The Inner Magic Of The Desert
“No matter how harsh it might look during the day, late afternoon is a magical time in the desert -> shadows elongate, gold colors erupt and you just want to walk forever until the sunset swallows you up.”
I wrote those words last night after I came back from an afternoon Geocaching walk with doggie. I left the RV Park at the point when the shadows were stretching and returned after the sun had said its final red goodbye’s. These long desert solo walks are the moments I get into my own head and fly free with philosophical ramblings, and they are moments of pure magic. It’s a feeling that only those who’ve been to the desert can truly understand, and even then it may take a fair few visits before it sinks in.
I remember the first time we came to Desert Hot Springs in our RV in April 2010. It was our first few months on the road and we drove along dreary Dillon Road looking in horror at the run-down houses and stark, uninteresting desert around us. Apart from endless fields of windmills (which frankly didn’t add to the view) there was nothing out here. It was brown, bland desert made even worse by the harsh light of mid-day sun. A few palm trees, a sprinkling of dry brush, but nothing appealing and certainly nothing to photograph. Shortly after we passed the local grocery shop with the barred windows (always a good sign, right?!) I saw the gaudy neon lights of Sam’s Family Spa and turned into what looked like a big, dirt parking lot with a bunch of semi-permanent trailer homes.
Oh no, what a dump!
At this point I was ready to trash our entire trip and move on, but thankfully something stopped me. We parked the RV and wandered over to the spa. Suddenly we were enveloped in swaying palm trees, the sweet cascading sound of waterfalls and the soothing feel of hot mineral pools. Folks invited us warmly in and chatted about the area, and the pools were….delightful. As time went on the surrounding desert, horrible as it first seemed, started to grow on us too. Walking doggie in the early mornings and late afternoons we found the mountains majestic and golden, rather than dry and barren, the desert varied and interesting rather than stark and sterile. The place was starting to come to life.
And then I saw my first desert sunset. Holy Moly and a technicolor hand-basket!
In my entire life I had never seen fire like that. Reds so deep they burned in blood, pinks so neon bright they seemed unreal and oranges so intense they made my eyes weep. The sky lit up like a fireworks and played for almost an hour before shutting off. It was stunning, gorgeous and deeply moving. I had discovered the beauty of some of the clearest and driest air on earth and the amazing science of sky color saturation.
I was speechless and I was hooked!
We’ve been coming back to the same park for 5 years now, the only private RV park that has ever held our interest for so long. On the surface it’s not fancy and it’s not even particularly pretty. But it’s got a wonderfully relaxed feel, the owners are fabulous, the spa pools are sublime, the monthly rates exceptional, there are endless miles of hiking all around us and the park accepts everyone (everyone) with open arms. I like that it’s got an “edge” to it, a certain quirkiness and I love that it’s not exclusive. We feel at “home” here. It’s totally our kinda place!
And the desert?
Well, I’ve come to see its beauty. As with all things (and people for that matter) in life they either become more attractive or less attractive as you get to know them. It’s only when you peel the orange that you get to the tasty stuff underneath and discover its “inner beauty”. I couldn’t live here all year around, I know that. The unrelenting heat of summer would drive me mad. But in winter? In winter this place draws me like a soul magnet and I yearn for the very starkness that scared me so much the first time I saw it. And when the sun dives low in the sky I walk out to the desert to envelop myself in its magic. Some days I keep going until the sunset swallows me up.
Related Posts And Links:
- Sunsets In The Desert = Nature’s Perfect Color Storm
- RV Park Rating – Sam’s Family Spa (Desert Hot Springs, CA)
Love your post and all the wonderful pics! I hope to be full time RV’ing starting early 2015 and planning to call the desert between Socal’s IE and AZ home so I certainly share your love of the desert!Always love your blog posts thanks for sharing!!!
The desert is one of my favorite places to spend winter. So beautiful out here.
Nina
Hi Nina! Your deep sense of connection with the desert is something I can appreciate. I feel that way about the beach & ocean & I felt that way the first time I went to the mountains of New Mexico…these places are heart homes for me. We’ll be in the desert in early January & I’m looking forward to finding another heart home.
