Stunning photos -- Great report thus far!
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Stunning photos -- Great report thus far!
I heartily agree with Mark--great pictures! (I'm a sucker for a good sunset). As for the "colour" added by the rain, them things are Bluebonnets, the Texas state flower, and a prominent feature of spring in the R.O.T. (Republic of Texas). Good timing on your part!Quote:
Originally Posted by Southwest Dave
Rick
Thanks guys. Yep we were lucky in that respect, the contrast of colours were really easy on the eye ! It was the first time we had experienced Spring in the USA so a real treat !
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Dave.
Day 14. March 2nd.
It was a bit of a restless night due to the heat, but it turned into another wonderful morning. We are heading to Carlsbad NM for the night and was hoping we may get a late visit in the afternoon to Carlsbad caverns, our only chance as it won't be possible tomorrow because we have a long day on the road. I sat outside with a coffee contemplating the day ahead while watching various birds, including 'Road runners' looking for breakfast and a huge turkey vulture airing his wings. Do I rush about and take a direct route to Carlsbad, in the hope of getting a good run and making it there before the last tour, or take it easy and meander along and take our time. I was feeling relaxed so I decided to take it easy. We had a walk around the campground and part way around the nature trail as the haze cleared on the mountains in the background, it really was a nice setting and so peaceful.
Turkey Vulture.
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Click here for this RTA Library Map
As we left the campground I stopped at the dump station to empty the tanks, it's not a glamorous job but it's not that bad at all and I say that as a dad who could never go near a nappy ! I didn't top up with water as we had enough to get us through the day and we had full hook up tonight so no point in adding weight to the RV, the reason I dumped here and didn't wait to do it until hooked up tonight. We then headed to the store and wandered around and ended up buying the 'obligatory' National park T-shirt before hitting the road. It was past Noon already and I was glad we were gaining back an hour with the time zone change as we had to be through the RV park gates by 7pm, or call to make special arrangement for security purposes.
We headed back to Panther Junction and North towards Marathon on US385 across Tornillo flat with the Sierra Del Carmen range in view.
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We stopped at Marathon for some much needed fuel but I only got half a tank as the prices were quite high, what with it being one of the closest towns to the park with fuel available. It was then on to Alpine on US90 before heading Northwest on TX118 to Fort Davis, it was a pretty drive through Musquiz canyon. We stopped in a lovely little rest area for lunch before arriving at Fort Davis.
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We parked up in Fort Davis and had a nice walk around town enjoying the old stores, the Jeff Davis county courthouse and the State bank.
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We walked up Font street where there was a nice church located in front of Hospital canyon and a few quaint properties, one with small Deer feeding on the front lawn.
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Of course Fort Davis was named after, wait for it !!......Fort Davis which was listed as a National historic site in 1961 to protect, whats considered to be, one of the best remaining examples of a US army fort.
Fort Davis, protected on 3 flanks by rock walls.
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By the entrance is an old railroad carriage that is now Hebert's Caboose Ice cream shop ! Well who could resist?! (Not you Keith anyway ! ;-) ) They had a great selection of flavours and the scoops were huge, it would be rude not to !
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Ice cream in hand we took TX17 towards Pecos, the journey started out as pretty hill country scenery before changing dramatically. We first started to see an oil drilling Derrick or two, then a lot more, then refineries and flame vents and the roads were crumbling, the big oil rigs and pick up trucks were kicking up a dust storm and it went from pretty to pretty horrid ! The Permian basin is experiencing an oil boom through Fracking but the infrastructure can't cope with it. There are stories of huge queues at the local stores as workers try and grab some bread and milk before it sells out. 'Man camps' are cropping up everywhere to house the workers and the local town just hasn't got the ability to cope with demand. There were lots of road works and everyone seeming to be rushing here or rushing there, it was run down, dusty and in our eyes, a miserable hell on earth. It's certainly a far cry from the image of oil and Texas portrayed by the Ewing's on that lovely white South Fork ranch in Dallas ! Haha. This went on for miles and miles and we were glad to have finally reached the Carlsbad RV park around 6pm as the light was fading.
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We were also glad we had booked in advance as the site was packed. Looking at the dusty Fifth wheeler's with pick up trucks parked by them with tools and welding gear in the back, we realised this was an over spill of workers from the oil fields. We had considered going out for the evening but there was a lot of traffic out on the roads so we decided to stay 'home' and catch up with the folks back home as we had been 'radio silent' for the last 3 days in Big Bend with no WiFi available.
Today's mileage: 306. Total: 2407 miles.
Beautiful road shots.
Mark
Haha Your right Dave. I wouldn't have been able to resist. Hope it was enjoyable as it sounded.
Great adventure and we love the pictures. Love the silhouette one.
Keith
I knew you would find those two little words Keith ! Ha ha.
The ice cream was great but no picture unfortunately.
Dave.
