Heading East

The stay at Mojave Narrows Regional Park was interesting and we got some well-deserved rest. The trains were plentiful, but the park was positioned where they didn't use their horns so the sound was more background noise all day long.  We didn't shower during our stay. The restrooms were not very clean and so I used the men's, but Linda used the camper. The clientele was a mix of stop-over campers and people living in their old RVs. Everyone kept to themselves and hardly ever moved about their campsite.  Now, would I recommend the park, probably not! For less money, we have found much cleaner and more accommodating locations.  

By the time we were ready to hit the road, the Jeep was charged and working normally. The tow brake was doing its job, we had filled the propane tanks, emptied our gray and black tanks and all we had to do was drive. The route took us on HWY-15 to HWY-215 to HWY-10 to Hwy-62 leading us into Desert Hot Springs where we found the KOA and settled in.

After setting up, Linda grabbed the laundry and got busy with that operation. I put the Jeep on the charger and went about making sure the camper was stabilized. I mention this because the wind was blowing at a very consistent 45 MPH. Linda had gone to the main office to touch base and when she returned she said there was a sign at their counter that said, "Yes, the wind does blow all the time!" Let's say that when we get down to Queen Valley we will be very experienced wind travelers.

Our site, at the Palm Springs/ Joshua Tree KOA.

While setting up our trip Linda, contacted several people that she knew were down in the southwest. One contact was Terry Wright, a teacher Linda had worked with at Fernan Elementary.  We had many adventures with Terry and Rick, her husband, many years ago so we thought it was about time to get reacquainted by staying a few nights at the KOA where they were wintering. The first evening at the KOA we had a great time talking about what we'd all been up to and how we had been doing. We really enjoyed reconnecting.

Linda and I took Stinky Jeep and did a big loop of the Coachella Valley. Starting at Desert Edge we drove east and looped back hitting Coachella, Indio, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, and finally Palm Springs. This gave us a good overall look at the valley. Linda really liked Indian Wells the best, but if she were to move there we would have to sell everything we own and she still would have to live in a box. Traffic near Palm Springs was bad, they were doing road work and had the lanes narrowed down from three to only one. It took so long to go a mile we didn't have time to get off the road and explore Palm Springs. We made our way back to camp, stopping at Von's, a grocery store, on the way.

Terry and Rick at our camper.

The next morning Rick came knocking and took me out to breakfast at his favorite little spot. We had a good meal and did some further catching up. Linda and Terry went for a long walk and by the time we Rick and I returned, the ladies were back too. 

That evening Terry and Rick came over and we spent several hours together talking and laughing. Our little camper was tight compared to their 5th wheel, but we made it work.  After they went home Linda and I spent the next hour packing  Canyonwren and getting her ready to leave in the morning. We had a great stay at this KOA and seeing the Wrights was grand.

Our campsite, at Hi Jolly.

By 9:00 AM we were on the road heading out of California and into Nevada. It was smooth driving and the sun was out most of the time. We hit Quartzsite at about 1:00 PM and made our way out to our boondocking spot at a BLM campground called Hi-Jolly.  

Hi-Jolly is an interesting place. It is three miles north of town in a flat area just off HWY-95. The camping is free and you just drive in and find a spot you like.  We were not picky about our spot and chose to stay closer to the entrance of the area. I figured we were only staying a night so why take a nice spot (if you can call them nice) that other longer-term campers could use.  We snuggled in for the evening on a flat spot right in the middle of everything.

Looking north at Hi Jolly BLM Campground.

Looking back toward the Highway at Hi Jolly.

The sun started setting and a little rain shower came over our two friends Canyonwren and Stinky Jeep, so we collect a few more photos and then our sun sank and we enjoyed the evening.