I walked through Fillmore today; through the neighborhoods where everyone had a citrus tree and the air smelled like lemons and oranges.
The high school is highly rated.
The train station.
Tim did a something different this morning. He was missing the fitness room. Yesterday when we were walking through downtown, we found this gym. We asked about a day pass. Tim went this morning and used the workout equipment.
We made the short drive from Fillmore to Santa Barbara.
This afternoon, we took the bikes to the Beach Way bike path. What a pleasure to ride along the oceanside.
Frisbee football on the beach.
We rode down the Santa Barbara Pier.
Tim made a video as we stood at the end. There was a guy playing guitar and it was really mellow and relaxing.
The harbor.
Several people told us that Santa Barbara is beautiful…they were RIGHT!! This is the quintessential California beach town!
The moon last night was bright and gorgeous. We stood outside looking before we went to bed. It was already chilly and the temperatures dropped overnight into the 30’s. We were warm and cozy inside and even though we had no hookups, we could run the propane furnace.
The male ostriches had a very busy evening. In order to attract females, the males make a booming noise; two short bursts followed by a longer burst. Tim said it sounded like a 400-pound owl and indeed it did! It was our observation that the girls and guys were all in a very amorous mood…love was definitely in the air!
In the morning, while I had my coffee, I sat watching the moon set, and the sun as it cast a reddish glow on the mountains.
I walked the property and along the backside of the ostrich pens. The ostriches followed my every move. I was looking for feathers to take to Oliver and Austin but the ostriches wouldn’t allow me to get close enough to gather them. I had definitely learned to respect these animals!
We left the high desert and traveled through San Francisquito Canyon. This was a winding, wiggle-waggle road with stunning scenery.
We think that these huge pipelines carry water to the cities along the coast.
There were reminders about fire danger posted all along the roadside. There are no campfires, wood fires, or charcoal fires allowed. Camp stoves can only be used with a permit. It is so dry. The ostrich ranch owner was telling us about a fire that encroached on their ranch, reaching the highest ridges near their home. A couple of the fenceposts caught fire but otherwise no harm came to their family or the birds. He said it was the scariest night of his life.
At last, we arrived in Heritage Valley. This area is rife with avocado groves and citrus groves and lots of tree nurseries.
We arrived at Giessinger Winery, another Harvest Host site, before lunchtime. We wandered through historic downtown Fillmore. This is a cute little town with a railroad theme.
I love the smell of an old hardware store…the aromas of must and paint and oil and wood comingled.
Old truck of the day.
Our campsite sits parallel to the railroad tracks but the trains are inactive except for fun weekend tourist rides.
We had a delightful afternoon, tasting wines with Shelby. We tried a white, two reds, a cider, two dessert wines and two ports…it was ALL good! We purchased 3 bottles.
There were some men sitting along the walking path. They had no food. Tim gathered some fruit and protein shakes and yogurt and took it outside to them. We have so much to be grateful for…we need to help when we can.
We left Indio at around nine this morning. We drove for a short distance on Route 10. We saw huge wind farms and snow-covered mountains…gorgeous.
Then we took scenic roads all the way to our destination at Lake Hughes.
At higher elevations, we began to see Joshua trees.
If you have never stayed at an ostrich ranch…you really should consider it! This place was amazing.
There is a large group or unkindness or conspiracy of ravens that live here.
The owner met us with some raw honey and he also brought us ostrich oil. This oil comes from Africa. It has lots of healing properties and is good for inflammation. It is supposed to make your skin look and feel more youthful.
We explored on our own for a while, marveling at these magnificent beasts.
Beautiful California Scrub Jay.
There are gigantic Coulter Pines here with enormous pine cones. These trees were tall 70 years ago. These trees are also called widowmakers. The cones are very heavy.
At 3pm, we had a tour of the ranch. We learned A LOT about ostriches. There are three breeds and two are raised here…black and blue. Ostriches have not changed for 135 million years. These animals are very powerful. They can run at speeds up to 60mph and can sustain their speed for up to 15 miles. They have incredibly strong immune systems and do not get sick. They also heal very rapidly after injury. They have no natural predators here. They have killed a pack of 4 coyotes. Mountain lions are no match for them…the lions are too small. They are omnivores and will eat gophers, squirrels, lizards, rats and anything else that gets into their enclosures. The ranch owners have seen an ostrich eat a live rattlesnake, all the while being continuously bitten. They are impervious to the effects of snake venom. In the wild, ostriches can live 40 years. In captivity they can live 75 to 100 years. Ostriches are not usually monogamous but there is a pair here, Morticia and Gomez, who will not tolerate other partners. He is 44 years old. The ranch owner is allowing the bird to nibble on his fingers. They have no teeth and no bite strength…less than a third of the power of a duck…but don’t be fooled.
