Death Valley So journ - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 194

longer mined in Death Valley, it was called the white gold of the desert and still is quite
valuable. It is used to make soaps, disinfectants, and food preservatives and serves a vari-
ety of industrial purposes as well. Among the sights at the Harmony Borax Works are a
20-mule-teamwagonandtheruinsofadobebuildings.Originalminingmachineryandoth-
er displays can be seen at the Borax Museum two miles to the south.
8. Furnace Creek
A verdant oasis situated near the heart of Death Valley, Furnace Creek is one of the few
sites in the area with enough water to support a flourishing human community. A visitor
center and museum provide information on the history and natural wonders of Death Val-
ley. Mesquite and palm trees, some towering to a height of 50 feet, lend ample shade to the
Furnace Creek Ranch, a modern resort offering golf and tennis. It evolved from an 1880s
ranch where gritty, exhausted mule-team drivers recuperated from grueling treks hauling
borax across the blazing desert to Mojave. About a mile south of the visitor's center is the
elegant establishment known as the Furnace Creek Inn.
9. Zabriskie Point
From the valley floor Rte. 190 ascends to this 710-foot overlook that was named in honor
ofapioneeringboraxminer.Theviewfromthepointisbreathtaking—amedleyofrugged,
wrinkled badlands, mustard- and cinnamon-colored hills, remnants of lava flows, and dis-
tant peaks. Because the terrain appears most dramatic when accented by long shadows,
Zabriskie Point is best visited early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
10. Dantes View
The road to Dantes View climbs, steeply at times, to a lofty perch at more than 5,000 feet,
where the temperatures average some 20 degrees cooler than on the valley floor. The view
encompasses Death Valley's lowest and highest points (Badwater and Telescope Peak), the
shimmering expanse of salt flats, alluvial fans spreading out from the mouths of canyons,
and the Panamint Mountains in the distance.
11. Golden Canyon
You'll have to backtrack to Rte. 178 and then head south to reach Golden Canyon, the first
mile of which has a well-marked nature trail. The narrow canyon, wedged between eroded
cliffs and the slopes of badlands, displays rocks of varying hues, from bright red to brown,
yellow, and green.