death valley day
In planning our long cross-country trips, I’ve settled into the sweet spot of about six hours of driving each day. This allows us to get up for a leisurely breakfast, and takes into account any needed lunch and gas stops, ensuring that our arrival is before dark. Dave particularly likes to get in 10,000 steps each day, so before, after and during each drive we take a walk whenever we can.
Looking at the distance from Bryce Canyon to home, it seemed just a bit too long. I’ve always wanted to visit the Furnace Creek Inn (now renamed the Oasis) in Death Valley, so I had booked us there for our last night on the road. However, in pulling out the copy of our reservation, I realized that our room had been booked for September 2 instead of October 2. I panicked! How could that have happened? In reflection, I know exactly what went wrong when I was making the reservation online, but it really is too long a story to go into right now. Suffice it to say, I got on the phone and called to make sure that they could accommodate us on the correct night, and there was plenty of room in the inn.
Nevertheless, as we approached Las Vegas and the divergent route required to get to Death Valley, I began to have second thoughts. It was going to take us about two hours out of our way, and it felt that we were so close to home. Should I have just taken it as a sign when our reservation was wrong and headed home instead? Furthermore, my husband had tolerated so many of my stops and digressions, but was he really up for one more night on the road, and in Death Valley of all places? I didn’t voice any of those concerns. I just plunged on ahead with our plans. I had now paid for two nights in Death Valley. I thought we should at least use one.
The manager of the Oasis Inn at Death Valley was at the front desk when we checked in. He heard my story and immediately refunded that first night that had been booked wrongly. No questions. And from that point on, the stay was lovely. Most people growing up in the 1950s can remember Ronald Reagan’s TV show Death Valley Days sponsored by 20 Mule Team Borax. The inn dates to 1927, the hey days for borax production in the valley. It is situated at a natural spring-fed oasis, so no water has to be brought into this otherwise desolate looking place. Originally serviced by a train from Los Angeles, it was a destination for many Hollywood types. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent part of their honeymoon in the inn. Our waiter at dinner gave us a complete rundown on the history and the modern workings of the community at the oasis. Dave and I ended our visit by vowing to return.
I’m so glad that I didn’t interpret my error as a sign, and that we didn’t skip this last stop on our trip.
Love, Liz