I chickened out on the no-poo this morning. I should’ve had the baking soda paste & vinegar ready. My hair was driving me crazy. I also have a hard time just ‘doing’ the roots or tips. Whatever I’m using ends up all through my hair. I’m going to try again next weekend…
Enjoy your day. Thank you for the gorgeous photos & evocative post.
I’m with you. The connection you get with nature as you travel is something else. Once you manage to get past the surface and see the inner beauty 🙂
Don’t feel too bad about the no-poo. Took me a few false starts to get into it. In the end I set aside 3 weeks of boondocking time (i.e. when no-one was likely to see or notice my greasy hair) to get it jump started. Once I got past that period my hair adjusted and settled in.
Nina
Good to know–thank you, Nina!
We too love the beauty & the mystery of the desert.
Gorgeous photos!!!
Pam & Ken
Fort Davis, TX
What a great post. Neither of us had spent any time in the desert, but for some reason it truly appeals to us. We leave MN 1/1/15 for AZ and NM and are looking forward to seeing the desert beauty first hand.
Awesome! You should see many faces of the desert in that trip. AZ & NM offer such a varied environment. Keep in mind that higher elevations might still be very cold at that time. NM, in particular, is quite high desert.
Nina
Yes the desert is like that. Takes a while to work it’s allure. The desert is more like a harp and not usually a kettle drum.
I like that analogy. Lovely!
Nina
Our first exposure to that incredible desert sunset was in Kingman AZ. I went crazy. Camera out, I shot and shot. Still some of my most favorite pictures. Your prose captures the essence of the desert. Thank-you.
BTW, we will be in North Palm Springs by Wednesday evening.
Ah yes, Kingman. We’ve been by there (earlier this year actually), but haven’t stopped. I’d like to explore that area some more.
Nina
I like the palm trees, with s desert sunset or sunrise they become ‘as good as it gets’.
Nice post.
They sure make a nice back-drop. Sometimes it feels strange to be around Palm Trees in December, but it grows on you 🙂
Nina
Nina, I really enjoy reading your blog. Obviously we don’t know each other, yet through your blog, I almost feel as though we do! We are currently in the Phoenix, Ax area. I love the desert and recently blogged about my own day there. (Hubby was at a Poker Tournament) so I decided to explore alone that day. I don’t write as well as you do, (but I try)! You explained just what I feel when in the desert better than I was able to! Thank you for your commitment to blogging. At times, you have informed me, entertained me and/or educated me. I even have a link to your blog on our website (as one of two blogs I currently recommend). I hope that one day we physically cross paths. Warmest Regards, Sondra
I love, love, love going out for walks solo in the desert (well, me and doggie anyway). Something very meditative about getting out there and immersing yourself in nature. Great that you feel the same.
Nina
I have been a sunset sucker for many years…although I like them all there are only two kinds that take my breath away…sunsets in the desert and sunsets involving water…for my money when I see those I feel like I have died and gone to heaven…but you say it more eloquently then I ever could…I love the last photo on this blog entree….
Oh yeah…sunsets over water. I’m totally with you on that one too.
Nina
Your photographs and writing style are truly wonderful. You can’t know the personal circumstances of all your readers but let me assure you that the effect on this reader is magical. Thank you for helping me to dream about what it will be like when I get out there . I look forward to reading your descriptions of places, people and circumstances that you deal with. I’m having a road trip each time.
Well that’s exactly the message I hope to get out, so I’m glad that’s coming through 🙂
Nina
I couldn’t have said it any better Nina. Its not easy to explain to people who haven’t “felt” it, but you did a stellar job.
As we approached Sam’s for the first time I, too, thought we’d just stay one night and then get out of town. But we ended up extending for a month and enjoyed every minute of our time there. Its truly wonderful to have the time to just stay put and see what an area really looks like, feels like….not just see its surface. Sometimes the surface is all there is, most times there is so much more.
By the way, how is your swim suit holding up?
