Desert Boondocking

Welcome to California desert spring camping -- where all the folks come to enjoy the early desert wildflowers! The desert is more beautiful than I ever imagined, and lots of other campers are thinking that too. For the first time in longer than I can remember, Morty is being squeezed out of a site by prior reservations and the entire hook-up area is full at Anza-Borrego. That means we will have to move to a dry camping, no-hook-ups area, or as RVers say, boondocking. So we topped off our water tank to just over two-thirds full, checked the generator for oil, and will move at check-out time of noon.



Speaking of the generator, we got a phone call from Marvin who sold Morty to us. He had found a DVD describing the care and maintenance of the generator and wanted to give it to us. Boy, was he surprised when we told him we were talking from the middle of the California desert, sitting in the our RV. He thought it sounded like we were right next-door.  He was also curious about whether we had been to Alamogordo, New Mexico where he served in the Air Force in 1948! So we told him how to find our blog to see how his old RV was making out as the new Mortimer Turtle.

Some of these pictures show the first time use of the close-up function of the Canon S90 -- pretty good for just walking and biking around. By the way, the boondocking area still has restrooms and showers and I'm hoping that it is WiFi range.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA

Today Morty is in Anza-Borrego State Park for a little more desert exploration. On the way we passed the Salton Sea which was formed in the early 1900's when the Colorodo River was diverted for several years. The temperature was rising into the 70s and there was mist rising from the low sea which obscured the bases of the mountains in the distance -- very beautiful. When we turned off the highway we still had over twenty miles to drive through some spectacular desert. We stopped at the Visitor Center of the Park to see what we should be looking for -- pictures follow.



As a desert park, this one is very enjoyable. We have full hook-ups, at least for one night. The WiFi is free to AT&T Uverse subscribers -- lucky to have remembered to bring my account name and password and lucky to have a site close enough to the ranger station to have a good signal. With all the free WiFi, we are running the Sling-Box to catch up on all our cable and late-night shows -- it's still a little fantastic to think that we are instantly controlling our cable box at home in frigid snowy Ohio and watching the output in sunny desert-dry California. The plumbing is very new and nice, but no soap in the restrooms, and the showers not too surprisingly are twenty-five cents for two minutes. The sites are large, level and the neighbors quiet. The rate is $35 and there is a $2 senior discount.

Cathedral City, California

Today's trip was far shorter than normal: about five miles, most of which was heading west to cross I-10 and then coming back to meet an old school mate from high school and college who now lives in Fairbanks. The drive was highlighted by last night's new snow on the mountains and a crisp clear desert's winter day. The wind farm was an amazing sight, especially how close to the road they were sited. They all seem to rotate in the same direction. I would have thought that alternating the direction of turning would have increased efficiency like in a turbine.

The Alaskan spends February in the Palm Springs' Cathedral City suburb. When we met at an impromptu reunion in September, we said we would try to make the connection again in February, and so we did. We drove to Mimi's Cafe for lunch. Lynne and I both had the $10 two-course lunch which was wonderful. She had the spinach dip appetizer and salmon hibachi. I had the zucchini spears starter and shrimp po' boy wrap which was outstanding -- highly recommended.



Along about three, we said our goodbyes and headed for the closest AAA campground: Outdoor Resorts - Palm Springs. Imagine our surprise when the lady at the desk quoted us a price of $76 per night. She asked if we wanted the list of other RV parks, but I declined -- I had to see what made a campsite so valuable. A few items of note: thick lush grass everywhere you don't drive, everywhere you do drive is paved with concrete or asphalt,  upper-class clientele who invite you to their wine and pizza party as soon as you back in, huge pool and whirlpool, tennis courts which are reserved in advance, no working cable TV, ridiculously early check-out of 11AM, perfectly manicured grounds with lights wrapped around every tree trunk. A very skewed value proposition which undoubtedly works well to keep out the riff-raff -- just sayin'.

Desert Hot Springs, California

Morty selected Twenty-nine Palms as our next destination. As we arrived though, we thought we better drive on by for a little reconnaissance since it didn't look like a lot to see or do. It later turned out that a Winter Storm Advisory was in the offing. After a bite of lunch, we elected to drive an hour more to Desert Hot Springs at a lower elevation, and of course, hot springs feeding the swimming pools. The photos are of the drive. Lynne took most of them with the Canon S90. We had a short drive on I-40 and a longer leg on Route 66. We came to Amboy which had a Post Office and a gas station and otherwise was desert. Lynne almost didn't believe it was operational but figured the pick-up time on the mail box out front never lies.