Somehow, I missed the section of the narrative where you had to turn around at the stream washout. Yeah, that could have been dicey. Nice that the jeepster arrived so you could chat about the options.Quote:
Originally Posted by Southwest Dave
Do you remember "Sedenquist's Rule of Serial Consequences" Looks like you didn't pass that ultimate threshold.
Quite the adventure!
Mark
I can honestly say that the 'said' article was at the front of my mind as I recapped the situation, both that same evening and while doing the write up. I actually thought of quoting it and using the "Serial Consequences" as the post title, I now wish I had.Quote:
Do you remember "Sedenquist's Rule of Serial Consequences".
Nope, but it was almost certainly one step away. (Not sure what I would of done 20 years ago though! )Quote:
Looks like you didn't pass that ultimate threshold
Dave.
That's what is called wisdom!
You wouldn't believe the number of dumb things I have done off-highway. These days, Megan takes a very dim view of anything approaching what I would routinely tried a few years ago. (I have developed some skill with all of those adventures -- but most of the skill has been in my brain...)
Day 15. March 3rd.
We were right about rigs belonging to the oil workers, although they were trying to be considerate us light sleepers were not going to be able to ignore the rumbles of the trucks firing up and idling around the campground between 4 and 5am as they made their way to work. We got up to a chilly damp morning just before 7am with a lot of miles ahead of us today, unfortunately too many to even consider a visit to Carlsbad caverns. It was a shame but you have to make choices and we have some pretty good caves in the UK we have explored. By the time we had breakfast, got showered, tidied the 'house', unhooked and crossed the road to top up our fuel tank it was already close to 10am. Time to get a 'wiggle' on with over 400 miles to cover to reach our destination, Lake Lyman SP in AZ.
Click here for this RTA Library Map
We head north on US285 past Brantley Lake and through Artesia to Roswell. As we approached Roswell there was another piece of John Cerney roadside art depicting a Rancher and his family welcoming aliens. We continued into town and past the UFO museum, not only did we not have the time to stop, we didn't have the desire.
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We accidentally missed our turning onto US380 and continued on 285 past the impressive Chavis county courthouse north of town before cutting across on the 246 to US70/380, adding a few extra miles we could of done without. At the town of Hondo US70/380 split and we took 380 on the 'Billy the Kid Trail' to Lincoln NM, a historic town named after Abraham Lincoln. Originally called Las Placitas del Rio Bonito by the Spanish families who settled it in the 1850s, the name of the community was changed to Lincoln when Lincoln County was created in January 16, 1869. The Lincoln Historic District was made a National Landmark in 1960 and is well known for it's links to the Lincoln county wars and the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid. Billy the Kid, an orphan who took to robbing and eventually murder was thought to have killed 8 men before being shot dead aged just 21 years by Pat Garrett. He gained notoriety through press and eventually film, securing his place in history. Having watched the likes of Paul Newman play the role, we always wanted to be 'Billy' as kids when playing cowboys and Indians, but the reality is different. He was a scrawny so and so who looked like he had fallen from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down ! Haha
Billy the Kid Trail.
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Riding into Lincoln.
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We walked through town and read lots of interesting facts written on boards outside certain properties and had a look in a couple of stores before 'saddling up' and getting back on the Trail to Capitan. We had hoped to detour to Fort Stanton and Snowy river cave but time was an issue so we just enjoyed the Capitan mountains.
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Capitan is the adopted home of Smokey bear. Smokey was a small cub when he was rescued outside of town in the Capitan Gap fire in1950. Ranger Ray Bell took him in and cared for him and he was then sent to Washington Zoo. He became a living symbol for the Forest services 'Smokey bear' fire safety and awareness campaigns and became somewhat of a legend. After his death in 1976 he was returned home to be buried in what is now known as the Smokey bear National historic park in Capitan. For just $2 you can enter the park and check out the splendid exhibits and watch TV interviews of Ray Bell telling his story of Smokey. You can then walk in the garden and visit Smokey's final resting place. It was a wonderful short stop and amazing value.
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The town was a little run down but had some interesting homes with old cars out front, a few stores and the Smokey bear restaurant where we decided to eat lunch. It was a bit dated but also kind of quaint, much more of an old locals and truckers cafe than a restaurant. The food was fairly basic, but good old fashion tucker which was enjoyable enough and good value.
Capitan 'Antique' store.
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With over 250 miles still to cover and time running away from us we were back on the road making our way towards Arizona, not knowing we would narrowly miss potential disaster !
Oooh, A Cliff-hanger.
Can't wait to find out what almost-didn't-happen or whatever.
Mark
This is great, Dave, hearing your perspective on "Scenic Side Trip #1!" At that, I have a pretty good idea where you're headed next, but no idea what your potential disaster might have been. We're all on the edge of our seats out here, awaiting your next installment! (Ha!)
Rick
I feel an anticlimax coming !! Haha.
All will be revealed soon !Quote:
This is great, Dave, hearing your perspective on "Scenic Side Trip #1!" At that, I have a pretty good idea where you're headed next,
Dave.
Day 15. March 3rd cont......
