Day 3 Ocotillo Wells Vehicular Recreation Area Borrego Springs, California

It seemed rather simple.  We had mapped our route and we were on our way to Pinyon Mountain Road.  It took about an hour to get there from the campground.  It was chilly, cloudy, and windy!  I could tell though that I was going to love the ride as we began our ascent from the floor of the desert.  We were surrounded by mountains and the views were really pretty.  The clouds began to lift and we had a gorgeous day for driving. 

We had gone about ten miles when all at once a rather large and imposing rock appeared in the middle of our path.  Closer inspection of that rock revealed large scrape marks…oh no! 

We got out of the Jeep and walked ahead to see what was after the rock…it looked like a really narrow passage to the rest of the trail…with a three foot drop off!  It looked like the Jeep would have to at least rub tires on both sides of the opening to fit through!  Oh yeah…the maps indicated that this area is ONE WAY and it is labeled Pinyon Drop-off! 

The thing I really like about traveling with Tim is that he knows when to turn around.  He likes to take some chances and he likes to have fun, but he knows when to make a new plan!  We went out the way we came in and that is how we found ourselves on the Rodriguez Canyon Trail.  This ride was even more breathtaking than the one before it!

The peak of this road was at the an intersection with the Pacific Crest Trail. 

The PCT is the equivalent of the Appalachian Trail at home.   It stretches from Canada to Mexico and takes 6 months for enthusiasts to walk the entire trail. They say that no matter which end you begin on in April…you will encounter lots of snow.  It is said to be easier to walk than the AP because most of it runs along the ridgeline.  The difficulty lies in the distance between places to get fresh water and provisions.  It was 42 degrees here and Tim found some snow in the shade of a small tree.  The view from the ridge was spectacular.

We returned to camp and headed to dinner in downtown Borrego Springs at Carlees Place.  The food was good…They had live music but not until 8 pm…so we missed it!

Day 2 Ocotillo Wells Vehicular Recreation Area Borrego Springs, California

It is about 15 miles to the town of Borrego Springs on the paved road.  It is about 12 miles if you cut across the desert.  Ready with our map, we traversed the desert. 

We found that the roads heading toward town were not quite as well labeled as the roads we encountered yesterday…but that just added to our sense of adventure!  We found our way across the Borrego Sink…where we turned around to find a more reliable route.  We went first to the visitor center.

The couple in the visitor center recommended a ride in the canyon where you could actually cross water.  We were on our way when we saw a pack of 5 coyote cross the street in front of the car. 

As we entered the off-road area, we saw another coyote in the dry lake bed.  Can you spot him?

The ride followed the Santa Rosa Mountains and was gorgeous, though we never did find water to cross!

Our lunch spot.

We headed back toward town to see the Borrego Springs sculptures.  A man named Dennis Avery owns a large amount of land in this area.  He had an idea to commission some sculptures of desert creatures.  He hired an artist, Ricardo Breceda to create these life-sized sculptures.  There are about 130 installations.  The subjects include mammoths and camels and prehistoric turtles and sloth-like creatures, all whose fossils have been found in the area.

There are also wild horses, giant birds, a giant scorpion, and a serpent that actually crosses beneath the road. 

We grilled our dinner and enjoyed a small fire and some sangria…another day spent enjoying the ride!

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