About 30 miles north of Baker, California, on State Route 127, is an unexpected occurrence: a flowing creek. Salt Creek rises in the Silurian Valley to the south, toward Soda Lake, and flows northward into the Amargosa River as the latter makes a hairpin bend into the southern end of Death Valley. Because the area is extremely arid, both Salt Creek and the Amargosa River flow mostly…

Reminiscent of vintage adventure movies, Chebika Oasis looks like a perfect hiding place for Alibaba's thieves' treasure, or a resting spot for ever-wandering caravans.

This beautiful natural gem in the heart of the Sahara desert also bears the nickname "Qasr el-Shams", meaning "Palace of the Sun" in Arabic, and there are no better words to describe the place. A river flows through the rocks,…