Sand and water

Our camping area near Borrego Springs

Our desert experience was dry camping with no water or electric hook ups and no bathrooms or showers available in our camping area. We had to rely on our own water, have "navy showers" ( turn on shower to get wet, turn off shower, soap up, turn on shower to rinse, turn water off, which uses very little water), use propane for heat, and many people had solar panels for electricity which was often supplemented by generators.
The benefit of dry camping in the desert is that it is free but keeping track of propane, water, and sewage is critical when camping in the desert.


One day we drove to a point of interest that someone had seen.
In the desert were various rocks and when we arrived at a particular group of rocks, we were all astonished that rocks could look like a natural sculpture.
How they could develop to resemble an eagle so accurately is difficult to comprehend. Nature is truly marvelous!

The next day I got a ride with a friend to Agua Caliente, a desert hot springs in a county campground on the other side of the state park we were in. They charged only $3 for a day pass and it was heavenly to soak in their hot indoor pool and then go swimming in a cooler pool outside. To swim while surrounded by desert is a feeling like no other and after spending such a long time on arid land it was delightful to be immersed in water.

A large group of WINs left after that to drive about 1 1/2hrs north to Indio to park for free at a casino and stock up on supplies as well as get some city experience. Along the way, several of us stopped at Salton City to dump our tanks, refill with fresh water and get gas and propane. That gas station was doing fantastic business as it is the only one in that area and there were a large number of RV's heading home after the Thanksgiving week-end.The desert is a favourite playground for those with dirt bikes or ATVs ( all terrain vehicles).

along the road to Salton City

I wondered why they call that place Salton City as it has a pop of less than 4000!
It is at the Salton Sea, the largest lake in California at 15x35 mi. It's surface is 234 ft below sea level. It is salty and shallow and is directly on the San Andreas fault.
It was easy to find the casino on the outskirts of Indio and their parking lot was huge, enough space for all of our RV's. Our "rigs" come in all sizes with mine being one of the smaller ones at 24ft. There are many that are much longer "Class A"s and towing a car. Some also tow a small trailer for extra storage.

I parked beside Linda, a solo full-time RVer who is a retired radio announcer
and very interesting to talk to. As you can see, the large parking lot is very 
flat and sandy. The casino was happy to have us there (hoping some of us would spend a lot of money playing the machines.) 

Parked near the city meant we could get some shopping done or see a movie. Linda and I went to see "Brooklyn" which was very good. The city does have its advantages.

I met a few other WIN members from BC and Alberta, Canada. It's always a good feeling to meet other Canadians and share RV experiences. I got a ride with one of them to drive to Joshua Tree National Park which is fairly close to where we were camping. It was a real treat to see that park again after having camped there last winter and loved it. The western part of the park is the Mohave desert with elevations above 3000 ft. It is here where you can find the Joshua Trees. These are not real trees but rather a species of yucca. They can "grow over 40 feet tall~~at the leisurely rate of an inch a year" ( info from brochure).
The only wildlife we saw was what looked like a squirrel. Rattle snakes and scorpions are common but come out when the weather is hot. I have never seen either of those but I am always watching where I walk, just in case.

A gate at a museum

The eastern side of the park is below 3000ft elevation and is within the Colorado desert. It has different vegetation dominated by creosote bushes but you can also see ocotillo and cholla cactus there.
We drove across the park to the other side and were able to see the transition
from the Colorado to the Mojave deserts.
My favorite area is where all the mountains and piles of rocks are.They were formed by volcanic activity a long time ago, pushing magma up from deep in the earth. It cooled and cracked, forming large boulders. These eroded over time to form unusual shapes.

An oasis

Colorado desert area

rocks in the Mohave desert area of Joshua Tree park

A few days later,our group dispersed, some leaving to go off in various directions while many continued on to the next stop on their "Western winter circuit", to a unique place about an hour's drive south and on the east side of the Salton Sea. That place is called Slab City or " The Slabs" and I'm looking forward to seeing that area.It is not listed on the GPS but I got directions from someone.

In the meantime, I decided to follow Linda north to a campground in Desert Hot Springs to hook up for 2 days and do some swimming and that is where I am at present. The Caliente Springs resort honors Passport America which made it affordable. It is beautifully landscaped and has several pools of various temperatures, fed by hot springs in the area. 

The luxury of full hook ups

 and access to pools was a wonderful treat after dry camping in the desert. It was also necessary as I had been having some problems with my batteries not charging up well. I will need to get that sorted out soon but for now I am plugged in and my batteries have a chance to rest and charge from the sun. The nights are cold and I can plug in my small electric heater. The best part, however, is being able to swim or soak in one of the hot pools. I will be leaving tomorrow for Slab City and that will be a totally different experience.

I'll end with a desert scene.The photo was taken last year when I was camping at Joshua Tree park.

Joshua trees at sunset

                                           "The journey is the reward"
                                                           -- Chinese provhrs


             "A wilderness is an area where the earth and its community of life are
untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."
                                                      -- Wilderness Act, 1964

Now, some trivia. ( these were sent to me by my friend Barry)
Did you know that:

A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue

A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24hrs

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain

The cruise liner, QE 2, moves only 6 inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

Cheers,
Maria

whyknotrvmaria@gmail.com