Pa rump pa pa pa

Sorry but every time I read, say or hear Pahrump NV that song starts…
We came upon this idea because we wanted to visit Death Valley again, drive through Red Rock Canyon, and have cell service. The Pads last year were fabulous but there is no cell service there.
We found boondocking just east of town, once again easily accessible and great cell service.
This location was great for the exploring and shopping we wanted to do. We went to Vegas on the shoe hunt, took a 6 hour drive through Death Valley (end to end)spent quiet days at home reading and relaxing, visited Ash Meadows Wildlife Management area, and discovered 2 new malls in Vegas. And yes we found Don’s shoes!
Oh and Connor’s reptile he asked for!
Pahrump was a fabulous stop and we would not hesitate to return.

The Beauty of Joshua Tree

This post is only to add more photos, we love the Joshua Trees and the desert in spring!

Joshua Tree Looking South

Well actually we just moved to a new BLM location, how we see the park is the same.
It didn't take long to discover most of the activities and sight seeing were in the north end of the park, so a move to that end was warranted. Again Campendium to the rescue and we discovered BLM land by Joshua Tree Village and Twenty-Nine Palms. Edged against a solar field, there were over 300 acres of land and enough space to set up on that the neighbors were few and far away. Access to Joshua Tree Village was quick, and a few more minutes down the road were Walmart, and the famous Wi-Fi providers of Starbucks and McDonalds.
Our first day after setting up was spent relaxing, and visiting with a neighbor who baked a delicious loaf and shared it with us over tea and travel conversations. That is to us one of the best parts of this lifestyle!
After consulting the park map on Monday we decided to walk/hike the Barker Dam trail. Built by ranchers for a water supply, the dam is still intact, as well as the cattle waters. It was again the perfect day for a hike, a great dinner one back home, and a night of Yahtzee.

Now you know I love my outlet malls, and for that Palm Springs did not disappoint. So we took a drive on Tuesday, hoping to find Don some new shoes. Although that didn’t happen, we did have a nice day.
The next hike on our list was the Wall Street Mill. Starting from the same location as the Barker Dam, the Mill hike takes you through a forest of Joshua Tree to the remains of a gold processing mill. You will see many photos of their abandoned vehicles, as well as a few of the mill itself. Oh and since this was the wild west, a plaque commemorating a gun fight/land dispute.
We like a cycle of exploring on foot one day and by truck the next, so off we went to Barstow to look at a new boondocking spot for the future, and ensure Highway 247 was passable, as it had recently experienced closures.
Our next hike day was Lost Horse Mine. This was the toughest hike we did in the park as we chose the “all the way up” part as the first stage. Lost Horse is another gold mine. Although it is under construction right now, you can still hike ALL THE WAY UP and see the areas and structures that existed. It was kind of cool to see the workers and their camp set up, and if you see the photo with the white Jeep, that is a Parks vehicle and a Ranger going to visit the workers. This was a long hot hike so after showers and a change of clothes, we treated ourselves to dinner out at the Joshua Tree Brewing Co.

Saturday was laundry and market day. I let Don sleep that one off, but when I got home I was insistent that we find him those shoes, so off we went again. And no he still doesn’t have new shoes.
Sunday we literally did nothing. Don read, I binged on Netflix, and we finished the day off with a wifi visit to town.
Tomorrow we are moving to Pahrump!

Slab City

Another hope while in the area was to see Slab City and Salvation Mountain.And although we had been around the Salton Sea, it was just for the drive so we did that tour as well. All five of us piled into the truck, with Ivan as consultant :) I really think the water has come up, and we didn’t see the desolation we did last time, although we didn’t drive in and around the communities.
So – Slab City? I honestly know it appears as a pile of garbage in most places. When I was going through the photos for this I was originally going to post the homes and the trash, but then I changed my mind. Regardless of what brings people to live that way, they don’t need to highlighted on someone’s blog. So in respect to the residents here are some photos of the sights without their homes. There is also life and humor amongst these folks, and that is refreshing.
One thing I must say though – Wikipedia says this is a boondocking home for snowbirds. I am not sure when or how they determined that, but there are very few “RV Units” at the slabs that are even mobile. Time to update IMO.
Upon entrance to Slab City you first encounter Salvation Mountain. I think my photos say all they need to.
I am glad we visited here, after being talked about by almost every blogger we read, it was a piece of curiosity we had to appease.
On Saturday our company all left - Ivan for parts unknown and the Smiths we believe to Parker.
We decided this was our last day at the south BLM and decided to get a little city in, and visited Palm Springs with a Costco trip on the way home. As beautiful as Palm Springs is, for some reason it was underwhelming that day. We couldn’t even seem to fond an interesting place to eat. I did enjoy our walk through the main street, as I love watching people.
Don’t worry – we aren’t leaving Joshua Tree, just moving to the north end!