Ostrich eggs weigh about 5 pounds and are the equivalent of 24-36 large chicken eggs. Chicken eggs are about 35% yolk and 65% white. Ostrich eggs are 65% yolk. They apparently don’t taste that great…and they were $50.00 each…we didn’t buy any. We also didn’t think we could eat that whole thing! Each female ostrich has their own “fingerprint” on their eggs. The owner can look at the striations and patterns on the egg and tell which were laid by which hen.
These ostriches can be bad dudes! They have very strong legs and can kick with the force of 2000 pounds per inch. They can outrun anything and anyone. They will not allow visitors to their enclosure without becoming aggressive. We were warned that if we went into the pens, we would be in serious trouble.
The tour was great and the owners were gracious and hospitable.
This ranch sits along Pine Canyon Road right on the San Andreas Fault. There is earthquake monitoring equipment on the hill above the ranch.
We found this site through Harvest Host. What a unique experience to be able to come here and learn.
The February Full Snow Moon should just be rising soon and be directly overhead at midnight. I am looking forward to seeing it and appreciating it!
On Monday morning, we completed our morning routines and then after filling with propane, we headed north to Indio.
We stopped for breakfast at a scenic turnout before we left the desert.
We drove along the Salton Sea.
In the Coachella Valley we passed date farms and crops and lots of green.
We followed the highway through an industrial area. Ahead of us, we could see snow covered peaks…it seemed crazy because it was 84 degrees in the valley.
Once we arrived in Indio, we worked to gather supplies. I also spent a good deal of time getting a new phone, mine had died a week ago and we had to wait to get to a bigger town to replace it.
We had Chipotle salads for our Valentine dinner and then enjoyed an evening walk. This is a very nice park.
On Tuesday, we had an appointment for service for the Jeep. It didn’t take long and we hoped to be able to hike in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the Santa Anna winds were blowing hard. The forecast was for 25-35mph winds with occasional gusts greater than 70mph. It never got that crazy but it was windy and the air was very dusty. At times, it was difficult to see the surrounding mountains. Fortunately, we were not traveling today with our big wind sail. These Santa Anna winds are REAL! We did walk in the campground and did a couple of errands. The towns of Indio, La Quinta, and Palm Desert are beautiful with lush green lawns, colorful landscaping, golf courses, and shopping. There are lots of residential communities with Mexican style, stucco homes with terracotta roofs…a retirement paradise!
Tim was able to connect with an old high school friend who lives in San Diego and he enjoyed talking with him on the phone.
We used the day to make appointments and get taxes signed and sent off.
On Friday, we went to the Farmers Market. I had walked to the circle and as I arrived, so did a group of powered parasailers; or guys flying with giant fans on their butts! It was amazing to watch them all come in.
We shopped for our usual croissants and fresh produce and tamales and dolmas and hummus and falafel…we sure are going to miss this!
We spent the weekend walking and biking and exercising and getting prepared and organized so that we can move on Monday. We did laundry and cleaned and knocked down a layer of dust in the Jeep. We scrubbed the grill and the bathroom and the floors.
One last bike ride on this warm day, 84 degrees and sunny. As we started our ride, we saw a man sitting in the shade next to a fully load bicycle. As we always do, we stopped to check on him and asked him if he needed water. This man has been cycling around the world for the past ten years. He got a little waylaid by COVID and is here in Southern California waiting on the weather and then hopefully he can head back across the pond and continue his world travels…so brave and so adventurous! Everything he owned was on his bike!
We are still finding roads that we haven’t yet explored.
We have really enjoyed our time here in Borrego Springs…the overnight excursions, the hiking, the beauty of the Anza-Borrego desert, the howling coyotes, the bighorn sheep, the outdoor restaurants, and the Palm Canyon Resort. I am sure that we will find our way back someday.
Tomorrow we will travel to Indio just a couple of hours north of here. There we have a whole list of things to accomplish.
We watched the Super Bowl this evening. There are a lot of LA fans around here!
On Wednesday, we finished our morning exercise and prepared for our last Borrego Springs overnight adventure. We drove to Fish Creek Wash and did a little exploring.
The very best campsite was at the end of Oyster Shell Wash. There was a sweet little canyon at the end of the trail. Before getting set up, we took a hike.
The walls on either side were high. We walked about a half mile and could see the canyon continued to wrap around.
We returned to camp and got organized. When we finally settled, the first thing I noticed was the silence and I began to relax.