From the town of Capitan we continued west on US380 through Carrizozo where the scenery had changed from winding mountain road into open range with long straights. Just west of Carrizoza we came across lava rock in an area known as Valley of fires, remnants of the eruption of Little black peak some 44 miles away. The lava flow travelled into the basin and filled it with molten rock thought to be 160 feet thick and covering an area of 125 square miles and is thought to be one of the youngest lava flows in USA. Before arriving to San Antonio we passed by the Trinity site where the worlds first nuclear device was tested on the grounds of the White sands missile range. We didn't see anything of it and the site can only be visited on the first Saturday in April and October.
Click here for this RTA Library Map
US380 Heading west.
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We were able to make up some time on these straight and quiet roads, taking a short drive on I-25 to Socorro and then US60 through Magdalena. The road was lovely and straight, that is until the sun started setting in front of us and then I was really hoping for a bend to give my eyes some relief ! There was no bend and it got worse after this picture.
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I was actually happy to be pulling over at our next stop and the sunset then became a real bonus as the yellow hue bounced of the satellite dishes of the 'Very Large Array'.
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The VLA is a Space listening device, picking up radio waves and the like, the things the eye can not see. The huge dishes, all 27 of them, are on rail tracks and tilt and turn to adjust their focus points. As you drive across the Plains of San Agustin these huge metal dishes come into view from quite a distance and just get bigger and bigger until you are upon them and can appreciate their 25 meter height. With light fading fast and another 120 miles to go we got back on the road as the sun dropped behind the Gallina mountains.
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We then drove through Datil and Pie town, unfortunately it was to late to sample what the 'Pie-O-neer's of Pie town had been baking.
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We carried on along on U60 towards Springerville where I was going to top up the fuel tank but I was starting to get a little concerned as we were quite low on gas. I was relieved when I came across a small gas station in Quemado so we stopped and filled up there and grabbed 5 minutes of fresh air so we were ready for the last leg of our days journey. It was a good straight road and we were the only ones on it and quite happy cruising along around 60mph and then things suddenly got a bit lively. I saw a shadow to the side of the road up ahead and by the time Lezli had started to say "What's that" my foot was firmly on the brake. I had worked out it was something quite large and then out stepped a huge Bull Elk right onto the carriageway, and I mean HUGE!! My natural instincts kicked in, I didn't want to swerve at this speed and I didn't want to lock the brakes, and I certainly didn't want to do both !! As I continued to brake Lezli had fallen silent and this huge beast was just a few feet from us and closing fast, I was still trying to get the RV slowed to a safe pace to try and manoeuvre around him. I didn't feel in danger but I knew the front of the RV would be pretty messed up had we hit him. This all happened in seconds but it seemed to go into 'slow motion' mode, maybe the brain speeds up but all I know is I processed it all and used instinct. I was now a couple of feet away and he looked even bigger in the headlights. We looked each other straight in the eye and I saw terror on his strained face. I was concerned as animals have a tendency to bolt in the only direction they know, forwards straight into our path of avoidance. Going on the inside was not even possible, as I now realised there was a small herd of them and I think he had stepped in to protect themas the dominant male, so I begged him under my breath not to move and it would all work out fine! I felt I had scrubbed off enough speed to release the brake to unload the weight on the front springs and balance it more evenly and went for the swerve. As I did so he went up on his hind quarters and I was convinced he was going to bolt forwards but at the last moment he turned and twisted his body away, losing his footing and slipping in the process, but he managed to stay upright. I kid you not, the combination of me swerving at the same time as he twisted away resulted in us missing him by inches. I came to a stop and looked in the mirror, but all I could see was the blackness of the night. I said to Lezli, "That was close" as I drove off, it must of been a full minute before she replied "Bloody close". (She later confirmed that she thought there was no way we wasn't going to collide) We could of been stuck out here with no lights, radiator and fan damaged or worse, but luck was with us and we were able to continue through Springerville and then turn off onto US191 to Lyman Lake State park. It was pitch black and the campground was quite large, so we drove around a while and eventually found our spot, with a little help from Lezli and her torch. It was 9pm so we had supper and relaxed before heading to bed for a much needed sleep.
Today's mileage: 440 miles. Total miles: 2847
Dave:Quote:
We could of been stuck out here with no lights, radiator and fan damaged or worse
Today's mileage: 440 miles. Total miles: 2847
A full grown elk weighs in at a good 700 pounds; hit one of those at any kind of speed and it's astonishing how much damage can result. I'd say it's a very good thing that you didn't find that out the hard way! It's a shame that you were so pressed for time that you had to travel that stretch in the dark. Daylight hours are not only more scenic, they're also significantly safer (especially in elk country).
Great shots of the VLA! I really love that area!
Rick
Excellent defensive driving skills!
