California – Page 5 – The MoHo and Other Traveling Tales

3-28-2014 Boondock Sites and Camping in Mojave National Preserve

This post is specifically about what we found when wandering around the preserve this past few days. If you aren’t interested in boondocking, just skip it. I have included more detail than usual for some of the folks that I know who are definitely interested in boondocking.

Link to live google map

First, I have embedded a live Google Map I created with labels for sites and intersections. Hopefully if you click on the map, you will be redirected to Google and will have the ability to zoom in, mouse hover over the points to read the labels. Eventually I will figure out how to actually “embed” the map so that it shows rather than just the link, but this will have to do for now.

The rest of the maps are clipped images for each area.

When we first stopped off at the visitor center at the Depot in Kelso, the attendant was a bit vague about RV camping in the area. The words in the brochure say “Roadside camping is permitted in areas that have been traditionally used for this purpose: Sites with existing rock or metal fire rings should be considered suitable for roadside camping.”

He pointed vaguely to a couple of areas on the preserve map, including the area near the cross, and the area at the dunes, but didn’t tell us about the other two sites, or have any indication of road conditions getting into any of the sites. The only developed campground that is suitable for larger RV’s (even our size at 26 feet) is the Hole in the Wall Campground where we spent one night.

I do have to correct the last post. It is Hole in the Wall, not Hole in the Rock, and I will edit the previous post accordingly, but anyone reading has probably already read the post and will not see the correction.

The first site where we camped was actually a small developed campsite, with a picnic table provided by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a fire ring, at the base of the white cross WW I memorial. We attempted to enter via the eastern side of the road and found it rutted and too rocky for the rig, had to unhook and back out, and continue to the west side of the small loop to enter the site.

Some folks with pickups had traveled from this spot to the other sites I have mentioned, but we wouldn’t take our rig back there from this direction.

Walking around checking roads the next day, we found the easternmost entrance to the camping area, and walked the road back to the pavement. Here we found two great sites.

Site number 2 on the list was the very best, with a dirt road access that we could easily handle in our rig. It was my favorite.

Site number 3 is just west of site 2 on the same side road, however there is a bit of a rough patch that might be trouble for clearance for motorhomes. We probably wouldn’t try it in the rig, but some might. I would highly suggest that before taking your motorhomes to these sites, that you check them out with your toad.

We were exploring on foot, and there may be other sites on the road toward the mine north to discover if you have the time and a toad to do so.

The Dunes road, as I mentioned, was incredibly rough, but after we turned around we discovered if we kept our speed to less than 5 mph, literally, we could have traveled the 3 miles to the campsite. A previous commenter mentioned this site, so I included it in the map if you are willing to drive the road.

The Granite Mountain sites are incredibly gorgeous, just incredible. With any kind of small rig with high clearance you could probably get back in there and it would be worth it.

At the Hole in the Wall campground, there is a dump station and potable water with a hose to fill your water tanks. We didn’t see anything requiring campground registration in order to use the dump or take on water. It may have been there. At half price for the senior pass, it would have been worth the $6. fee to dump and get water if we wanted to stay out longer in the area.

The Wildhorse Canyon road that travels west and then north from just south of the Hole in the Wall visitor center is also good dirt road. It isn’t nearly as rough as the Dunes road to sites 4 and 5 on the map.

These sites are big and flat and are close to the Ring Trail and some fascinating volcanic rock cliffs. They could accommodate 2 or 3 rigs if you were friends. There was only one fire pit at site 4, but plenty of space.

The road from this area north toward Mid Hills campground is also dirt, and rough and narrow. We were in 4 wheel drive, but probably didn’t need it. I wouldn’t take a motorhome that way. A truck and camper could manage it OK. Mid Hills wasn’t nearly as charming as the other areas of the park. Once a juniper woodland, there was a devastating fire in recent years that has left the place feeling desolate and rather depressing.

We did see the entrance to the Black Canyon Group Camp, near the main Hole in the Wall campground, and I would imagine this is where the rally that Carol spoke of will be held. There is no camping anywhere around the Kelso Visitor Center or on any of the major paved roads in the preserve.

The Mojave National Preserve is a treasure land of wild desert space. We visited in late March, which I would imagine would be the high season before summer heat. There were some flowers blooming, the winds were extremely high, but that was case all over the southwest on the days that we were there.

