Death Valley (118)Join childhood pals Eric Jacobsen, Rick Chancellor and Mark Minasian as they head west to Death Valley, Calif. to rediscover their friendship. They spend an afternoon four-wheel driving in the desert with Rawhyde Adventures, then relax back at the Rawhyde luxury trailers where gourmet meals await. The guys also visit Furnace Creek Inn, an oasis in the desert, where they enjoy everything from a swim in the natural mineral pool to horseback riding to a game of golf on the world's lowest course.
Death Valley Facts:
- Death Valley was given its name by pioneering gold prospectors who suffered many hardships in the area in the mid 1800s.
- The floor of Death Valley is almost 300 feet below sea level at Badwater Basin, which is recognized as the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere and one of the hottest places on earth.
- Temperatures in Death Valley range from 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to above 120 degrees during summer months.
- Rawhyde Adventures offers three off road tours, including: Taste of the Desert, a four-day adventure that explores Death Valley & the Mojave; Desert to the Sierra, a seven-day adventure that explores the Mojave, Death Valley and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Desert Gold & the Sierra, a 10-day trip that explores California's Gold Country.
- Furnace Creek Inn is about a two-hour drive from Las Vegas.
- During high season, room rates at Furnace Creek range from $235 to $365, and during the off-season, rates range from $155 to $225.
Contact Information:
Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort
PO Box 1, Death Valley, CA 92328
760-786-2345
info-fc@xanterra.com, www.furnacecreekinn.com
Rawhyde Offroad Adventures
PO Box 244, Castaic, CA 91310
661-257-1228
jashyde@earthlink.net, www.rawhyde-offroad.com
Resources:
National Park Service for Death Valley
www.nps.gov/deva/
Desert: The Mojave and Death Valley, by Jack W. Dykinga, Janice Emily Bowers
United Four-Wheel Drive Associations
800-448-3932, www.ufwda.org
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