Explore Death Valley in the Early Spring, Two Tour Dates!
Furnace Creek Ranch - Lunch at the Inn - Tour Scotty's Castle Cruise
Motor coach Tour Escorted by a Former Geography Professor
3 Days-departs
Thursday, February 25, and April 11, 2010
Words
cannot describe the magnificence of this geological wonderland. Death Valley
has a surrealistic beauty with its sand dune formations, sculpted rocks,
isolated valleys, and volcanic craters. Our tour director, a former College
Geography Professor, will talk about this vast area of unexpected
contrasts. We’ll be staying at the Furnace Creek Ranch where you can enjoy a
swimming pool, golf, tennis, general store, restaurants, and the nearby
National Park Visitors Center. This three day vacation includes a visit to Scotty’s
Castle, tour to Badwater, elevation at 282’ below sea
level, and dining at the nearby elegant historic Furnace Creek Inn.
Day 1 - Thursday, February 25, and April 11
Join
California Discovery Tours on a fun and educational tour to Death Valley
National Park. Our tour director, a former college geography professor,
will be on board throughout the tour to provide narration about the physical
geography and geology of the areas we travel. This time of the year Death
Valley is warm but not too hot and the valley floor is alive with the
ever-changing colors of the desert. Refreshment stops will be scheduled every
two hours during the travel day. Enter the National Park near scenic Jubilee
Pass and drive the lower valley past the ruins of Ashford Mills on a road that
is below sea level. Our hotel for two nights is
the Furnace Creek Ranch - a casual 2 story lodge with two
bedded rooms and patio or balcony (no elevators). The ranch is situated
in a lush oasis surrounded by the vast and arid desert of Death Valley National
Park. While at the ranch, enjoy the 82 degrees mineral spring pool, tennis
courts, restaurants, trading post, and the Park Visitors Center.
Day 2 - Friday, February 26, and April 12, Includes Breakfast,
Lunch
Early
morning departure from the ranch after a breakfast buffet at the Wrangler,
we'll journey to the upper valley and Scotty's Castle. Construction on
this extravagant Spanish-Moorish style mansion began in 1924 at a cost of $2.5
million. Albert Johnson, a Chicago millionaire, called his desert compound
"Death Valley Ranch" and intended it as a winter vacation residence.
Scotty, whose flamboyant escapades were financed by Johnson, managed to
convince many that the "castle" was his personal domain. After our
tour of Scotty's Castle, we will drive to Ubehebe
Crater. The crater, 500 feet deep and a half
mile wide, is the largest of a group of volcanoes in the area and
estimated to have erupted between 4,000 to 6,000 years ago. After our morning
tour, we return to the ranch and dine at the historic Furnace Creek Inn. Time
to stroll through the gardens of this elegant resort
before our afternoon drive to the Lower Valley. A short walk on the
desert floor will take us to Badwater, the lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere.
Day 3 - Saturday,
February 27, and April 13, includes
Breakfast
After a
breakfast buffet at the Wrangler, you'll have your morning free to just relax
and enjoy the lovely desert air, play tennis or golf, or
swim in the 82 degree swimming pool. The bellmen will pick up your
luggage outside your rooms and take them to the coach. On our journey
home, we stop along the way for views of the picturesque sand dunes.
Continue past stove Pipe Wells where early pioneers placed old stove pipes in
the ground to show where water could be found in underground wells, then drive over the Panamint Mountain Range.
Approximate time of arrival in Ventura, Glendale, and Mission Viejo will be
5:30 to 6:30 PM.
From $520 double occupancy, From $655 single occupancy
Tour Price includes:
·
Deluxe Motor Coach Tour
·
Refreshments served on board during the trip
·
Services of a Professional Tour Director
·
2 Nights Accommodations, Furnace Creek Ranch
·
Luggage Handling throughout (One Bag per person)
·
Three Meals (2 Breakfasts & 1 Lunch)
·
National Park Entrance Fee
·
Admission to Scotty's Castle - Tour by Park Rangers
Price do not include: Meals, unless listed, incidentals, and gratuities (Tour
Director, $5 per person per day is customary. And for the Motor coach Driver
$4-$5 per day)
DEPARTURES AND PARKING:
Glendale and Los Angeles
Verdugo Park and Ride
1919 Verdugo Boulevard, La Canada
Orange County
Saddleback
College Mission Viejo
Lot #1,
enter on Avery Boulevard
Parking
permits may be purchased from dispenser
Ventura
Departure
and Parking location (near downtown Ventura) will be mailed with the final
itinerary.
Contact Information, for Reservations or
Questions
Saddleback
College, 949-582-4646
Museum of Ventura County, 805-641-1876 Ext 305 or membership@venturamuseum.org
For additional information or to reserve a space on the tour
Contact: Loretta at 805-641-3131, lorettadubois@gmail.com
Loretta DuBois, California Discovery Tours
1015
Belfast Lane
Ventura, CA 93001
Payment Due Date:
Reservations
may be held without deposit by contacting Loretta Dubois. For full final tour
payment, please refer to the group itinerary, college program or museum
newsletter.
Cancellations:
Refunds for
cancellations (less a processing fee) will be given if your space can be
resold. For trip cancellation and emergency
medical insurance see the information on travel insurance at www.californiadiscovery.com
Clothing:
Casual
clothes for Death Valley and comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Dressy casual for Furnace Creek Inn, no jeans or jean pants, for
evening dining at the Inn. Sun screen, a hat and a swim suit for a dip
in the mineral spring fed pool. Days should be mild but evening and motor coach
travel may warrant a warm jacket. Average temperatures are 75/50 degrees and
the mineral springs heated pool is usually about 80
degrees. Golfers - the greens & golf cart fee is about $70 and the pro-shop
telephone number will be in your room. Don't forget a camera and plenty of film
or megabytes for the outstanding scenery you will see. Flashlights come in
handy and binoculars add a great dimension to sightseeing too!
Wheelchairs and Health Issues - Please
Read Carefully:
The 2-story
Lodge in Death Valley does not have elevators, please
advise us if you prefer a first floor at the Furnace Creek Ranch. Many of the
tours require participation in excursions that can, by their nature, be
physically demanding. Higher elevations, walking tours, traveling a long
distance on a motor coach with limited access to your luggage, in addition to
being exposed to weather changes, are a few experiences you may encounter on
tours. Medical attention may be several hours to a day away in case of
emergency. Thus you should only participate in these outings if you are free of
any physical disability that would limit your participation. If you have any
doubt about your ability to safely participate in the activities you should
consult your physician and notify us of medical concerns within three days of
confirming this tour reservation.
On the Death Valley tour, the group will be traveling by motor coach for a full
day, with stops every two to three hours for refreshments. The elevations may
range from 9,000' above to 282' below sea level. At Death Valley the hotel has
buildings that are spread over a block or two on the property and to the
restaurants. Occasionally, bellmen can assist with shuttle transportation but
we can't guarantee this service. Some facilities can accommodate wheelchairs
and the hotel telephone numbers are listed on our itinerary for your reference.
It is important that you notify us immediately if you will be using a
wheelchair or require any special assistance and we can advise you accordingly.
Participants needing assistance must have an attendant companion to take full
responsibility for them and must provide their own collapsible wheelchair.
Responsibility:
Loretta
DuBois, California Discovery Tours, (Loretta DuBois Tours), Museum of
Ventura County and community colleges act strictly as agents for travel arrangements
and are not responsible for any damages a customer may suffer due to the
negligence of any individual entrusted with service. We shall not be held
liable for personal injury, property damages or delays due to mechanical
difficulties, weather conditions or any circumstances beyond our control.