Tag Archive: boondock


BOONDOCKING IN BORREGO SPRINGS WITH DINOSAURS

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March 14, 2013

–Borrego Springs–
Some friends told us that Borrego Springs was a must see sending us photos of large sculptures of prehistoric creatures that had lived and left their fossil remains in the Borrego Springs area starting about seven million years ago when this area was a wet, jungle-like forest. So, unable to resist, we headed for Borrego Springs, California.

–The Story–
There is an interesting story about the large iron sculptures of Borrego Springs. The heir to the Avery Dennison label fortune, philanthropist Dennis S. Avery, bought a substantial amount of property in Borrego Springs, California during the savings and loan crisis period of the 1980s and 1990s when land values dropped precipitously. He kept almost all of this land undeveloped, unfenced and open to the public and named it Galleta Meadows.  During Spring each year, many folks would enjoy the annual flower bloom that can be seen there.
A man of many interests, Avery commissioned ‘Perris Jurassic Park’ Mexican owner/artist/welder Ricardo Breceda to create steel welded sculptures that would reflect the paleontological history of the area based on drawings from a book about fossils found in the Anza-Borrego Desert.  He dubbed these huge hammered iron sculptures “Sky Art” and the first of these amazing, intricate sculptures was installed in 2008 on the Galleta Meadows land.  There are three non-contiguous square miles of desert comprising the Galleta Meadows land that has these wonderful iron sculptures scattered about.  Folks are quite surprised and delighted  as they  drive along Borrego Springs Road or S78, etc., to see just off to the side of the road is a Sabertooth Cat or a Colombian Mammoth.
The fossils of these animals have been found nearby in some of the most extensive fossil sites in North America.
There are sculptures of creatures such as the giant bird Aiolornis, the Colombian Mammoth, camels, the elephant-like Gomphothere, and the Sabertooth Cat.
The project of iron sculptures apparently evolved over time. Most of the sculptures reflect the paleontological history of the area but some later sculptures of the 129 works are pure whimsy such as an amazing 350-foot sea serpent that appears to burrow under the road and emerge on the other side from under the desert sands having the head of a dragon and a tail like a rattlesnake.  Also, some of the sculptures reflect the more recent history of the area to include a few human figures such as a gold miner, a Spanish padre, a Native American, a farm worker and even an occupied Willys Jeep.
Much of the iron of these huge sculptures has weathered and rusted and has now taken on an almost life-like leathery patina.  The sculptures are strongly anchored in cement and steel but when the wind is blowing sometimes there is very slight movement and the sound of the wind adds to the experience.

–How to see the Sculptures–
Since the sculptures are along the roadways you will likely see them as you drive into Borrego Springs. The Rangers in the Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor Center in Borrego Springs were very helpful in directing us to the various locations of these amazing iron-welded sculptures.   Also there is a location map at the website:  http://galletameadows.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=93.  You can park along the side of the road and walk right up to the sculptures to take pictures though some are quite a distance from each other. If you choose to walk, since it is the desert, watch for rattle snakes. You can also drive on the sandy desert roads that criss-cross the area to the various sculptures as many people do to get up close for photos.
One of the wonderful things we noticed about the sculptures is that we saw no evidence of vandalism and no “tagging”,  nice!
–Boondocking–
All of Galleta Meadows land is open to the public. Boondocking on the land is allowed for up to three days but, of course, there are no services such as trash pick-up, RV dump site, etc. so pack it out.
This is desert land so I would think that the heat of the summer would rule out summer boondocking. We have read that the temperature here gets as high as 124 degrees F. in the summer!
If you boondock here (and we did) know that Borrego Springs has been designated as an “International Dark Sky Community” so there are no street lights. If ever there was a chance to enjoy the night sky without light pollution this is the place.  Also, at night we could hear the  coyotes yipping and howling.

–Communication–

We were unable to get any English language TV channels with our TV antenna.  Our internet connection, however, was excellent.  Despite being surrounded by mountains,  our Verizon/Samsung/Millenicom  got a strong, excellent, fast wi fi signal and the  Verizon cell phone had a strong connection as well.

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MAKING OUR RV HOME

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February 14, 2013

Introduction–
When we decided to write about some of the changes we’ve made to our RV to personalize it, we thought there would be just a few things to address.  After wandering around the RV, we realized we had tweaked numerous components to make this living area work for us.  Some things we will not address in this blog but despite that there is much to review.

