As we usually do, we'll wrap up the trip with reflections and acknowledgments now that we're safely home....
Julie has definitely had enough of the desert for a while. While I do love sunshine, I get that I need/crave/must have green grass and blue water regularly. Crossing the last set of mountains today and heading down toward the Salinas Valley was just such a relief--green hills, even greener ag fields, and trees--real trees. Nick is pretty happy to be out of the desert, too.
However, I am also proud that we stuck with the desert on Friday and didn't let our mutual discomfort with what seemed like bleak terrain and kinda crappy accommodations stop us from doing what we had planned. Bringing yoga practices to the discomfort helped--deep breaths and acceptance of what is. That day ended up being one of our favorites.
Where else could we meet Down Under Barry-- a 50-something (60-something?) time-worn cowboy from Australia who showed us his bio-diesel engine, high performance air filter, and gave us other assorted and sundry tips about driving a diesel?
Where else could we be serenaded by the frog chorus all night long in the middle of one of the driest places on earth? All while walking to and from the star-lit hot springs baths for a mere $33 a night....
And what about that meal at Pastels Bistro? I just finished writing and submitting my Roadfood.com review of it. Hope it gets published. This little place deserves as much business as it can get. Getting to experience someone's commitment to excellence is always a privilege.
I think we might even have to go back to Tecopa Hot Springs. It's such a hoot to hear folks who look sorta like car mechanics or some such shouting out to each other, "Did you do your Watsu appointment already?" or "Didya walk the labyrinth today?"
Just goes to show you that the old saw remains true: you cannot judge a book by its cover, whether that's a person OR a place.
Pahrump, NV and Tecopa Hot Springs, CA
What a surreal experience we've had the past few days. From a vivid green oasis in the Nevada desert to a mostly dried-up, minerally lake bottom with hot springs and the oddest (and most interesting) cast of characters you could ever imagine. And all without benefit of phone or email access (sort of a treat!).
More to come. Haven't digested it all yet.
Here's the slide show:
Terrible's Lakeside RV Resort, Pahrump, NV
View from our site: gorgeous green grass (after having been devoid of this for a few days), water, and even a "beach"! The birdsong was incredible.
Lisa using one of the complimentary paddleboats (and the ducks kept following her):
Outside Shoshone, CA
Then, on the way back to CA, we stopped at a bizarre little roadside place (no real signs) that we saw on our way to Pahrump. Too odd. Don't know the whole story, but you can see into these caves; clearly, someone lived there. Don't know who. Don't know when. But only foot traffic is allowed.
China Ranch Date Farm
Then imagine, if you will, going to visit a place that everyone says you MUST visit, but no one tells you anything else, and you find yourself descending a 2-mile long, gravel/dirt road at a 12-15% (huge!) grade, with many one-lane-wide spots. Yikes. Can't turn around, can you? But what a blast. Totally worth it. Turns out that going downhill is scarier than going uphill in first gear. Our gal--we think her real name is now "Roxy"--was a trooper. Here are shots of some couple's dream. They bought this place in 1990 (it had failed as a ranch for probably 100 years) and turned it into a palm date farm and then added a bakery and gift shop business, and then a cactus/palm tree nursery business. Fabulous. We bought 1 pound of assorted dates (and will figure out recipes when we get home), plus a tiny date nut bread loaf for breakfast, and a small container of date-vanilla chip cookies for afternoon sustenance on the road. Yum. This was a very memorable spot. Picture desert, desert, desert--brown dirt everywhere. Then you descend this hellacious road and all of a sudden--palm trees. Green. You couldn't see it coming.
