To help you get the most out of a visit to this tortuous, unforgiving, blazingly hot, and arid landscape (sense we're trying to send a message with our adjectives?), here is the Traveler's Checklist  for touring Death Valley.

Hot and dry, Death Valley National Park / Rebecca Latson

* Do not underestimate the heat of the valley. Pack more water than you think one could possibly drink.

Pamper yourself at the Inn at Death Valley, Death Valley National Park / Rebecca Latson

* Stay at Furnace Creek. Whether you have the budget for a room at the historic inn with its mission-infuenced decor or a less-expensive motelish room at the ranch across the road, this is a well-located basecamp for touring Death Valley.

Scotty's Castle, Death Valley National Park / NPS - Bob Greenburg

* Spend a day to head north to Scotty's Castle, and plan on a side trip to Ubehebe Crater. Though it requires a 53-mile (85 km), one-way ride from the intersection of California 190 and California 374 near Stovepipe Wells to visit the castle, this is one stop you shouldn't overlook if you make it all the way to Death Valley. Not only is this Spanish-influenced mansion seemingly out of place in the high desert, but its design seemingly pushed the technological limits of the 1920s. Not only did Albert Johnson see that there was a solar heating system at work, but he also had a Pelton water wheel turbine installed to generate electricity for the place. Too, an evaporative cooling system employed indoor waterfalls and even wet burlap to keep things inside the castle relatively cool on those 100-degree (37.8 C) summer days. Traveler's Note: Scotty's Castle area is closed until further notice following a significant flood, and later fire. Access to the Castle and Grapevine Canyon areas is prohibited, unless part of a ticketed tour.

As for Ubehebe Crater, it speaks to the volcanic history of this corner of the country. You can either be satisfied with driving to the rim and peering into its maw, or spend the time to hike around the crater and down to the bottom for a truly unique view back up toward the top.

* Pack more water than you think one could possibly drink.

Wandering the Mesquite Flat sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells, Death Valley National Park / Rebecca Latson

* Roam the Mesquite Flat sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells. These mountains of sand were created by erosion of the mountains that rim the valley floor. Walking them takes you into a giant sandbox, one complete with pockets of vegetation and intriguing displays of the park's fractured geology. Too, the dunes can hold traces of what slithered or scampered here and there before you. Just time your stroll appropriately -- either very, very early in the morning (I went out at 6 a.m. and temp was already at 100 degrees Fahrenheit / 37.8 C, so you can well-imagine how high the heat can get at midday in this convection-oven setting), or after the sun has set on an evening that promises a full moon. And don't forget your water, sunblock, and wide-brimmed hat!

* Take a hike. Head up into Golden Canyon, go to Badwater and head out across the salt pan, trek to Natural Bridge, or walk across the colorful landscape that is Artists Palette. If it's the height of summer and you want a good hike but not the high heat, consider a walk from the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns on the way to Wildrose Peak (4.2 miles (6.8 km) one way) or the longer, and somewhat more strenuous, 7-mile (11 km) hike to the top of Telescope Peak, a walk with a 3,000-foot (914 m) elevational gain along the way to the 11,049-foot (3,368 m) summit that offers a great view down to Badwater. Any of these hikes puts in front of your eyes and under your feet one of the most incredible geological displays the country has to offer.

* If you have a rig with good ground clearance, and a strong constitution that doesn't mind a jarring ride, head to the Racetrack in the park's northwestern corner. This is the place where the rocks seemingly have feet that enable them to stroll across the baked playa. It's a sight to see, and if you're a photographer, you'll need to overnight here for the best lighting to capture the tracks laid down by the rocks. Along the way, be sure to stop at Teakettle Junction, another great photo op.

* Pack more water than you think one could possibly drink.

Salt flat and storm clouds at Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park / Rebecca Latson

* Head south from Furnace Creek to Badwater Basin. Park your rig, look up along the cliff to the "sea level" marker, and then take a glance out across the salt pan and the sign that says you're 282 feet (86 m) below sea level. Great photo ops abound here, whether it's of you and that sign or of the reflections to be had in the pools of water that somehow linger. Speaking of water, you may not see the salt flat patterns because they still might be covered beneath the shallow, salty water of temporary Lake Manly, formed when storms dumped an inordinate amount of water (for Death Valley, that is).

* Consider yourself a duffer? Play a round at the Furnace Creek Golf Course, which is set 214 feet (65 m) below sea level. If the setting isn't unusual enough, there's a ramp that allows you to navigate your golf cart up to the bar.

Sunset and a summer thundercloud over Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park / Rebecca Latson

* Zabriskie Point is more than the name of a movie, and not simply the backdrop for Robinson Crusoe on Mars, a campy 1964 movie about an astronaut stranded on Mars. It's a great viewpoint down the rumpled ribs of Death Valley. Those "ribs" before you are ridges of colorful sediments that collected on the prehistoric Furnace Creek Lake. Sunrises are saturated with purples and golds, while sunsets here can seemingly ignite the landscape (unless you run into a summer thundercloud), so don't forget your camera.

Sunset at Dantes View, Death Valley National Park / Rebecca Latson

* Speaking of view points, sunsets, and cameras, a 45-minute drive southeast of Furnace Creek will take you to one of the best views of the valley, day or night. Dantes View, some 5,575 ft (1,699 m) above Badwater Basin, on the ridge of the Black Mountains, is a favorite spot for photography.

Morning light over Father Crowley Vista Point, Death Valley National Park / Rebecca Latson

* Repeat visitors to Death Valley should consider using Panamint Springs Resort as a basecamp on one of those returns. From there you can drive to Father Crowley Vista Point and Rainbow Canyon, where military test flights wowed onlookers (but have since been cancelled after the crash of a jet fighter there), explore a waterfall in the desert, stroll amid Joshua trees, and journey to Aguereberry Point, which is 1,000 feet (305 m) higher than Dante's View and provides great views down into the Valley of Death. The resort also might have the best beer list in Death Valley, with more than 100 beers and ales from the world over.

* Here's an incredible Death Valley factoid: While 95 percent of the 3.4 million acres are protected in roadless wilderness areas, according to the National Park Service, the park has more roads than any other national park, more than 1,000 miles of paved and dirt roads. Of course, most of those roads are not suitable for your typical family sedan. But if you like exploring, and you've got both a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive rig and the skills to drive it, Titus Canyon with its rugged scenery, petroglyphs, and even a ghost town along the way is a great way to drop into Death Valley.

* After a long day in the park, back at Furnace Creek a stop at the Last Kind Words Saloon, then take a dip in the ranch's pool before heading out for a meal at the Inn at Death Valley Dining Room (reservations required).