Mileage:  53,895 Ocotillo Wells Vehicular Recreation Area Borrego Springs, California

Salton Sea is on the San Andreas Fault.  If you go walking in this area, you can supposedly find mud pots and mud volcanoes.  We passed a hot spring on our way north this morning.  The ground is crusty and hardened with salt and other minerals as the Salton Sea slowly evaporates.

Route 111 is intentionally built in a series of dips to accommodate the washes that might be filled with water during a monsoon rain or thunderstorm, rather like riding a gentle rollercoaster.

So many trains.

We still have snow covered peaks in the distance ahead of us, desert all around us and palm trees planted in what used to be resort areas.  All that and the lake that isn’t supposed to be here!

We decided to camp for the next several days at the Ocotillo Wells Vehicular Recreation Area.  This is an off-road playground.  All kinds of adventurers are here with there OHV’s, ATV’s, dune buggies, dirt bikes, and Jeeps. 

First, we visited the Discovery Center where we were able to get trail maps and information.

This butterfly is a queen butterfly.  The ranger said they were extremely rare to see.  99% of the butterflies here in the park are painted ladies.

We took a trail this afternoon and rode along the perimeter of the park for awhile before cutting in.  We saw globular rocks formed when cement like materials built up over a grain of sand or a seashell and formed these odd shaped boulders that are shaped like pumpkins.  We saw sand dunes and passed by a reef filled with fossilized clam, oyster, and scallop shells. 

No critters in the desert tonight!

Again, the Jeep allows us the opportunity not to drive by but to experience the desert in another way…such fun!

Mileage: 57,800 Niland Marina Road Niland, California

We said goodbye to Lee and Claudia and then we were off! We took 8W into California back past the Imperial Sand Dunes.

We got off in Holtville and stopped in a small park for some food. Tim made a mid morning snack of the fresh raw cauliflower!

We zigzagged along back-roads through farm fields. Most of the fields appeared to be planted with hay. There were large cattle farms and sheep grazing in planted fields as well.

We found our way to Slab City. This was an old military base. When the base was closed, the buildings were demolished and only the cement slabs were left behind. It was public land and gradually people came out there to live. It is now a popular snowbird destination. Only about 150 people live there year round…the temperatures in the summer are around 120 degrees. Many different kinds of people come to stay here. There are people trying to live off the grid, people that cannot afford to stay anywhere else, people that want the experience of being here, people that just want to be left alone. There is a lot of unusual art and there is a lot of trash. The landfill is a mile before this community but I guess not everyone sees the need to haul the trash away?!?

This is Salvation Mountain. It is about 3 stories tall. It is covered in adobe, and latex paint and inscribed with all kinds of biblical messages.

There were all sorts of living arrangements from tents, to old trucks, to handcrafted lean-to’s, to older and even some newer RV’s.

I left Slab City feeling strangely unsettled. It was hard for me to wrap my head around this type of existence. Everyone we saw today though lifted up a hand to wave as we passed by.

Our next stop was the Salton Sea. Tim’s phone told us that we were at 270 feet below sea level. This body of water was accidentally created when the Colorado River was being diverted back in 1905. It was an engineering mistake. The water from the Colorado flowed into the dry basin for 2 years before the problem could be rectified. The water has a higher salt content than the Pacific Ocean. Tonight we are dry camping in a “waterfront site” on the Salton Sea.

This is our nearest neighbor. He has been coming here to stay in the wintertime for the past 10 years. He used to stay at Slab City but he said that he got too old and it got too wild for him over there. This is a suburb of Slab City. He greeted us when we arrived. He described himself as a God loving man. He comes out here to find peace and to do his studying.

Day 3 Arizona West RV Park Yuma, Arizona

Since it was evidently clear that I was still not ready for adventure today, Tim began to plan his own bike trip. He plotted a course to the town of Somerton 16 miles away. His route took him through citrus groves laden with lemons and oranges, along canals, and through farm fields. It was a nice day for a ride and he enjoyed it very much. He was getting pretty antsy waiting for me to get well…he needed to get out for awhile.

Tim arrived in Somerton and waited in the park under the water tower for me to come to get him.

We found a little Chinese/Mexican restaurant for our lunch.

Lee and Claudia had taken Aunt Mavis out to the farm fields nearby. They were able to talk to a couple of men working with a team who was harvesting cauliflower. They were given an entire case of fresh cauliflower and they were generous with the gift. We have 2 beautiful heads of freshly picked cauliflower in our fridge. We give so little thought to how our food is grown and how it arrives in our local grocery. It was interesting to hear what they learned. The produce is processed on a conveyor right on the field. It is cut and trimmed and washed and packaged and boxed and loaded onto pallets and goes directly to a cooler within 2 hours of being picked.

We traveled to Old Yuma for dinner with Lee and Claudia, tomorrow they return to Tuscon and we will travel west into California. We have enjoyed spending more time getting to know them better…two very gracious and kind people.