My favorite photo. It enlarges well (it's currently my desktop photo):
Tecopa Hot Springs
And then there's our campground. We were just moments away from saying, Screw it, we're going home--this is gross. And then we realized why we were in Tecopa Hot Springs in the first place. I have been following a gal's RV travel blog, and she mine, and it turned out that she was going to be in Tecopa Hot Springs on Saturday at noon. So, on Friday noon when we were casing the joint and wanting to flee, we remembered our word--we said we'd be at this really cool restaurant in the middle of nowhere at noon on Saturday. So, we took a deep breath, and learned to be with the situation and location. And we were so glad we did. What a hoot. Our campground, Delights Hot Springs Resort, was a true experience. We were the nicest RV in the place (which is a first--we are usually small and way less than the big ole Class As), but we loved the vibe of the place. In the desert, but yet, on a pond. We were serenaded by frog song all night long. And the stars--ah, yi, yi. Crescent moon, which set quickly, yielded to Milky Way and every star you can think of, which you could watch from your private hot springs tub room. Ahh. Felt great. Here is a sunset photo of the scenery.
And here's the shot of the office/entrance that Lisa took when I was checking in:
Now, Tecopa is a town full of mystics, health/body workers (massage therapists and other more esoteric healing types), hippies, star gazers, and assorted folks who aren't interested in a "typical" city life. Very interesting folks. My favorite sign of ALL time shows their sense of humor:
And then there's the restaurant where we were supposed to meet our online friends. All I can say is that I'm sorry we missed them (never did hear from them), but I am so glad that they recommended we try this restaurant. OMG. It was fabulous. Fresh, organic, tasty, and completely satisfying. I had Brazilian black beans with kielbasa; Lisa had an eggplant lasagne. We both had the yummiest salads ever. Turns out the chef makes Italian vinaigrette every week, but flavors it differently. This week had freshly grated ginger, and it was just perfect. It's always such a treat to be in the presence of people who love what they do and are committed to the best that can be produced. And this is in the middle of nowhere. Seriously. Population 100. But fresh, organic yumminess. It cost a bit more (and they only accepted cash and we spent, literally, every last dollar bill we had!), but it was totally worth it.
We'll compose end-of-journey reflections tomorrow on our well-worn path back home (although we are now loving this drive--from coast through Central Valley to Sierras-- Gorgeous country).
More to come. Haven't digested it all yet.
Here's the slide show:
Terrible's Lakeside RV Resort, Pahrump, NV
View from our site: gorgeous green grass (after having been devoid of this for a few days), water, and even a "beach"! The birdsong was incredible.
Lisa using one of the complimentary paddleboats (and the ducks kept following her):
Outside Shoshone, CA
Then, on the way back to CA, we stopped at a bizarre little roadside place (no real signs) that we saw on our way to Pahrump. Too odd. Don't know the whole story, but you can see into these caves; clearly, someone lived there. Don't know who. Don't know when. But only foot traffic is allowed.
China Ranch Date Farm
Then imagine, if you will, going to visit a place that everyone says you MUST visit, but no one tells you anything else, and you find yourself descending a 2-mile long, gravel/dirt road at a 12-15% (huge!) grade, with many one-lane-wide spots. Yikes. Can't turn around, can you? But what a blast. Totally worth it. Turns out that going downhill is scarier than going uphill in first gear. Our gal--we think her real name is now "Roxy"--was a trooper. Here are shots of some couple's dream. They bought this place in 1990 (it had failed as a ranch for probably 100 years) and turned it into a palm date farm and then added a bakery and gift shop business, and then a cactus/palm tree nursery business. Fabulous. We bought 1 pound of assorted dates (and will figure out recipes when we get home), plus a tiny date nut bread loaf for breakfast, and a small container of date-vanilla chip cookies for afternoon sustenance on the road. Yum. This was a very memorable spot. Picture desert, desert, desert--brown dirt everywhere. Then you descend this hellacious road and all of a sudden--palm trees. Green. You couldn't see it coming.
