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According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the average bathroom remodel in 2016 cost a little over $10,000 with 20 percent of that being spent on labor. But if you can do most of the work yourself, just think about the savings.

Tasha Agruso, blogger at Designer Trapped In a Lawyers Body, did just that, and the money she ended up saving was phenomenal. For half that average price, a total of $5,000, she was able to completely remodel the dark and outdated bathroom in her home, turning it into a modern space with a clean look and fun pops of color.

Before the remodel, this bathroom felt outdated with old tiles and dingy carpet.

One of the most dramatic differences is the use of white subway tiles in the bathtub/shower area and wall. Agruso said it was a ton of work, but completely worth it.

After the remodel, the bathroom feels clean and modern.

It just makes all the difference in the world, she wrote on her blog. It serves as the perfect backdrop for this awesome lucite shelves I found at Homegoods. They just wouldn't pop the same way if this wall was just painted.

How to transform your bathroom for $10 Play Video - 1:02

How to transform your bathroom for $10 Play Video - 1:02

These lucite shelves really pop against the subway tile.

A unique design feature is the penny tile used in the shower niches. I love the contrast and visual interest it adds, she said.

Penny tile in the shower niches adds texture and interest.

The outdated cabinets were replaced with a walnut hue, and the counter and sinks were updated, too. Agruso also replaced the tub, toilet and hardware basically everything in the room is new.

New cabinets and countertop give the room an fresher feel.

A fun detail is the rustic, farmhouse-style towel hooks she ordered from Decor Steals. They next to a gallery wall of original artwork from her daughters and pages from inexpensive art print books. Throw in some fun geometric wall vases with air plants and it was a wrap, she said. I love how it turned out.

Unique towel hooks hang on the gallery wall filled with pictures by her kids.

While Agruso and her family did most of the work themselves, they did hire professional help for some plumbing and drywall work, costing about $1,500. See how quickly labor adds up when you don't do it yourself? she pointed out.

See more of the gorgeous DIY bathroom remodel on Agrusos blog.

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This 1 DIY feature turned an outdated bathroom into a modern marvel - Today.com

Sightglass Coffees newest shop at Divisadero and Page in San Francisco. All photos courtesy of Sightglass Coffee.

Last week, San Francisco mainstay Sightglass Coffee opened its fifth retail location in the city by the bay.

At the corner of Divisadero and Page a block north of Lower Haight, the new 2,000-square-foot coffeehouseis the companys third standalone shop, and its first to feature a walk-up window, providing passers-by with the opportunity to snag a quality coffee while hustling on their way.

This location has a lot of street traffic, theres a lot of commuting happening there Its a block off The Wiggle, Sightglass Cofffee Director of Content Arlo Crawford told Daily Coffee News, referring to a popular San Francisco bike route that zig-zags through several neighborhoods. A number of busy bus lines also stop nearby, and so to get coffee in peoples hands quicker, the new shops window service has its own dedicated 2-group La Marzocco Linea turning out a simplified menu that excludes manual pourovers.

For the full Sightglass menu, slow drinks and all, patrons can stroll in among the detailed tile, wood and metal work. Yet for all the intricate details, it was the foundation and originally low ceilings in the 1906 building that required some serious work, making the shop opening four years in the making in order to meet code.

The building required extensive structural work, Crawford said. It was as extensive a rebuild as you could possible do.

Sightglass Divisadero was also a passion project for owners and brothers Jerad and Justin Morrison, both of whom lived in the neighborhood when they launchedthe coffee business eightyears ago, considering it an area of interest from the get-go. Jerad still lives nearby. Said Crawford, Its a feeling like theyve come full circle over there.

Two Kees van der Westen Spirit espresso machines turn out drinks ground by a Mazzer Kold and roasted in the companys SOMA-district roastery caf. Manual pourover options are available for those with a moment to spare, while Fetco batch brews are at the ready for those on the move.

The tap system for cold brew and other cold drinks is slightly more elaborate than at the other locations, reflective of a direction Crawford thinks the other bars might follow in time in terms of streamlining cold drink service. However, the menu in the new caf is essentially the same as at other Sightglass spots.

The Sightglass SOMA roastery and cafe.

The focus is just on getting this store dialed in, Crawford said. Its not a growth first company by any means,

The new Sightglass Coffee is open for business at 301 Divisadero Street in San Francisco.

Howard Bryman Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.