Many of the changes we made we copied from other RVers.  Rather than reinvent the wheel, we cherry picked changes that would make our life easier.
Most of the changes/improvements we made came from a blog we have followed for years;  http://www.andybaird.com/travels/   Andy is very inventive and his blog is full of good ideas.  He’s very generous with information and many RVers have used his blog as a resource.
Solar panels, batteries, etc.–
One of the best thing we did soon after buying our RV was to have a very good solar system installed professionally.  The RV came with two, 220 amp. hours, 6 volt AGM batteries and a 4000 watt Onan Generator.   We did not order solar panels, etc. from the RV manufacturer as we heard it was better to get the whole package at once and choose AM Solar to supply the components and to do the installation.   After two days of work, AM solar had installed three, 150 watt tiltable solar panels, a 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter/charger, two additional AGM batteries (300 amp. hours, 6 volt), two controllers, a sub-panel box,  #2, #4 and #6 wiring and various other components.  Two of the AGM batteries are in a cabinet in our kitchen.  As you know, AGMs can be inside the RV as they do not “gas off”.  We’re glad we had this done professionally even though it was very pricey as we did not want to take on this job ourselves (and likely could not have done it as well).  At the time, this all came to $7500 ($2000 of that was labor) and took almost two years of boondocking to make up financially for this expenditure.  If we had the same system installed today, the price would be substantially lower as solar prices are coming down.  Now we can call the energy we get from the sun…free.  We’re full timers and almost always boon dock (so no or reduced camping fees in addition to no need for  ”hook-ups”).   We’ve been completely off the grid for over a year now.  With this system and lots of sunlight, we can use our toaster, microwave (just to reheat something), the hair dryer, etc.  These energy hogs are short-time use items and we watch our battery voltage carefully so we don’t deplete the batteries.

Tank Monitors–
Our RV came with a read-out that is supposed to tell us how full our various tanks are.  Problem was if the tank level, for example, was over the 2/3 level and  almost but not quite full it would still read 2/3 full.  Also, these “original equipment in-the-tank” sensors were easily fouled and would give false readings.  This can prove to be a problem if you are boondocking far off the beaten path.  In the case of suddenly having a full gray or black water tank or even an empty fresh water tank while in the middle of nowhere it is…um, well let’s leave it at “inconvenient”.  So we got this “more accurate” read out set-up called “SeeLevel Gauges” and had it installed professionally last year.  We are told they can be installed by any handy RV owner but it took a professional almost four hours to install ours and he had done many installations of these in the past on the same type RV we own.  Crawling under the RV appealed to neither of us (we’re trying to be retired) and when we saw what it took to have it installed we were glad we did not try the “do it yourself” method.  There are electrical strips that go on the outside of each tank and can read the level through the wall of the tank.  That strip needs to then be wired to a read-out inside the vehicle.   Our SeeLevel read-out was placed on the inside wall of a cabinet after a hole was cut in the cabinet wall and the screen was attached.  The wires from the tank electrical strips were run to the cabinet wall that holds the new read-out screen.  We did not detach or disassemble the original equipment read-out system.  When the two read-out sets of numbers are compared, it is amazing to us we didn’t have more problems with having suddenly full tanks.  Well, come to think of it, we didn’t have many problems because we just dumped the tanks as soon as the original equipment read-out had been 2/3 full for a day or so likely cutting into some of our time in beautiful, quiet, off the beaten path, boondocking spots.  Now, our new read-out system for the black, gray and fresh water tanks are more exact as well as accurate and we can boondock knowing that we won’t have to leave a great boondock spot we’ve found any sooner than necessary.  We’re frugal with resources (“navy showers”,  etc.) so we can last for about 8 days before it is time to dump and refill with fresh water.
Showering in the RV–
Our hot water tank is in a space below our clothes closet.  We bought an aquarium thermometer with a sensor at the end of a long wire and Jerry ran the wire through the closet wall, down the inside of the closet, through the closet floor and placed the sensor between the water heater tank wall and the water heater insulation.  He then attached the sensor wire to the digital thermometer readout and hung that on the outside wall of the closet.
Now when we turn on the hot water heater, we let the temperature go up to a level that is “shower warm” for us and turn off the hot water heater.  With the hot water at perfect shower temperature we can take our showers with just the hot water tap on and not have to be fiddling with the hot/cold water to adjust the temperature.  Saves lots of water we used to use in the past trying to get the water to just the “right” temperature for a shower.
Also bought a “water saving” shower head that mixes water and air making a forceful shower water stream and decreases the water use.  This is the shower head we bought;  http://www.oxygenics.com/About-Oxygenics/
Pantry–
Jerry built a floor to ceiling pantry on a blank wall in the RV.  He did it very simply and it is in constant use.  Helps keep us organized.
Kitchen Bits–
Needed a wall protector next to the stove top (think spattering spaghetti sauce) and found a very pretty panel at Home Depot that could be attached to the wall.  It’s easy to clean and looks good.
Was going to throw out the metal stove top but decided to use it for a shelf above the stove top.  Jerry just held it up with some light-weight chain.  This shelf turned out to be far more useful than I thought it would be and now I can’t imagine doing without it.
Wanted the knives contained and found a “knife safe” at Camping World.  Hung it on the inside of the “under sink cabinet” door where the knives are easily accessible.
It’s the small things–
A small, easy to find flashlight is more useful that it would seem.  It hangs on a wall and is held in place by a metal broom holder.
We used to hang family/friends pictures on the refrigerator door but that always looked messy and the pictures tended to fall off the door.  Walmart sells inexpensive poster frames that we now use for our pictures.  Much neater and more organized.
The hooks installed under the skylight in the shower are great for bulky jackets, especially when it rains and our jackets get wet.  A good place to drip dry.
We found it very hard to find a trash can that was small enough to fit in our small RV bathroom.  Now we use a large, plastic, cereal storage container.  It has a good size snap open lid and a handle so it can be slid in and out of its narrow space for ease of emptying.
We use cup hooks on either side of the kitchen trash can and attached an elasticized eyeglass leash to them and now our kitchen trash can does not wander and spill when we’re driving.
Camping World had a long, shallow draw we could attach under the dinette table.  The screws that came with the drawer would have come right up through the dinette table top so Jerry bought some shorter screws.  The drawer is very convenient as we do a lot of our computer work at the dinette.