Sue
Indeed! And I, for one, am very happy you guys stayed that month. No-one makes gin and tonics like you do!
Swimsuit is thankfully still fully opaque and operational…for now 🙂
Nina
Sam’s ROCKS!!!
Totally!
Nina
I know what you mean. The desert can be very beautiful in winter. The sunsets are wonderful. Been wondering about that area. Can’t wait to check it out myself. Thanks!
Desert Hot Springs is a quirky place, but we love it here. LOTS of spa spots around.
Nina
We also find the desert to be a special place. The recent sunrises have been just as amazing as the sunsets. And when the mountains light up in the late afternoon it is simply breathtaking!
If I ever make it up for a sunrise, I’ll be sure to check it out 🙂
Nina
Beautiful words with beautiful photos! Enjoy your time there!
Thanks! Nina
Yup, know the area well, you hit the nail on the head. I remember my first time looking at the blight and brown; I remember asking myself, “why in the hell anyone would want to be here, especially me?” Now, after 15 years I cant stay away. My wife and I have walked many miles of desert over the years and we love every second of it. Cant wait to be back in February.
Exactly how we feel. The desert in winter is addicting.
Nina
Hi Nina, I found your blog when my husband and I were researching boondocking possibilities at Lake Mead, and have been reading ever since. We live in Ashland, OR and spend about 4 months of the year in our 5th wheel. We are headed to Arizona and SoCal for Feb. and March…..and even though I grew up in AZ, I’m learning new spots to investigate thanks to your blog. And now I read that you are a geocacher….our kind of woman! Happy travels.
Sweet! We LOVE Ashland too. Finally made it there a few years back to camp at Emigrant Lake & see some live theater. Definitely want to go back. I can totally understand why you make it your part-year residence.
Nina
The desert will set you free in the wintertime…kill you in the summertime. I grew up in southern Arizona where I spent most of the summer in the pool, which, believe it or not, sometimes got too hot in the intense heat of July and August. Love your words…
Box Canyon Mark
I can totally see that. I honestly don’t think I could survive the summer here, and certainly not in the RV. I remember visiting Phoenix in the summer once and it was too hot to be outside, even at 11pm at night! I admire the folks that can handle the desert summer…takes some major hardiness.
Nina
Eloquent. Thanks for sharing; not only the pictures but how you described it. We can’t wait to see it for ourselves – winter 2016. BTW, how much in advance do we need to make a reservation at Sams Family Spa?
If you’re coming for the monthly rate (which is by far the best way to go here) there are no reservations taken. You simply show up, pick a site and then go pay for the month. They have a ton of sites, including a big overflow so I have yet to see them full.
Nina
I couldn’t agree more. The desert in general hit me that way my first time. I was envisioning me and my dog parking in forests, green all around, like tent camping when I was a kid. Big Basin State Park and Yosemite in California.
Then, like you, I started noticing things, the cactus, the birds, the lizards, all the desert things I never noticed anywhere else. And the sunsets? I never saw one like these growing up in California. They may have them, but I didn’t see them. Now I love the desert. The space, the freedom, and the people, from “normal” to “quirky” they all make up the wonderful feeling of this place. I always feel like I’m home when I hit the desert in the winter. 🙂
My feelings exactly. It’s nice to see others have been through this same “transformation” 🙂
Nina
I think you’ve been right behind us since we left the Portland area.
We came through CA but not on 395. Spent nine days in Death Valley
(Beautiful) and left Sky Valley RV Resort yesterday….just down the
road from Sam’s. This is our first time to the Desert Southwest and
I agree wholeheartedly with you about the beauty. Headed to Yuma tomorrow.
Vance and Marla
Sounds like a nice route, if I may say so myself 🙂
Enjoy Yuma. We’ll probably make it down there ourselves sometime later this winter.
Nina
Oh yea, I so identify with this. And am glad to have become acquainted with the desert. In fact it persistently beckons and I’m close to answering the call.
I think many RVers who come here get the “bug” to come back again and again.