Tags: Arlo Crawford, Jerad Morrison, Justin Morrison, Kees van der Westen, San Francisco, Sightglass Coffee, Sightglass Coffee Roasters

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After Years of Work, Sightglass Coffee Opens On San Francisco's Divisadero - Daily Coffee News

The Mall of Georgia is set to begin work on a new food court that they will call The Dining Pavilion and also plan to renovate the outdoor area known as The Village, officials said.

Simon, which owns the mall, said it has its sights set on making the food court into a premier dining destination. In a press release, Simon said the food court will undergo a major transformation that will involve many upgrades, including a new color palette, a bar-height seating area, soft-seating banquettes, communal-style table along with lighting upgrades and new tile flooring.

The mall announced enhancements to the Village that will include a new fire pit, state-of-the-art synthetic turf in the amphitheater and a newly designed childrens play area named The Park. Upgrades will also include the installation of comfortable seating, Adirondack chairs, accent lighting, a new sound system throughout The Village and LED lighting in the interactive fountain.(Artist Rendering: Simon)

Our goal is to continually evolve as a shopping, dining and entertainment destination, both for our local community and across the southeast, said Mall of Georgia General Manager John DiCioccio. This renovation project further strengthens Mall of Georgia as one of the areas premier landmarks and will ultimately provide our guests a next-level experience, whether visiting one of our coveted brands, dining in any of the top eateries or attending one of the many community events and live entertainment held in The Village area.

Officials said renovations will also take place in the mens and family restrooms adjacent to the food court. According to the relase, both restrooms will receive updated paint, modern accent fixtures and upgraded lighting. A new hand washing station will also be installed in the mens restroom corridor. These enhancements follow a recent update of the womens restrooms.

In addition to those areas insise, the mall plans to renovate The Village area located right outside of the food court. That area includes six restaurants including The Cheesecake Fatory, Marlows Tavern and Tin Lizzys Catina. Plans call for a fire pit to be installed in that area as well as state-of-the-art synthetic turf in the amphitheater and a newly designed childrens play area named The Park.

Officials said the renovation will also include the installation of comfortable seating, Adirondack chairs, accent lighting, a new sound system throughout The Village and LED lighting in the interactive fountain.

The plan, officials said, is to have all the renovations completed by the end of the year. The mall will remain open through all phases of the work.

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Mall of Georgia food court, outdoor Village to undergo 'major transformation' - Gwinnettdailypost.com

The small blue and turquoise pieces of the Cannon River wind along the west exterior wall of Faribaults Chamber of Commerce.

Nearby, a grove of trees in shades of green stand at attention and a cluster of daisies is tickled by an oversize hummingbird buzzing overhead. Piece by piece, section by section, Caron Bell affixes the colorful segments of tile to the backing board, made specifically to withstand the weather. With each step up the ladder, the design comes more clearly into focus.

The 5-foot-6 mosaic, which celebrates the life of former Chamber Marketing Director Barb Larson, came from images of the Cannon and the areas wildflowers, said Bell, a Minneapolis artist whose proposal was selected over nine others. Bell said she wanted a design that was reflective of the city and of Larson, a beloved Faribaulter who was killed last December at the chamber office by her ex-husband in a murder-suicide that shocked the community.

It was something Im truly connected to, said Bell. So it didnt feel like work.

Bell, who lost her father, younger brother and longtime boyfriend within a three-year span, said she immediately felt drawn to the project. Grief counseling, she said, taught her that nothing will ever fully take away the sadness that those type of losses bring.

Theres always going to be this hole. Its how we fill it. Why not fill it with goodness, love and kindness? I knew I was going to be picked, she said of her selection, laughing off her prescience.

As Bell, Chamber staff, and Larsons sisters and sons worked to hone the design, the artist wanted to use colors Larson favored and incorporated six words that describe Larson and the Faribault community: welcoming, friendly, beautiful, strong, hopeful and passionate. Those words are embossed in many of the tiles, made specifically for the project by a Minneapolis tile maker.

Barbs son, Erik Larson, who checked on the installation Saturday morning, said he was especially taken with those tiles, and others from Portugal and Italy. The words and the tiles origin truly reflected his mom, her personality and her love of travel, he said.

Watching Bell complete the piece, Erik Larson said he thought how beautiful it was and how beautiful my mom was on the inside and out.

Bell said the project took about two months start to finish.