My favorite photo. It enlarges well (it's currently my desktop photo):
Tecopa Hot Springs
And then there's our campground. We were just moments away from saying, Screw it, we're going home--this is gross. And then we realized why we were in Tecopa Hot Springs in the first place. I have been following a gal's RV travel blog, and she mine, and it turned out that she was going to be in Tecopa Hot Springs on Saturday at noon. So, on Friday noon when we were casing the joint and wanting to flee, we remembered our word--we said we'd be at this really cool restaurant in the middle of nowhere at noon on Saturday. So, we took a deep breath, and learned to be with the situation and location. And we were so glad we did. What a hoot. Our campground, Delights Hot Springs Resort, was a true experience. We were the nicest RV in the place (which is a first--we are usually small and way less than the big ole Class As), but we loved the vibe of the place. In the desert, but yet, on a pond. We were serenaded by frog song all night long. And the stars--ah, yi, yi. Crescent moon, which set quickly, yielded to Milky Way and every star you can think of, which you could watch from your private hot springs tub room. Ahh. Felt great. Here is a sunset photo of the scenery.
And here's the shot of the office/entrance that Lisa took when I was checking in:
Now, Tecopa is a town full of mystics, health/body workers (massage therapists and other more esoteric healing types), hippies, star gazers, and assorted folks who aren't interested in a "typical" city life. Very interesting folks. My favorite sign of ALL time shows their sense of humor:
And then there's the restaurant where we were supposed to meet our online friends. All I can say is that I'm sorry we missed them (never did hear from them), but I am so glad that they recommended we try this restaurant. OMG. It was fabulous. Fresh, organic, tasty, and completely satisfying. I had Brazilian black beans with kielbasa; Lisa had an eggplant lasagne. We both had the yummiest salads ever. Turns out the chef makes Italian vinaigrette every week, but flavors it differently. This week had freshly grated ginger, and it was just perfect. It's always such a treat to be in the presence of people who love what they do and are committed to the best that can be produced. And this is in the middle of nowhere. Seriously. Population 100. But fresh, organic yumminess. It cost a bit more (and they only accepted cash and we spent, literally, every last dollar bill we had!), but it was totally worth it.
We'll compose end-of-journey reflections tomorrow on our well-worn path back home (although we are now loving this drive--from coast through Central Valley to Sierras-- Gorgeous country).
Death Valley Is Aptly Named
Just completed 1.5 days in D.V., which was actually enough time for us--I'm not a desert rat by any stretch. I don't believe in astrology, either, but I kept thinking, as I had the heebie jeebies, that maybe there IS something to the fact that I was born a "Water Bearer." Of COURSE, an Aquarian's skin would crawl in a place so devoid of water and what we normally think of as "life"--no birds, never saw a lizard or any mammal, and only a few bugs.
This is an example of a scenic picnic spot.
While the wildflowers were in full bloom, they were just brave little soldiers standing tall along the roadside, mostly. No fields of flowers as we had at Red Rock Canyon a few days ago. A highlight: got to use a pay phone again--nice bit of nostalgia--as there was zip, zilch, nada reception (even with sat card for computer!)
The park grew on us eventually, but its vastness and barrenness were a surprise we had to work at overcoming. We entered the park from the west--very steep grades (up to 8%) for long pulls at a time. Our rig did really well, although I was happy that no one was behind us. We drove straight up to Scotty's Castle--definitely a must see. We like history (house built 1926-1931) and architecture (he spent $2 million back then!), so this was really neat. Favorite architectural features:
--venting from cool cavern underground provided natural A/C in the 1920s in the hottest place on Earth. Cool.
--opposite the grand fireplace (not Rosebud/Hearst Castle scale, but close) was a waterfall feature to provide soothing water sound and humidity in this arid place. From a suggestion by Frank Lloyd Wright (who didn't get the job). Also, the details in the dozens of kinds of Spanish tile, the cast light fixtures (dragons!), the wood-carved beds and day beds with built-in lighting--all made specifically by hand as one of a kinds for this house. Cool.
Spent the rest of day seeing the other must-sees, including the big Kahuna, Badwater, the lowest point in North America. Look closely at the cliff above the parking lot—that is the "sea level" sign. Creepy!