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PAINTED ROCK PETROGLYPH SITE AND CAMPGROUND AND OUR 40,000 FULLTIMING MILESTONE

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February 7, 2013
Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and Campground–
This BLM site previously known as Painted Rock State Park is located 11 miles north of I 8 via Exit 102 and west of Gila Bend, Arizona.  This is an amazing ancient archaeological site containing hundreds of pre-historic petroglyphs.   The rocks also show evidence of more recent etchings of visitors to the area and a small amount of human caused damage.
We were quite amazed at the number of petroglyphs easily seen at this site and spent quite a bit of time there.
There’s a primitive campground at the site and when we were there we saw a few other RVs camping there.

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40,000 miles of fulltiming–

Sometime last week our odometer rolled over and passed 40,000 miles.  We’ve been fultiming for about two and a half years, ever since we took delivery on our (Lazy Daze) RV in August of 2010 and we’ve been traveling ever since.  I believe 40,000 miles of RV travel is substantial in any ones book, so we were excited to realize just how much we have been traveling and how many beautiful places we have been lucky enough to see.
   RV size—
We’re glad we’ve made the trade-offs that were right for us and chose an RV that is considered “too small” for fulltiming.  Living fulltime in an 27 foot RV comes with pros and cons, not the least of which is lack of space.  When you travel so much, a smaller RV is easier to drive, park, etc..  RVs are not gas efficient and ours is no exception.  At only about 10 miles to the gallon, we feel we can somewhat justify it since we use precious few other resources.  Most of our needs are met by our self contained vehicle.
   Boondocking–
We started this adventure knowing we were far from rich but wanted to see many of the beautiful and interesting places in North America.  If we were going to have to spend a substantial amount of money on fuel to travel, our other expenses had to be  minimized.  Since we usually don’t much care for campgrounds and knew the West was rife with boondock sites we became aggressive boondockers and rarely ever hooked-up to the grid.  Did make an early-on substantial investment in solar but the “return on equity” was realized in less than two years while affording us the ability to use our electric appliances   So, when we stop driving in the evening, we choose a boondock site and park.  The couch batteries are usually charged enough to allow the use of the microwave for a short time and to be able to use the computers and/or watch TV.  If we find we’re in a place and for whatever reason don’t want to be there, well that’s why RVs have wheels.
   Shopping–
Shopping in a town that is new to us has not been a problem.  Our GPS has a store locator and we just select one we would like to try and park in the back of the parking lot.  Just as we would at “home” we pick up the sales flyer at the door and adjust our meal plan shopping list as appropriate.  A perk of having the RV in the grocery store parking lot is that the perishable food can be put directly into the refrigerator and freezer.
   Connectivity–
We use the 20 G Millencom Hotspot for Verizon Wi-fi for our Internet connection and pay all our bills, do all our banking and Jerry trades stock options on line.  Our cell phones are “not-smart”, older phones but they work and meet our needs.  Both the internet and the cell phone connection benefit from the increased signal strength due to the Wilson Antenna/booster we bought last summer.
We’re not much for TV watching so we’re quite satisfied with our wind-up RV aerial with an inexpensive “Wingman” aerial booster attached and just use the local tv channels when we’re interested in the programing.
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2013 RV show in Quartzsite, Az.