Nina
Being originally from PA where summers are a kaleidoscope of color our first visit to the Yucca Valley area when our first Grandchild was born was shocking to say the least. How could anyone live in such drab surroundings? The next year when we flew out to visit it didn’t look to bad and the very subtle color of cactus blooming really caught you eye. That was back in 1995 and when we started Ftiming we have ended up in the deserts of CA and AZ every winter. They sure do grow on you.
Totally what happened to us. We were actually lucky that we saw the desert bloom our very first year…kind of spoiled us really. I’d never known there could be so many flowers and color in the desert.
Nina
Took the words out of my mouth (but much more eloquently than I could ever express!)… it’s got a magic charm here. And so glad we all decided to head here despite it being your 5th visit 🙂
Yup…I’m glad you twisted our arms to come here. Good company, good spot 🙂
Nina
Great photos, I especially love the last one. Hector and I love the desert too. We plan to go to Sam’s on our way to San Diego in late January – looking forward to those hot springs!
Brenda
Cool! Enjoy your time here. Hope you’re getting some much-needed relaxation at your current spot.
Nina
I grew up in the Southwestern desert. There is something about the desert that is magical. Many years ago, my brother, sister, and I went exploring out into the desert and discovered a small watering hole, probably left from a recent rain. It more or less appeared before us, and there were any number of birds at the water’s edge. I’ve spent an awful lot of time in the desert, but I’ve never come across that scene again. But I always look for it.
We’ll be back this winter for a little more magic.
I am fascinated, totally fascinated by the way life is able to survive out here….birds, ground animals, coyotes etc. The few little bits of water, when you find them, are astonishing, and the animals amaze me.
What a treat to find that watering hole.
Nina
The desert and its beauty is something that is very special. I love Arizona and the beautiful sun and sky. It all makes for some fantastic views and we love it there. It is one of my favorite places.
It’s definitely got a special feel here. It’s a place that grows on you.
Nina
This is just a beautiful and loving post Nina. You did a wonderful job of describing your first impressions and how the desert pulled you in. Beautiful pictures especially the last one, amazing. I had no idea you had gotten on the road the same year we did. You seem to have been so many places and have such a huge group of followers.
LOL…I like to joke that I “get around”. Honestly we’ve probably traveled way less places than most. We did a cross-country trip our 1st year, but since then we’ve stayed exclusively in the west. It’s the sunsets you know 🙂
Nina
I so agree with you. We moved to the desert almost 6 years ago from the east coast. At first I had no idea how I would ever really be able to look at such a place and call it home much less love it. Now, it’s under my skin. The views that you get in the desert are amazing, the sunsets are breathtaking and the solice in just being still in a wide open land can leave me speechless. Even my husband feels it. He has woken me up at sunrise with tears in his eyes because it was so beautiful. That’s saying something.
Being moved to tears. Yup, I’ve experienced that. I’m not sure why it is that a sunset (or sunrise) can do that. Something about the intensity of the color and the largeness of it all. Thanks for sharing.
Nina
When we first moved to Strawberry up above Payson Az. i met a guy who became my hiking buddy. He had a desert rat plate on his truck and asked me if i liked the desert. Told him i came from western Wa. an liked trees and mountains. A couple of years later we bought our MCI bus and started fulltiming. Started spending our winters in Yuma and have come to love the desert. If you get a full blown sunset like the one at the top of your blog, i call it a John Wayne Sunset…..i can see him riding off into it among the cactus and ocatillo at the end of a movie. 🙂 As spectacular as they can be however, by far the very best sunsets we have ever seen were the ones that we saw when we lived on Maui and Mt. Pinatubo erupted. For a month we had amazing sunsets. Too bad you are late risers, we have had some pretty good sunrises this week in Yuma since we are having some clouds in the mornings.
A John Wayne sunset. I like that. Many folks don’t know (or don’t believe) the header shot I have one the blog is real, but that’s an actual sunset shot, barely modified, from last year in Yuma, AZ. Maybe one day I’ll make one of those sunrises.
