Day 3 – Driving to Death Valley
May 4, 2025
On the Road Again – Bishop, CA
We were up early after another so-so night’s sleep and had the car packed up before dawn. We checked out of the hotel and grabbed some free coffee in the lobby before hitting the road towards Death Valley National Park around 7:00am. A dusting of new snow had hit the mountain tops overnight, but the weather was improving as we headed out of Mammoth. It was a beautiful morning drive, and we were headed to Bishop, CA for our first stop at Erick Schat’s Bakery. We arrived at 8:00am and I’m glad we were there early, it was busy but the shelves were fully stocked, and we grabbed an assortment of goodies to snack on in the car and to stock our room in Death Valley.
I mentioned in an earlier entry that we could feel the altitude walking around Mammoth (the hills didn’t help either) and I think it was also impacting our sleep a little. However, tonight we would be sleeping slightly below sea level in Death Valley so it would be a major change. More than an 8,000-foot difference in elevation between hotels! We wondered how much we would notice as we munched on some Sheepherder Bread from Erick Schat’s and made our way south of Bishop on Highway 395. We posted the dashcam video from today’s drive on YouTube: Mammoth to Lone Pine and Lone Pine to Death Valley.
Breakfast in Lone Pine
Despite sampling the bread from the bakery, we stopped in Lone Pine, CA to grab some breakfast. Why? Because that was the plan. We had intended to stop at the Alabama Hills Café but upon walking in there was a long wait for a table. So, we drove around and went into the Mt. Whitney restaurant. Lots of neat memorabilia on the walls here and we had a fine diner style breakfast. I had a Denver omelet, and Mrs. Seas went with the pancakes and bacon to go with our coffee. I paid cash for breakfast so I’m unsure of the price, but it was about what you would expect to pay at a diner in Lone Pine, CA.
Into Death Valley
With full bellies we were back on the road making the turn off highway 395 and on to highway 136 which would turn into highway 190 and head into Death Valley National Park. When we got on highway 136, we could see what looked like a large lake on the map (Owen’s Lake). Although Owen’s Lake has been dry since 1926, Google Maps still shows a large blue spot on the map.
We experienced another light sprinkle of rain heading into Death Valley and were excited that we seemed to be super fortunate to have cooler temperatures for our quick visit in the park. We made a quick stop at the park entrance sign and then headed along the road to Stovepipe Wells, CA. Before we got to Stovepipe Wells, we made a quick stop at the Rainbow Canyon viewpoint – also known as Star Wars Canyon. From World War II until 2019, it was commonly used by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, as well as by other military aircraft operators, for fighter jet training. Photographers, from the canyon rim, were able to photograph jets flying beneath them. A beautiful first stop in Death Valley National Park and our first taste of the scenery we were in for over the next two days.
Stovepipe Wells
After enjoying the views at Rainbow Canyon, we hopped back on highway 190 to Stovepipe Wells. This is the first “town” you come across after entering the park and other than Furnace Creek, seemed to be only place that had a store, restaurant, and what appeared to be a small motel. We parked and walked around some and decided to have a beer in the Badwater Saloon and enjoy the scenery a little before moving on in case we were too early to check in the hotel. The Badwater Saloon is attached to the Toll Road restaurant. We just had a quick pint before getting back on the road. There are large windows in the saloon where you can sit and enjoy the view.
After relaxing a little, we gassed up the car across the street and looked around the general store. I had read that gas was cheaper here than in Furnace Creek so decided to top off the tank. After looking around, we drove a short distance down the road to the ranger station to purchase our park pass. It was $30 for the pass and valid for seven days, which was more than enough time for us. Passes can be purchased at the kiosk in front of the ranger station. While we were getting the pass, the ranger station was closed and we could see an employee loading things from the office into his car. We hopped he wasn’t a victim of the recent federal staffing reductions.
Sand Dunes and Harmony Borax Works
Pass in hand, we pressed on to the next stop at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, which is very close to Stovepipe Wells. We parked and had a nice walk around for pictures and were amazed that this place exists having seen nothing but rocky landscapes the whole way in to the park.
We shook the sand out of our shoes and headed back on the highway towards Furnace Creek. On our way, we made one more stop at the Harmony Borax Works and walked around the old mining equipment there. Worth a quick stop.
Furnace Creek Visitor Center
After the Borax Works, it was back in the car for the short trip to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. Here we took a picture of the famous thermometer and noticed it said every 1,000 feet you go up in elevation it would be 5 degrees cooler. We noticed another kiosk to purchase park passes here and a sign to go inside for a free map if you purchased a park pass. So, that’s what we did. The staff at the visitor center were great and got us situated with a map, recommendations for what to see, and directions to the hotel.
We checked out the exhibits in the visitor center, including the interactive map and then were back on the road for one short, final stretch for today.
Inn at Death Valley
Back in the car leaving the visitor center and we were soon able to spot the Inn at Death Valley. It’s part of the “Oasis at Death Valley” and that is certainly what it looks like as you approach by car. A big patch of green nestled in the brown landscapes of Death Valley. We arrived at the hotel and made our way through the tunnel to check-in, which was a unique experience.
We took the elevator up to the hotel lobby and were happy to find out that our room was ready. We had booked one of the casitas for our stay and it included a golf cart to get back and forth from the room to the hotel. The hotel staff helped get our bags on the golf cart and took us to the casita before giving us a quick lesson on how to use and charge the cart. It really wasn’t that far to the room, but the cart was a neat bonus.
The casita was great. Having stayed at several other hotels inside National Parks, this room was more up to date and very different. Most likely because it wasn’t part of the original lodge. We were very happy with the room. A complete room tour is on our YouTube channel.
The casita room was $495.81 per night ($446.48 room + 49.43 taxes), which is expensive but we felt it was worth it for the experience. It would have been less expensive to stay in a regular room in the main lodge, or there are less expensive rooms at the sister property, The Ranch at Death Valley less than two miles away back in Furnace Creek. However, we decided to splurge a little for our first visit to Death Valley National Park and I’m glad we did. Staying at either the Inn at Death Valley or the Ranch at Death Valley puts you right in the middle of the park and given the size of Death Valley National Park, it makes sense if you are making more than a day trip there.
Dinner at the Inn
After getting settled in the room, we went up to the lobby bar to grab a window seat before sunset. There are a few tables inside by the large windows that look out towards the west with great sunset views. You can also easily step right outside for better pictures. It wasn’t very crowded at the bar, and we ordered some food for dinner in the lounge. I had the cheesesteak sandwich ($23), and Mrs. Seas went with a burger ($24). We relaxed in the lounge for quite a while and had a couple drinks. The food was good, and the atmosphere and scenery were fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed the food and drinks in the lounge and reflected on a wonderful travel day into the park.
After dinner, we walked around the Inn and checked out the gardens, pool, and took pictures of the sea level sign in front of the hotel. Then, we called it a night with plans to be on the road early the following day to hit everything we wanted to before it heated up.
Link to May 2025 Road trip: Sacramento to Las Vegas, Day 2
Link to May 2025 Road trip: Sacramento to Las Vegas, Day 4