Couldn't agree more Rick and I wouldn't recommend any Holiday road trippers travelling much after dark, it's not fun. Unfortunately, no matter how much I juggled our itinerary, we had to make up some ground somewhere to fit in our other planned stops. This was actually our longest ever distance travelled in a day on a USA vacation ( 440 miles) and if anyone wants to stop and see things as we do, they can expect a long day. Despite our recommendation of not travelling more than 550 miles per day on a multi day road trip for safety reasons on RTA, to really enjoy and benefit from the journey we try and keep it between 250 and 350 miles per day. It's also one of the few downsides of travelling early and late in the season, the shorter daylight hours, but the solitude more than makes up for it !Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Quinn
Mark. I wish I'd had a dash cam and had recorded this. I don't normally comment on things like this, as avoiding objects and other road users can be quite the 'norm' on some days. But yes this really was "too bloody close" !Quote:
too bloody close
Dave.
Day 16. March 4th.
Following a very good nights sleep we woke to a glorious morning at Lyman Lake. We took in the views from our campsite for the first time having arrived in the dark and were pleasantly surprised, it was so peaceful too. The sites were a good size and had a table and bench set under a big shelter where we enjoyed our morning coffee while getting a good view of the lake.
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Lyman lake is the second largest body of water in Arizona and is actually an irrigation reservoir, created by damming the Little Colorado River. Sat at an elevation of 6000ft the lake is fed by snow melt from the slopes of Mount Baldy and Escudilla Mountain, the second and third highest mountains in Arizona. It is so quiet here, but I guess this all changes during the Spring right through to Autumn as a place for Locals to come and cool off from the heat of the Arizona sun. It allows boats of all sizes, fishing and has a dedicated swimming area and was Arizona's first recreational State park when given State park status back in 1961.
As well as the attraction of the water there are wildlife viewing opportunities and some trails to walk. One of those is the Petroglyph trail that means a short walk up a steep hill by the lakeside where there is some 'rock art' left by the prehistoric inhabitants of the Little Colorado river valley. So I took a stroll up the hill while Lezli went to the shower block and got herself ready for the day ahead. There were lovely views of the lake and across the land to snow capped mountains in the distance.
Lyman lake from the Petroglyph trail.
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It was time to hit the road again as we still have a lot of ground to cover before catching our flight home and not a whole lot of time to do it in. One of the main reasons for covering so many miles yesterday was to allow us time to drive through the Petrified forest on our way to Kingman, our overnight stop some 360 miles away. So it's goodbye Lake Lyman and on with the show !
Click here for this RTA Library Map
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It was a short drive on US191 to the little town of St Johns where we took US180 to Petrified forest road.
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We had a quick stop at the Crystal forest museum and gift shops by the junction before continuing to the park entrance. Our first stop inside the National park was at the Rainbow forest museum which had a lovely trail that guided you around some amazing petrified timber. The colours of the crystalisation of the timber was both amazing and beautiful, it was also a surprise to us !
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We continued through the park enjoying the views of multi coloured rock which were also a pleasant surprise, it's not all about the wood.
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We detoured along Blue Mesa scenic road and were so pleased we did ! We stopped here for an early lunch as we had found a nice quiet pull out with great views all around. From the hilltop you could see for miles across the desert and some 3 miles away we could see a freight train pulling, what must of been, over 100 carriages.
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Back on the main park road we drove through the 'Tepees' section to the Painted desert rim on old route 66. Once again the pull outs offered outstanding views!
The Tepees.
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Route 66 stop. No problem, it will soon be as good as new.
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Painted desert.
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I have not come across one National park that has disappointed and Petrified forest didn't change that fact. It offered so much more than I had imagined it would and I'm glad that we had finally had the chance to tick this one off the 'To do' list, fantastic !
It's time to hop onto I-40 and make up some miles towards Kingman, but we we plan to explore a little on the way........................
Great to see you both survived. Bet the heart was beating a little faster. We have another term we use out here but i won't mention it. hehe.
Beautiful spot by the lake. I love how they make those little parking bays with a table and usually a bin. Great photo's of the Petrified Forest. Amazing how the old cars and trucks dont rust right away. Must be the dry heat. To much humidity out here down under. Just rot away. I'm sure we could rebuild that car Dave if we had it.
Do you and Lezli make photo books of your travels? We do. Havn't done the last trip yet though. You would have some beauties. Shame your trip is nearly over. It has been very enjoyable.
Keith
Haha. I'm sure it's a term recognised globally. Unless the mother in law or vicar is in the vehicle then we say "Oh bother". ;-)Quote:
Originally Posted by keithg
The size and quality of the campground sites in the USA is very good. The fire rings are great to and is something we don't see much of in the UK. Probably for health and safety and Insurance reasons of which they are big on here ! LolQuote:
Beautiful spot by the lake. I love how they make those little parking bays with a table and usually a bin.
It'd be a cool looking Hot rod in no time ! lolQuote:
I'm sure we could rebuild that car Dave if we had it.
I really must. I did promise Lezli I would make one after our first trip in 2007, but she is still waiting ! Oops !Quote:
Do you and Lezli make photo books of your travels?
Strange that. We have been back about 10 weeks and I feel like that all over again just writing about it. LolQuote:
Shame your trip is nearly over.