We picked Sky Valley Resort from the AAA Campbook. This resort is mostly park model trailers permantly moored. We are between two such units, and only passed a few mobile units in going to and from the pool and clubhouse area. The pools are very impressive. I got my half mile in during a light rain in one, and soaked in a whirlpool. There are about seven swimming and whirlpools in the clubhouse area closest to us. Each has a thermometer in the deck showing the water temperature. The water comes out of the ground at 115 degrees and the pools I sampled range from about 85 to 100. The showers are in the pool area and have lockers and soap everywhere. Some of the showers are even mineral water. Our first time discount was 20% so we are paying $30 per night. The WiFi is great, but the Sprint is on roam and only in the clubhouse.

Tomorrow, we are crossing the highway to meet a high school friend who spends February here every year getting away from Alaska.

Needles, California

Today, Morty and Ms Garmina did not get their acts together. It started with reading another blog that mentioned a Wal-Mart near our next destination, Parker, AZ. We needed to do some grocery shopping, so I figured that all I had to do was enter Parker as our destination, and the closest Wal-Mart as a way point. That however, took us to Needles, California, some 60 more miles North, where we still didn't find the Wal-Mart.  Not a very happy driving day. So we shopped at a local chain Basha, and then picked the Needles Marina Park to camp for the night. The Basha was successful in that it had everything on our list at reasonable prices, and something that has consistently been out of stock at all the Wal-Marts we have been to lately: red wine in a box.



At the marina we found a nice heated pool that would allow me to swim my half-mile. Also got in a little neighborhood bike riding along the residential communities that line the Colorado River.  The other amenities were fine too, but the price was $31 after the AAA discount.

Quartzsite Stones

A beautiful day after Saturday's rains. I biked over to the stone flea-markets to see what was available. Post-show prices were very aggressive. Lynne got a turquoise necklace and I splurged a dollar on a one pound piece of petrified wood from Brazil.



We helped ourselves to the free grapefruit at the park office - surprisingly tasty. Also some interesting pictures.

haiku

Desert blooms: Spring
North’s distant snow memory
Rain darts in then out


Snows blow and cold spreads
Turtle scans -- warmth, moves west
Winter rains: deserts green.


Skies of gray: warmth eludes
Tortoise stretches a deep hue
Showers drift in: no, out


Sun-sitting in Arizona
Work puzzle words or numbers
Turtle people doze


Sun emerges: the victor
Snows of winter now evaded
Rains soak the turtle


Sweater snuggler sniffles
Warmth ignored -- Desert plants
Sah-Wah-ro intrigue

Quartzsite, AZ

Quartzsite has no state parks, so we are at 88 Shades, a commercial park selected from the AAA campground guide -- click the link for another view. The park is still recuperating from the Quartzsite Annual RV Show that runs the last couple of weeks of January.

There are mostly permanent residents here now, along with a few travelers like us. One characteristic of the permanently moored RVs are the swamp coolers -- simple air conditioners that work by just water evaporation. There are still a passel of RV dealers and support operations here, and a few gas stations, restaurants, and RV parks, so the rates are very reasonable: $25 per night. The amenities are a little wear-worn, but otherwise fully acceptable.

Reds Fantasy Camp, Goodyear AZ

Morty stopped at the ballpark before leaving Goodyear. The ballpark is adjacent the Goodyear Airport, where you can see many airliners, apparently in parked in "mothballs." There are two team facilities there, one for the Cincinnati Reds, the other for the Cleveland Indians. This was the week of the Reds fantasy camp -- the Indians version was held last week.

We saw a series of three games. The teams were the Players made up of  Reds fans and the Pros made up of retired Reds players. The games were only three innings long, and the Pros were limited to two runs per inning. Still the Pros easily won all their games because they can still hit the ball, ending all but one of their innings by scoring two runs instead of getting three outs. There were very few fans, almost none but family members of the Players. They were throwing foul balls hit into the stands back on the field. There were a couple of exceptions, and I was one of them -- the others probably have shelves full of baseball souvenirs.



At the team store, Lynne found a spring training cap that she liked, and so did I -- so we blew $52 on two caps. But there were a couple of guys ahead of us who where buying for the whole family: six $150 jersies in one hand, and a slew of batting helmets in another -- maybe a little guilt-relief from spending the really big bucks on attending the fantasy camp for the week.

