Mention "Death Valley" and often those words conjure images of hot, blistering sands and no water. Mention "Hawaii" and lush tropical forests and wave-washed shores come to mind. Well, so far this year Death Valley National Park has received twice as much rain as Pu`ukohola Heiau National Historic Site in Hawaii.

Lodging in America’s national parks ranges from barebones tent cabins to fashionable lodges with upscale amenities. Choose the former and you may well end up with an evening meal of grilled hot dogs, pork and beans, a bag of Fritos, and a six-pack of Bud Light. Splurge on the latter and you could enjoy an evening with a gourmet meal accompanied by fine wine.

While spring weather has been fleeting in the West, with wintry incursions, the cooler, wet weather has prolonged the spring wildflower bloom at Death Valley National Park.

Death Valley National Park is a pretty hot place, so it shouldn't be any surprise that at the upscale Furnace Creek Inn they offer Jalepeno Cheese Cake for dessert in the desert.