Death Vally National Park- We started this morning at Scotty's Castle. This is a vacation home built by Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson and his wife Bessie in Death Valley around 1920's and 30's. Johnson was first brought to Death Valley by a veteran of Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show by the name of Death Valley Scotty. Walter Scott, "Scotty", convinced Johnson to invest in a gold mine in Death Valley. Johnson fronted Scotty money for mining, but never saw any gold. When Johnson went to Death Valley to investigate the gold mine, his asthma improved and he fell in love with the desert. And Albert and Bessie were quite enamored with the entertainer, Scotty. This house has all the original furniture and draperies and rugs, some built especially for the house. They had built a bunkhouse and a guest house, also many guest rooms. There was an enormous swimming pool partially built, but never finished. It was to be filled by one of the springs on the property. We did an underground tour, too. There they stored the custom tiles for the swimming pool and extra furniture. There were windows see underwater into the swimming pool. This house had tunnels under the house with plumbing, wiring and some tunnels may have been to access other buildings or parts of the house without going outside. Although Johnson funded the building of the castle and the name was officially "Death Valley Ranch", Johnson always allowed it to be called Scotty's Castle. The Johnson's died and left the property to a religious charity with the stipulation that Scotty be cared for. Scotty is buried on the property, overlooking his castle.

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