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 8 Comments
January 24, 2013

BLM land–

There’s much BLM land available in and around the small town of Quartzsite, Az. where the big RV show is held.  A good deal of the land is free for RVers to use for boondocking especially along Route 95 just north of Quartzsite.  There are many groups that get together to boondock on this land, as well as individual RVers.    The free land is time limited for RV camping to 14 days and many folks just stay there for a short amount of time before, during and after the RV show.

There’s a large amount of BLM land that requires a permit purchase that can be done at numerous venues including at the LTVAs (Long Term Visitor Area) small office stations near the entrances

such as at The La Posa West area located closest to the big tent of the RV show just off route 95 in Quartzsite.  http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/recreation/camping/LTVA/laposa.html
We stayed on the LTVA BLM land fairly close to the big tent of the RV show.
There are quite a few full hook-up campgrounds in Quartzsite, as well, so there are plenty of choices for every needs.
RV Stuff–
The RV show in Quartzsite is the land of STUFF.  Just about anything you might need for the RV and then some is available.  No matter how vaguely related to the RV lifestyle, there are plenty things available to purchase.  Also the streets around the RV show are filled with flea market venues.  Usually visitors to the RV show buy something they may not have purchased otherwise and we were no exception but successfully kept it to a minimum as we simply didn’t need much.
RV Show–
The RV show is held every January in Quartzsite, Az.  The first day of the RV show is usually so crowded it is difficult to walk around to see the items offered.  So if you come, try to resist going on the first day.  Also, going first thing in the morning is least crowded on most days.
Lots of places to boondock on BLM land within walking distance to the tent. When the sun goes down in the desert in Quartzsite, Az. it starts to get cold.

Lots of places to boondock on BLM land within walking distance to the tent. When the sun goes down in the desert in Quartzsite, Az. it starts to get cold.

Lots of places to boondock on BLM land within walking distance to the tent.

Lots of places to boondock on BLM land within walking distance to the tent.

Lots of places to boondock on BLM land within walking distance to the tent.

Lots of places to boondock on BLM land within walking distance to the tent.

Lots of places to boondock on BLM land within walking distance to the tent. We saw so many different types of RVs!

Lots of places to boondock on BLM land within walking distance to the tent. We saw so many different types of RVs!

Lots of places to boondock on BLM land within walking distance to the tent.

Lots of places to boondock on BLM land within walking distance to the tent.

The 2013 Quartzsite, Az. RV show, in the big tent.

The 2013 Quartzsite, Az. RV show, in the big tent.

The Quartzsite, Az. RV show, in the big tent. A wee bit crowded during the day. First thing in the morning is best.

The Quartzsite, Az. RV show, in the big tent. A wee bit crowded during the day. First thing in the morning is best.

The Quartzsite, Az. RV show in the big tent.

The Quartzsite, Az. RV show in the big tent.

The 2013 Quartzsite, Az. RV show in the big tent.

The 2013 Quartzsite, Az. RV show in the big tent.

The 2013 Quartzsite, Az. RV show in the big tent.

The 2013 Quartzsite, Az. RV show in the big tent.

The 2013 Quartzsite, Az. RV show in the big tent.

The 2013 Quartzsite, Az. RV show in the big tent.

Outside the big tent at the Quartzsite, Az. RV show, 2013.

Outside the big tent at the Quartzsite, Az. RV show, 2013.

Outside the big tent at the Quartzsite, Az. RV show, 2013.

Outside the big tent at the Quartzsite, Az. RV show, 2013.

Outside the big tent at the Quartzsite, Az. RV show, 2013.

Outside the big tent at the Quartzsite, Az. RV show, 2013.

