Heading Home February 19 through 24

Camping in the desert north of Quartzsite

Saturday afternoon it cleared up and Mike and Carole came down to Quartzsite and we walked around looking at the few booths that were open. It is amazing how slow things have gotten here since the RV Show.


Quartzsite without all the RVs

Sunday Mike and Carole wanted to head to Organ Pipe National Park and I decided to head for Tucson. As mentioned before, I have decided take the southern route home because it is warmer. I had heard about a place called the Pima Air Museum in Tucson and wanted to go and see it. I decided to drive through Florence, AZ on the way to Tucson because that is where 'Murphy's Romance' a movie starring James Garner and Sally Field was filmed, and I liked the movie, so I went. Just north of Florence I ran across Casa Grande National Monument.


Casa Grande National Monument


Main Street in Florence where Murphy's Romance was filmed


Back at Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson Mountain Park

Monday I headed to the Pima Air Museum. It was worth the visit. I saw a lot of guys chatting with each other about their military experiences, and it brought back some of my experiences. I tooks lots of photos, but here are just a couple of the aircraft I controlled while I was in the Air Force.


F-102 the most common interceptor we used


F-106


F-4 used to air patrol as a buffer between North Korea and our electronic recon planes

I also thought a lot about Dad's experience during WWII and the planes he flew. I think this is one very similar to one he flew.


Seaplane

It was a great museum and I would highly recommend it if you get to Tucson. After I got done I ran into a young couple out in the parking lot. They were from Vancouver, BC. They amazed me because they make a living traveling and doing bike races, they have quite a few sponsors and it pays for all their expenses. They were a very friendly couple and I shared some information on things to see in southern California since I had just been there and they were heading that way.

I left Tucson about 1:30 and made it into Deming, NM about dusk. I don't usually do this, but I found a Walmart parking lot to park in for the night. Quite a few RVers use them when traveling because most stores welcome the RVers and it is free. I'm not partial to it because the scenery isn't too great :-).


Camping at Walmart

The next day I headed up towards Tucumcari, NM. I notice a placed called Three Rivers Petroglyph Site so I had to stop. It was very neat. Lots and lots of petroglyphs that were placed there by native Americans about a hundred years before Columbus sailed for the new world.


BLM sign


A desert ram


A rock showing the hunting of a ram


Geometric design

There are literally thousands of these on this hill or rocks. I guess the Indians didn't spend all their time surviving. They had a little time for art work.

I Tuesday night at a New Mexico state park just north of Tucumcari but got there late and left early so didn't get a photo.

Wednesday I drove from Tucumcari New Mexico to Ft. Scott, Kansas where my brother lives. He said I could spend the night parked behind his house so that is what I did. Wednesday was a gorgeous day all the way across Kansas. Temps were in the 70s and it was bright and sunny. At dusk when I pulled into Ft. Scott it was just beginning to cloud up.


Parked behind Mike's house

It rained most of the night and all the way home this morning, then it turned to sleet and snow when I pulled in the driveway. Hmmmmmmm, maybe I should have stayed a couple of more weeks. I was starting to get pretty tired of my cooking though. It is fun to travel but more fun to do it with Carol so I have someone to share things with, and someone to cook :-).

I'm glad I went. I love the weather out there in the southwest, but I don't think I'm a desert person. I like the trees here in Missouri. It was a great trip with lots of interesting things, but it is always good to get home.

Stay tuned. We have trips to Colorado and the Rockies planned for this summer and a trip to New England this fall. These may depend on gas prices though.

February 15 through 19, 2011

Camped on a piece of BLM land between Lake Havasu City and Parker

Well, I drove south out of Lake Havasu City after updating the blog and saw an RV supply store so I pulled in. Since I have pretty much seen what I came out to see I'm thinking about heading back east. If I head home in the next couple of weeks I'll need to re-winterize my camper. I don't have the right hose to do that so I bought the parts to do that and also a gallon of anti-freeze for when I do head back home. Wow, I kind of hate the thought of returning to cold weather.

I had toyed with the idea of going back on I-40 and stopping at the Grand Canyon but when I checked the weather there I decided that wouldn't be a good idea, most days had some possibility of snow.

I have decided my best route back is the southern route back through Phoenix and Tucson and over to Las Cruses and then up Higway 54 through Tucumcari.


Back at La Paz County Park

I spent a couple of nights at La Paz County Park again. The second night I was there I went for a walk north on the river. When I came back, who was parked next to me, but Mike and Carole. They told me about their experience with the Ford dealer in Las Vegas and their stay at Boulder Campground at Lake Mead. They have had a rough time on this trip. The repairs have been very expensive. That is part of traveling though.


