middle of desert land.

But first: Where to stay. I’d settled in many times at the Ranch at Furnace Creek, tucked down into a valley, and found it to be almost camp like. Times have changed. The Oasis at Death Valley, encompassing two distinct lodging locales; the Ranch and above it about a mile up the road the Inn at Death Valley, has come into its own.

Both have been updated, added to and tweaked. Down at the Ranch, what was once a dusty desert patch is now a lush, comfortable “neighborhood” of 80 cottages. Sited along palm-lined little streets, the cottages are airy and comfortable – and even have their own front porches to hang out on. It’s lovely and almost magical what the addition of the cottages has done for the Ranch.

They’ve also added a mission town square set up. Where there was once one restaurant and a small gift shop, there now sits a kind of mini-desert town. There’s a throwback soda fountain/ice cream spot, The 1849 Restaurant and The Last Kind Words Saloon – which looks just like it sounds. There are a few cool shops, bike rentals and more.

Outside there’s a fountain to sit by and an outdoor fireplace to enjoy on a cooler night. It’s completely charming.

Up the road at the Inn, a $250 million upgrade has renovated the rooms, redone the pool area and the restaurants. They also added 22 private casitas with lush, green, blooming back yards. The updates were true to the Inn’s history; you can still feel the atmosphere that made it — since 1927 — a top celeb escape.

Death Valley can easily fill a week of your time. The Oasis itself offers jeep tours, hiking guides, horseback riding adventures, a golf course (It’s great – and they have rental clubs), a small borax museum and more.

And the desert? Endless wonders. You can drive or hike to the top of Dante’s View. At 5,575 feet above sea level and looking directly down toward Badwater, the lowest point in North  America, the sweeping view is amazing any time. But try sunset for the amazing colors.

Badwater itself is a must-visit; you can park and walk far out into the basin, 282 feet below sea level. Bring water – the heat can be intense. But walking on the salt, looking at the Black Mountains (colorful despite that name) is a core memory.

There’s Devil’s Golf Course (don’t bring your clubs, it’s just a clever name) where salt has formed astonishing shapes on the ground, sweeping out toward the mountains beyond, and Artists Palette, a view of rock formations that nature has painted in blues, yellows and golds. It’s a photographer’s dream.

Zabriskie Point is an easy hike up to a lovely view. For a special treat, go at night, use your phone flashlight to guide you, shut it off at top and look up. You’ve never seen the Milky Way like this before.

You can book tours of those spots at the Death Valley Visitor Center (you’ll need to stop by there anyway to pay your park visitation fee; it’s low) – and it’s a quick walk from The Ranch.

Both lodging spots have spring-fed pools that circulate fresh water daily. At the Inn, you can get a cabana and grab lunch, cocktails or a snack poolside. The Ranch plans on renovating their pool soon but it’s still lovely and refreshing.

The true test of a good escape, for me, is twofold. Did I feel that delightful disconnect from daily life? And did I walk away with experiences that will stay with me forever?

When it comes to Death Valley, Yes and yes.

The Last Kind Words Saloon sits in the center of the Ranch at Death Valley, with a western vibe, some original art and upscale food and drink. (Photo Moira McCarthy)
Out the back of the Casitas at the Inn sits a true, lush oasis. (Photo Moira McCarthy)