If you want a true desert boondocking experience, and like to be alone in the wild open space, this a a perfect place to be.

03-27-2014 Mojave Wild

Current Location: Mojave National Preserve 41 F

It isn’t yet 6AM and I am watching the waning crescent moon rise through long black clouds to the east. There is just enough light to see the outline of Mesa Mountain, east of the Hole in the Rock where we are camped. Venus is brilliant nearby, and I wish I had the will to dig out the telephoto, dig out the tripod, hook it all up and see if I could actually create an image that would remind me of this moment. Instead I’ll write of it, and know that it would take a better photographer than I am to catch the feeling.

We will be home on April 1st. This may be our last night in the wild darkness of the desert, and a wild rocking night it was! After spending such magical time near Virgin, and wanting more, we initially planned to travel north through Cedar City and then take another back road to the Great Basin National Park.

One of the blessings of boondocking in our sweet spot, was the perfect Verizon signal for our JetPack and the ability to check on the weather. For the first time in the entire three months of winter travel, we had to shift our plans completely to accommodate the weather gods and our common sense. Predictions for the next few days included high wind warnings, snow and temperatures in the 20’s at the lowest elevations near Great Basin near Baker, and unknown snow and wind over the entire western side of Nevada. No way home.

We studied maps and weather and more maps and checking our calendar, came up with a simple plan. Head south on I-15 toward Barstow on the gorgeous sunny non windy day we had left, and then hunker down at Edwards AFB Family Camp and wait the three days of harsh weather with hookups and a place to do laundry. Then, once the snow warnings lifted over the Tehachapi 58 route, we could get over the pass to the I-5 route north and home. Sigh. I-5 again? Not even 395?

With predictions for snow at home in Rocky Point around the time of our arrival, we may decide to go to Grants Pass instead. We will see. Weather predictions are often a lot worse than the actuality. Then again, sometimes they are spot on. Predictions for our westward direction included wind, and last night was possibly the windiest we have ever experienced on the road. I was glad we were in the west, where tornadoes are extremely rare, but there were a few times last night when I thought surely we were going to be blown over.

We pulled in the slides not long after camping, but during an especially dramatic gust, I even picked up the levelers. It somehow seemed a bit safer to me to have the MoHo settled solidly on all six tires, even if a bit less than level.

Driving west from Las Vegas on I-15 was fast and smooth. Vegas from the high vantage point of the freeway looks different, even bigger somehow that the view along the strip. Traffic was heavy but moving steadily on a Tuesday afternoon. Just past the state line, we were suddenly shocked by the brightest artificial light I think I have ever seen. Huge towers were beaming intense white light and below them something that looked like a strange lake was reflecting the sunlight.

Sometimes it is fun to have the iPad along with a great signal. Searching “bright lights near the Nevada California border” I came up with this. We were passing the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, which just came online on February 13. Mirrors concentrate light and then somehow the light heats water for power generation. Sounds like science fiction, and it certainly looked like it. Funny, with all the hoopla about Solara, neither of us had ever heard a word of this successful solar power generating project.

Near the state line in California is a rest area, and it was time for an Abby walk. What a great surprise. Many states in the south have beautiful state of the art visitor centers, and we love to visit them. Here, however, a simple rest area was gorgeous, and rich with information about this part of California, including the nearby Mojave National Preserve, spanning 1.6 million acres between I-15 and I-40 and east to the Nevada border.

The rest area was artfully designed, with outdoor displays that told the story of the area in a way that could be enjoyed without entering a building or requiring staff to disperse brochures. It was beautifully kept, and even the bathrooms were tiled with images and stories.

Even before reaching the rest area, though, Mo and I had decided to stop in Baker to fill the tanks so we could boondock another night. The excitement of camping at the AFB wasn’t all that alluring, and we thought, what the heck, let’s slip into the preserve, boondock for another night and then we can continue west to Edwards.

Mo had visited the preserve in the past, not only in this decade with the baby MoHo, but in the 60’s when she was teaching at China Lake, California. Our first stop was at Kelso, where the visitor center is located in the beautifully restored Kelso Depot. Anyone reading this blog for any length of time, knows how much we love desert, but often the Mojave experience is filled with development and dotted with desert garbage.