We also took a winding, dipping, one-way road with a length restriction of 25’ (and yes, our 24.5' vehicle fit fine--sort of like riding a roller coaster with all the dips). Here's the start of Artist Drive: Beautiful. Through the windshield it’s even pretty….
We also stopped to see the pupfish--one of the strangest and rarest fish in the world, which are out right now for a few weeks. They survive in water that is 3-4 times more saline than the ocean and at temps over 110 degrees F. They’re called pupfish because of the way that they seem to play and wiggle in the sand. (They’re just busy mating, which you would be too if your window of survival is only a few weeks.)
We overnighted at the primitive Sunset Campground (all other campgrounds were full—we suspect spring break and wildflower season). No trees, no water, no electricity. Just an enormous sky full of stars, which I got to fully appreciate at 4:30AM when Nick decided it was time to go outside. The Milky Way felt like it was only a moon’s distance away. Met and had cocktails sitting outside with our neighbors—Sandy and Sandy from Seattle. Here’s sunset in the parking lot. (Yes, parking lot, rather than “campground” in my book, but it worked just fine. We had intended to stay 2 days, but one was enough, thank you.)
The next day we took a first-thing-in-the-morning (beating all the tour buses) hike up Golden Canyon. They say it's an easy hike, but I'd say it was a tad more than that. Good exercise. And since it was intended as exercise, I didn’t bring the camera.
Rounded out the morning at Zabriskie Point (which you're supposed to go to at sunrise or sunset, but we didn't make it). Here’s a picture from Zabriskie Point of the wall of Golden Canyon; we were inside it on the far side. (The yellow rocks in the photo are not surprisingly Golden Canyon and the red rocks are called—again, these folks aren’t terribly imaginative—Red Cathedral.
And there’s a peak of the Sierra (highest point in contiguous U.S.) looming over the lowest point.
Headed south out of the park through Death Valley Junction. VERRRY windy (45 mph). Our first white-knuckle experience driving over the mountains to Nevada—big wind “punches” from the side, a fierce headwind as we pulled up hill, and dust storms. But we made it just fine, even if the driver had lost feeling in her fingers. It’s the adventure that counts.
Stopped for the day at NOON, for heaven’s sake. The wind won’t stop. We’re in a lovely, actually, oasis in Pahrump, NV—Terrible’s Lakeside Casino. Palm trees, grass (Grass! cried Nick), water, full hookups, and we can walk to dinner. The cook needs a reprieve. We’ve eaten healthily in our RV for 11 of last 12 meals; time for a break.
More about the casino RV park adventure. Will we cave and head into the casino?
This is an example of a scenic picnic spot.
While the wildflowers were in full bloom, they were just brave little soldiers standing tall along the roadside, mostly. No fields of flowers as we had at Red Rock Canyon a few days ago. A highlight: got to use a pay phone again--nice bit of nostalgia--as there was zip, zilch, nada reception (even with sat card for computer!)
The park grew on us eventually, but its vastness and barrenness were a surprise we had to work at overcoming. We entered the park from the west--very steep grades (up to 8%) for long pulls at a time. Our rig did really well, although I was happy that no one was behind us. We drove straight up to Scotty's Castle--definitely a must see. We like history (house built 1926-1931) and architecture (he spent $2 million back then!), so this was really neat. Favorite architectural features:
--venting from cool cavern underground provided natural A/C in the 1920s in the hottest place on Earth. Cool.
--opposite the grand fireplace (not Rosebud/Hearst Castle scale, but close) was a waterfall feature to provide soothing water sound and humidity in this arid place. From a suggestion by Frank Lloyd Wright (who didn't get the job). Also, the details in the dozens of kinds of Spanish tile, the cast light fixtures (dragons!), the wood-carved beds and day beds with built-in lighting--all made specifically by hand as one of a kinds for this house. Cool.
