Page 12 - March 2019 NBY News

On the Go...... Death Valley, California
On the Go...
On the Go......
On the Go
On the Go

BY JILL WEINLEIN When the Furnace Creek Inn became a
member of Historic Hotels of America in
With all cold and rain, my husband
and I decided to escape the downpour the 1990s, guest rooms were refurbished
and drive to Death Valley. Located two and the warm spring-fed swimming pool
hours from Las Vegas and four hours was retiled in a mosaic palm frond motif.
Another renaissance took place in 2017,
from Los Angeles, the desert oasis offers when the Furnace Creek Resort is
ancient waters bubbling up from the renamed The Oasis at Death Valley. The
ground, rugged topography, sand
dunes, craters, and flood-carved newly rebranded resort contains The Inn
canyons. All provide insight to the areas at Death Valley (formerly known as The
Inn at Furnace Creek) and The Ranch at
geologic history. Death Valley (formerly known as
During the winter months, rain is rare
and the snow capped mountains are Furnace Creek Ranch).
breathtaking In February the A $50-million makeover, soon turns
temperature is in the pleasant 70s. into a $100 million refurbishment as the
owners discover deferred plumbing and
During March the temperatures warms electrical at The Inn. It’s replaced and
to the low 80s and by April it can reach decor is revitalized in the guest rooms,
90 degrees. Be careful to visit in the
summer months, the highest dining room, lobby and pool area.
Soon 22 new luxury casitas are added at
temperature recorded was 134 °F on July the Inn’s Oasis Garden. Each stand-alone
10, 1913. offers over 500 square feet of living space
Back in 1927, the Pacific Borax
Company decided to get into the and comes with a complimentary golf
hospitality business and hired Los cart for guests to drive around the resort.
Angeles architect Albert C. Martin to There is a tastefully decorated living
room with a sleeper sofa and wet bar. A
design and build twelve rooms at The separate bedroom with either a King bed
Inn at Death Valley. Landscape architect or two Queen beds. Each casita is within
Daniel Hull created the property to look
like an oasis in the middle of the desert. walking distance to the swimming pool,
One year later, ten Mission style rooms pool cafe and bar, spa, sauna and gym.
On our last night we visited The Ranch
were added to complete the U shaped for dinner at the new 1849 saloon. Besides
terrace. A few years later 21 more rooms 224 guest rooms, many with golf course
were added, each with their own private
balcony and fireplace. views, there is a new town hall, large
We checked into one of those rooms. store for provisions and souvenirs, and a
1849 buffet restaurant. Guests can tour the
It was spacious with a king sized bed, Borax museum, swim in the spring-fed 80
large bathroom with a walk-in shower degree pool, play basketball or tennis
and a back door leading out to the
garden oasis. next to a children’s playground. The
We learned that when the Death Ranch also offers horseback and carriage
rides at the stable.
Valley Railroad closed in 1930, so After dinner we walked outside and
tourists start visiting the area in their looked up into the midnight sky. Death
own vehicles. Soon the first nine-hole
Furnace Creek Golf Course was built on Valley is one of the only sanctioned Dark
what was once an ancient seabed, 214 Skies in America where you can see the
Milky Way.
feet below sea level. Later in 1968, noted Escape the cold and explore one of the
designer William F. Bell expanded the most picturesque spots in California.
course to a full 18 holes, and in 1997
Perry Dye of Dye Designs refurbished For additional information, call 760-
the golf course. 786-2345 or visit
www.oasisatdeathvalley.com.
Another fun fact we learned was that
America’s 31st President Herbert
Hoover signed a proclamation creating
Death Valley a National Monument in
February 1933. This resulted in a
temporary closing of monument lands
to prospecting and the filing of new
mining claims. However by prior
agreement the monument was quickly
reopened to prospecting and mining by
Congressional action in June of the
same year.
Tourism blossomed in 1952 with the
success of the Death Valley Days radio
show. Later a television series aired for
16 years bringing even more visitors
and Hollywood stars including Clark
Gable and Ronald Reagan to visit and
stay at The Inn.

12 March 2019