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QUARTZSITE, AZ. BEFORE THE THE ANNUAL RV SHOW

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January 17, 2013

The Quartzsite Temporary Population Boom–

Quartzsite, Az. is a small desert town that swells from under 3500 people to more than a million folks each year in January and February.  Quartzsite hosts a big RV show in January and the show is located close to large swaths of BLM land making it a very popular RV camping area.   In addition to the major attraction, the RV show,  there are multiple mineral and gem shows, various swap meets plus an antique car show.   All these shows combined are popular enough to draw a huge number of RVers.  The first day of the RV show (this year it is next Saturday) is always a mad house.  Usually on the first day of the RV show each year, the aisles in the tent are packed so tight it is hard to move but over the next days the show it is much less crowded making it easier to spot that special something you just must have.
Boondocking RVers are scattered across the desert land, either in the free sections or the “small fee for camping sections” of BLM land but some folks stay in the full hook-up, fairly inexpensive campgrounds around the town.  Where ever you look, one can find very expensive RV rigs as well as rigs that have seen better days and everything in between.  The RVers in Quartzsite are here for various reasons.  From some that are parked together in groups that have been meeting here and have known each other for years to individual RVers just stopping by for the first time to see what all the fuss is about.
This is the third year we have come to Quartzsite, Az. to see a group of friends.  Each year we tell ourselves that we don’t need anything being sold at the RV show and other venues and each year we discover something we absolutely must have and didn’t even know we needed it until we saw it.  Since most of the “stuff” sold in the Quartzsite area relates to the RV lifestyle it is easy to find something that, if purchased, just might enhance the RV experience.   When the RV show starts, we walk to the BIG TENT where the RV show is held and have a look around.  When we return to the group from the RV show it is “Just like Christmas, everyone is excited to see what goodies each person bought!” according to Jim of “Jimbos journeys” http://jimbosjourneys.com/2013/01/16/warming-up/.  He’s right, of course.  Then the work comes of figuring out how to use or install the newly purchased item and that is when the more experienced ones in the group are a great resource.
Besides the camaraderie that is always enjoyable, it is fun and educational to listen to travel stories of where people have visited and great places to see.  Also, it is wise for RVers to listen to troubles and problems folks have run into along the way and how the problem was managed.  Makes you aware of what could go awry so you’re forewarned of the possibilities and give you ideas of how you might handle the situation if should arise. Communication –
Just using the aerial  we are able to get about 15 TV channels, three of which are PBS.  We don’t watch much TV but like to have PBS available.  Our internet connection using our Millenicom (Verizon) gives us an excellent signal so Jerry can easily check on the stock market and trade stocks online without problems.
Tow car –
We have decided to purchase a car to pull along behind the RV.  We are limited in our selection as we need something fairly lightweight that is not too low to the ground as we frequently travel on very bumpy dirt roads.  So we’re considering a used Honda CRV, Jeep, Subaru, Suzuki, or perhaps a Geo  perhaps we can find an all wheel drive and are just starting our search.  Luckily we can both drive a stick shift as many cars can only be towed if they have a manual transmission.
Next time –
Next time we’ll report on the Quartzsite RV show as well as some of the other shows and perhaps our tow car search progress.

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SLAB CITY/THE SLABS

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January 10, 2013
Salvation Mountain in The Slabs–
Located within the confines of “The Slabs” near Slab City is Salvation Mountain.  With its close proximity to L.A., there were quite a few day-trip tourists visiting Salvation Mountain when we were there.  This  is a very interesting folk art installation.  It is about three stories tall and about 100 feet wide with various painted vehicles nearby all done by the self-taught artist Leonard Knight over many years.  It is an unusual local attraction and has become part of the culture of the area just as  ”Watts Towers” in L.A. is a part of the culture there.  Exposed to the elements as Salvation Mountain is however, there are severe preservation challenges.   Sadly, between the elements, vandals, etc. this work may be more ephemeral than any of us want it to be so we recommend that if you want to see it in its present condition, you should try to do so fairly soon.  Quite a lot of work goes into trying to preserve it and we have read that there are numerous volunteers working on a rotating basis to maintain it.
The Slabs/Slab City–
Ah, The Slabs.  We’ve heard so much about this area near Salton Sea in the poorest county in California near the very tired appearing, small town of Niland.  Have been looking forward to visiting this area for some time.  The Slabs was always on our list of “must see”.   We’ve seen lots of pictures of this area, but still, being here is quite “AMAZING” as Huell Houser (RIP) of PBS’s TV program, ‘California Gold’ would say.   We’ve heard that The Slabs are indescribable, a place that needs to be experienced and that assessment seems accurate.  Slab City: a

 

desert enclave hardly describes this fairly large, squatters’ derelict community of a few dirt roads dotted by mostly dilapidated structures surrounded by some large swaths of open desert land giving it a bit of a third world feel.  The approximately 600,000 acres (now owned by California) are the leavings of a WWll dismantled military base.  When the base was dismantled, all was removed except the cement slabs that served as the marine barracks’ foundations.  Thus the name, The Slabs.  GPS location–

N 33° 15′ 32″ W 115° 27′ 59″ or just put the town of Niland, Ca into the GPS.