Not here. I am so incredibly grateful for this space. Unlike Joshua Tree, which we also love, it is farther from most of the big cities of Southern California and so far, is blessedly empty. Incredibly empty, and at first it seems like what my daughter calls a lot of “white hot nothing”. With just a little time and a bit more effort, the fascinating diversity of the Mojave becomes clear in a space that feels more remote than either Joshua Tree or Death Valley, if not quite as dramatic.

The roads through the preserve, even the paved roads, can be a bit rough and bumpy, and are two lane narrow routes without shoulders. There are only two developed campgrounds, but after visiting with the staff at the beautifully restored Kelso Depot Visitor Center, we learned that “roadside” camping is allowed in places where there has been a fire ring and previous use.

The Visitor Center is wonderful, with beautiful photographic displays on the walls of the restored Craftsman style rooms. There is a gift shop, interpretive exhibits, three excellent movies to view in the small theater, and art exhibits. I especially enjoyed the recordings of the “booming sands” of the Kelso Dunes

Traveling back toward the northern part of the preserve toward Cima, we turned northwest again to find the World War I memorial. There is a white cross on the hill, which after some lengthy controversy, remains. Mo camped here in back on her solo desert trip back in 2009.

Just behind the cross is a small campsite, with a fire ring and a table provided by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and before dark we were settled in for our first gorgeous, if wildly windy night. The winds didn’t come up until midnight or so, but with the associated cold front, by morning we felt a huge difference in the desert air.

There are several boondock sites that we found in that vicinity, and in other parts of the preserve as well, and I decided to do a separate post about boondocking in the preserve. That post will come later.

The morning was dramatic with wildly speeding clouds flying by and the winds never let up as the day progressed. We headed south back toward Cima and Kelso, with plans to see the magnificent Kelso Dunes, some of the highest in the country. The Kelso Depot Visitor Center is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, but there is an open restroom with a jug friendly spigot. Our water was low, and we filled our extra jugs, just in case we decided to boondock another night at the dunes. Still couldn’t quite get our heads around giving up the wild desert for the luxuries of camping at the base. After several nights being out, we weren’t really as well prepared for more boondocking as we could have been, but we had turned off the water pump, to be sure we didn’t run the tank dry.

Seven miles south of Kelso is the ‘2 wheel drive unpaved’ road leading west to the Dunes and another possible campsite. Within the first few hundred yards, however, we were badmouthing the folks that think roads should be surfaced with gravel. The washboards were so very bad that Mo decided it was too much for the rig and we found a place to unhook and turn around. With the winds at 40 plus mph, the dunes looked less and less inviting. One of the reasons I most wanted to see them was to hear the booming singing sound that the sand makes at times. I figured that with the high winds I wouldn’t hear it anyway.

With a bit of disappointment, we once again decided on going to Edwards, with hookups and WiFi, to wait out the winds and the weather. Continuing south just a short distance, we found another dirt road leading back into the Granite Hills, and couldn’t resist unhooking once again and taking the Tracker for a little spin around the hidden campsites tucked away in the boulders. Mo camped here in the 60’s with some of her students from China Lake and had fond memories of climbing around on the boulders. These sites could make us want to get the tent out again if we had it with us!

Back to the rig, and looking at the map, we saw the road to the Hole in the Rock developed campground was about 50 miles to the east and north. Even after the fill up in Baker, fuel was getting low. If we wanted to see that part of the preserve, we needed gas. We could travel some miles out of our way to find a new wild world, or we could travel west and do the common sense thing and camp at Edwards.

Once again, the desert won, and we finally found a gas station just off I-40, 7 miles west of the Essex Road leading north in the preserve toward the Hole in the Wall area, where there would be a dump station, and potable water to fill our tank. We paid 4.99 per gallon for 87 octane gas, and laughed about how our free boondocking had turned expensive. It is funny how you can figure anything out, and messing with the numbers, we decided our average cost for the two nights in the desert was about $20 per night, factoring in the half price $6. fee we paid for our second night at Hole in the Rock.

