Death Valley is at the same time the hottest and lowest point of the USA. The highest recorded temperature was 134°F! There are many sights to explore: Badwater is the lowest point, and Zabriskie Point with its spectacular views is definitely worth a visit. Other viewpoints are named Artists Palette, Dantes View, Scotty's Castle or Sand Dunes. It depends on how much time you have and how long you want to stay in the heat.

State Route 1, often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running by some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.

Yosemite National Park (pronunciation: Yoh-SEH-mi-ti) is one of the oldest and most famous in the United States. In 1864 signed President Abraham Linconl the so called Yosemite Grant, which put the land under protection, and thus paved the way for the creation of the first national parks in the United States. First came Yellowstone in 1872, then Yosemite was declared National park in 1890. The park became world famous also through the lens of the renowned photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984), who captured the spectacular nature with a big format camera. In the visitor center there are books, calendars and posters of his photos, a great gift! Centerpiece of the park is the Yosemite Valley, created by glaciers on both sides. Towering cliffs frame the Valley, about 8 miles long and 1 mile wide. You can see El Capitan, a 3,000 ft vertical wall, venerated by climbers from all over the world. Half Dome is a huge monolith, one half of it was eroded by glaciers. The remaining half is a striking profile, such as distinctive as the Matterhorn. The best views can be enjoyed from Glacier Point. Nine waterfalls plunge into the valley, five of which more than 1,000 ft high. The Yosemite Falls are even 2,425 ft high, making it the highest waterfalls in North America. With nearly 4 million visitors per year Yosemite is number 3 in the National Parks of the United States (after Great Smokey Mountains just under 10 and Grand Canyon with a good 4.4 million). You surely won't complain about the lack of company: most visitors spend their time in Yosemite Valley, which is just 7 square miles, the rest of the park is largely empty. About 95% of the park area is even reported as wilderness!