Friends and Then To Our Destination

We left the Hi-Jolly after a great breakfast. It was easy to pack up because we never took anything out when we pulled in and set up. On the road by about 9:30 AM we were happy as clams in a camper.

Following Hwy 10 east again we drove to the junction of 10 and Hwy 303, where we turned north heading to Surprise, AZ to visit our friends, Tim and Kathy Christie. We had contacted them when we left Post Falls and they invited us to stop over a night as we neared Queen Valley. We accepted their invitation but then realized that we would be dropping in on New Year's Eve. I emailed them and they assured us that they were doing nothing to celebrate and would love to have us over. 

It was an easy drive and we arrived early afternoon. We talk and talked much of the afternoon away. Kathy and Tim had prepared a wonderful lasagna dinner and we chatted somemore and got re-acquainted. I had worked at NIC for many years with both of them, so the college and people we knew were our main topics. Both Tim and Kathy had many different jobs at the college. They were there about four years before I arrived but I knew of them when I went to college there in 1976. Tim is a wonderful wildlife photographer and has many of his photos published. 

We watched TV, played with their two dogs, Daisy & Cooper, and then we turned in early.

The next morning we were treated to a delicious breakfast and were on our way. We really appreciated Tim and Kathy's hospitality and it was great to hear all the stories. Thank you so much, Tim and Kathy!!

Tim with Daisy, Kathy with Cooper.

Arriving at Queen Valley for the first time was pretty darned exciting. Linda checked us in and we drove to our spot and backed into the lot. Plenty of room to spread out. We were finally here! After two years of waiting and getting things planned the drive was over, for two months. Our spot is within a short walk from the shower rooms and the pickleball courts. We plan to take advantage of all this and get to know the desert at the same time.

Canyonwren and Stinky Jeep in their site.

The entry to Queen Valley RV Resort.

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.

The Near Miss

From our snug little parking lot at the Humboldt Fair Grounds, we hit the road southeast. Our next destination would lead us farther away from the coast and connect us with I-5 and 99 running through Sacramento, Stockton, and Modesto.  It was raining hard all day which made the driving fun. At Merced, we were scheduled to stay at a small Elks RV Resort. The roads for the first 80 miles were full of curves and hills, I-5 was straight and flat, and as we drove the traffic became heavier. Through Sacramento and Stockton, the traffic was bumper to bumper and twice we hit total stoppages on the route.  The first time Google suggested a route that was clearer, but being beginner users we decided to keep moving forward on our planned path. When traffic came to a crawl we admitted our fault and agreed we would be more accepting of Google's suggestions.

Elks RV Resort

When Ms. Google suggested a route the second time we took it and drove smoothly to the Elks RV Park with no problems. At the park, we set up and cooked dinner.  I walked over and took a shower while Linda corresponded with her sister and Mom. The park was very clean and all the facilities we very nice. We played Mexican Train and then watched the finale of Survivor. It was a good day.

Christmas Eve day and we were up and ready for a long segment of driving. The RV park host was a bit late getting the gate unlocked. This made Linda a bit edgy because she knew we had a minimum of five hours of driving ahead of us to reach Victorville and our slot at Mojave Narrows Regional Park. 

Traffic was medium-heavy and the roads were good. We traveled at 56 MPH almost all the time. Towing a Jeep makes us fall under the same rules as large trucks and in California, the speed is set at 55 MPH for those rigs. 

We were moving along in traffic and entered a long sweeping blind corner. I suddenly noticed a flash of brake lights from the very inside lane. We were in the second lane from the right side of the road. The rain had stopped but the road was still wet. I started to press on the brakes and suddenly, around the corner was a fire truck parked smack dab in the two right lanes.  I tromped on the brakes and pumped them for all I had. The Jeep-braking system immediately kicked on and I could feel the Jeep brakes catch and the rig tugged hard and then slid a bit. Our truck rumbled to a stop about fifteen feet from the fire truck! For a second I waited for the crash from the cars behind us, but nothing came! The road constricted into the two left lanes and we threaded our way into the flow, past the fire truck, and the three wrecked cars that covered the road. 

Mojave Narrows Regional Park.

The scene of the accident covered the entire freeway in both directions. One car was a mess and an ambulance was arriving as we passed. There were flashing lights all over the place! I don't know how we didn't get hit or crunched into the fire truck, but we made it and were all intact. As I drove on I tried to remember the entire event. The way the road curved made it so hard to see what was around the corner. If we had had some red flags a quarter-mile prior to the curve, things would have probably been much less dangerous, but we must have been on the crash very soon after the emergency arrived. If the firetruck had not been there we may have crashed into the mess of smashed cars in our lanes. The outcome was good and I was very glad we had the Jeep braking system working.

Just sitting on a log.

The flow of traffic resumed and we gathered ourselves together. Our nerves were tight, but we pushed on.  It was a long day and during that drive, we had to avoid other people's driving errors, so vigilance was a priority.

We entered Victorville and wound our way to the campground at Mojave Narrows Regional Park. Our spot #27 could not be found. They had labeled the spots on the hook-up posts, but then changed their minds and painted the numbers on the ground. But our spot was mislabeled and someone was there. The man who had misparked was in the process of moving so within a few minutes we were parked in our spot. 

Not duck, duck, goose...

You would think our day was over, right? Well, the power box was at the far end of the pad and we could not reach it without breaking apart from the Jeep. No problem, just a bit more work. Then, the Jeep's battery was dead! This shouldn't happen with our new system, but there we were.  I got the Jeep separated from the truck and turned the truck around and we used jumper cables to start the Jeep. This took a bit of time and was very frustrating. Once we got old Stinky Jeep started, Linda drove it around and I did the final setting up of the camper.  

We left the Jeep running and Linda got settled. I then took a drive in old Stinky Jeep 8 miles to an O'Reilly Auto Store and bought a charger to maintain our little 4 wheel drive friend. As a Christmas gift, I also bought Linda some new windshield wipers. I am so thoughtful!

Do you see it?

Back at Canyonwren, we settled in and had a chance to chat about our day. We were tired but still happy. By this time we had fully noticed the number of trains (yes trains) that passed each hour. We counted four to five on a regular schedule not 25 yards from our doorstep. A couple times they would squeak to a stop and combine cars. It was loud and a bit annoying, but this would have to do. We were here for three nights and we are safe!

Cormorants on a log, again.

Did we mention all the trains yet?