The gas station, by the way, is located right on the famous unnamed Route that we visited previously in the unnamed T city in New Mexico. I decided to NOT take photos or even mention the place because I would rather not create another firestorm with all the folks who probably love it. It was rather interesting, with lots of memorabilia, a cute little nook for hamburgers, and a lot of interesting people around. I felt much of the famous route culture at the spot, so if you are a lover of that route, search it out.

The winds had never let up, and by the time we were on I-40, the sandstorms were everywhere, reducing visibility dramatically. We could barely see the mountains, even as we approached the campground. We dumped, filled the water tank, and settled into a nice site in the upper area of the camp. It was a luxury to turn on the water pump, for sure! We weren’t technically boondocking on this night, but it felt as big and dark and empty as if we were. Only a few campers have braved the winds and sand storms to camp here.

After making such an effort to get here, we thought in spite of the dingy skies, we should try to see a bit of the area. The Hole in the Wall visitor center at this location is only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but they did have some trail brochures outside that gave a general idea of the local routes.

Another two wheel drive unpaved road took us north toward the one other developed campground in the preserve, Mid Hills Campground. This is definitely not a place for RV’s, mostly because of the rough road access, and with a recent fire leaving behind the skeletons of old junipers, it wasn’t very inviting. I can imagine it once was a lovely place to tent camp, cooler than the surrounding desert.

Home to the rig before dark, I made a good taco soup for supper and turned the generator on long enough to make corn muffins to go with it. Tasty.

Now, as I write, the winds are almost completely still and the dust has settled from the skies. To the west, everything is crystal clear. To the east I can see a low brown cloud of dust obscuring the distant hills. Once again, we will head for Edwards AFB, with only one night instead of three. With WiFi again available, I will post the blog, read others, write about boondock sites in Mojave Preserve, and check weather sites and snow predictions as we decide which route to take home Friday morning.

1-3-2014 It has something to do with the light

Desert Hot Springs 62 degrees F this evening and high thin clouds with a sliver of a moon

I guess because I grew up in Southern California there is something about the color of the light that touches me down deep. I certainly wouldn’t want to live here all the time, but when I visit, memories surface and I feel as though I am in very familiar territory. I slip back into feelings and impressions I had when I was a kid, nameless, the memories are nothing solid, but the sensations are interesting to experience. Wordless, really, and yet I keep trying to put it into words somehow.

It felt that way early this morning, as Mo and I swam in the hot springs pool at 5am, watching the stars and the many airplanes in the dark sky going in all directions. We had the place to ourselves until 6:30, a surprise, because usually there are early risers slipping into the hot water long before daylight. The water in the adult pool in the lower part of the park where we like to stay was a comfortable 95 degrees or so, and the hot spa was 104F. Hot enough to soak out any left over aches and pains left from sitting around too much in the rig.

As much as we enjoy coming to Catalina Spa and RV Resort, it is getting to be a bit more difficult. The park is a membership only kind of place, and while they honor our Passport America card, they now limit our stay to only 2 nights. Otherwise the rate is 65 bucks a day, more than either of us wants to spend, no matter how nice the pools are. The new rules will let us stay here for 4 days for a mere $45, if we spend an hour listening to a spiel for purchasing a Coast to Coast membership, and this would be our home park.

We are a bit too rambling for that sort of thing, though, and our road trips include state parks, national parks, boondocking, and lots of other kinds of camping than a Coast to Coast membership would provide. Not a good use of money. So who knows if we will come back again. Today we went over to Sam’s Family Spa, a place that Nina seems to love, but it seemed a lot bigger and busier and the pools aren’t open all night as they are here. That is my favorite thing. I love slipping into a silent hot pool in the middle of the night and swimming under the stars.

Later this morning, when we emerged from the Tracker at the Whitewater Preserve ranger station, that light thing hit me again really hard. Adding to the light was the fragrance of sycamore trees and cottonwoods along the riverbed that almost made me feel that I was 9 years old again. My daddy used to take me on hikes into the San Gabriel Mountains that looked and felt very much like these mountains around us at the base of the Mt San Gorgonio Wilderness.

Whitewater Canyon Loop Trail Nina and Rick have both talked about hiking Whitewater Preserve with their dogs. Finding dog friendly hikes in Southern California is only second in difficulty to finding dog friendly beaches in Florida. I was happy to have a new idea for something for us to do that would be fun on our only full day here in Desert Hot Springs.