Spent the rest of day seeing the other must-sees, including the big Kahuna, Badwater, the lowest point in North America. Look closely at the cliff above the parking lot—that is the "sea level" sign. Creepy!
We also took a winding, dipping, one-way road with a length restriction of 25’ (and yes, our 24.5' vehicle fit fine--sort of like riding a roller coaster with all the dips). Here's the start of Artist Drive: Beautiful. Through the windshield it’s even pretty….
We also stopped to see the pupfish--one of the strangest and rarest fish in the world, which are out right now for a few weeks. They survive in water that is 3-4 times more saline than the ocean and at temps over 110 degrees F. They’re called pupfish because of the way that they seem to play and wiggle in the sand. (They’re just busy mating, which you would be too if your window of survival is only a few weeks.)
We overnighted at the primitive Sunset Campground (all other campgrounds were full—we suspect spring break and wildflower season). No trees, no water, no electricity. Just an enormous sky full of stars, which I got to fully appreciate at 4:30AM when Nick decided it was time to go outside. The Milky Way felt like it was only a moon’s distance away. Met and had cocktails sitting outside with our neighbors—Sandy and Sandy from Seattle. Here’s sunset in the parking lot. (Yes, parking lot, rather than “campground” in my book, but it worked just fine. We had intended to stay 2 days, but one was enough, thank you.)
The next day we took a first-thing-in-the-morning (beating all the tour buses) hike up Golden Canyon. They say it's an easy hike, but I'd say it was a tad more than that. Good exercise. And since it was intended as exercise, I didn’t bring the camera.
Rounded out the morning at Zabriskie Point (which you're supposed to go to at sunrise or sunset, but we didn't make it). Here’s a picture from Zabriskie Point of the wall of Golden Canyon; we were inside it on the far side. (The yellow rocks in the photo are not surprisingly Golden Canyon and the red rocks are called—again, these folks aren’t terribly imaginative—Red Cathedral.
And there’s a peak of the Sierra (highest point in contiguous U.S.) looming over the lowest point.
Headed south out of the park through Death Valley Junction. VERRRY windy (45 mph). Our first white-knuckle experience driving over the mountains to Nevada—big wind “punches” from the side, a fierce headwind as we pulled up hill, and dust storms. But we made it just fine, even if the driver had lost feeling in her fingers. It’s the adventure that counts.
Stopped for the day at NOON, for heaven’s sake. The wind won’t stop. We’re in a lovely, actually, oasis in Pahrump, NV—Terrible’s Lakeside Casino. Palm trees, grass (Grass! cried Nick), water, full hookups, and we can walk to dinner. The cook needs a reprieve. We’ve eaten healthily in our RV for 11 of last 12 meals; time for a break.
More about the casino RV park adventure. Will we cave and head into the casino?
The Eastern Sierra Rocks!
We are into the 3rd day of our latest adventure, traveling how we like to--stopping wherever and whenever we want, not in a hurry, prepared to be surprised and amazed. This was a trip that Lisa planned (Julie usually takes the lead) and we learned that it's best to plan trips together.
As we were heading to find a campground yesterday after a long day, Julie was navigating and decided to read aloud the AAA Campbook entry, which noted this inconvenient little factoid: 6,000 feet! (And it's March and was cold at 3700 feet where we were... brrrr.) So, after we finished laughing, doing a U-turn, and agreeing that joint planning is a good idea, we found a delicious little county park that had just a handful of campers (tent and RV) along a wonderful slim little lake (created by an 8.0 earthquake in 1872), with the most amazing birds.
Used last night as an opportunity to test our house batteries. When we parked for the evening, they were fully charged from driving all day at 13.9. We used very little electricity (1/2 hour of running generator, though, to power microwave to defrost and cook things) to run a little iPod over the house speakers, a few lights for a friendly game of gin rummy, and some Navy showers this AM. After 17 hours, the battery was at the level folks say to not let it fall below (12.54). We actually noted every appliance and times run (didn't calculate amp hours; that hurts my brain). So, we have not-so-great batteries, which we sort of knew, but have now "scientifically" confirmed. Justification for those solar panels we'd like to get.
