October 8th, 2018 FULL DAY IN DEATH VALLEY, arriving in Death Valley Junction

We headed out about nine a.m. for our full day in Death Valley National Park.Our first stop was at the remnants of Harmony Borax Works.

Then we went to the Furnace Creek Visitors Center, where we watched a film "VISITING DEATH VALLEY".  It was very good.  Mary Anne bought a t-shirt and I bought two strips of post cards.
 
Peg had told me about the BORAX MUSEUM, which is an outdoor museum of old mining
equipment.  We located that (with the help of a map that a man at the Visitors Center made up for me). 

Then we hit the road and stopped at the TIMBISHA SHOSHONE TRIBE office because we saw a sign advertising shaved ice and Indian tacos.  However, the office/restaurant  was closed so we could not get shaved ice or permission to drive through the village.

We then located BADWATER ROAD and drove down it, making stops at GOLDEN CANYON where we hiked a little bit of the trail.

  Next stop was ARTISTS PALETTE, which is a nine mile drive through colorful canyons.  It was gorgeous.

We stopped and had lunch (salami and cheese with crackers).

Our next stop was DEVILS GOLF COURSE.  There were a few people with golf clubs!

  And then
BADWATER BASIN, where we walked out on the salt flats.  Here is Mary Anne on the flats.

I tried to find a clean spot that had not been walked on and I tasted it. Then we turned around and drove back towards Furnace Creek.  We stopped to check out a huge resort that we saw from the road.  I think it is THE INN AT DEATH VALLEY.   I  think we saw this across the road from the huge resort.

We stopped back at the TIMBISHA Tribal Office hoping to find them open but it was still closed.  So, we got back on 209 and headed towards DEATH VALLEY JUNCTION, making a couple of stops along the way, 
ZABRISKIE POINT

and DANTES VIEW.

  Arrived at the AMARGOSA OPERA HOTEL AND OPERA HOUSE around four thirty p.m.

As we were checking in we learned that a tour was going to take place at five p.m., so we decided to take it.  Our tour guide was Kelly (who is originally from Canandaigua, New York.  There were several people on the tour.  We went inside the Opera House, which is hard to describe.  Here are some pictures.

Kelly told the story of Marta Beckett, who purchased the motel and theatre and turned it into a venue where she performed regularly until her earth a couple of years ago.  

After the tour, we drove around checking out the abandoned buildings in Death Valley Junction.  

Then drove to AMARGOSA VALLEY in Nevada and had supper at the casino.