The hike was a perfect Southern California hike on a perfect SoCal day: warm, a light breeze, and brilliant, brilliant sunshine illuminating everything around us. I stopped in at the ranger station first to get a handle on the trails and a young man at the desk gave me a thorough and very practiced talk on where to go and what to follow.

What I didn’t realize was that we would be hiking along a very small portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, the PCT, subject of a great book I just read called “Wild”. The PCT meanders along the Cascade crest not far from our home in Rocky Point, and Mo and I have hiked bits and pieces of it when we climbed McLoughlin and hiked in the Sky Lakes Wilderness. The cute little guy behind the desk said, “Gee, you could walk home from here!”. Hmmm…maybe not.

The 3.5 mile loop that we hiked today was definitely enough. I am a bit soft from an autumn full of quilting and not enough snow shoveling. The switchbacks weren’t too difficult on the way up and neither of us were huffing and puffing too terribly, but the knees definitely need a bit of work to handle those downhills. Thank goodness for hiking poles I guess.

We spent about two hours actually hiking and some more time just sitting by the bubbling water letting Abby play before we ambled back to the parking lot. There are lots of hikes in the area, a couple of easier ones, and several more strenuous 8 mile one way hikes that followed the PCT for a great distance.

With a light breakfast and no lunch in our bellies, I was glad that we needed to slip into Palm Springs to buy a missing printer cable on the way home. I just knew there had to be ice cream somewhere in downtown Palm Springs, and with a little bit of help from google we found Lappert’s Ice Cream. My oh My! I had some kind of Kona coffee thing with fancy chocolate in it. The place had lots of Hawaiian themed goodies, and something called Donkey Balls. Hmmm….I did ask about that, and they are macadamia nuts coated in chocolate. Just like the ones from Maui, although I didn’t know they were called donkey balls.

Who takes a Segway into the mountains?

We were happy to get home in late afternoon. Dealing with Palm Springs traffic and people isn’t exactly fun, although seeing Palm Springs in the daytime was kind of nice. Most of the time when we are here we only go there in the evening for the street fair. Once back home we settled in to do money stuff, and Mo was very happy to have our little working Canon printer along so she could print out needed documents.

I said, heck with that, I am going for another swim! With only two days to enjoy the pools I don’t want to miss a minute. I walked a bit more distance to the upper pool, supposedly the nicer one. It was a bit cooler and a bit bigger, but there were a lot more folks around, since it was getting close to time for the “all you can eat” spaghetti supper. With just an ice cream lunch, it started smelling pretty good and I walked back home to start of the Weber and made some yummy pork chops and rice with a salad. Much better than spaghetti from a community pot I think.

I swam last night when we arrived, at 5am this morning, and again this evening. I will be in the pool again tomorrow before dawn as well, you can bet on it. We are heading to Gila Bend and Tucson tomorrow, still not sure whether we will stop in Gila Bend for the night or just press on to Tucson. All depends on how we feel. Gila Bend FamCamp isn’t that great and Tucson is fabulous, but who knows.

Google Earth image of our hike on the Whitewater Canyon Loop

Got an email tonight from Texas warning of possible weather trouble in the vicinity of Fort Davis, so spent a bit of time re-checking routes and weather and fuel stops. Nope. Don’t want that low fuel thing to get us when nights could be in the teens as we get into Texas in a few days. When I planned this trip, I knew that the weather could do anything and everything between Oregon and Florida, so hopefully we are ready for whatever comes our way.

California transit

12/30/2013 Orange Grove RV Park Bakersfield CA 65 degrees F as the sun sets

Transiting California reminds me of all the reasons why I really don’t want to ever live here again. Yes, I am a California girl, was born here, as were each of my children. But I left for good reasons, all of which come to mind as we travel south on I-5.

California has so many areas that I love, that I wouldn’t want to have missed in my lifetime. If you are from the east and haven’t seen Big Sur, or Yosemite, or the Mother Lode in springtime, or Lake Tahoe, or the Lost Coast, or Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, the Central Coast ……I could go on and on. San Diego is rich with culture and has perfect weather. The Bay Area is vibrant and fabulous, with so much to see and do. Parts of California have wonderful places to live for lots of people who love it. Mo lived happily on the coast north of Half Moon Bay for 35 years.