Day 16 cont..........
With 260 miles still to cover we have to make use of the Interstate, which is something I rarely do, but it's only 25 miles along I-40 before we take a detour into Holbrook to take a look at the iconic '66 Wigwam Motel. We drove into Holbrook down Navajo Blvd passing Motels and Rock shops and restaurants and west on W. Hopi drive. We parked up in a convenient side street next to the Globetrotter lodge (which also had some nice 'rides' outside) and walked back across the street to the Wigwam. It's an interesting little stop that takes up little time and makes it worthwhile in my opinion.
Click here for this RTA Library Map
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We were soon back on I-40 making good progress alongside the big rigs, well for 30 miles anyway and then we took another side trip to another instantly recognisable Route 66 site, and it wasn't long before we were taking it easy 'Standin' on the corner in Winslow Arizon.'
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We had a look in the gift shops and bought a bit of memorabilia and (of course) the T-shirt. We were back on I-40 with the time running away from us once again, so I opted to leave our next possible visit for another time, a side trip to Meteor Crater. We pass the historical Apache Death cave and continue on past Winona with lovely views of Mt Elden up ahead.
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As we passed Flagstaff and started to climb over the mountains towards Williams, we were amazed at the amount of snow that was still by the side of road and in the surrounding woodlands, where there was still quite a lot in the shaded areas. It didn't look that fresh so we wondered if it was the remains of the significant snowfall that had swept through the area at the start of our trip. There was also signs of flooding around the Grand canyon Deer farm near the community of Parks. We were then surprised as we came down a hill to see water so close to the edge of the Interstate, on both sides.
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I later discovered this is the site of Davenport Lake which normally has a dry bed. Both, original route 66 and the realigned I-40 go right through the middle of the lake and during particularly wet years, it begins to fill and come alive. However it seems a rare occasion when it rises so close to the road as this.
Once past Ash Fork we jumped back onto original route 66 to Seligman, a town we had visited back during our first trip in 2007. It looked a little more worn than it did 12 years ago, but then again, so do I !!
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After a brief stop we were on our last leg of today's journey into Kingman where we had booked a site at the KOA site. About 30 miles from town and with daylight gone the fuel light came on in the RV, the first time ever I have let it run this low. I've learnt from years on the road that if you grip the wheel a bit tighter and squeeze your butt cheeks together you get at least another 25 miles out of the tank in these type of situations. It worked !! We made it to Kingman and stopped at the nearest gas station. The RV took almost 50 gallons which meant we only had a range of about 40 miles left in the tank. Phew ! We arrived at the campground after office hours but our site number was left on the notice board so we made our way to our site and pulled in for the night. We had been undecided whether to go out for the night or not, but we decided to stay in as we weren't close to town and we had plenty of supplies of food and booze to get through, and not a lot of time to do so !
(In case you are wondering about the Grand canyon, I have visited both the South and North rim before and will go back again and would have done(if possible) this time around. There are also many other great attractions in the area to see, so we will be back ! )
Today's mileage: 360 miles. Total mileage. 3207
Day 17. March 5th
I can understand the temptation to have a couple of days relaxing by the pool before flying home, and with just 2 more days before the day we fly, it would be easy to take a direct route back to LA from here which would take 6 or 7 hours, but with so much still to do and see, it ain't gonna happen !
It was another bright sunny day that greeted us as we peered outside the RV this morning. The Kingman KOA was less generous with it's pitch sizes than the others, but it was still pleasant. We said good morning to our neighbours who seemed very pleasant, a European couple also touring with a Cruise America RV. Once we had eaten breakfast and got ourselves ready we walked over to the store and said good morning to the hosts and had a look around. We bought a couple of small things only to find we had a refund due because they have an affiliation with Cruise America, so were given 10% of our campground charge back. (This had happened at one of the other KOA sites but I didn't question why they was giving me money back, I was happy just to take it !) We decided to top up the propane tank while we were here for the convenience of it, and because with just 2 days of the trip left, we shouldn't have to do it again. So that done we were back on the road, our first planned stop was the Blue Beacon truck wash to get the RV cleaned prior to it's return, just another reminder the end was coming ! We arrived there to find 'Big rigs' queuing nose to tail waiting their turn. I know American truckers take pride in their rigs, but I hadn't expected it to be so busy. Not being the most patient of people I decided to move on and hopefully we would stumble across another somewhere along the way. We stopped in Kingman for a quick look around the stores and then continued on our Route 66 adventure to the town of Oatman. This was a town I have long wanted to visit, but up to now haven't been able to make it fit into an itinerary.
Click here for this RTA Library Map
We left Kingman on Route 66 and drove under I-40 onto the Oatman Highway where we eventually came across Cool Springs Station, right in the middle of nowhere.
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It had a fancy rest room too ! (Air conditioned at that !)
