The Road to Death Valley
Early Thursday morning, we sat out on I-15 from Las Vegas, first heading to Pahrump, where we planned to stop and do some additional supply shopping. Just as we neared the turnoff to Death Valley, we passed a Walmart, where we stopped to buy a cooler and ice, more water (a lot more), and a few additional items like tshirts for me and swim trunks for Tom (hoping there might be a place to swim somewhere along the route). A very nice couple helped us identify the small turnoff to Death Valley, and I quickly lost cell phone and wifi connectivity once we had driven a couple of miles.
The countryside was very interesting, and pretty barren. Mountains, mesquite, and clouds. After a while, we realized we were descending, and 68 miles from Pahrump we came to Death Valley National Park.
Below is the photo that shows we've reached sea level in elevation. There are still a few more miles to go before we reach our destination.
Here we are approaching our lodging for the next couple of nights, at the Oasis at Death Valley.
There were two options for staying in Death Valley (and that didn't involve driving long distances every day to get to the park). Both are operated by the same company, Xanterra, under the Oasis banner. The more expensive option is The Inn at Death Valley, which sits on a hillside overlooking the basin. It's more of a traditional hotel. In July, the lowest room rates are $300 to $500 per night (or higher), and by November (the peak season), the rates go up to $600 to $700 per night.
Across the road and down the hill is The Ranch at Death Valley, where we opted to stay. Both venues share the same facilities (golf course, pool, shopping, spa, etc.). The Ranch is more like a motel than a hotel. There are small cottages and low-lying buildings with individual rooms (which include a porch or patio), spread across a green grassy campus lined with palm trees. For comparison, July rates are in the $175 to $250 range and peak at around $300 in November.
In addition to the main "town hall" where you check in, there were a variety of shops and restaurants. The gift store was a popular stop, not just for souvenirs, but for groceries as well. There were two main restaurants open while we were there. One was a buffet-style where Tom could get his coffee every morning, and the other (picture below, right) was The Last Kind Words Saloon, where we dined our first night.
