Las Vegas vs Furnace Creek ~ The Irony

When we got to Furnace Creek in Death Valley, we had just come from 3 nights in Las Vegas. In the past we have stayed at Harrahs, once at New York New York and once at The Mirage, at least three nights each stay. All of these places are along The Strip, some closer to the action than others. One was chosen because of price. One was chosen because of amenities. One was chosen for location. This trip to LV was a "use it or loose it" situation. Hubby had earned a 3 night stay in a Holiday Inn Club Resort at one of several locations in the U.S. That all sounds great, but all the possible locations required us to get there, thus adding $$$ to a "free" vacation. The time was running out, so we decided to use the Las Vegas location since it would be convenient to get there on our way back to SD. The 3 nights "free" stay involved listening to a presentation about buying into such a club, in other words, a time-share hotel.

The LV HI Resort was NICE! it was a huge complex with 3 swimming pools, a small grocery store, a small cafe, and a recreation center. Our unit had a bedroom with a king size bed, a bath tub big enough to hold a hassle of kids, two 60 inch TVs, a fireplace in the sitting area, a full-size kitchen and a dining area. Internet was fantastic. The only drawback was its location; not along the strip, but within walking distance. The cost was the sales tax for the 3 night stay.

Our next stay was at Furnace Creek. Our original thought was to drive to Bishop CA, in the northwest part of Death Valley. We realized we would not have enough time to enjoy what we really wanted to see if we added another 100+ miles to our ONE DAY in Death Valley. The only option was to stay at one of the resorts in Death Valley. We chose Furnace Creek, based on location, ratings and the price.

an oasis in the heart of a barren land

preserved village of historic buildings

the Post Office

Death Valley cancelled post cards sent to the g'kids

the museum

a general store with just about everything

two restaurants and a bar that serves pizza, all spendy

quaint amenities

our cabin is on the left

no parking, but close to the eating places & store

street showing other cabins

The cabin had two queen beds, a small table, a small TV with basic channels, a working updated bathroom, in other words the basics. The Furnace Creek Ranch Resort was built in 1932. We paid $303 for that one night stay. Ahhhh, the irony of it all.