mga707 Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 Just returned from a week-long trip through four of California's iconic National Parks (Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and Death Valley) and the Mojave National Preserve. One of the highlights of the week was spending two nights at the wonderful Amargosa Hotel and Opera House in the near-ghost town of Death Valley Junction, resident population 3 in winter, 1 in summer. Others commute from Amargosa Valley or Pahrump NV. The history of this town, which was originally a rail junction and is still a road junction (CA state routes 190 and 127), is too long to go into here but is fascinating, if one wishes to look it up. The name of dancer/actress/artist Marta Becket figures prominently in the town's history and why there is still a functioning opera house in a town that for all intents and purposes has ceased to exist. Highly recommend the hotel to anyone planning to visit the Death Valley area. Enjoy some photos of the hotel and surrounding structures: Former garage and gas station across the highway from the hotel. The hotel and opera house at sunrise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadhound Posted October 25, 2018 Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 Thanks mga707. Of the half dozen or so times that I have been to Death Valley I have always approached from the west side and never made it as far east as Death Valley Junction. Looks like it is worth checking out. Rick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mga707 Posted October 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 5 hours ago, roadhound said: Thanks mga707. Of the half dozen or so times that I have been to Death Valley I have always approached from the west side and never made it as far east as Death Valley Junction. Looks like it is worth checking out. Rick It definitely is! And from an old roads perspective, the drive south from DV Jct. to the 'big town' of Shoshone (pop. 31 per the town sign) is also interesting, as one has the abandoned railroad track bed on the left (east) side of CA 127 and and recurring bits of the old, narrower road alignment to the right. If lucky one might see wild mustangs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep the Show on the Road! Posted October 28, 2018 Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 MGA707, Love it!!! And great photos, I recall stopping (not staying) there maybe 10-15 years ago. Maybe I have some images in the “archives.” I think the woman was still putting on her one woman shows. What a shame we didn’t stay, but maybe it was not even open. But the place is unmistakable. Are the peacocks still around? Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep the Show on the Road! Posted October 28, 2018 Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 MGA707, I looked through the archives and found these photos from 2007, 11 years ago. I put them into a panoramas where that helps. I remember reading about the woman who danced there, Marta Becket. I think there was one of her performances the day we passed by. A lost opportunity!!! She was a spry 82 in 2007, and passed away at 92 last year. Dave Keep the Show on the Road! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mga707 Posted October 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2018 Thank you, Dave! Did not see any peacocks. Just one resident dog and two resident cats. No ghost cats, although there is supposedly one 'haunting' the hotel, along with an adult male ghost and a juvenile female ghost. I slept like a log, but my travel companion did not! After I got home i learned that the Amargosa is supposedly one of the 'most haunted' hotels in the Us, for what that's worth. I'm not sure how long it has been since the Hotel re-opened, but I hope the owners can make a success of it. They were nearly full the two nights we were there, with many foreign tourists. About half of the building has not been renovated, as the 18 rooms open all have private baths and the closed-off rooms do not. Our tour of the Opera House ($5 donation) was well worth it. It is amazing inside, and we were treated to a two-song piano concert by a concert pianist who happened to be visiting that day. He used to play for Marta there when she did her shows, which ended in 2012. I would love to revisit in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beckyrepp Posted October 29, 2018 Report Share Posted October 29, 2018 Thanks for sharing! These photos bring back memories. I remember staying there and seeing a show. This was, I think, in 2001. The painted rooms and the opera house are amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchman Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 Something about that place makes me think I've seen it in a movie..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mga707 Posted October 31, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2018 4 hours ago, hutchman said: Something about that place makes me think I've seen it in a movie..... David Lynch's "Lost Highway", 1997. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep the Show on the Road! Posted November 2, 2018 Report Share Posted November 2, 2018 Becky, Great to see you chime in! We all appreciate your enormous contribution to the joys of traveling the American Road! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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