It follows a remodel of the Chamber lobby where the Larsons died. Its now an open space filled with vivid hues deep turquoise and orange that reach skyward. Chamber President Kymn Anderson, who points out the remodeling was paid for by several local businesses, says a second piece of art honoring Barb Larson will soon grace the lobby. This one, a textile, will be completed by Northfield artist Judy Saye-Willis.

Saye-Willis, a friend of Larsons, shed her initial grief by dying fabrics using deep, dark tones, said Anderson. But as she moved through the shock, the colors became brighter. She ended, Anderson said, by using a turquoise dye on a creamy silk that will be used to create the finished piece, Hope.

The connection to Larson, for mosaic artist Bell, didnt end once the design was set.

During the process, I felt there was motivation because of (Barb) and I could feel her presence, said Bell, noting how the synchronicity would give her chills.

Kymn needs this, she said of Anderson, the community needs this.

Erik Larson said, he, too, has experienced a measure of healing from the artwork and what it represents.

It feels good that the community wants to do this for her, he said. I just cant get over how helpful the community has been. Its home.

Reach Regional Managing Editor Suzanne Rook at 507-333-3134. Follow her on Twitter @rooksuzy

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Artwork celebrates the life of beloved chamber employee - Southernminn.com

Here in Toronto, installing weeping tile systems on the exterior of the foundation wall is a must if you will be waterproofing the exterior of your homes foundation. Toronto is built on top of a large water aquifer, with hundreds of underground waterways. Many areas of Toronto also have high water table issues, where a good thunderstorm can wreck havoc on a homes foundation. An exterior weeping tile system will remove the water buildup on the outside of your foundation and carry it away safely from your home.

When contractors dig out for a basement, they inevitably remove more earth than is strictly necessary. This could be because the soil is unstable, and they do not want it to collapse against a raw wall. Its usually also to make space for a weeping tile system that can help keep the basement dry forever by removing water from outside your foundation wall so it cannot seep into your basement.

An exterior weeping tile system works in similar fashion as an interior weeping tile system, except that water is removed before it has a chance to seep into your foundation walls. Usually, an interior weeping tile is used when, for whatever reason, the exterior of the foundation cannot be dug out and waterproofed properly.

Once the exterior weeping tile system is installed, contractors backfill the space with the soil they dug out previously. Strictly speaking, they should tamp it down as the wall builds up to ground level and then cover it with a sloping hard-standing to lead the water away from the foundation. Less diligent contractors simply pour in barrow-loads of loose soil at the end of the job, tidy up, request payment and go. This will inevitably lead to water build up against your foundation, and eventually more water leaking through the foundation.

Installing an exterior weeping tile system is a fairly big job as you will need to dig out the foundation of your home, which is why it is very (and I stress very) important to have the exterior weeping tile system installed properly the first time as the only remedy for an improperly installed exterior weeping tile system is to dig out the foundation again and fix it.

Water inevitably finds its way down into the ground to reach the outside of a basement wall, no matter what a homeowner tries to do. If its not percolating down through the backfill, then its seeping betweenthe strata towards it anyway. When that happens, you have only twodefenses:

1. A solid, crack-free, fully waterproofed intact structure comprising walls, floor and sometimes concrete ceiling.

2. A set of weeping tiles installed all around the outside of the foundation, to lead ground water away before it causes damage.

*Weeping tiles are an essential belt-and-braces feature of any well-designed basement. Thats because earth expands, shifts and contracts, and inevitably challenges the structures owndefenses.

How Do Weeping Tiles Work?

Dont be confused by the term weeping tile. Weeping tiles are not tiles at all (although they were once perforated pipes made from clay).These days, weeping tiles are made from 4 diameter plastic pipe regularly punched with holes. The idea being that ground water will find its way into them through the holes, and then follow a gentle incline until it discharges naturally (or enters a sump pump for pumping out).

Before the plastic pipes are buried, they are covered with a long open sock or overlapping socks made from rot-proof permeable material. This prevents the earth from clogging up the holes, much in the same way as the original weeping tiles may have kept the underground ditches clear.

Weeping tile systems also need to be graded properly so that water in the pipes will make its way towards the final discharge point.

Having Weeping Tile Problems?