Decided to stick around Lone Pine today and see the sights, which are actually rather amazing: Manzanar National Historic Site and the Lone Pine Movie History Museum (hundreds of westerns have been filmed here AND my favorite movie of last year Iron Man was filmed here, with the dry Eastern Sierra standing in for Afghanistan). Photos will follow. The Manzanar site is really just an interpretive center and then a drive around the ruins of the facility, but it's eerily moving. Reminded us of feeling the "ghosts" of the wagon train pioneers at Scottsbluff, NE. The interpretive center is extraordinarily well-done--an unflinching look at the national mistake that was forced internment (according to no less than Ronald Reagan), with some thought-provoking pieces about current Constitutional issues.
Tomorrow will bring the excitement of Death Valley--the temp was supposed to still be cool from the cold front that moved through, but it's heated back up to 90s, so we'll see how that goes (primitive camping only).
And now for the photos:
The Tehachapi Loop
According to the historical plaque, this is one of the 7 wonders of railroading--a circular loop to help trains climb this steep grade. A train of 85 cars will have its caboose right above the engine at one point. As we were trying to figure out how this all worked, a carful of trainspotters arrived and helped us understand why this is such a big deal. Apparently, this train line, built by Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s, was what helped LA grow quickly. 36 trains come through a day; unfortunately, we didn't see one.
I just love old signs.
Red Rock Canyon State Park
The desert was in full bloom--we counted 9 different kinds of wildflowers and were delighted to stand next to this amazing little hummingbird for what seemed like an eternity. What does he eat when there are no flowers blooming, or does he fly away somewhere? We saw lizards and stink bugs and butterflies, too. The desert was happenin'.
Here's the busy hummer:
And the groovy rock formations:
And a Joshua Tree at the northern end of its range:
Most of the wildflowers were white-cream-pale yellow-bright yellow, but this patch refused to blend in:
After our nature walk/hike--Lisa, Nick, and the Navion and the yellow "brick" road.
The view down US 395
Diaz Lake State Park at Sunset
Facing east toward the lake and the mountains we have to cross to enter Death Valley
Facing west across empty campground toward Sierra and Mt. Whitney (not shown here)
Manzanar National Historic Monument
Over 10,000 Japanese and Japanese American citizens were interned here from 1942 to 1945--a windswept, arid, dusty stretch of land far from the West Coast. These people kept their spirits up by publishing their own newspaper, tending gorgeous Japanese style gardens that they created from nothing, building themselves an auditorium/community center (the only building left standing), and even serving the war effort by making camouflage netting (citizens only, not the first-generation Japanese, if you can imagine). Very moving place. I have read so many children's books about this place as part of my old job. It's a whole different thing to be there.
The cemetary and the grave of a child. The ranger told us that busloads of tourists from Japan (and around the U.S.) come to the site and leave coins as offerings.
Julie patiently waits for Lisa, who is engaged in a spirited discussion with the ranger. (Nick and I had to get out of the incessant wind.)
The barbed wire
Downtown Lone Pine
We went to a most marvelous movie history museum today and poked around this charming little town, population 1300 or so. What a history it has. We somehow missed driving on "Movie Road" today, so we decided to get up tomorrow at sunrise to go shoot some pix. This area has had literally hundreds of westerns filmed here, from silent movies with Fatty Arbuckle to Lone Ranger to John Wayne. The mountain backdrop has stood in for India, Afghanistan, Europe.
But I like the signs ;-)
As we were heading to find a campground yesterday after a long day, Julie was navigating and decided to read aloud the AAA Campbook entry, which noted this inconvenient little factoid: 6,000 feet! (And it's March and was cold at 3700 feet where we were... brrrr.) So, after we finished laughing, doing a U-turn, and agreeing that joint planning is a good idea, we found a delicious little county park that had just a handful of campers (tent and RV) along a wonderful slim little lake (created by an 8.0 earthquake in 1872), with the most amazing birds.