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Cool Springs originally opened in the 1920's but suffered when route 66 was realigned in the 1950's. Having been burnt down to leave just the stone pillars standing in the 1960's, the only action it saw for many years was when it was partly rebuilt only to be blown up again as a setting for the film 'Universal soldier' starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. After a few attempts to purchase the site, Ned Leuchtner was finally successful and purchased it in 2001. The lights finally went back on in December 2004, the first time this had happened since 1966 ! Thought to be the inspiration behind the Disney Movie 'Cars', it's now a gift shop with lots of interesting memorabilia and a couple of cool guys and is a wonderful iconic stop along the Mother road.
On leaving Cool Springs the road got narrower and twistier as it wound it's way past Ed's camp through the canyon separating the Mt Nutt wilderness and the Warm Springs wilderness and eventually up and over Sitgreaves pass. This drive has been on my list since the first time we set foot in the USA and finally, here we were ! It didn't disappoint with good views and 10mph switchbacks to keep you occupied it was a lovely drive. I can only imagine what it must of been like for those early travellers heading west. Lezli wasn't too keen on the drop offs on her side of the road, but she managed to take some pictures.
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We stopped in a pull out at the top of the pass and admired the views !
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The road continued to twist and turn it's way down into the town of Oatman. As we arrived there was a tailback of vehicles and as I slowed I got real lucky. A truck was leaving an unmade parking lot from one of the few spots I could get the RV in, so I jumped straight in even though I wasn't sure if it was public parking. It was and I didn't spot another suitable place to park the RV all the time we were there, it was quite busy !! As we got out the RV we heard a lot of shouting and some gunfire, it was a bigger surprise than when it had happened in Tombstone as I wasn't expecting it. There was no screaming or panic among the crowds so I figured it must be some sort of a show. As we walked down the street we soon realised why all the traffic had backed up. A couple of 'Outlaws' had sprawled out from a bar into the street and brought everything else to a complete stop as they staggered around in the main street. After exchanging insults they drew their guns and 'shot' each other before walking away and the traffic was eventually allowed to go on it's way. The acting was so bad it was good and was a really good laugh, and it was all done for charity. Good on them ! You may recall earlier in the report I mentioned a girl named Olive Oatman who was captured by Indians and forced into slavery before being traded to Mojave Indians who in turn adopted her and tattooed her face in keeping with the tribal customs. This is the town that was named in her honour and there is a restaurant named after her here as well. What better place to have lunch !
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We wandered around enjoying the shops and various touristy things and (of course) watched the local Burro's stroll around town looking for feed. It was touristy, but a lot of fun and I'm glad we had finally had chance to visit and purely by luck, stumbled upon a gunfight.
The town.
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We slowly left town as we tried to avoid all the folks in holiday mode (and Burros) who were just wandering in and out of the road while paying no attention to the huge RV trying to squeeze through past other traffic. We cut across to Mesquite creek and down to Needles and hopped on I-40. Our plan was to come off at the earliest possible time back onto route 66, The National Trails Highway. We past a few trucks on Interstate and then turned off as planned, only to find the National Trails highway closed. We got back onto Interstate and past the same trucks again before turning off once more, only to find the route still closed and to repeat the same action again. We finally got off Interstate at the Kelbaker road and hooked up with '66 just before Amboy where we stopped to take a picture of the iconic 'Roy's Motel and Cafe' sign.
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Next up we headed south on Amboy road, which started out with a delay as one of those huge trains rumbled over the crossing, the road was straight and empty. Nice !
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We arrived at 29 Palms and somehow we ended up turning right when we should have turned left. We ended up at a security gate to the largest US Marine base in the USA. The Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command covers a huge area and has live combat ranges that are used to simulate mountain warfare. With so many vehicles coming and going it just wasn't possible to turn before the entrance so we cautiously approached the main gate. Luckily today they didn't use us as target practice and one of the the young soldiers on guard waved us through the gate and halted the queue of cars who were leaving, so that we could do a U-turn.
Back on track and realising our mistake, it wasn't long before we were back on CA62 and turning onto Indian cove road to our site at Indian Cove campground in Joshua Tree NP, another 'first time' visit for us this trip. The campground was everything I had hoped for, in a peaceful setting tucked away among the surrounding giant red boulders.
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We parked up and had a stroll around the campground. The sunset was creating lovely light on the rock in contrast to the distant black clouds, it really was beautiful ! The rain stayed away and we sat outside and enjoyed our meal and a cold beer and just fell into a completely relaxed and content state while watching the last light fade around us.
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Today's mileage:210. Total miles :3417
Day 18. March 6th.
We had a great nights sleep, it was so peaceful and the temperature was just perfect. Although today will be our last day spent in the RV, we are looking forward to what lay ahead. We have another walk around the Indian cove campground before returning to the RV to enjoy a coffee while watching an early morning rock climber do her 'thing.'
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Time to go ! We head back to CA62 and head west a short way before turning left onto Quail Springs road, which then leads to the West entry kiosk back into Joshua Tree NP on Park Blvd. I was quite surprised by the sheer number of Joshua trees that lined the road and went deep into the desert, the scenery was fantastic. Once again I'm surprised by how surprised I am at how wonderful this park is, but I'm learning ! We stopped at Quail Springs, Hidden valley and then at Skull rock.
