Life in Death Valley in the time of COVID

TRAVEL

by Joanna Matos

LW contributor

For LWers to sign up for a three-day tour to Death Valley was a tongue-in-cheek way for Elizabeth Kennedy and I to say we want to go travelling in spite of COVID. All 42 passengers on the motorcoach were in the same frame of mind as we headed out for an extensive, guided, sightseeing trip with a naturalist in Death Valley.

We learned about such incredible must-see sites as Zabriskie Point, a panoramic viewpoint of the Valley floor and its goldenbrown mudstone hills; Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the western hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level; Devils Golf Course, a landscape of lumpy crystalline salt pinnacles that are the residue of Death Valley’s last significant lake, which evaporated 2,000 years ago; the beautifully colored, 6,000-year-old Ubehebe Crater, which is half a mile in diameter and 600 feet deep; the dedicated ruins of the Harmony Borax Works, the home of the 20-mule Borax team; and the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, ranging from small to a cascading 150 feet, whose primary source was the Cottonwood Mountains.

In 1933, Death Valley became a national monument and is known for being the hottest, lowest and driest location in our country. It’s renowned for its colorful and complex geology, and its extremes of elevation support a great diversity of life from pupfish to mountain goats. This region is the ancestral homeland of the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, whose homes are offlimits to tourists. But the Furnace Creek Visitors Center is a great place to experience an appreciation and respect for Death Valley.

In 1994, Death Valley National Monument was expanded by 1.3 million acres and was designated a National Park by the California Desert Protection Act.

We had a true western feeling at our two-night lodging at the Ranch at Death Valley, part of the Oasis at Death Valley. The resort is complemented by three restaurants, a saloon, a general store, the Borax Museum, a spring-fed swimming pool, a golf course, horseback riding and

Elizabeth Kennedy (l) and Joanna Matos at Mesquite Flat sand dunes and Zabriskie Lookout. landscaped grounds.

The adjacent Inn at Death Valley was built in 1927. This AAArated four-diamondresortfeatures spectacular views of the Panamint andFuneralMountains.Oneofour breakfastswasintheInn’slarge,elegant diningroom,whichhasbeam ceilings, large stone fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows. It was a grand visual feast for two ladies from Leisure World, Seal Beach.

Good Times Travel requires passengers to be fully vaccinated, show their vaccination cards and ID, and sign a Wellness Pledge and Release of Liability Agreement. All of which helped us survive a day of 35 mph wind gusts, some rain and enchanting sand storms while accessing the must-see sites in Death Valley.