Trouble is, we have been to all those places many times, and now are just trying to get THROUGH California so we can get on to the southwest deserts. This time of year 395 isn’t smart, and the coast highway 101 is waaay out of our way. We are moving fast so that we have as much time as possible when we get to the Gulf Coast and Florida. That leaves us with the one choice in California that is the least lovely.

Down I-5 we go, passing what I consider one of the creepiest cities ever, Stockton. The freeway through Stockton is like something in a third world country. Once beyond the Highway 120 ramp toward Sonora, the traffic thinned a bit and the road got a bit smoother. The foggy smog cleared enough that we could see a bit of the landscape around us. Just a bit, although at this time of year it was brown and barren and not so pretty Thought I would put in a pretty photo from our 2011 trip south to remind me of how beautifully seductive the state of California can be at times.

We did get through it. Mo and I taking turns driving, and by the time we got to our exit toward Bakersfield, I was tired of all those cars, just so many cars, all going fast and trying to pass each other and the trucks. I plunked along at 60mph, and decided to avoid the fray, but the lines of cars passing me in the fast lane were often bumper to bumper, moving fast, but rarely a car length between them.

Turning off toward Bakersfield, we negotiated our way around some back side streets trying to find Costco. Google Maps and the GPS don’t seem to understand fences and we ended up right by the gasoline bays, with a fence between us and them where the road ended. Hmmm….did manage to wind around to another highway and found the entrance, but it sure did seem silly. No such thing as a simple off-ramp by the Costco. According to my trusty Gas Buddy, it was the cheapest gas around at 3.37 per gallon, considerably less than on previous trips through this part of California

It really was a short easy day, driving only 275 miles or so to our afternoon destination at Orange Grove RV Park. We ambled in to a nearly empty park, planning to relax after washing the rig, only to find that the park was booked solid and we were led into overflow. Water and electric only, no sewer no cable. I didn’t have reservations, but tonight the park is completely booked. The owner said that this is their busiest week of the year. oops. good thing they have an overflow! In fact, after the overflow fills up they have a big space for dry camping as well. Nice that we didn’t have to do that.

Instead, tonight we are packed in like little sardines, lined up row by row with a lot of very friendly campers. Most of them are from California with another big contingent from British Columbia. A smattering of Washingtonians and Oregonians rounds out the mix. Everyone wants to talk, everyone is just so nice. We are out of practice. We live out in the woods and like to boondock. I love nice friendly people, but in small doses! It is just a different way of camping, of enjoying the RV lifestyle, and I know lots of people really love it. Others are famous for NOT loving it, and wouldn’t dream of staying in a crowded RV park

We could have just continued on to Joshua Tree, but it would have been a long day and I wanted oranges. We also will be boondocking a bit and we wanted to fill up with water and be sure the tanks were clean before we wander out into the desert. I have no clue if the campgrounds (dry camps) in Joshua Tree will be full. In years past we have traveled there this time of year and everything was empty, but with this park packed in and overflowing, I am a bit skeptical. Whatever happens, we will be ready for it. There are lots of boondocking sites nearby if things are filled up in the park.

In a few days we will be back with full hookups enjoying the pools at Catalina Spa in Desert Hot Springs.

“Do you ever get tired of being on the road?”

December 29 2013: Lodi CA 49 degrees F and clear

Miles driven today: 373

A friend asked that question of me this afternoon, after seeing a Facebook post about being on the road again and loving it. And the answer is “yes, of course”. That is why we aren’t full timer’s. I love going home at the end of the trip. I love being home. In reality, the only time I really get tired of being on the road is toward the end of a trip, whether it is 3 days, 3 weeks, or 3 months. Once we turn toward home, and it is getting close, I get antsy, and get tired of the doing and going of a trip. I am ready to be on with it. Much like when I am home and know that we are leaving, I am ready to get going!

In reality, Barb’s question was a surprise. Reading RV blogs as I do, I know that we are on the road much less than many folks out there, even part timers often travel more than we do. In 2013 we only were on the road for a total of 102 days, a little more than 3 months, a quarter of a year. Only. I really thought that it was more than that. Until I actually counted, I thought we were out between 1/3 and 1/2 of the year. This year, however, it might actually get a bit closer to that 1/3 to 1/2 time. We will see.