Goodyear, Arizona

Morty took us to the Spring training home of the Cleveland Indians today. There are no state parks in the area so we checked into Destiny RV park. We have a nice site right next to the pool and the laundry. Both of which became the priorities for the afternoon. The tariff is $39 so that is quite a bit higher than we've been used to.

Since the Spring game schedule for the Tribe is not until March, I doubt that there is much to see in the way of training activities. The laundry was getting to be a priority since we have done none since departing three weeks ago. Lynne had five loads, all of which could be handled simultaneously in the huge 30 machine operation.



We are again under the flight path of Air Force fighters departing from Luke AFB. During the day, they are launching about every twenty minutes in flights of two to four planes. More A-10s are also flying overhead. Pretty exciting to watch -- it never gets old.

Didn't bother with pictures yet -- one RV ghetto looks pretty much like any other.The good news is that our rain avoidance travel plan worked again. We had just a few drops before departing Pichaco and none since. In fact since we have been here in Goodyear, it has been mostly sunny with temps in the mid 60s.

Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona

As we read about today's destination with its glove-and-cable aids for hiking ascents, we wondered if it would be a bit too much after the last two days of climbing and hiking. We almost passed it by for a commercial park in Goodyear where we might be able to watch the Cleveland Indians in training. But we were again rewarded with a most memorable camping experience. The first thing you notice at Picacho are the Saguaro [say saw-WAH-ro if you are adhering to proper Spanish] Cacti -- especially for me, my first time seeing them in their natural setting. As to the hiking, we opted for the half-mile nature walk, at the park entrance, a mile and a half from our site. Even this abbreviated adventure had plenty of hills and steps to keep the heart pumping.

One of the memorable sights between Tucson and Phoenix was an airliner storage facility / graveyard. I couldn't identify any specific planes or carriers because of the distance, but it was sad to see so many once-proud birds sitting in the desert with their colorful tails still tall in the sky. This morning before leaving we were lolling in the sun and watching pairs of A-10 Warthog Tank Killers climbing to altitude heading East right over us -- another pretty amazing sight.



The forecasts for here indicate about an inch of rain tonight and Wednesday, but it really doesn't  look like the sky can cash those checks that the forecasters are writing -- at least that's our hope. The gathering clouds did help provide another spectacular sunset.

The facilities here are a perfect score: great modern plumbing, huge showers, great sites with magnificent views, good roads, great trails, friendly people, since it is all desert there are no water hook-ups. Rates are $15 or $20 for electricity. No TV. Above average cell phone tethering. You can hear the trains running along I-10 and their whistles. Budgeteers will close this park in June -- what a shame!

Kartchner Caverns State Park, Arizona

Today, Morty headed into Arizona after crossing New Mexico the short way. He started out the day with a quarter tank of gas so we were pretty keen on finding some before getting back on I-10. All through Silver City gas prices were running $2.90 so we kept on driving. We crossed the Continental Divide and that involved some long but gradual up and downhill runs. We finally got to Lordsburg, where a fill-up was imperative. Again, we drove past the entrance ramp and found the best price of the last week: $2.43 at Diamond Shamrock. On Morty’s 28-gallon purchase we saved enough for lunch and apple pie at McDonalds.

Our first state park in Arizona is Kartchner Caverns. I thought for a minute we were magically transported to Disneyworld. There are electric double doors opening into the “Discovery Center.”  Greeters behind the massive stone counter sell campsites for $22 per night and cave tours in the $25-$40/person range. You ride a tram into the cave. Cameras are not allowed. It is extremely humid. So we opted for the free open-air hike over the foothills that surround the hill that contains the caverns. The two-mile hike had some pretty good rock climbs of its own. We felt a little rushed since we didn’t start out until a little before four and the Sun would be dipping behind the mountains right around five-thirty. About a half-mile from the end we had to ford a running stream, pretty unexpected since all the other streambeds were bone dry. I was glad to have been wearing my sandals. Lynne was not so glad to have submerged one of her running shoes. It was another really good workout for a travel day.

We took some pictures in the botanical garden for keeping straight the names of the various desert plants we have been encountering. The campground is first-rate:  wide spacious sites, modern plumbing except for no soap in the restrooms, paved roads and sites, electric and water, cell phone coverage for computer tethering,

It will be a challenge to visit as many Arizona state parks as we wanted -- the budgeteers are closing 17 and keeping only 9 open.