Used last night as an opportunity to test our house batteries. When we parked for the evening, they were fully charged from driving all day at 13.9. We used very little electricity (1/2 hour of running generator, though, to power microwave to defrost and cook things) to run a little iPod over the house speakers, a few lights for a friendly game of gin rummy, and some Navy showers this AM. After 17 hours, the battery was at the level folks say to not let it fall below (12.54). We actually noted every appliance and times run (didn't calculate amp hours; that hurts my brain). So, we have not-so-great batteries, which we sort of knew, but have now "scientifically" confirmed. Justification for those solar panels we'd like to get.
Decided to stick around Lone Pine today and see the sights, which are actually rather amazing: Manzanar National Historic Site and the Lone Pine Movie History Museum (hundreds of westerns have been filmed here AND my favorite movie of last year Iron Man was filmed here, with the dry Eastern Sierra standing in for Afghanistan). Photos will follow. The Manzanar site is really just an interpretive center and then a drive around the ruins of the facility, but it's eerily moving. Reminded us of feeling the "ghosts" of the wagon train pioneers at Scottsbluff, NE. The interpretive center is extraordinarily well-done--an unflinching look at the national mistake that was forced internment (according to no less than Ronald Reagan), with some thought-provoking pieces about current Constitutional issues.
Tomorrow will bring the excitement of Death Valley--the temp was supposed to still be cool from the cold front that moved through, but it's heated back up to 90s, so we'll see how that goes (primitive camping only).
And now for the photos:
The Tehachapi Loop
According to the historical plaque, this is one of the 7 wonders of railroading--a circular loop to help trains climb this steep grade. A train of 85 cars will have its caboose right above the engine at one point. As we were trying to figure out how this all worked, a carful of trainspotters arrived and helped us understand why this is such a big deal. Apparently, this train line, built by Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s, was what helped LA grow quickly. 36 trains come through a day; unfortunately, we didn't see one.
I just love old signs.
Red Rock Canyon State Park
The desert was in full bloom--we counted 9 different kinds of wildflowers and were delighted to stand next to this amazing little hummingbird for what seemed like an eternity. What does he eat when there are no flowers blooming, or does he fly away somewhere? We saw lizards and stink bugs and butterflies, too. The desert was happenin'.
Here's the busy hummer:
And the groovy rock formations:
And a Joshua Tree at the northern end of its range:
Most of the wildflowers were white-cream-pale yellow-bright yellow, but this patch refused to blend in:
After our nature walk/hike--Lisa, Nick, and the Navion and the yellow "brick" road.
The view down US 395
Diaz Lake State Park at Sunset
Facing east toward the lake and the mountains we have to cross to enter Death Valley
Facing west across empty campground toward Sierra and Mt. Whitney (not shown here)
Manzanar National Historic Monument
Over 10,000 Japanese and Japanese American citizens were interned here from 1942 to 1945--a windswept, arid, dusty stretch of land far from the West Coast. These people kept their spirits up by publishing their own newspaper, tending gorgeous Japanese style gardens that they created from nothing, building themselves an auditorium/community center (the only building left standing), and even serving the war effort by making camouflage netting (citizens only, not the first-generation Japanese, if you can imagine). Very moving place. I have read so many children's books about this place as part of my old job. It's a whole different thing to be there.
The cemetary and the grave of a child. The ranger told us that busloads of tourists from Japan (and around the U.S.) come to the site and leave coins as offerings.
Julie patiently waits for Lisa, who is engaged in a spirited discussion with the ranger. (Nick and I had to get out of the incessant wind.)