Another sunset

It was good to see them on the road again.


Mike and Carole at La Paz County Campground

We split up again yesterday since they wanted to stay in the Parker area and I wanted to come on down to Quartzsite and check on buying some obsidian. I found some obsidian when I got here so I bought a couple of small pieces to play with and try my hand at making arrowheads.


Flowers in a yard in Parker, AZ

I camped out in the desert last night and low and behold it rained. Yes, that's right rain.


Camping in the desert near Quartzsite

This morning since it was cold and rainy and I couldn't even put my generator out I decided to run into town and see if I could find an RV Park with wifi so I could update the blog. I ended up at Crawford RV park here in Quartzsite and the wifi is iffy but sometimes works so will try to update it.

Mike and Carole called and they are on their way down here.

February 8 through 15, 2011

February 8, 2011


Entrance to Death Valley

I left Lake Mead and drove up along the Lakeside Drive into Henderson and then caught Highway 95 north through Las Vegas. I was looking for a McDonald's so I could check email and see if Mike and Carole had called. I got on the north side of Vegas and low and behold they called me. They had found a pay phone to use. Their cell phone is very expensive to use here in the US since they are from Canada.


Camping with Mike and Carole at Stovepipe Wells

Mike and I met on the Trailer Life RV (truck camper) forum before Carol and I went to Alaska five years ago. He and Carole were kind enough to offer their driveway for parking on our way back home down through British Columbia. We took them up on it and quickly found that both couples meshed well. We spent a couple of extra days on Vancouver Island and they took us to a provincial park up there where we fished and had a great time. Anyway, they had plans to travel south this winter so we had agreed to try and meet up down here somewhere.


Scene from Death Valley

They said they were going to head for Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley this evening so I checked the map and found that I could easily make that as well and said we could meet there.


At Stovepipe Wells campground before Mike and Carole got there

I got to the campground around 3:00 and they pulled in around 3:30. We spent the evening catching up. I love it when a plan comes together.

February 9, 2011


Mike and Carole heading up Mosaic Canyon

We decided to drive the few miles up to the Mosaic Canyon trail head and check that out this morning. It was a great hike, about 4 miles roundtrip and a 1000 feet in elevation. Just a good workout. It had some narrows and some scrambling that made it just challenging enough.


If you're not living on the edge you're taking up too much space

On our return to the campers we decided to head to another campground here in Death Valley called Wildrose. This one is at about 4,000 feet in elevation so we expected cold but it was quite a bit cooler. I grilled bbq chicken for supper for all of us.


Photo from Mosaic Canyon


The Dodds and me at Wildrose Campground

The only other campers here were four young men from France traveling around the US. They were in tents so I'm sure they felt the cold - brrrrrrrrr!!

February 10, 2011


Charcoal Kilns

After we broke camp this morning we headed up to some old charcoal kilns on this same road. They were built in the 1890's and only used for three years, but they were very well constructed and looked like they might last for many years to come. These kilns were at about 8,000 feet so it was quite cold with snow and even trees at this altitude.


Mike at the kilns

Death Valley is vast. It takes a long time to drive from one place to the next. The area we had been exploring was on the central west side of the park. We decided to head up to a campground on the north east side of the park called Mesquite Springs. We wanted to see Scotty's Castle and a crater up in this area. We found the campground around 1:00 and decided to just stay put and enjoy the warmth of this marvelous sunshine and the scenery around us. Mike grilled pork chops for supper.


Camped at Mesquite Springs CG

February 11, 2011


On the road in Death Valley

This morning we headed to Scotty's Castle first. It was marvelous. It is a huge 'castle' like building that was built by a Albert Johnson in the 1920's. Albert Johnson was the head of National Insurance Company prior to the crash of 1929 and was quite rich. He was conned into investing in a supposed golf mine by Walter Scott (aka Scotty) in 1906. When no returns were forthcoming he decided to come out west and check it out himself. Johnson was an engineer by education and loved the west. To make a long story short he fell in love with this area and he and Scotty eventually became good friends and the castle was built by Johnson and his wife Bessie as a retreat. Scotty basically became the caretaker.


View of Scotty's Castle


Lauren, our tour guide

The park service has rangers that dress up in period costume and give tours of the house and the tunnels below the house that showed the engineering capabilities of Johnson. The lady that gave us the house tour was very good, almost theatrical in her presentation. The whole thing is fascinating and a great deal of fun. I would highly recommend seeing this if one gets to Death Valley.


Looking across Ubehebe Crater at the trucks

After Scotty's Castle we drove to Ubehebe Crater. This is a large volcanic bowl about 700 feet deep. We took the two mile hike around it and also saw Little Behe crater.