Click here for this RTA Library Map
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Skull rock was a great 'playground' where we spent quite a bit of time climbing over the rocks, under the rocks and squeezing through rock cuts, it was like finding your way through a giant Maze with obstacles.
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We stopped at various other spots as we made our way down Pinto basin road to the Cottonwood visitor centre where we stopped for a while. We decided to have an early lunch in the RV while we were here as it was 12:30pm already and we had a few miles ahead of us, some of them rather challenging ! So once we had eaten we were on our way south down Cottonwood Springs road, but we didn't get far until we had a wonderful surprise, and were pulling over yet again. The unusually wet start to the year had produced a beautiful Spring bloom along both sides of the roadway. It was stunning and the pictures don't do it justice as the early afternoon sun created a glare.
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Back on the road we got onto I-10 west, but not for long as I didn't want to end this adventure sat in LA traffic on Interstate, or not for too long at least ! We turned onto CA111 at Indio and through the posh suburbs of Indian Wells (Tennis world masters hosts) to CA74 that will take us over the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains on the section known as the 'Pines to Palms Highway'. Wow, this road climbs steeply and twists sharply as it makes it's way up the mountain to the Coachella Valley Vista point. Stunning views !
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Here's the road twisting it's way up the mountain. When we stood at the Coachella viewpoint we could hear a high revving road/race bike making it's way up but we couldn't spot him. From the sound of the sweet music coming out of the exhaust pipes the rider was clearly having a lot of fun !! After the pitch of the high revs came the popping and backfiring on the over run of the engine followed by the revs once again hitting the rev limiter. A local for sure who then appeared in the parking lot with a big smile on his face.
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We continued through Pinion Pines to CA371 through the small town of Anza that sits just under 4000 feet above sea level and headed towards Temecula on CA79 to I-15 for a short while, before turning off to Lake Elsinore and connecting back with CA79, the Ortega Highway. In town we spotted a car wash that looked as though the RV would fit, so we pulled in. It was a tight fit but we managed to give it a good blast with the foam and high powered jet. As we made our way up the mountain the clouds were gathering at the top and then the weather closed in and it began to rain quite heavily as the lake below disappeared from view. I suddenly started to question the time I had just spent cleaning the RV !
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The road continued to climb and twist it's way through Decker and Bear canyon before topping out and coming down into San Juan Capistrano. I had originally planned to continue to Dana Point and cruise along the coast, but with dark now falling there seemed little point so we took I-5 to CA73 to I-405 and then exited at Jct 15 onto Warner Ave and finally to Bolsa Chica State beach. The traffic was quite heavy as you would expect but it kept moving and we rolled onto our beach side campsite at 8pm, which was later than I had hoped for, but Hey-ho it was a another good day that kept our thoughts away from the end of the trip. We walked onto the sand and listened to the waves coming ashore for a little while holding hands and reflected on another great trip. (No rain here) Time to eat through more of the supplies and try and finish the beers before packing a few bits and turning in for the night.
Today's mileage: 274 miles. Total mileage : 3691 miles.
Every day i look on here to see if there is a update on trip. Its been very enjoyable. We havn't been out through Oatman. Love to do it next time if i can save some money and keep breathing. Loved your description of the bike. The rev head part of you coming out hehe.
I remember in 2013 when we were in Kingman, the streets had lots of old classic cars and Rods on display. Margaret and and i got separated. She walked into a shop just browsing and mentioned that she had lost her husband. Instantly, the lady said "Thats a good thing isn't it?" hehe. I have tried that same comment at least 10 times since and havn't got the same result.
Dont forget to make that photo book for Lezli. :)
Keithg
Yeah Oatman and the drive over Sitgreave pass is pretty cool !
As I always say to Lezli, "When I say I will do a job I will do it. There is no need to remind me every six months ! " Haha.Quote:
Dont forget to make that photo book for Lezli. :)
We still have a full day before our evening flight, so a little time left to 'nose' around. ;-)
Dave.
Day 19. March 7th.
All good things must come to an end and today is the end of this great adventure. Up nice and early to finish packing, cleaning and to get the RV back to the rental centre. First I went for a quick stroll along the beach and to see if I could find a friendly neighbour. The beach was nice enough but nothing special, although I expect it has a good vibe in the summer with the fire rings burning and party atmosphere, if you like that kind of thing. The RV site was typically an overpriced parking lot but it was in a good location to return the RV and it had a dump station, which is important if you don't want to get hit with a bill from the RV company for having to do it for you.
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There was a pleasant lady next door to us who was interested in where we were from and where we had been and was actually quite excited that we were from England. She was the 'chosen one'. So I went back in the RV to get the box of 'goodies' that we had left over from the trip and offered them to her, she accepted and was most grateful. There was everything from washing up liquid to wine that we could not take home with us and is something we do each trip. It was now time to empty the waste tanks and head back to the RV centre to return our home on wheels, which is always a strange feeling. We took CA1 to CA19 and I-405 before coming off onto Alameda street to Cruise America on E 223RD Street. It wasn't to busy and we made good time and were soon unpacking our stuff and taking care of the paper work before saying goodbye to 'Harvey the RV' one last time.
