March 26, 2015 Furnace Creek Inn, Death Valley, California

Judy and Gabriella left at 5 am to see the sunrise on the sand dunes. John and Laurie got up later and went to breakfast at the ranch. I slept in and then hiked around the Inn.

I climbed to the observatory above the Inn. The trail, observatory and looking back at the ranch. You can see how much of an oasis the Inn is.

 

A panarama from the top, the trail down to the Inn and to the right is the ranch down below. Also the shadow of the observatory. I hiked down the other side and saw these desert golds blooming up a gully.

The monument to the Chinese workers in Death Valley, they were hired by the Borax company to collect the borax from the valley floor. Telescope peak is behind the monument, it is 11,000 feet tall and still has snow on it. At the foot of Telescope is Bad Water, it is 282 feet below sea level.  The Inn from below with desert gold blooming.

 

The old date orchard at the ranch. They no longer harvest the dates, the trees are too old to produce many. At the ranch is the Furnace Creek golf course, 214 feet below sea level. It is the Lowest golf course on earth.

 

Death Valley is the hottest, driest and lowest place. The record high was 134 degrees, it gets less than 2 inches of rain a year and it is the lowest place in North America at 282 feet below sea level. We learned last night that these sheep behinds are the most photographed thing in the visitors center. Also at Bad water is the lowest pit toilet in the world. . .

 

Wagons at the ranch. Way behind them behind the palm trees is the solar array for Furnace Creek. They are trying to be green here. Some desert gold, a raven in desert gold, a coyote skeleton by a water hole and tiny wooly daisies.

John and Laurie had a before happy hour cocktail at the bar. The ladies, Judy, Jill and Gabriela and I had a nice relaxing time in the garden.

This road runner trotted by us in the garden. Last light on the Funeral mountains behind the Inn tonight.

   

We were a bit fuzzy for happy hour. Laurie, Sue, Gabriella, Judy, Jill and John.

  

We reenacted some photos of us 22 years ago of us here. The first photo is Sue, Jill, Judy and Laurie, the second one is Judy, Jill and Sue. I think we look the same. . .