Nina
I was blessed to grow up in the desert – about 100 miles east of you – and came back to live in Joshua Tree for a couple years with my own kids. There is no place that compares to its impact on my soul. As usual your words and pics captured its essence perfectly. Like the stormy cape, the desert hostility has a beautiful power that repels many, but grabs some of us and forever holds us tightly.
So true. Not everyone feels the draw and in fact, I know many folks who never understand it. But those of us that do….oh, it’s addictive!
Nina
Nina,
Based on your advice, we booked two months at Sam’s in Feb and Mar next year. Do you think it would be ok (read: safe) to leave our coach there for a few days…plugged in but unoccupied, no pets…to go on a business trip?
Oh yeah. Many folks do exactly that. I don’t see any problems with it. If you decide you need to go away for longer Sam’s even offers on-site storage (at a lot in the back) for only $45/mo. It’s a steal.
Nina
Nina, once again a captivating post. You described perfectly why I love the desert!
Thanks Clark. I know you’re itching to get back down here. Only a few more days to go, right?
Nina
not everyone can see the beauty of the desert… to some it is just brown but to those of us that can see her inner beauty there are as many colors as can be found in the rainbow… all present in the desert…
So very true.
Nina
Beautiful words and gorgeous pics. Love the desert! -Linda
Thanks Linda!
Enjoy your delightful blog. We boondock a lot on BLM lands in eastern AZ and western NM. We are solar autonomous and have not had to use line power but three times in 18 months.
Reed and Elaine
Solar is the way to go. We love being off-grid capable.
Nina
Poetically expressed! We’re feeling the pull of the desert right now — can’t wait to get there in January! Happy soaking. 🙂
You guys have stayed in the PNW waaaay longer than we’ve ever done. You’re due for some sun!
Nina
what a beautifully written post! I have been drawn to visit the desert all my life from reading about others’ experience of it.
I have camped in deserts, but the last 2 times, there were windstorms bigger than any I’ve ever dealt with in my years of camping in forests and on the coast. Since I’m still tenting, I have to solve that problem, until I can save up enough for a camper.
Have you met any tent campers, and seen how they deal with the winds?
I too was drawn to the desert even before I came here.
Now winds!! Yes, there’s nothing quite like desert winds & desert sand. Hard to avoid it. Back in my tenting days my best advise was to:
– Use any kind of “block” you can find (e.g. rocks, trees, bushes) and pitch your tent right next to them.
– Face the mouth of the tent in the opposite direction to the wind, and use a fly to double-up. Stake everything down really well.
– Keep things zipped up when not in use.
– Worst case be prepared to spend the night in your car. So, bring whatever you need to make it comfortable in there.
Nina
thanks, good points.
Ugh, spending the night in the car got old real fast. I have to figure out a way to get more space in there for when we need to retreat to the car.
For car comfort you may want to check out some of the car-dwellers/travelers out there. For example this gal:
http://suanneonline.blogspot.com/p/bed-in-prius.html
Nina
thank you for the link, she has some great ideas. There are 2 of us + dog, so it’s a bit tight. I’m saving up for a truck, followed by a camper, which should (eventually) solve our problem.
In the meantime, I will experiment with different ideas I’ve come across from bloggers, like storage boxes that can weather the storm outside while we cram into the little car… 🙂
“…wondered over to the spa”
I believe should be “wandered”….
Right…another dyslexia miss. I’ll correct it.
Nina
Hi there… can SO identify with what you wrote about the desert! We just arrived back in Borrego Springs yesterday, in our same spot as last year, and feel like we’ve been uncaged and set free! After a busy time and good visits with family and friends for the past several weeks in the San Diego area, it is wonderful to be in the beautiful, peaceful desert again! Watched the moon rise last night and breathed deeply… slept well in the quiet, and just hung out today walking, reading and taking it all in! Feels so good!!! And, as you will note by the photo I posted to our blog last night, Maggie and Nell are most content to be here, also! We send best wishes to you both, and look forward to a visit whenever our paths may cross down the road. Be well! Dianne & Tom
I can so relate. We will likely see you in Borrego before long!