Looking into the crater. Can you see the people?

Death Valley is not nearly as desolate as I had thought. I never really thought I would enjoy it, but it is amazing. It is vast and gigantic, for a lack of better words. It has mountain ranges and deserts, sand dunes and lush oasis's. It is really a fascinating place.


Furnace Creek Ranch

We decided to drive down to the Furnace Creek area to camp this evening. It is probably a good thing we did since Mike and Carole have developed a funny noise in their front left tire. This is the only place where we have been in the park that has cell phone coverage. Mike is using my phone to call around to see about a tow. He has Good Sam's towing service so I guess I'll get a taste of how good that service is.


Camped at Furnace Creek - dusk

I also paid to use the showers at the resort across the street from the campgound. It was so nice to have a warm shower again. I do have one in the camper but seldom use it because it is so cramped. It also has a broken faucet I discovered and I forgot to get a replacement at Quartzsite.

I fixed a shrimp/tomato/pasta dish for supper last night, along with salad and garlic toast. It turned out quite well even though I was guessing on ingrediants.

February 12, 2011


Borax Museum at Furnace Creek

Mike is still trying to figure out what to do with the truck. Guess we won't be able to do much until Monday since all the service places are closed on the weekends.


Solar collectors at Furnace Creek

I went over to the resort and explored the Borax museum and the golf course and was very pleased to see a large solar collecting system to run the resort. As you can see this is truly an oasis in the desert.


Goodbye Mike and Carole

Mike finally made arrangements through his Good Sam Towing membership to be picked up. He has been in contact with Team Ford in Las Vegas and their service department is open until 5:00. The lowbed truck arrived about 1:00 and got him loaded and I bid Mike and Carole farewell, hopefully not for another five years, but one never knows.


Artist's Drive

I headed out to explore more of Death Valley. I drove down to Artist's Drive first. It is amazing that rocks can have so many different colors.

Next I headed toward Zabriskie Point.


On Zabriskie Point

Then down to Twenty Mule Team Canyon. It was probably a good thing Carol wasn't with me on this one. It got a little narrow and steep in places.

This evening I walked over to the Furnace Creek Resort and sat and watched the people as the sun set.
Mike called about 6:00 and said they were in Santa Fe Resort in Las Vegas. The dealer won't be able to repair it until Monday. I had given them an interesting route to follow when they leave Las Vegas. It includes La Paz County Park near Parker, where I may end up in a couple of days.

I called Carol to see if the snow had melted yet. No such luck. Today was the first warm day they've had since the snow so it may still be awhile.

February 13, 2011


Badwater

After breakfast I headed south toward the south entrance to the park. I stopped at Badwater. I was parked well below sea level here. There is a large very salty lake in Death Valley. The valley is a drainage area for the surrounding mountain ranges and has no outlet. The drainage area is larger than the state of New Hampshire. As the water drains into the valley it picks up chemicals from the rocks, mainly salt and carries it to the lake in the valley.


Walking on water?

I drove slowly out of the park enjoying the scenery.


Parked below sea level - note the sign up on the cliff is sea level

Death Valley is an amazing place. I have a hard time describing it in words - daunting, massive, rough, barren, lovely, all can be used to describe it. It is a place of extremes where the temperature can go from below freezing in the winter to 130 plus in the summer. I think that February is about the most comfortable time to be here. The nights are cool (around 40) and the days are pleasant in the mid 70s. I wore shorts and t-shirts during the day and was comfortable.

I headed out to Shoshone, CA and then down to Tecopa Hot Springs area. I'm staying at Tecopa Hot Springs Campground with hot pools tonight and enjoying it. I do miss my hottub.


February 14, 2011


Train station at Kelso

Headed out this morning for Mojave National Preserve. I drove down through Baker, CA and then south into the preserve. This is a large segment of Mojave desert overseen by the national park service. My first stop was Kelso, where the main thing is the train depot. Kelso was a large hub in the rail system back during WWII. Most shipping into and out of southern California came through here. My brother Mike would like this place.


Camped in the Mojave Desert

I checked with the ranger and found that it was okay to camp here at dispersed locations. He said it was but the location needed to have a fire ring at it. As I drove south I found a perfect location about a mile off the highway on a dirt road. I settled in to hike and sit and read and enjoy the scenery for the rest of the day.

I called Carol tonight to wish her a happy Valentine's Day. I told her she would have to wait for her present.

Had salmon and salad for supper. I'm about out of food, need to head to town for a resupply.


Campsite

February 15, 2011


Sunrise

Just arrived at Lake Havasu City and stopped at a McDonald's to update the blog.