Panamint Springs, Death Valley, California, USA
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
or: Where to get one of the biggest1 burgers one can imagine
Panamint Springs, located in Death Valley National Park, is a small but rewarding western-style resort. If you cross Death Valley NP from east to west, it's near the exit of the NP on highway 190, 48 miles east of Lone Pine, 31 miles west of Stovepipe Wells.
It is a very special place, for it's the prize you gain when you have succeeded leaving Death Valley. If you go to the NP as a tourist2 you hear lots of unsolicited advice, like "Don't never ever cross the Death Valley in summer, for your tires will melt and your water will vaporize.." Considering the fact that summer in Death Valley lasts all the year except January3 it's very hard to find a mostly harmless day to go there. Having exposed yourself and your rented car to the thrill of descending to the lowest point4 in the western hemisphere you realize the the only way out is ... uphill.
So you check your car, you check your water, you check your gas and you start your long way up. To your surprise, the tires do not melt, the water does not vaporize, and the worst thing happening to you is the hunger you have when the thrill is gone. At this very point you are in Panamint Springs, where you have the chance to get the biggest Burger of your lifetime. It's just called "Panamint Burger" and the menu describes it as a meal "you should only order when you're either a trucker or really, really hungry. It's best to be both." The Panamint Burger has about 8 times the size of a regular McD or BK burger, is served with a bucket of potatoes and "some" salad5. If they offered a Pangalactic Gargleblaster with the Panamint Burger, it would be perfect. Unfortunately they don't.