Nina
Nina, your description and your initial reaction to the desert has perfectly described how Krash & I have always felt about the desert. Coming from the lush green that is Michigan, we’ve never understood the draw of the desert. We’re always so excited to return home to see ‘green’ again.
However, thanks to blog descriptions like yours, and learning more about the travels of our nomadic friends, our interest is being piqued. While we love our Cedar Key sunsets, we look forward to learning more of the draw of the desert post-purge/move.
You’ve got to give yourself a few months out here. Initially the desert will “shock” you by how dry and seemingly lifeless it is. But give yourself the chance to see the inner beauty and it will grow on you.
Nina
We spent the last two winters at Two Spring RVS park on Indian Springs Rd in North Palm Springs–across from the northernmost windmill and just loved it there. We had a huge site way in the back with no neighbors across from us and wonderful Canadian neighbors on one side. This park has a splendiferous Saturday morning breakfast for like $6 and you don’t have to be staying there–I think they prefer you to bring your own plates and cutlery. And they call it a fundraiser at that price! All you can eat, and you name it–eggs and omelettes to order, meats, tons of fruit.
Your Dillon Road reference made me snort! The grocery store with the bars–is that the ‘Best Date Shake’ place? Those date shakes really are wonderful!
We are in Florida this winter and next winter. I told Joel to prepare himself to listen to me say, “It’s nice, honey, but it’s no Palm Springs!”
Thanks for the great photos, as usual!
Gail
Sounds like a neat park!! The barred place is a local grocery store, just down the road from us. It’s not the “Best Date Shake Place” although I know that one too.
Nina
I loved reading this post. The photos are beautiful, but even without them your words would paint such a lovely word picture of the desert that I could see it in my mind almost as clearly as the photos. It’s wonderful to have a place that calms and inspires the way the desert does for you. I have never spent very much time in the desert, but I now want to. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the compliment! I like to try a “paint” a picture with my words, to attempt to convey what it feels like to see it without pics. So, glad to hear that effect is coming through!
Nina
Southern California has two deserts, the low desert and the high desert. As you know Nina, in Apple Valley we live in the High Desert. The elevation difference between the two on average is about 2300 feet. We have lived here for 24 years. When we moved onto the property of our first home here, which was being built but unfinished, we lived in our motorhome for several weeks right around this time of the year. I will never forget sitting in the early morning hours and watching the sunrises and writing about the beauty of the desert, which was new to me at that time. It’s still beautiful, sunrises, sunsets, seasonal changes, flora and fauna. And in our case, sometimes even snow. Woohoo!!
And even though we will be full-timing in the near future, the deserts of the southwest will always be in our itinerary.
The different desert landscapes are SO interesting. As you mentioned most folks don’t know there are high and low deserts, or even that they may look totally different. Depending on the area you get different kinds of cactus and vastly different landscapes too (e.g. Joshua Trees, Organ Pipe Cactus, even “grasslands”). So many varied environments.
Nina
I felt the exact same way as we approached DHS. Our Garmin sent us in the back way, and I wondered what I had gotten us into for the following 2 months! But, as you say, when we pulled into this park, I immediately felt relaxed, and knew I had made a good call. I have already decided we will return next year. We have kids in Culver City, and have no desire to “live” in LA. So we can stay here and wander in on the weekends to visit them, and then get back here to unwind. Enjoy!
It’s so interesting that other folks have gone thro’ this very same experience.
Nina
Nina, another great post as always. What captivates me is the spirit of your posts. The positive and good things about a place or adventure. The enthusiasm of your journey’s. Ok that’s enough ‘sucking up’ for the day 🙂
Keep up the great work and the variety of your blog…..G
Thanks G! Positive love is exactly what I try to put out in the world. There’s enough negativity out there (you just have to watch the daily news), so my goal is not to contribute to it. If I can bring a smile to someone’s face I’ve done my job for the day.