 

 

 
The area is populated by a variety of people; the mental health challenged, the down-on-their-luck folks, fugitives of all stripes trying to distance themselves from society,  ”Snowbirders” (boondocking campers from colder climes) looking for a free place in the desert to winter usually in their RV, and various others.  There’s plenty of room to boondock here and the price of free is always welcome.  
There’s no electricity, no water, no trash pick-up, no sewer system, no houses, no services and a marked feeling of lawlessness about The Slabs.  There’s a lot of trash along the dirt roads and around many of the makeshift structures though some of the “residents” say they are trying to dissuade people from dumping trash at The Slabs now.  The nearest services (a small grocery store, post office, etc.) are about five miles away in the town of Niland which benefits financially from all the RVers that boondock at The Slabs.  The wintertime sees The Slabs population grow to as many as perhaps a few thousand and it drops into the hundreds in the summer heat.  The folks that populate this area year round have established a community of sorts with a makeshift outdoor theatre, an informal community gathering place called the Oasis Club, etc.   
We spent only a short time in The Slabs as the reputation and pervasive feeling of lawlessness in The Slabs was somewhat disquieting for us though it didn’t seem to bother other folks staying here. 
 

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JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

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January 3, 2013
Anza Borrego–
After Christmas with the family in the San Diego area, we’d originally planned to visit Anza Borrego State Park  but reservations are required if you are to have a chance to get a spot to camp there.   We don’t like being pinned down to specific dates so we did not make any  reservations and all the campsites were full.  C‘est la vie.  California state parks camp sites are frequently booked months in advance of the desired camping date.  So we instead choose to visit a National Park in Southern California, Joshua Tree NP.  Generally, National Parks do not take reservations for all their sites and leave some or many for the “first come, first served” camper.  This system is much more to our liking and our style or camping.  When we decide to visit Anza Borrego State Park some other time we will make reservations in advance.
Joshua Tree National Park–
This is an interesting desert National Park with its large number of Joshua Trees, other desert plants and many geological features.   Also, there are lots of hiking trails and a large wilderness area to explore.  We’re told there’s quite a lot of desert wildlife here as the Joshua tree, among its many characteristics, provides shelter and is a food source for some of the inhabitants of this desert park.   Other than some birds we really did not see much wildlife but we  quite enjoyed watching some of the talented and brave rock climbers scattered throughout the upper portion of the park.  Joshua Tree National Park would likely be a good park to visit in the Spring and perhaps see some of the desert plants bloom if that is your interest.
Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park–
There are multiple campgrounds in this park with many “first come, first served” sites.  Our favorite campground is Jumbo Rocks Campground.  To get a camping spot at this popular campground you would have to arrive very early in the day as campsites here are in great demand.  The rock formations in and around this campground are very interesting and very popular with rock climbers.  Even if you don’t rock climb, at the Jumbo Rocks Campground you will be treated to many rock formations as well as a chance to watch some of the rock climbers do their thing.  Quite an enjoyable way to spend time.
One of the campgrounds we stayed in was Blackrock Campground. It is located in the North West corner of Joshua Tree National Park and is at an elevation of about 4000 feet.  This desert campground is studded with Joshua trees and quite a few campsites but the little neglected roads inside the campground are in deplorable condition.  It was snowing moderately and increased steadily when we were there and was oh-so-cold with a temp of 32 degrees and below.  We were very impressed by the many tenters determined to enjoy camping despite the cold and snow.  The tenters were generally young, fit and hardy and we learned they were mostly rock climbers who frequent this park to hone their rock climbing skills.  Some of these tenters even had campfires going.   This was a first for us to see folks tend a roaring campfire while it snowed.
The Slabs–
Upon leaving Joshua Tree National Park we’re headed for the Slabs.  Between Joshua Tree National Park and the Slabs there are many places to boondock along the side of lightly traveled route 111 as you approach the east side of the Salton Sea from the north.  You will find many folks boondocked in this area and when we stopped two other RVs boondocked near where we pulled over for the night.  Will write about our Slabs visit in our next post.
Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Some rock climbers. Joshua Tree National Park

Some rock climbers. Joshua Tree National Park

Some rock climbers (near the top on the right). Joshua Tree National Park

Some rock climbers (near the top on the right). Joshua Tree National Park

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A FAMILY VISIT IN PEARBLOSSOM, CALIFORNIA