A New to us National Park

There’s a bit of excitement when you find a boondocking spot that everyone raves about just outside a national park you want to spend some time in. The reviews on the BLM land just outside Joshua Tree National Park were outstanding, so that’s where we headed. Easy to find just off Highway 10, there must be a hundred spots, and that is just a wild guess. Hopefully we would arrive before the overnighters and find a spot.
But wait, just as we were stopped for fuel Don noticed the trailer had an odd angle to it. A quick climb under to find a broken shackle bolt. Not too serious as it appeared a recent break and no damage, thus far. Next step to find somewhere that could jack it up high enough to change. No surprise Don had an extra bolt from the last shackle issue in Wickenburg a couple of years ago. The attendant told us about a repair shop a few minutes down the road so off we went. I will say it was an interesting stop but in the end the bolt was replaced and we were on our way. I was going to rant a bit about the lack of initiative some people have at work, but we all experience that so I won’t. But maybe don’t take a repair to a Bossman Centre if you are not a long haul trucker.
So better late than never, we pulled into the BLM land. It was very busy and full, and after driving in all directions we decided to walk and see if there was something we missed. Thankfully there was a spot that we determined would fit both us and Ken and Brenda, so we pulled in.
The next day we didn’t know if we should hike, drive and explore, or what. We decided to drive through and around the park and check out the trails and acquaint ourselves. In the past we had driven the main road through the park, but that doesn’t tell much. We headed out with lunches packed and enjoyed the day getting to know the place.
When we arrived back home our friend Ivan was parked in the backyard! Now that Hailey is on the fast road to recovery Ivan is free to explore a bit more, and less worry about his pet.
On Thursday Don, Ivan and I headed out to hike a trail. We picked the Mastadon Trail, and what a perfect selection. The dessert is on fire with flowers, the views and we SAW A DESSERT TURTLE!!
I think I will save some days for another post.

3:10 to Yuma

Haha. Really the Dodge to Yuma but what the hell.
On Tuesday after our visit with Karen and all we headed to Fortuna Pond just north of Yuma. I hope you don’t get too tired of me saying this is one of our favorites, but… this is one of our favorites. It is relatively easy access if you’re in a Dodge (that’s for you Ken as you bump along). Seriously though the road is great but gets pretty washboard after the farm traffic daily. But it is watered and graded frequently, just take it slow. The reward is the opportunity to camp along the pond which is always a great find in desert boondocking.

Just as we were set up Ken and Brenda joined us. As they were setting up a jack on the front of their fifth wheel broke. The guys fenagled it and set the trailer up, and it was beer o clock. Ken was all set to tow it to a repair shop for replacement, but Don (or the RV repair guy as I like to think of him as) was determined Ken and him could do it. Turned out to be a few bolts and I’m sure Don saved them a few hours of labor costs. After a late pizza supper the day was at an end.
So, after determining the jack repair would be done, on Wednesday it was on the phone to find out where to buy one. We have been having trouble with the control panel on our fridge, so it was a perfect reason to make a trip to the RV shop. We found one that was quite knowledgeable about all the parts we needed and hence it was a successful trip to town!
Later in the day we went to Walter and Pat’s for dinner. Of course I picked the Golden Corral – what better place for a bunch of people who have different tastes. It was so great to see Walter and Pat again.
The next couple of days were pretty lazy. Brenda and I shopped on Thursday and then on Friday I had to work. I am so fortunate that I can conference call into my Co-op meetings, but this time due to the heat and my concern over phone connections I wanted to find somewhere more private. I called the Yuma Library and not only did they have a small room I could use – it was free. How often we forget the value of libraries in our communities.
Saturday was my long awaited dentist appointment. I have been going to the same clinic, Oasis Dental in Los Algodones, for four years. This year with a full set of X-rays my bill was an outrageous $35. LOL No need for a dental plan with that. Luckily for me my teeth continue to be healthy. I have a small pin point cavity but chose not to have the work done this year. But when I do it will be at that clinic.
To soothe my pain (not really) Brenda and I sought out some tacos and margaritas. We made friends at tables around us and visited with a few older couples, who I am sure found us or me quite entertaining, but soon it was time to take my flowers and go home.

Sunday was another bright and sunny day and we didn’t want to leave this area before checking out Kofa National Wildlife Refugee. Several bloggers have boondocked there and it is always handy to have a different boondocking spot in your pocket in case the favorite one is full. Kofa did not meet our expectations in that way, but I am glad we drove through and saw the scenery.

On our last day Don and I went to visit my cousin Peter Tomman. Peter and Marla live in Yuma for the winter, and although I was kind of aware of that we had never connected while in the area. We had such a good visit, toured their RV Park, reminisced about my mom, and talked about life in general. Another stop we will have to keep making!
And that my friends ends our time in Yuma!