"Death Valley," noted our guidebook, "is an inhuman environment: barren and monotonous, burning hot and almost entirely without shade or water." In short, the ideal antidote to Japan's rainy season, which is why we went.
Humidity? Forget it. Mold? Hah! Rain? Just enough for the odd life-threatening flash flood, but, by and large, unlikely. Interesting things to see and do? Lots. Boulders that walk, abandoned mines, ghost towns, fish, volcanic craters, salt flats, the Devil's Golf Course: Death Valley is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. It could keep you busy for days. A lot of its features have the added attraction of being considerably below sea level.
Before proceeding, the following points need establishing.