We had a simple dinner of hummus and raw vegetables and smoked salmon with whole grain crackers.
We were listening to Pandora. Every time we have been out, we have heard the Eagles song, Peaceful Easy Feeling. It describes precisely how we feel out there. One year ago, we purchased this roof top tent. In that time, we have absolutely enjoyed the opportunity to sleep in some beautiful, remote, and special places.
The moon was more than half full and very bright, causing the canyon walls and the white sand to glow.
We returned to the RV on Thursday with messy hair, smelling of campfire smoke, in desperate need of showers, and with happy hearts.
A great morning walk back into the state park. Ever since I saw the herd of rams on Sunday, I have been a little obsessed. I would really love to see the ewes and babies. It is lambing season and mamas have been spotted by the rangers. No luck today but I got 4.25 miles done.
Today was about trying to solve problems. I have more than 14,000 pictures on my phone and it is near its limit in terms of storage. I started to use Google Photos but using the campground WIFI is painfully slow. I went to the community library and sat for several hours and I was able to download almost three thousand pictures in that time. I may go back to the library but until then, I will just stay plugged in and get as much done in the RV as I am able.
We were also at the end of our storage capabilities on our blog site. I spent lots of time later this afternoon on the phone with Bluehost and Word Press trying to ascertain the best solution. In the end, it cost me $37.00 to upgrade to unlimited images…why it took so many phone calls, remains a mystery, but we are hopeful that this is the best resolution.
We finished making plans and reservations for the next several weeks and we are excited about our upcoming travel.
We went back to Red Ocotillo for delicious salads.
Tomorrow evening we are taking one last overnight trip into the desert.
This morning we did something different. We decided to hike the Palm Canyon Trail. We drove into the State Park and started on the main route. We were hoping to see bighorn sheep today and we were immediately rewarded with the sighting of a ram.
We watched him pick his way across the rocks and then quickly, he made his way all the way to the ridge. It was amazing to watch him move with such grace, agility, and surefootedness.
We hiked through a dry streambed and then along a burbling creek, crossing the water and then all the way to the palm oasis.
This area was inhabited by Cahuilla Indians for centuries and there is evidence of their presence, morteros and metates, holes in the rocks that were used to grind seeds.
The charred palms at the end are part of “First Grove.” These trees were burned in January of 2020 by a human caused fire. The tree skirts and palm fronds were damaged, leaving tall smoking sticks. Fortunately, the trees all survived. The area is closed to hikers to allow the habitat to recover. This is a special place and we tried to take our time and appreciate the beauty of our surroundings.
We hiked the Alternate Trail back to the Jeep. This portion of the trail was technically more difficult but not too hard. The Main Trail had a steady flow of other hikers…here we were able to enjoy the peace and stillness.
We spent a quiet afternoon.
This evening, we packed turkey taco salads with pinto beans and corn and went back to the state park for a picnic.
The highlight of my day happened early this morning. I was feeling really strong and decided to take a good walk. My goal was to walk through the state park all the way to the Palm Canyon Trialhead. I had gone a little more than 2 miles when I met a woman who was resting in her hammock on a campsite. She had just climbed the Panoramic Trail and she said there were bighorn sheep just a little further ahead. There was a herd of 6 rams. I heard rocks clattering and saw another ram working his way down the steep slope to join the others.
This guy actually laid down right along the roadside.
We have seen bighorns before, always at a distance. These animals were beautiful and muscular and powerful looking.
I spent the morning afternoon working on a project and then we watched the NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum. It is more fun to watch when your driver wins!
Friday is Farmers Market day. I walked into town and Tim met me there. We got our usual 2 croissants, some oranges and berries and avocadoes.
We had planned to hike in the afternoon but Tim met a guy here in the campground. The two men started to talk about the California coast. When Tim came in, I saw him looking at maps and his phone. “Instead of going back to Death Valley after we leave Borrego Springs…how about going back to see more of the coast?” Yes, yes yes!! We spent the next couple of hours researching, making plans, looking for campground availability and then making reservations…the time passed so quickly!
I happened to glance out the window and I saw this coyote cutting across the parking lot. He started to run when some lady started waving her arms and yelling at it.
I went for another 1.5 mile walk in the early evening just to get up and move after so much sitting and planning.
We ate those yummy croissants with eggs and berries.
Saturday morning it was 37 degrees when we got up. When I did go out for my walk, the sun was shining and I was plenty warm. I stopped at the post office and the at the grocery to get bananas.
We took a ten-mile bike ride this afternoon.
We packed spicy mushroom and garlic tamales, sauteed asparagus, and berries and took them to the communtiy park. We did a lap around the park after our meal.
