After a much-needed Christmas Eve grocery expedition to a nearby town called Pahrump (Beatty only has a few convenience stores), we again found ourselves driving in the dark. We took a different route this time, along the higher-altitude Amargosa Valley, skirting the edge of Death Valley. Unexpectedly, we found ourselves in Death Valley Junction, a town whose only structure is the famous
Amargosa Hotel and Opera House. The theatre was ready for a show - the fire was lit, the stage lights were on, but no one was there. It was easy to imagine the pageant that should have been taking place on Christmas Eve, but alas, Marta Becket, the visionary behind this unlikely place had stopped performing earlier this year at the age of 88.
At home, we fashioned a Christmas tumbleweed and decorated it with a strand of tinsel and some lights we picked up in Pahrump. Brent found some flowery boas to add some festive color. We roasted a chicken and drank some Prosecco, quietly acknowledging the holiday. Tomorrow we'll dive into our research, starting with an exploratory drive, this time in the daylight.