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November 29, 2012

Boondock–
After spending some family visit time in Northern California we traveled to Southern California for more family visits traveling mostly on Interstate 5. Due to the distance between the San Francisco bay area and Southern California, about 500 miles, we overnighted along the way at a “Vista Point” view area. Since it was just an overnight so it was convenient to stop along the way as soon as it began to grow dark. During the night two or three trucks and a couple of RVs also stopped and stayed overnight in the same “Vista Point” area. Of course, there is supposedly “no camping” in the Vista Point area, but then… we were “just resting” as it appeared the others were doing. No one bothered us.
After breakfast and a quick check of the Stock Market via our Verizon internet connection, we were on our way continuing south over the Grapevine (a mountainous stretch of I 5 in California).

Pearblossom, California–
Visiting family in this sparsely populated desert town near the northeast section of LA county. Clear air, very blue skies, surrounded by lovely mountains, the area is mostly starkly beautiful desert scape. Before gas prices went up, this was a distant bedroom community for commuters working in the LA. area.  Housing prices were comparatively low in Pearblossom and you got more house and land for the buck.
It has been quite a long time since we last visited this area and we are quite enjoying our stay here. Very good company in a lovely area makes for a great stay.  Also, since we come with our own place to stay, our own bed, etc. it is easier on our host.

Internet connection–
We are getting 3G and frequently 4G each with a very strong signal with our Verizon Millenicom Samsung Hotspot for our internet connection in this desert town. Even along I 5 in the middle of what appeared to be “NoWhere, California”, got an excellent internet and cell phone connection.

This blog published via our Verizon Millenicom Samsung Hotspot.

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THE ESCAPEES CAMPGROUND IN YUMA, AZ. AND AN ALGODONAS, MEXICO VISIT

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November 15, 2012

Escapees Campground in Yuma, AZ.–
We are Escapees RV Club members and since we were going through the desert town of Yuma we stopped and stayed at their boondock site. This Escapees boondock site is located inside the park and the $5.00/night charge gives you access to the clubhouse, showers, shuffleboard courts, heated pool, Jacuzzi, small library, coin laundry, free wi-fi, and everyone is welcome to join in the events and celebrations. Jerry loves the pool and Jacuzzi and we did use them numerous times during our stay. We attended a Saturday Night “Hot Dog Roast” gathering at the clubhouse. The hot dogs and buns with all the fixings were included and everyone brought a “side” or dessert dish.
This membership park is a year round park. Some folks stay here the entire year and many of them have a mobile home on one of the lots. Mostly Snowbirds use the park in the winter since the weather is mild, the monthly rates are reasonable and there are full hook-ups. Some of the same snowbirds come to the same park year after year and soon they are renewing old friendships with fellow snowbirders.
The Escapees park is located only a few miles from the town of Yuma and is surrounded by farm, ranch and desert lands. This makes it quiet in the park but convenient for shopping.

Algodonas, Mexico–
After leaving the Escapees Campground we drove the seven miles to the parking lot on the US side of the boarder crossing at Algodonas, Mexico. The cost to park the RV is $7 in the secure lot and we just feel it is a wise idea to leave our vehicle in the US rather than drive it into Mexico. From the parking lot it is an easy walk across the boarder into Algodonas, Mexico. Within the first four or five blocks there are numerous pharmacies, doctor and dental offices, optician venues and of course the usual small shops and carts that sell just about anything you could want. This town is a draw for both Canadians and US citizens for discount priced medical, dental, and optical care plus no doctor prescription is required for most medications. Of course, if you buy something in Mexico you should check the expiration dates, know the generic names for any medications and know that the boarder crossing limits the amount you bring into the US. If you use their services; medical, dental or optical it would be wise to get a reference from a fellow snowbirder who has had good care there.
We bought some Vanilla in Algodonas. I like to bake and find their pure vanilla good and very reasonably priced. Many folks buy discounted liquor and cigarettes in Algodonas but the amount you can take across the boarder into the US is limited.
The restaurants in Algodonas are quite good with low prices and we have never had any illness from eating in these restaurants. We believe that it is so much in the best interests of the business owners of Algodonas that a visitor has a good experience that they go to great lengths to see that the visitor will come back again. It is a rare place in Mexico where we feel reasonably safe these days as we are pretty cautious folks but this is one. I guess the thousands of Canadians and US citizens that come to Algodonas, Mexico says something about the quality of the experience.