This is most likely because thelong, open socks (or holes in old clay pipes) have become clogged. Thesedays, this can largely be avoided by covering the pipes with fine gravel. Unfortunately, when they do clogtheres little option but to dig them up and lay in new ones. If installed properly, an exterior weeping tile system should work fine for many years.

Have questions about installing an exterior weeping tile system or repairs to your existing system? Nusite Waterproofing has been installing and repairing exterior weeping tile systems in Toronto for over 30 years. We have an A+ Rating with the BBB and are a top rated waterproofing company in Toronto on Homestars. We offer free, in-home estimates and inspections and can point out where and how water is entering your basement.

NuSite Group is a Toronto based basement waterproofing and foundation repair company that specializes in Basement Waterproofing, Basement Lowering, and Foundation Repairs.Call us today at 416-622-7000 or 905-731-1228 for a free in-home estimate and inspection.

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How Does an Exterior Weeping Tile System Work? - Nusite ...

Updated 5 hours ago

The Society of Sculptors will bring about 40 sculptures to Millvale's Riverfront Park as part of the first SculptureFest.

The free festival, slated for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 22, will feature sculptors demonstrating mold making, casting, metal manipulation and clay sculpting at the park's pavilion. Guests visiting Ton Pottery at 220 North Ave. may view owner Dan Kuhn using his pottery wheel and an exhibit of wall sculptures originally planned to hang at the nearby Millvale Studios, now closed because of a recent fire.

The Society of Sculptors, The Frick Art & Historical Center, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art and Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area will lead family-friendly, hands-on activities.

Families and individuals will be able to talk with the artists who are demonstrating and ask questions, touch materials and interact, said Duncan MacDiarmid, Society of Sculptors president. So it's very much about a festival that engages people, rather than perhaps a more traditional arts festival where you walk around and look at booths.

I do feel that as human beings we enjoy working with our hands and we enjoy creating; and with so much technology in our lives, we've moved away from that. And this festival is sort of about bringing that back into the spotlight.

These artists, among others, will provide demonstrations on the following topics: Susan Wagner, sculptor of PNC Park's Roberto Clemente statue, and Gadi Leshem, figure modeling; Donna Penoyer, jeweler, turning a clay-like substance into solid metal when heated at a high temperature; Pati Beachley and Ed Parrish, melting and casting aluminum; Anders Anderson of Red Tile Clay Works, mold-making, and James Shipman, wood carving.

MacDiarmid anticipates that most pieces will remain inside the pavilion because it will take a lot of effort to move them around the park.

My hope is that as the festival becomes better known that people will want to start to do that. And it will become Pittsburgh's very own Burning Man (after the annual Black Rock Desert, Nev., festival).

In addition to viewing the art, guests may listen to music from Jeremy Boyle of Joan of Arc, The Working Poor and a live broadcast from The River's Edge online radio station.

Sprezzatura, Grist House Craft Brewery, Frank's Pizza and Chicken, and First Course Cafe will serve refreshments.

Following SculptureFest 2017, Millvale Yoga Collective and Panza Gallery will present the Art and Afterparty from 6 p.m. to midnight at Panza Gallery, 115 Sedgwick St., Millvale.

The free event will feature art from the Pittsburgh Society of Artists' Choice Exhibition, complimentary refreshments and music from the Tim Vitullo Band, Bindley Hardware Co. and We Were Telepathic.

Millvale Yoga Collective owner Jenny Sines, whose studio was located inside the Millvale Studios building, is temporarily holding classes at Panza Gallery and the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania. She and the other party organizers plan to raffle art and gift baskets donated from local businesses to raise funds for the artists affected by the fire.

She hopes the event strengthens the creative community in Millvale and continues its momentum, in all mediums: music, art and movement certainly to also help Millvale Studios, but also just to go get people inspired.

Erica Cebzanov is a Tribune-Review contributor.

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Millvale Riverfront Park to host interactive sculpture festival - Tribune-Review

Renovations are continuing at a steady pace on the field house at Burl Fowler Stadium. Jacob Webster, with Webster Flooring, checked the tile installation on the visiting teams locker room. The clips between tiles help to level the ceramic tiles for an even surface. The visitors locker room will have two stalls, two urinals, a Bradley hand washing station, all handicapped accessible, a regular shower and handicapped shower. Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com

Gyms near completion, field house ahead of schedule

Progress is continuing steadily on $2.1 million in building projects for the Monett school district over the summer.

