Holiday travel plans

13 years ago

It's going to be a bit depressing for Kevin and me this holiday season, and so we decided to make plans to be out of town when possible. My first choice for a trip was to Stovepipe Wells Hotel in Death Valley, which was booked up for this Thanksgiving, but I did manage to get us reservations for Christmas, and I think that will be a better time. We've been to DV a few times, and the last time we used the pool at Stovepipe Wells, which made me want to stay there the next time we go. Before we always stayed in tents in a campground, but I want to do something different this year. At least there are no bears in DV, although there are a LOT of coyotes, and they are not shy. I'm almost thinking I want to stay a fourth night, since otherwise we will only have two full days there, but then that might be enough, even though the days will be short. I did get the upgraded hotel room that comes with a fridge. The cheap room has no fridge and no TV, and I could do without the TV, but we both wanted to have a fridge in the room. We get a bigger and better room that way also. The hotel has a nice restaurant with a good breakfast menu, and then we'll probably pack lunches for the days we are there and have dinner at one of the restaurants. There was a good restaurant in Panamint Springs on the far western side of the park when we went there last time, and so we'll try that for one meal. It's easily more than an hour to the next nearest restaurant from there, but I do want to go back to the western side, which I've visited only once.

Anyone else want to share travel plans?

Lars

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Comments (6)

colleenoz
13 years ago
We're away to Hong Kong for a fortnight at the end of the month. DH changed departments at work and his six-week vacation had to be postponed, but the powers that be said to choose two weeks before Christmas.

Originally we had planned a big push up through Malaysia and Thailand through Cambodia and Laos to Viet Nam, but obviously that wasn't going to work with two weeks, so we opted for Hong Kong as we've always wanted to revisit the place of our first overseas trip, which was so enjoyable it whetted our appetite for more :-)

We're staying in Wan Chai in an apartment I found on airbnb.com, which offers places all over the world. It's less than half the cost of a hotel with more space and self-catering facilities, so we're really pleased.
Lars
Original Author
13 years ago
Hong Kong is now more expensive than London (according to the Travel Channel), and so you are lucky to get a good deal. It sounds like you will be there for Halloween, but I don't think they celebrate it there!

Let me know if you get to Indonesia, as you may be able to see some of my designs there. Is Malaysia part of Indonesia? It seems like they are connected.
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jessyf
13 years ago
Lars we usually stay at the Ranch at Furnace Creek (not the Inn). There is a small store there which has enough groceries to make nice picnics for the day trips. All rooms have mini-fridges. There is a restaurant on site. The ranger station isn't far away and they have good programs. Back in the days when we used our RV, we would have any of the campgrounds to ourselves during Christmas. Firepits and stars at night were amazing....next time we go I'm packing firewood, chairs and smores fixings for an evening out. We love Death Valley - next time we are going to rent a jeep and do Racetrack (I will NOT let my DH take my car on 11 miles one way of washboard road!)
colleenoz
13 years ago
I find it hard to believe HK is more expensive than London, the price of meals in London is appalling but HK abounds with cheap, good restaurants. Maybe hotel rooms, though that would be a stretch as well IMO. Surprisingly they do celebrate Halloween, though I think this is a very recent thing. I've bookmarked instructions to a shopping centre which is hosting a haunted house :-)
Malaysia and Indonesia are separate countries which share a border. Where in Indonesia are your designs? We were in Bali again earlier this year, though I didn't know to look out for anything :-)
caflowerluver
13 years ago
That reminds me of the first Christmas DH and I spent together in 1977. It was also our first Christmas here in CA. He is a electronics engineer and there is always a 2 week shut down around Christmas and New Years. We went backpacking and camping in Death Valley, way out in the wilds away from everything. All I remember is being cold, sore (from walking and carrying a 20 lb pack) for 10 days and eating terrible reconstituted food. It rained a lot and we had to watch out for flash floods. I didn't even know about the coyotes back then. Our last night there we spent in a cheap hotel, maybe a Motel 6, but it was heaven. I refused to get out of the hot shower until he promised a good restaurant meal. I figured if a marriage could survive that, it could survive anything. Many years later we use to go to Hawaii for the break. That was more my style. We haven't done anything for over 12 years. I miss Hawaii.

Have fun.
Clare
Lars
Original Author
13 years ago
Jessy, we usually camp near Furnace Creek Ranch, and so we wanted to try a slightly different location, although Furnace Creek is very convenient to the Badlands, Zabriski Point, and Artists' Drive. Stovepipe Wells is closer to Ubehebe Crater and the Racetrack, and I want to go back to the racetrack, possibly at night. I forgot to check the weather, and so it's liable to be in the upper 50s while we are there, and so I will take wetsuits with me to use the swimming pool, in case it is not heated.

Colleen, I did a pair of chandeliers for the Royal Palace of Indonesia, and I believe that they went into the Royal Dining Room, in case you get a chance to go there. The finish was hideous - copper plate with copper leaf details - very gaudy IMO. The lamps I did for the Emperor of Japan were much more tasteful. This was all back in the 1990s when I got to see purchase orders. Now I rarely get to find out where my designs are going, although one of my more recent chandeliers went to a royal compound in Saudi Arabia for a prince's bedroom, and I have the CAD drawings for that layout, which I almost never get to see. I have several designs in Las Vegas hotels as well and one hotel in Vancouver, unless they have been replaced.

Lars