Nina
Hey Paul & Nina,The desert dwellers ,how yall doin`.We missed you guys in oregon we ended up staying in sisters all summer for free on a private ranch 10 ac with full hookups.we had plenty of room for guests .too bad you didn`t stay lomger.we had a big party and the end of the summer.We found a way to stay on private ranches all over US for free.we are looking at one in Malibu and one in santa barbra for feb MAr apr.Love to tell you guy how but won`t only in person.we are in san diego,though jan waves are awesome,hey paula got extra boards come visit please.PB point is on fire today.Look forward to seeing you guys,We love this life thanx Nina see ya soon joel &beck
Hey guys! We’re parked very close to where you were parked last year. Ranch parking sounds fabulous. We may actually head to the coast around March, so if we do I’ll check in on you. Hang ten!
Nina
Hey! Nina, I have a question. Call me late to the party, but if I’m going to be a real full-timer, I need to understand the lingo. 🙂
In the first paragraph of your post, you mention going out geocaching with doggie. When I look it up, “geocaching” is apparently a game that utilizes a GPS to find hidden treasures. There are even apps to assist in this process.
So, what is it that YOU were doing? We’re you doing something different? Is there another or different “geocaching” meaning? In your solo walk near sunset, I can’t imagine you were playing a “game” with your GPS, looking for hidden (planted) “treasures” in Tupperware containers. 🙂
Yes, that’s exactly what I was doing! I went out to search for Geocaches (= hidden containers) that have been placed around this area. You use a GPS (in my case my iPhone) to find them and then log your find when you do. Many require hiking which is why I love doing them. You get to hike to places you might not otherwise go to. We’ve been Geocaching for years now all across the country.
Here’s a post I wrote on it:
https://www.wheelingit.us/2012/02/20/geocaching-modern-day-treasure-hunting-on-the-road/
It’s a great fulltime RV pastime, and since Geocaching involves hiking I’m able to bring doggie along.
Nina
I’m officially changing my handle to “late to the party”. Who knew about geocaching? Apparently everyone BUT me (and Sharon).
Of course, we don’t use smartphones, or have a standalone GPS. Hmmm…Christmas is coming.
Of course, our pooch Bogie has apparently been geocaching for years. Everytime we go out for a walk, he finds something and leaves something. 🙂
Great desert descriptions Nina. We are from northern NM and I am missing my desert quiet and sunsets. Even the winters are wonderful there. Currently we are full Timing and in
San Diego for another month and then hopefully out to nature again…Maybe Sam’s place?
Mission Bay is not a beautiful rv park, but it situated close enough to bike to Pacific Beach and close to bus lines into town or La Jolla.
Yup, we’ve stayed at Mission Bay multiple times before. Like you said, not a pretty park but SUCH a perfect location. When we go to San Diego, that’s where we stay.
Nina
Now that we are in the area, we will definitely have to check this place out. The mineral pools sound very inviting. 🙂
Immerse yourself in the desert, let it seep deep into your soul. Listen to the wind that will talk to you and lull you to sleep. Deserts all over the world have this effect but none so much as the Sonoran desert. This is the Magical place of Mother Earth, dreams were made here. When life starts to get me down, I go backpacking out into the Nowhere and let the desert clense me of civilizations humdrum. Usually my soul is refreshed in four days and I can live again in beauty…then it is back to the awfulness that I had left…only to be reborn again in a few months when I can’t take civilization anymore. Ah the desert, I love it more and more… Rattlesnake Joe
Beautiful. Well said.
Nina
Living as we do in the desert, with two horses, and three dogs, only one barn cat, and lots of lizards which drive everyone nuts. I sometimes go up on my butte, ( we own the buttes behind our home), and just sit or climb to see the sunset.
this is not to short the great “blood moon” sights we have….
this was out on the historic “Mojave Road” which goes from Arizona to Barstow California, all off road!
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h84/siseley/GEDC0480.jpg
Yes!
We do keep the horses with us!
With the living quarters, and 4 horse trailer, we put up porto-corrals, and buy hay along the way. I do store about 4-5 bales in the empty stalls, but have to keep replenishing weekly. We also can feed pellets, but only when on land that requires “certified weed free” hay, or pellets.
The dogs are easy, as is “Bandit” the barn cat,
who is the lizard murderer.