| We took the 15 to Baker CA and turned north on the 127 heading for the small ghost town of Death Valley Junction just east of Death Valley National Park. We would be guests at the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel for the next 3 nights. The Opera House and the hotel are the only used buildings in the town and the population is only about 10 people. There is no gas station and no restaurant. The nearest restaurant is 7 miles up the road at a small casino on the state line and the nearest gas is 30 miles away either south at the small town of Shoshone or west at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley National Park. In other words, this place is pretty remote. |
|
| We arrived after 10pm and there was a note on the hotel lobby door instructing us that our room was unlocked and the keys were in it. The hotel itself closes at 6pm and there is no staff present after that. There is little fear of an unlocked door as there is simply nothing and no one around anyway. The room was clean and comfortable and has no phone or TV, but it does have paintings on the walls that were done by the owner Marta Becket. |
|
| Marta’s story is an interesting one and has been the subject of a National Geographic article as well as an Academy Award nominated documentary film called “Amargosa”. She came to Death Valley Junction in 1968 from New York where she was an acclaimed dancer and experienced many ups and downs in her career there. While she and her husband were traveling, they got a flat tire and while it was being fixed, Marta walked over to the abandoned hotel and saw the dilapidated auditorium and made arrangements to rent it for $45 a month. |
 |
| She and her husband began repairing the auditorium and dubbed it the Amargosa Opera House. She began producing her 1 woman shows and has been performing them there every Saturday night, October through May ever since. Often times there was no audience so Marta created her own by painting elaborate murals on all 3 walls. |
|
| There is nothing that can prepare you for this experience. The energy of Marta Becket permeates the very air here. There are murals every where and they are quite exquisite. Her talent as performer is stunning even though she can no longer dance. In January, she suffered a fall and it is likely that she may not dance again. She did her show while seated, telling stories and revisiting some of the many characters she has created over 4 decades of performing at the Opera House. At 83, she is an inspiration to all. The town only exists because of her and you can feel it everywhere. |
 |
| On Saturday, we drove into the Valley and saw many of the attractions. We went to Zabrisky Point, Badwater, the Devils Golf Course, Artist Drive, Golden Canyon and Dante’s View. Everywhere is beautiful and easily accessible by car or short walks. |
|
| Back at the hotel we saw Marta’s ‘sit down’ show which was funny and sad at the same time. Funny because she is a great performer, sad because it is likely she will never dance again. After the show, she signed autographs and I had her sign my copy of her autobiography “To Dance In Sands”. | |
| On Sunday, we took a long drive to Scotty’s Castle and took the tour. It is very interesting and worth while tour. Even though it is touristy and can be crowded, it was well done and it is nice place to visit. From there we went to Ubihebe Crater and the Sand Dunes. You can’t go wrong anywhere here. It is an incredibly beautiful place that holds an unbelievable array of scenic wonders. |
|
| Back at the hotel, I made some very beautiful photos of the
sunset in Amargosa and more at sunrise. On Monday we drove back through the
Valley on Hwy 190 which offered some incredibly gorgeous views as it winds up
and over the 2 sets of mountain ranges that create the Panamint Valley.
|
|
|
|
|
|
We took a turn off towards the ghost town of Darwin which is a spectacularly strange place. There isn’t much there, but what is there was interesting and worth a few minutes to make some photos. We made our way back to the 190 to the 395 to the 14. When we got to Mojave, there was train blocking the highway and it wasn’t moving. We waited in traffic in downtown Mojave for about 15 minutes and became apparent that the train wasn’t going to move anytime soon. We could see people closer to the non-action turning around and heading back to find an alternate. I got out the map and saw what looked like an escape plan. I too turned around and headed a few blocks in the opposite direction and loop around the affected area and got back on the 14 on the other side of the blockage. Phew! |
|