Superintendent Brad Hanson and school board members toured the E.E. Camp gymnasium recently. Board members were especially struck by the new LED lights in the gym, brightening the facility much more than in the past. The new heating and air conditioning system in the gym as been finished. Floor work is underway this week. Efforts continue on renovating the locker rooms.

Jason Luebbert with Charles Luebbert Hardwood Floors of Jefferson City continued on the first sanding sweep of the E.E. Camp gymnasium floor on Tuesday morning, part of summer improvement projects at the school district. Luebbert planned to make three more passes over the floor sanding before buffing, waxing, adding two coats of seal then painting. He said repeated annual coats of floor finish had significantly darkened the floor. When finished, the color would be much lighter, like new, and quite visible in the brighter LED lights installed over the summer. Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com

The new gym floor has been installed at Central Park Elementary, which Hanson called beautiful. Work renovating the locker rooms is nearly completion.

Work is ahead of scheduled on the field house at Burl Fowler Stadium. Hanson hoped crews would complete work in the next three weeks, prior to the beginning of football practice.

APAC, which received the contract for resurfacing the parking lot at Burl Fowler Stadium, plans to begin dirt work on July 10. Hanson hoped for drier weather through mid and late July that would help the contractor finish.

At the high school, Hanson observed cooler weather during graduation on May 19 helped the replaced air conditioning system to handle the capacity crowd after months of minimal functioning on a cobbled together substitute.

The air conditioning system at the high school is now working well, he said. Im very pleased. I think the efficiency and ability to handle the load for the gym and commons will be noticeable.

Gold Mechanical, which has been on site since April, remains on the job, working on one of the dampers in the system. Crews moved on to tackle air conditioning on the field house, a new addition, and the E.E. Camp gym, during their stay.

Replacing the air conditioners over the stage at the high school, serving the gym and the commons, ended up costing around $300,000. Under the long-range facilities plan, the school district planned to spend $100,000 a year replacing heating and cooling systems that are now more than 20 years old.

The emergency work took the place of this summers planned $100,000 replacement of 10 more units.

We dont have any immediate needs there, Hanson said. Weve got funds built into the budget as a contingency just in case, so we can replace a unit if we need to. Next summer we will replace another 10 units. I anticipate in will take us another two or three years before we have all the units at the high school replaced.

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Construction advancing at Monett schools - Monett Times

The nine parcels involved in Monday's sale of the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa sold for $5,031,251, or 25 percent less than their total appraised value.

A deed filed Monday showed the Arlington Hotel Co. Inc. sold the four parcels constituting the 478-room hotel to Sky Capital Group LP of San Antonio, Texas, for $4,856,251. The adjacent Wade Building was sold to Sky Wade Building LLC for $75,000, and four nearby parking lot parcels to Sky Southwest Parking LLC for $100,000.

All three purchasing parties listed the same San Antonio address and were incorporated last month by Al Rajabi, who, according to a news release announcing the sale, is the CEO of Sky Capital Group.

Garland County's contract appraisal service valued the four hotel parcels at $5,343,000 and the Wade Building at $411,000. The four other parcels involved in the sale have a total appraised value of $1,111,550. The Garland County Equalization Board lowered the value of the hotel parcels from $8.07 million to $5.34 million after the company appealed the county's contract service appraisal in 2015.

Monday's sale did not include the Hot Springs Golf and Country Club Association, which has the same owners as the Arlington Hotel Co.

Mike Scott, the city of Hot Springs' chief building official, said Tuesday that after a buyer had been secured the Arlington's ownership stopped making repairs to comply with the notice of unsafe conditions the city issued in June 2016.

Scott said some of the property's roofs were repaired, and the wooden pool deck was removed. Last year's notice said the deck's bracing was rotted. Scott said the deck has been replaced by metal bridges leading to the concrete patio around the pool.

Scott said he's told the new ownership that exterior problems identified in the notice need to be remedied before winter.

"We agreed the exterior of the building needs to be worked on pretty quickly," he said. "I'd like to see those problems addressed before they go through another freeze and thaw this winter. (The city) is more concerned with the outside, the roof and other big ticket items that need to be fixed."

Scott said when Rajabi was considering purchasing the property he asked what repairs would be needed to comply with last year's notice.

"I've been in talks with him about what would be required," he said. "He had a lot of advisers and other people come in and look at the building. He was trying to decide if he did buy the building what would get worked on first."

