Vacation to Death Valley this summer? An article by the Associated Press today makes the case for the hottest place on earth and the lowest point in the western hemisphere.

Strange that such an exotic location could exist in the United States, not only one of the most developed countries in the world, but geographically situated for mostly temperate weather. Though rainforests must grow close to the equator, deserts can exist pretty much anywhere. Hence, Death Valley, located in southeastern California near the border of Nevada.

The valley, as the AP's article points out, isn't unreasonably hot all year long. Only during the summer does it reach temperate exceeding 120 degrees, as it did for 40 days in 1996. The region also holds the world record for highest record temperature, 134 degrees in 1913.

During the other months, like the ones we're in now, temperatures range between 70 and 100 degrees (with lows of 40 and 50 during the winter), allowing visitors to enjoy the area's underrated features, according to Denise Perkins, director of marketing and sales for Furnace Creek Resort in Death Valley. The resort is the primary visiting area of the park, sporting restaurants, a grocery store, a golf course, and other amenities.

"People often think, 'I can't tolerate that heat,'" Perkins told the AP, "but that kind of heat we're talking about is not all year.

"There's really something for everyone," she added, referring to mountain ranges, sand dunes, canyons, and more. Because it's known for being so low, most tourists are surprised by the region's elevation.

"Something people aren't aware of are the mountains that surround here," said Alan van Valkenburg, a ranger at Death Valley National Park. "One of the comments we get most from visitors is that they were surprised how rugged it was here, how beautiful was here when they were expecting it to be flat and boring."

Also during the spring is a breathtaking wildflower bloom such as in the picture below.

Though I haven't been to any of them (unless Bethpage State Park counts), Death Valley is probably a tough sell over other national parks like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone. At the same time, Death Valley is a spring visit, meaning it has its own niche among natural vacation spots. It's also only in its 20th year as a national park. Thus, it still has time to one day be considered in the same sentence as previously mentioned parks.

Aware of its reputation (spurred, no doubt, by its forbidding name), Death Valley's website seeks to describe the region's variety in a one-paragraph introduction on its homepage.

"In this below-sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat make Death Valley a land of extremes. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and refuge for wildlife and humans. Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life survives in Death Valley."