Click here for this RTA Library Map
As we had done on previous trips, we rented a car from Long beach airport to get us back to LAX. It doesn't work out much more expensive (if any) than getting a cab direct to the airport, but it does give us some freedom to explore as it's only 10:30am and our flight doesn't depart until 7pm. Of course our luggage would not make getting around easy without a vehicle. So we got dropped off at Long beach airport and went to collect our vehicle, booked through rentalcars.com who have always offered good deals and service. At the desk I was informed our vehicle would not be too long (20 mins or so) as they clean and prep them off site. I explained I needed to get to LAX (neglecting to mention I had about 7 hours to do so. Wink, wink) so he told me to sit on the bench by the rear door and he'd be out in a moment. It was less then 5 mins when he came round and asked whether or not I would be happy with a Ford pick up that had suddenly appeared at the same time as him. It was brand new and had only 6 miles on the clock so I happily accepted.
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We exited Long beach airport and headed north on CA19 up to I-710/I-5 North to CA101 and Mulholland drive, Hollywood beckons at last !! We stopped at the Jerome C Daniel overlook and was fortunate to get a parking spot in this small pull out. We enjoyed wonderful views of LA and the Hollywood sign. It's not the type of thing that's top of our list but with a few hours to kill it, was good way to spend it.
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We continued along Mulholland drive spotting many splendid homes before stopping at Runyon canyon park where we had a lovely walk and again took in the sights, including the Griffith observatory in the distance.
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As we looked out over the city there was a lovely looking house tucked away in the valley some distance away. I kept seeing some movement on the balcony and pointed it out to Lezli, we thought perhaps it was someone famous standing outside enjoying the views, so I put full zoom on and took a picture, but it was still impossible to tell anything from the small image on the camera viewfinder. When we got home I eventually checked it out, hoping for a great 'Paparrazi' shot of a star and guess what !?!? It was a sunshade blowing in the breeze !!
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Back in the truck we continued our tour of the 'Home of the stars' along Mulholland before turning off onto Benedict canyon drive to Rodeo drive into Beverley Hills. There was a rather interesting 6 way stop go junction that appeared to be a bit of a free for all at times as we crossed from Benedict to Rodeo. We drove along Santa Monica Blvd to I-405 and headed for LAX where we dropped the truck off and took the shuttle bus to our terminal for the flight home. As expected it was slow going but we were OK for time.
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The flight made good time with a strong tailwind and we eventually touched down on home soil at Heathrow airport where a good friend of ours was waiting to pick us up and take us home. As always, there was a mixture of sadness that the trip was over and happiness of family reunions to look forward to.
Today's mileage: 80 miles. Total mileage:3771.
Dang, what a nice way to cruise back to the airport!Quote:
Originally Posted by Southwest Dave
Enjoyed the field report.
So many great adventures you had.
Mark
Nice job, Dave. A lot of familiar places seen in a new light, through fresh eyes, and that's always fun. Glad you made it home safe and sound; I suspect you're already planning your next installment?
Thanks, for the memories!
Rick
Thanks. Yes we had a blast !! Slightly different to previous trips, in our quest to reach Big Bend I think we spent more time in Town RV parks than all our other trips put together, and the same using Interstate and Highways rather than by-ways, but it was worth it for the pay off. Big Bend was an itch that needed scratching and it did not disappoint one bit. So many other great attractions along the way and I really enjoyed the Arizona desert.
Yes Rick. There are always three or four possibilities permanently whirring around in my head for the next trip. Whatever happens, I have decided we will slow down and reduce the miles, re-visiting some of our favourites while being able to visit some of the other attractions in the area that we didn't have time to stop for on a previous trip. Just a case of where ?Quote:
I suspect you're already planning your next installment?
Dave.
When it comes to miles on the road, just as it is with most good things in life:
"It's not the quantity; it's the quality!"
Rick
Too true Rick and it can be tricky to get the balance right, especially when flying in from Europe with a limited time frame.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Quinn
For anyone interested in visiting the American west and looking for ideas, you may find our previous trip reports interesting.
2015. Wonders of the west. From LA to Lake Tahoe and up through the Cascades to Olympic NP and return via the coast.
2013. Highways of Happiness. From Las Vegas we head through the Great basin and north to Glacier NP, visiting Yellowstone, Utah and the North rim on the way back.
2009. Denver to Four Corners loop. From Denver we head to Rocky mountain NP and on through Colorado to Arches and Canyonlands NP's before returning via Mesa Verde NP, the Million dollar Highway and New Mexico.
2007. San Francisco loop. A trip from SF to Yosemite into Utah and back via the Grand canyon, Las Vegas, Death valley and Sequoia NP.
Dave.