The late Morin M. "Monty" Scott Jr., the former owner of the hotel, told the equalization board in 2015 it would take $45-50 million to modernize the property.

"It involves closing the hotel for two years, scaffolding the whole thing, redoing all the windows, waterproofing all the bricks, redoing all the fretwork on top, the towers, the tile work, re-plumbing and electrifying the hotel," he said.

Local on 07/12/2017

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Arlington Hotel sold for 25 percent less than market value - Hot Springs Sentinel

New deck, interior surface, mechanical upgrades among the list of projects

Right after Labor Day, the Hannibal YMCA plans to have a completely revamped pool ready for action, from its new interior surface all the way up to its freshly-painted ceiling.

Aquatics and Marketing Director Kayla Williams said Bleigh Construction crew members began the project Monday, July 10, stripping the old tile surface. Williams said will be replaced with a grippier epoxy finish. The pool will be closed until Tuesday, Sept. 5 during the multi-stage project that spans from replacing the pools interior surface to mechanical upgrades for back filter room and the heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system. Williams said that several stages will take place to make the pool more comfortable and give the entire area a fresh look for members including a new coat of paint for the walls and ceiling.

We want them to walk into a whole new environment, so were pretty excited to see what the end result is going to be, Williams said.

In addition to installing new surfaces inside the pool and on the surrounding area, crews will upgrade the back filter room and perform improvements on the hot tub. Williams also said the HVAC system will receive a new diffuser to disperse airflow more evenly throughout the pool area.

Executive Director/CEO Eric Abts said the project is estimated to cost between $400,000 and $450,000. During the second day of work, crew members had removed a majority of the tiles that once surrounded the pool, hot tub and other sections. Abts commended the Quincy YMCA and Twin Pikes YMCA in Louisiana for partnering with the Hannibal YMCA to offer indoor recreational swimming locations for members. He also thanked the Hannibal Aquatic Center, Palmyra Community Pool and the Hannibal Country Club for assisting with swim team activities and aquatics classes. And most of all, Abts wanted to say thank you to the wonderful and understanding members during the project.

Williams said the YMCA will close for its annual repairs and deep cleaning Saturday Aug. 26, and YMCA staff members plan to have the revamped pool ready when the rest of the Y reopens Tuesday, Sept. 5. She noted that taking care of all of the projects at once will be more efficient and easier for members, and the improvements are expected to remain durable for years. For Williams, the project reflects the family atmosphere she experiences every day at the Hannibal YMCA.

Thats why I love working here. I could go work anywhere, but its definitely that family atmosphere and thats what we want to keep, she said. And even with our staff, weve just got that rapport with each other, and we just hope that kind of spills out to our members, as well. Everything that we do is for our members, and were hoping that were meeting their needs for sure.

Reach reporter Trevor McDonald at trevor.mcdonald@courierpost.com

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Hannibal YMCA diving into pool renovations - Hannibal.net

Why: Because it's wet and it's not a mirage. In the middle of Death Valley, that's enough.

What: From the 1920s until recently, this place was known as the Inn at Furnace Creek and its pool (fed by underwater springs) was the most glamorous body of water for miles around. It was the fanciest lodging in Death Valley National Park, but it would close down in summer because the valleygets so beastly hot. In June,however, managementannounced a $50-million facelift and name change: The Furnace Creek Resort area (which includes the 66-room inn and a more casual224-room "ranch") is getting a big upgradeand a new set of names.

Beginning this summer, the area will collectively be called the Oasis at Death Valley.The inn with this fancy pool (formerlythe Inn at Furnace Creek) is nowThe Inn at Death Valley. It'sclosed for the summer and will reopen Nov. 2 as a year-round lodging.The moreaffordableFurnace Creek Ranch (which also has a pool) is nowthe Ranch at Death Valley. It remains open through the summer, though parts will close as renovations go on.

Thisdoesn't necessarily mean you should go now. It means you should know now. Go when you will be comfortable -- and when the hoteliers can promise you won't be bothered by renovation work.

Where: The Oasis at Death Valley (a.k.a Furnace CreekResort) is 289 miles northeast of downtown L.A.

How much: Checking the first weekend inApril 2018, I found prices (before taxes and resort fees) starting at $409to $528a night at the inn and $239 to $259 at the ranch.

Info: The Oasis at Death Valley

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Dip into the grandest swimming pool in Death Valley - Los Angeles Times