Crossing the boarder–
Going into Mexico we found crossing the boarder is easy and fast at the Algodonas crossing. You can drive across (check insurance requirements) but we just walk across. No passport check and in fact there is no interaction with anyone related to boarder patrol going into Algodonas, Mexico.
Crossing the boarder into the US from Mexico is a far different experience than entering Mexico. To enter the US, or re-enter as in our case, there are boarder patrol agents to deal with. They ask questions, want to see appropriate papers (we just showed our passports), and look at any items you are bring into the US to make sure it meets their rules. Since we were going through the boarder crossing early in the snowbird season we were through the boarder checkpoint in just a few minutes. (Snowbird season really gets in full swing by January each year) We have been to Algodonas during the height of snowbird season and the line to cross the boarder into the US can be 2+ hours long.

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A SHORT STAY IN QUARTZSITE, AZ.

Filed under: RV. travel, fulltime — 6 Comments
November 1, 2012

Gas prices–
We had enough Arizona gas at $3.41/gal. to get into California recently and drive around Southern California but…we couldn’t make it out of California without buying some California gas. Paid $3.94/gal. in California which was not as bad as we heard it was going to be. After we left California this time we paid $3.78/gal. for gas in Arizona. So there is a difference in price but not that big, scary difference that we were reading about. Gas had been higher priced a few weeks before we got to California, but that didn’t last so very long. Thank goodness!

Boondock–

We are aggressive RV boondockers and rarely pay to stay overnight or to dump our tanks/get fresh water. As we do most nights, on the way to Arizona from California we boondocked for the night along the way and moved on after breakfast. For the “snowbird” season (“avoid cold weather season”) , we could stay on free undeveloped BLM land to boondock on but the $180 pass we bought makes staying on developed BLM land (called LTVA), with its attendant RV facilities, just easier and is still most certainly cost-effective since we will stay on BLM land intermittently this fall/winter. With a small budget, we make every effort to direct the funds we do have to actual travel.

Quartzsite, Arizona–
Went to the small town of Quartzsite, AZ  from So. California for some peace and quiet. Boy Howdy, is it ever quiet in Quartzsite this time of year! We have only seen Quartzsite in the middle of the snow bird season rush so the emptiness of the place is jarring. Many of the restaurants and stores are closed until the “season” gets well underway and for now the BLM land is virtually free of RVs. We are not usually out looking for restaurants but it was our anniversary so we wanted to celebrate a little and realized how many places are closed for now. Most of the folks that are in Quartzsite this time of year are the folks that live here year-round and some of the folks that are escaping truly high snow areas.
We asked one RV couple from Northern Idaho how they handled being away from family during Thanksgiving and Christmas. They said that they have a big celebration of Thanksgiving and Christmas every year with family in late July and that their family seemed to enjoyed the mid-year holiday. Told us that doing it this way was a lot easier on these two snowbirds.
The Quartzsite BLM registration offices have a book exchange in each building and while a lot of the books are what I call “bodice rippers” that we find just too silly to read, some of the books are recent best sellers giving us plenty to choose from so our days are filled with lazy, relaxing reading.
We bought the $180 pass (total cost) that allows us to stay on LTVA (long-term visitor area) BLM land any time from mid-Sept. to mid-April. The pass is good for most California and Arizona developed BLM land and includes the use of multiple RV dump sites, places to get fresh water and numerous places to get rid of trash.
Our “campsite” for now is in La Posa South BLM in Quartzsite, AZ. near a large bush that provides afternoon shade. The temp. is cool in the morning, rises to the low 80′s in the afternoon and then drops rapidly in the evening into the 60′s. Morning walks, reading and relaxing during the day and then usually a moonlit walk in the evening rounds out our day. The moon rise from behind the mountains is a beautiful sight and if there is little or no moonlight the Milky Way with its thousands of points of light can be clearly seen.
Spent Halloween evening chatting around a campfire with a lovely, large group of RVers. These folks have been coming here every year for many years and stay for the whole fall/winter/early spring renewing their old friendships and meeting new people.

RV Water Pump–
When we went to the Lazy Daze factory in Montclair, CA. to get our missing RV Escape Hatch replaced one of the company’s owners (Steve) adjusted our water pump causing it to run much better. He told us further tweaking would be needed over time and, sure enough, Jerry has already had to re-adjust it. We have so much wiring in the area of the water pump from our solar set-up, it helped a lot to see a “work around” to adjust the water pump without disturbing any of the elaborate wiring located in that small space.

Internet, Cell Phone and TV–
The Verizon Internet and Verizon cell phone connections are excellent in Quartzsite and we get a dozen TV channels with just our TV aerial. PBS here has three channels and all come in very well!

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