Day 10 - Death Valley - Dante's View, Historic Inn at Death Valley

On our last day in the park, we woke to windy conditions more intense than yesterday with a high of 84 degrees. We learned that the weather apps are not great on forecasting in this area. The high temps are 10-15 degrees warmer than the long range forecast indicated when we packed for the trip! The restaurant host where we got breakfast said the wind was supposed to diminish at 4am, but the forecast changed to 10pm tonight. We went ahead with our plan to see the best view in the park at Dante's View. Along the way a little coyote scampered across the road towards the Inn. 

Perhaps he was looking for a leftover filet from last night's restaurant menu. Michele was so surprised by it that she didn't have her camera ready, so the photo quality is poor.

The drive up to Dante's View rose in elevation for about 10 miles. Dante's View stands on the spine of the Black Mountains at an elevation of 5,575 feet. It is part of the Basin and Range Geologic Province that stretches from Utah to California, and from Idaho to Mexico. The last 1/4 mile up was a very twisty 15% grade to the parking area at the top.

Upon arrival, Rob said the temperature dropped to 53 degrees and we could feel the intense wind buffeting against the car. Michele said we'd need to get our coats from the trunk. Rob said his coat was back at the hotel in the closet. Uh-oh, Michele's was also. We'd have to make do with just our fleeces. The views were indeed the best in the park.

Dante's View was named by members of the Pacific Coast Borax Company who thought it resembled the nine circles of hell in The Divine Comedy. Apparently one can see both Mt. Whitney (14,500 feet) to the west and Badwater Basin (-282 feet) from this point. This location is also a filming site from the first Star Wars movie. A wise old Jedi and a young Luke Skywalker once stood atop this iconic ridge overlooking the fictional locale of Mos Eisley. According to Obi-Wan Kenobi, this spaceport was a "wretched hive of scum and villainy."

Wanting to explore, we took a rocky path along the top ridge away from the overlook area. The wind was intense, Rob estimates it was 50-60 mph. Michele went back to the car looking for her rain jacket to offer some protection from the cold wind but could not find it. Instead, she wrapped herself in all the scarves we brought with us. 

We took photos and a few videos to capture the intensity of the wind. When we first arrived at the base of the drive up the hill, the computer on the Mazda said the remaining fuel tank range was 60 miles. At the top of the hill, we had only 16 miles left! Upon reaching the base again the fuel range changed to 22 miles left. Rob said we got 99.9 mpg on the descent all the way to our lunch spot nearly 20 miles away (and 4,000ft down). All that to say that we'd need some fuel to get us out of the park tomorrow!

During that descent we saw different topology than other parts of the park. In every direction there is something unique.

Michele wanted to see the fancy Furnace Creek Inn at Death Valley (the $500/night room hotel). We walked the gardens and enjoyed the wind swishing through the date palm fronds. 

Rob spotted this duck in one of the small pools. We later learned it is an American Coot, not in the duck family, but the Rallidae family of birds. It was black with a white bill. The water reflection looks a bit like a Monet painting.

We went inside around 11am and relaxed in the lobby until the restaurant opened at 11:30. 

Our waiter and a few other staff were from Bali, Indonesia. He told us he is in a 1-year hospitality program working at the Inn until September. His first time both off his island and taking an airplane took him from Bali to Korea to Seattle to Los Angeles for a 20-hour total flight time. 

Michele ordered a sandwich for us to share. As we ate lunch, we looked out the panoramic windows at the valley floor. The wind was getting worse, creating huge salt clouds. 

 

After, Rob added 5 gallons to the Mazda to get us on our way out of the park tomorrow. We have done significantly more driving than anticipated within the park due to its massive size and the large distances between the various sites. He said it's the most he's ever paid for fuel in the U.S. The convenience of being in an isolated location and better than running out of gas.

We tried to visit nearby historic Harmony Borox Works where the famous 20-mule teams hauled the borax overland to Mohave. It was too windy with airborne debris for us to walk around the site, so we decided to wait out the afternoon in our hotel room. We watched movies, wrote the blog, and researched hikes and sightseeing for our next several days in Indio, CA near Palm Desert and Joshua Tree NP. Michele also practiced piano.

We went to dinner at 6pm and for the first time since our arrival, the buffet was very busy. A new tour group had arrived for the weekend. Michele got her food and found a table, then waited for Rob. He came over and said, "Senior citizens at a buffet always act like it's their last meal." He got cut in front of twice by two different women. Michele told him to stick out his elbows and move with intention! 

After dinner we pre-packed a few items in the car and Rob checked the route for tomorrow's drive. We will be sad to say goodbye to Death Valley as we enjoyed our time here. Had we more time we could rent a jeep and take a tour on some of the offroad trails.