The barbed wire
Downtown Lone Pine
We went to a most marvelous movie history museum today and poked around this charming little town, population 1300 or so. What a history it has. We somehow missed driving on "Movie Road" today, so we decided to get up tomorrow at sunrise to go shoot some pix. This area has had literally hundreds of westerns filmed here, from silent movies with Fatty Arbuckle to Lone Ranger to John Wayne. The mountain backdrop has stood in for India, Afghanistan, Europe.
But I like the signs ;-)
Fixin' to Road Trip to Death Valley
We feel like such she-rahs. We figured out how to check the tires with the rear dual tires, added the requested 1 quart of oil (very proud for figuring out how to check it in the first place), checked and charged the batteries, covered the heating vents (to keep out the dog hair), affixed screen material to the outside storage area that vents directly into the coach (just in case we end up back in North Dakota mosquito hell), fixed the faulty bathroom door latch, made little signs to hang up to remind us of stuff to do or undo (after the Napa trip when Julie cracked some wood trim when she forgot to remove the slide-out lock).... So many things we've done to our RV--it's time to GO!
We're heading out this weekend to Death Valley--a trip that Lisa has planned this time. A lot of boondocking--very primitive camping in the desert--mixed in with campgrounds with hookups. Can't wait.
We're heading out this weekend to Death Valley--a trip that Lisa has planned this time. A lot of boondocking--very primitive camping in the desert--mixed in with campgrounds with hookups. Can't wait.
Sedona Spa Trip
We drove from home to Phoenix in a day (11-12 hours) and then the next morning picked up Lisa's parents at Sky Harbor. We then whisked them off to another world--Sedona AND their first spa experience. We think they liked it ;-) For this trip--taken in the car so that we could transport the 4 of us--we will have a photo show, rather than a text reflection. I just can't seem to gin up writing AFTER the fact. When I'm in the RV, camped safely for the night, I feel the writing urge. But outside my comfy RV dinette writing spot? Not so much. Good thing we're going on a 2-3 month trek this spring/summer! Lots o' writing....
Without further ado....
Montezuma's Castle National Monument
Mii Amo Spa at Enchantment
Just lovely.
Enchantment Resort in Sedona
The Crawley Clan in a Sedona Vortex
Bluebird of Happiness at the Chapel of the Holy Cross? , courtesy of Dad Crawley
View from Chapel of the Holy Cross
Black Rock Canyon Cafe
A roadfood recommendation from a shopkeeper for its "famous pies"
The most popular pie: Jack Daniels Pecan Pie a la mode
(Good, but not Roadfood.com worthy, I didn't think. Others were more favorably impressed with the rhubarb, cherry, and peach pies!)
The Viceroy in Palm Springs
Coolest fireplace--gas jets come out of broken glass pieces. Charming 1930s place. After the valet takes your car, you are greeted at reception with a glass of champagne. Now that's class. And our upgraded room cost but $79....
Joshua Tree National Park...in the Jag. Sigh. Just not quite right.
View from highest point in park (5000+ feet) to smog blowing into Coachella Valley from LA basin
Without further ado....
Montezuma's Castle National Monument
Mii Amo Spa at Enchantment
Just lovely.
Enchantment Resort in Sedona
The Crawley Clan in a Sedona Vortex
Bluebird of Happiness at the Chapel of the Holy Cross? , courtesy of Dad Crawley
View from Chapel of the Holy Cross
Black Rock Canyon Cafe
A roadfood recommendation from a shopkeeper for its "famous pies"
The most popular pie: Jack Daniels Pecan Pie a la mode
(Good, but not Roadfood.com worthy, I didn't think. Others were more favorably impressed with the rhubarb, cherry, and peach pies!)
The Viceroy in Palm Springs
Coolest fireplace--gas jets come out of broken glass pieces. Charming 1930s place. After the valet takes your car, you are greeted at reception with a glass of champagne. Now that's class. And our upgraded room cost but $79....
Joshua Tree National Park...in the Jag. Sigh. Just not quite right.
View from highest point in park (5000+ feet) to smog blowing into Coachella Valley from LA basin
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