Summer 1975 I worked for a family owned hospitality company out of Mineral, California. It had the…read moremanagement concession for Drakesbad Guest Ranch, Lassen National Park.
A Stanford University Law student dropped in, interviewing our manager about management concessions of the Park Service. He was researching consolidation, economies of scale, and of course, generating cash flow.
An immense concessionaire, Xanterra, grabbing the Fred Harvey mantle operates concessions in National Parks.
We have not crossed Death Valley for at least 15 years. We arrived at Furnace Creek Ranch, finding a slick international tourist destination. The dining room of old was gone, we found nothing in our drive through that bespoke "Dining Room."
If one does not bring victuals or eat at a Death Valley property, or have a large supply of personal water, it is a long journey between the Lone Pine-Olancha megalopolis and Shoshone, Beatty, or Pahrump.
The Timbisha Shoshone have inhabited the Valley and surrounding region for centuries. That is another story.
Looking for a place to stop we found "The Inn at Death Valley, formerly Fyrnace Creek, a unit of The Oasis at Death Valley on the grade out of The Valley. The Timbisha lodged here first, along a creek. A date farm followed, then a Fine Hotel.
It is Fine. It has clearly marked dining, with dining hours posted. It also has a golf course, creek fed pool, etc.
The Inn is a 20th century tourism classic. Architecture, is Spanish SW modern, original adobe, Shoshone-made. The beamed lobby and dining room are floored with saltillo tile spaced with small talavera tile beauties, maintained, gleaming, perfect.
Do you enjoy the art and photography of 19th and 20th century Western Art? The Inn at Death Valley is a gallery of the early west's best jnown artists, plus a guide sheet for Bierstadt, Russell,Remington, Miller, Dixon and many more.
We arrived in the dining room about 1:30, 30 minutes before dining room closing. The staff were all helpful, many modern "Harvey Girls" interns from university hospitality programs or hired through Xanterra's web page.
Our food. Three Sisters soup - corn, beans, squash, seasonings. It was fine. A visitor from Europe or Far East might savor it. I suggest Xanterra send a chef on an internship among Southwest Pueblos or hire a Native American Chef.
AmericanRails.com writes, "The (Harvey) houses were designed to appeal to all classes of society, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner being served at set times. Meals were prepared using fresh, locally sourced produce,..."
The Timbisha people could provide great tips in local foods, including mesquite, pinon pine nuts, some atriplex (spinach cousins) etc.
We split a burger - double patty house special cheeseburger. We requested no cheese. It arrived with cheese. We ordered the celebrated sweet potato fries.
First, regarding local food products; the region has a few stellar cattle ranches. Xanterra I encourage you to send a chef to Phoenix's 5th Avenue Cafe to learn what excellent sweet potato fries are all about, them move on to Hamburger Works or My Mother's restaurant, Bobby Q's or even Longhorn Steakhouse to create a flavorful, grilled, thoughtful hamburger.
I favor desserts. With coffee. Coffee excellent. Flourless chocolate cake, decent.
Hotel 5
Architecture and art, 5
Food - good enough, not great.
