86995 Thu Mar 03 19:02:35 -0800 2005 6 3 California 0 479953 Will be visiting DV for a few days at the end of this month. Never been there and am obviously not going for the food, but...is there anything remotely interesting food-wise in those parts? I'm envisioning cold packed lunches and mediocre, overpriced tourist food so would sure love any info on the better places to rest our tired feet. Will be driving from the Bay Area, so any roadside recs along the way are appreciated too. Thanks for any info. Thu Mar 03 19:02:35 -0800 2005 0 Carb Lover 1 479957 Honestly, I don't think you are overstating the food situation. Are you staying in the Furnace Creek Inn area? That's where we stayed and there's not a ton there. I kept calling it "Camp Walla Walla" because everything reminded me of camp food. The Furnace Creek Inn dining room is the "fanciest" you will get, and that reminded me of wedding banquet food basically (I hope my boyfriend's family doesn't read this - we went with them and I sound like such a brat right now). Take snacks. Don't go for the food. It is a fantastic place with great photo opportunities if you're into that. Pic below is one I took during a stormy time there. I wish I could help you with stops along the way, but we flew to Las Vegas and then drove. Image: http://fogcity.blogs.com/photos/death_valley/43.jpg Thu Mar 03 20:09:02 -0800 2005 479953 0 jen maiser 2 479968 Great photo! Yes, I will soak in the scenery (and hopefully remaining wildflowers) and not focus too much on food. We're cobbling this trip together last minute so still trying to settle on where we're going to stay. Everything is booked solid in the park though (we're going to keep calling to try to snag last-minute cancellations), so we're looking at Shoshone, Trona, Pahrump, and Beatty areas. Hard to know what's decent though. If anyone has any info on lodging in those areas, then feel free to email me at tdoan46@yahoo.com Thanks! Fri Mar 04 12:48:56 -0800 2005 479957 0 Carb Lover 1 479959 In Death Valley itself it's slim pickings. I'd stay away from eating at the fancy Furnace Creek Hotel. The dining room is pretty but food is pretentious, mediocre and overpriced. I remember the service being painfully slow. (Also, last time I went there, they didn't allow jeans at dinner! And this in a National Park where visitors don't exactly wear suit and tie. The nerve.) The casual restaurant at the Furnace Creek Village is mediocre but not too bad. Gets very crowded for dinner (it's practically the only game in town) and you might be facing a two-hour wait. There is also a lunch shack at the golf course that has decent burgers. Thu Mar 03 20:15:22 -0800 2005 479953 0 svL 1 479965 Not much good food in DV itself. We had breakfast at Furnace Creek Inn last spring, and it was pretty good but expensive. In general, bring as much food as you can, as the other options are grim. As for on-the-way, our favorite stop is Mountain Crossing cafe in Tehachapi (main drag, west end of town)--great breakfasts. Fri Mar 04 09:48:49 -0800 2005 479953 0 Steve Green 1 479977 The worst food and service I have ever had was in Death Valley. I ate PBJ sandwiches, chips and soda pop for two days and was damn glad I had it... Fri Mar 04 15:46:57 -0800 2005 479953 0 Tom Hall 1 479986 Several things (food and non-food related): 1) Major flash floods devastated a portion of the DV National Park last August. When I was there in late October, SR190 (the eastern entrance) was closed. 2) Many of the roads leading to the most scenic areas (which were not the best before the storms) were destroyed. 3) You are going to one of the most remote parts of the west. I would pack in food for the most part. Food, gas, groceries, and water are about 50% more than you would pay in the Bay area. 4) South of the park is Tecopa Springs. Right outside of the town is the China Date Ranch. It is one of the more scenic (and harrowing drives) into a small valley. The family that runs the ranch grows a wide variety of dates and has had some darned good baked products. 5) If you are coming down US395 from the Reno area, the best options IMO are in Bishop. Erik Schatt's Bakery has some really impressive selections. However, I saw at least 4-5 dining options that made me wish that we could stay in Bishop for a few days. There is also a Smart and Final store. 6) The Whoa Nellie Deli which everyone recommends is only open from May-October. Link: http://www.chinaranch.com/ Fri Mar 04 19:26:05 -0800 2005 479953 0 jlawrence01