happytrailstoyou

When we stayed at Furnace Creek Ranch we were satisfied with an all-you-can-eat buffet lunch and at dinner we liked the salad bar which was loaded with fresh ingredients. It was standard fare, appropriately priced for the remote location.

HTtY

MiamiBeachMomma

Great pix Spiro!! Where was all the ice?? Red rocks or DV??

spirobulldog

Red Rocks. There is a small waterfall at DV, that we meant to do, but ran out of time. I do remember it being 30 degrees the mornings when we woke up. I think it warmed to 50's or low 60's in the afternoons.

FWIW, the chef at The Inn is there in the winter, but is the chef at Crater Lake in the summer(at least that's the way it use to be). The little store at Scotty's Castle had microwave burrito's, pizzas, maybe some sandwiches. So yes, I would bring a sandwich or something there in a cooler. Ubahebe isn't far from Scotty's. There is also a Little Ubahebe that is worth checking out too.

I think there is a tour now to Race Track Playa. If your so inclined, do have one meal at The Inn.

MiamiBeachMomma

We are going to go to Hoover Dam on one of the Vegas days and possible Valley of Fire SP on the way back - depending on time.....

Renting the car a day before we drive to DV and will park it overnight somewhere - I don't want to pay $30 to valet it at the hotel (Mandarin.) I read there is self parking somewhere nearby. Any advice??

Also should I buy the Hoover Dam Power Plant tickets in advance?? Or are they usually available once we get there?

J62

Personally, I'd love to visit Zion in the winter & do some back country hiking.

You will get nighttime lows in the teens or lower, and daytime highs (for a brief period only) in the valley anywhere from the 30's to 50's. Warm enough that you can certainly enjoy the short hikes, but also cold enough that it could be very uncomfortable to stay outside for long periods if you are not moving and very well prepared. And that means multiple layers for tops and bottoms, not jeans and a jacket. You won't get a lot of direct sun, if any while at Zion to warm you up due to the massive cliffs.

Are you used to bone chilling cold, and extended periods outside? If so, then you won't be limited in what you can see a lot of the valley. Since it's still 2 weeks away it's impossible to predict what the weather will be like.

It's a beautiful park, and you'd have it virtually to yourself. But..... you must be ready for bitter cold. There's not much to do inside at Zion - it's all about being outside, either in the valley looking up at the sandstone cliffs, venturing UP the cliffs on trails with switchbacks & sheer drop offs (probably don't want to do if icy unless you have spikes), or exploring the back country.

spirobulldog

MiamiMom,

We always like to visit Ethel M Chocolate Factory. It's a free tour and they give you a piece of candy at the end. Then you buy $20 worth. lol. Not somethine I would put at the top of my list to do, but is neat if you need something to do for an hour.

WhereAreWe

You can self park at any of the casinos for free. For that matter, you may be able to self park at Mandarin but I'm not sure on that.

If you know what day you are going to Hoover Dam, you are better off buying tickets ahead of time. That way you have a spot on a tour and can plan your day around that time.

NorthwestMale

"...Death Valley. It should be warmer there..."


I love this part!

spirobulldog

Well, at that time of year, it isn't going to be a heat wave. Expect temps at night to be below freezing(at least it was when we were there). Then days are nice 50-70. Zion would most likely be colder.

NorthwestMale

... still, though, warmer is a relative term, and while the air temperatures in Death Valley are surely more tolerable at times than its reputation might suggest, there just can't be anywhere that compares favorably to Death Valley's reputation for warmth.

ckelly10

I love both these places and I too didn't have much in terms of expectations when I first visited Death Valley. However it is amazing with so much beauty and plenty of things to see - just make sure to take plenty of water and don't go off walking for a long time. Zion again is a beautiful place - I couldn't believe how orange and red the sand was...spectacular. Its werid actually because the last time I visited these 2 places I have experienced floods:

1) Death Valley - we had to sleep in the car over night even though Stovepipe Wells were we were staying was only a mile up the road as it was completely flooded.

2) Zion - we were walking on a trial that lead to a waterfall and about an hour into the walk the heavens opened from nowhere (was clear blue sky before) and we had to take cover under this hanging rock. We waited around 20 mins and then decided to leave as the river was getting very high and was starting to reach the height that we were at. We turned the corner and a waterfall had been created coming over a cliff edge just up the path...it was scary and amazing at the same time. Lucky for us the storm passed just as quick as it had started.

MiamiBeachMomma

Death Valley was pretty warm - during the peak of the day - over 70 degrees!!!! Star gazing at night got pretty chilly - in the 40s!! We needed our coats as we layed on the roof of the SUV. The biggest issue with visiting in late December - sunset at 4:30 PM!!!