Looking back again, I saw that most of the summer, we were home as planned, enjoying Rocky Point. Most of the fall I was home doing family things, quilting, knitting, cooking. Last winter and spring I was still working. So no. I don’t come even close to getting tired of being on the road. Which is a good thing. Like an unfinished “bucket list”, there is so much more to do, to see, more places to explore, more hikes, more rivers…and more evenings just sitting in the MoHo quietly typing away and thinking about what I am thinking. Ha!

This morning we managed to get up easily at 5:30. I had been awake since 4 and couldn’t sleep. Deb had made coffee in the house for us and left the back door open so we could slip in for a last shared morning cup before we got going. It was cold, maybe 30 degrees, and everything was shrouded in an icy fog. Seems as though those foggy inversions are a very common winter occurrence in the Rogue Valley.

We left just at 6am, in the dark, with full tanks ready to go, and sleeping with the slide in and the car hooked up, we just pulled out and within minutes were on Interstate 5 heading south. Oh I do love that feeling, knowing that there are miles and months ahead of me with expected and unexpected adventures. Sometimes just a change of scenery outside the window from one place to the next is all I need to feel energized.

Especially energizing today was watching the temperature rise from a frosty 14 degrees F near Yreka just over the California border to a toasty 64 degrees all the way from Redding to Lodi south of Sacramento. I have written about this stretch of road so many times, driven it more times than I care to count. Just what can you say about it anyway? The surface is a bit better in places than it was last April. The skies were clear to the west with gorgeous views of the coast range and a bit murky to the east and the Sierras. Nope, that isn’t anything new at all. I quit trying to analyze it, and when I took over the wheel, and Mo napped, I just slid into the sound of the wind coming in the open window and the feel of the sun on my face….and in my eyes. Dang, that California sun is BRIGHT!

Oh…a quickie story, another one about Michelin tires. Remember how we got an entire set of Michelin tires for the MoHo before we left for Alaska? Somehow after sitting in the Texas sunshine waiting to be sold, the sidewalls deteriorated and Michelin replaced them in full, minus balancing and mounting.

After 40K miles on the new second set, the tires were getting a little tired, so Mo decided to replace them before we embark on more than 8,000 miles of traveling. She replaced 5 of them in late October. Just a short time ago, she received a notice from Michelin saying those tires were being recalled. Sheesh! bad timing for sure. Mo went to town to get the spare replaced on the recall and talked to the manager at Basin tire about what to do. Today we got an email from Michelin saying that Mo was being reimbursed for all five tires that she bought.

These recalls aren’t such a bad thing I guess if Michelin keeps giving us free tires!

Tonight we are settled in to Flag City RV Resort in Lodi just off the interstate. We arrived early enough to set up easily and get the TV going in time for the 49rs game, a close one, but they did win. Then another re-heated dinner of yummy roast pork, apple compote and scalloped potatoes from Christmas was perfect.

Earlier in the afternoon, while Mo watched the game, I took Jeremy out into the sunshine for a walk and checked out the park. This place is so generic, close to the freeway, row after row of cement pads and little grass yards, and yet it is completely perfect for us just as it is. It is clean, predictable, 27 bucks for everything with the Passport America card, with great hookups, good TV, spotless restrooms and laundry, and a really nice lounging area in the office. We don’t use any of these lovely facilities, since for us this is always just an overnighter on our first night out.

Still, as I was walking around the park I thought it might be fun to at least post some photos of it and as I walked about six big rigs pulled in at the same time. Some kind of caravan thing had arrived. We never make a reservation here, and even with the caravans choosing this park, we have never had a problem getting a site.

Yup, I love the unpredictability of a road trip, and then again, I love it when some things are predictable. Such as a great place to stop for a good night’s sleep on a level pad with power, water, sewer, and cable. Sadly, we are in Lodi, and if we were “stuck” we could explore the more than 100 wineries in the area that have the very best old vine zins in the world. Instead, we will settle in for a good night’s sleep, grateful that the MoHo is fairly well insulated from the sounds of the interstate, and continue south in the morning. Generic freeways, generic RV parks, all have a bit of a purpose, they get us where we are going. The desert is calling.