Savor Cool Confections in a Famously Hot Spot

Ranch at Death Valley
The Ranch's major, multi-year renovation recently wrapped; new features include 80 cottages and the soda fountain
The Oasis at Death Valley includes both the Ranch at Death Valley and the Inn at Death Valley, which also has several fresh updates

COLD MEETS HOT: Death Valley National Park is so full of fantastical finds and strange sights that a fan of the strange land hardly knows what to rhapsodize about first. Is it the Racetrack, with those stolid stones that seem to move on their own? The fact that the national park is one of the lowest and driest places on the planet, and yet does receive snow, at least around its taller peaks? And that all sorts of incredible critters that seem to hail from the imagination scurry around its sandy crevices? "Quirky" is an apt word here, and we say it with love: There is nowhere quite like Death Valley, and for that we are grateful. And now, quirkily, there is an actual ice cream parlor, one that boasts vintage vibes, in the arid expanse, giving visitors a cold-hot sensation while visiting the Oasis at Death Valley.

THE GOODIE GO-TO... can be found at the Ranch at Death Valley, which has several fresh features to show off, including 80 new cottages (yep, they're stand-along structures). Recently opened shops are part of the destination, and the saloon? It also got a spiffy-up, though its memorable name, inspired by the author Larry McMurtry, remains: The Last Kind Words Saloon. The renovation-minded efforts moved down the road from the Ranch apiece, where The Inn at Death Valley, the Ranch's sister property, enjoyed a large-scale room renovation. The "$100 million renaissance" is detailed at the Oasis at Death Valley site, along with information about pools, activities, and other features.

DESERT CLASSIC: Perhaps you're wondering if the creamy concoction most associated with the deserts of California is on the ice cream parlor's menu. Good news: You can find a yummy date shake, that fruity favorite, on the eatery's line-up, in addition to sundaes, floats, and other Americana-style treats.