Day 2 Arizona West RV Park Yuma, Arizona

I cannot shake this upper respiratory thing. It has got me down and not feeling like doing much. Tim went for a couple of bike rides. We did go to Walgreen’s and FedEx in the morning to take care of some chores. I slept for awhile in the afternoon and then did feel well enough to sit in the sunshine.

Lee and Claudia were out and about all day with Aunt Mavis. They were gracious enough to cook dinner for us tonight. Burgers with roasted chiles…so flavorful! We stayed outside talking until well after dark.

Mileage: 57,683 Arizona West RV Park Yuma, Arizona

Today we drove back to Yuma. Lee and Claudia were taking their new rig for a test run and they were going to stay in Yuma with us for a couple of days.

Today was an ordinary day; laundry, taxes, chores, cleaning, bills…nothing to really write home about!

The highlight of our day was watching the Super Bowl outside on the patio, in February, with Lee and Claudia. We should have taken a picture of that!

Day 4 Kofa Wildlife Refuge – Palm Canyon Road

It was cloudy and windy and chilly this morning. I still was not feeling great so we rested until late morning. We did take the Jeep back to Queen Canyon for a shorter ride.

California desert poppies…such beauty amid the rocks!

We spent the afternoon working on taxes and being lazy.

It is raining in the desert this evening!

Tomorrow we head back to Yuma.

Day 3 Kofa Wildlife Refuge – Palm Canyon Road

Whether the coyotes howling in the distance at 4am woke us up or if we were already awake and we heard them…we aren’t sure.  It was very cool.  Another reminder that this desolate place is alive. 

We took another road through Kofa.  The longer we stay, the more we see.  Today we noticed scat, animal tracks, a centipede, lots of butterflies, new wildflowers, a hummingbird, and a Gambel quail. 

Our lunch spot.

These are the guts of a dead saguaro. The wooden ribs once helped to hold the cactus upright. The round pouch that you see is actually a scar. A woodpecker probably drilled a home in this cactus. The cactus formed a scar or a “boot” around the wound, creating a nest for the woodpecker. When the woodpecker moves on, all kinds of other animals make their homes in the abandoned nests.

Did you know that Arizona has a “stupid motorist law?”  If you decide to cross a wash during a thunderstorm and get stuck in a flashflood, or if you go 4 wheeling and get into a mess that requires emergency services and rescue…then you have to pay for it!

I’m not sure if it is dust or the new wildflowers blooming…but I don’t feel very good…going to bed super early with lots of medication…need to feel better tomorrow!

Day 2 Kofa Wildlife Refuge – Palm Canyon Road

We took the road to Crystal Hill.  Quartzsite and the surrounding area is well known to rock hounders.  You can hike to the top of Crystal Hill and collect all kinds of interesting rocks and minerals.  We bypassed this hike though, and drove on the Pipeline Road through the northern portion of the refuge.  

Rocks and mountains and cacti everywhere.  I’m not tired of the view…I love it here.

Our lunch spot.

We drove through town to fill the Jeep with fuel.  We were also able to find the Quartzsite, Arizona Off-road Atlas and the Map of the Arizona Peace Trail also meant for 4 wheeling.

This evening we invited our neighbor, Bob, to join us for dinner.  We grilled shrimp and garlic flatbread with small potatoes and broccoli with teriyaki glaze.  It was nice to have some company. 

We had a campfire and watched the stars pop out.

“I wanna sleep with you in the desert tonight with a billion stars all around…’cause I got a peaceful easy feeling.”  Eagles 1972

Kofa Wildlife Refuge – Palm Canyon Road

Mileage:  57,319

We drove back to Kofa this morning and traveled in the RV, towing the Jeep, 8 miles down the dusty gravel road that leads to Palm Canyon.  We were able to get a free campsite in “dispersed camping.”  There are places along the park road where you can plant your rig and stay for as long as 14 days. 

We took the Jeep on a rough road called Kofa Queen Canyon Road.  The steep mountains nearly engulfed us as we made our way through the narrow passage.  The sky was brilliant blue, the sun warm, and the scenery incredible.

We have started to notice changes in the desert flora.  The wildflowers are beginning to bloom.

This cactus is a jumping cholla.  It is called a jumping cholla because the stems are easily broken.  This allows bits of cactus to fall to the desert floor where they begin to take root.  These pieces are also easily carried in the fur of animals or on items of clothing and spread through the environment.  In the past several days, these cacti have started to develop buds.

Happy hour today…because we were feeling happy!

Cactus spines hurt!

We met our neighbor, Bob.  He has been fulltime RVing for the past 5 years.  It was great to talk with him.  He had lots of good ideas for things we should try to see while we are in the southwest.

As we cooked dinner, the sun began to set. The sky was a glorious canvas. 

The mountains to the east were bathed in fiery red light.

We are looking forward to exploring more tomorrow!