Tuesday March 26, 2024 Crossing to Conception Island

Big sailing day today! It’s about a 5 hour crossing to Conception Island, a Bahamian preserve that is protected from any kind of development. No fires, no dogs, no anything that will damage the ecosystem. Erick made a frittata for breakfast with the left over taco stuff from last night.

The wind was good so Hannah and Erick got a bunch of sails up (this thing has more sails than Carter has pills), and we ran part of the day with no motor. I call it a crossing because we left the nice shallow light blue waters and spent the day with nothing but 3000 feet of dark blue water under us and nothing to look at except the horizon. Medium swells so just exciting enough not to get sea sick. And how did anyone not get lost at sea before GPS?

Erick made sandwiches for lunch which kept us busy with the rolling sea.

The satellite stuff told us there were a couple boats already there but when we pulled in there were about 7 boats, but still plenty of room and good anchorage.

We took the dinghy in to shore (with a few cold beers) and did a walk to the other side of the island. It looks like someone has collected any beach trash as there were a couple of piles of plastic trash here and there. Once back to the dinghy we all went for a swim in the crystal clear water before heading back to the boat.

Milo got pretty sunburned so he has to do better tommorrow. The SPF 30 did not cut it today.

Every night Milo and Erick put the “flopper stoppers” down, which are two dampers that extend from both sides of the boat. The have one way louvers that cuts way down on the boat rolling at night. Clever.

Pineapple mango rum drinks before dinner. Erick grilled lobster tails, which he served with rice and a nice fresh salad, which made for a nice evening. Another perfect day!

Monday March 25, 2024 Back to sea

Today Hannah and Erick picked us back up after their hideout on Eleuthera. Malcolm insisted we take some fresh veggies from the garden for the boat, so he and Deb gathered a nice bag of greens which were very welcome on the boat. Malcolm says he’s been doing the garden a while and they get nice vegetables but nobody keeps it up after he and Sally leave, so when he comes back the next year he has to start over.

Two loads to get us and the luggage to the boat and one last wave goodbye to Sally on the beach (Malcolm went fishing this morning).

We sailed to Fernandez Bay and Hannah took Deb and I on a dinghy ride through the mangroves. The water was kind of low tide so we ended up “poling” part of the way. We saw a small shark but no turtles or birds to speak of.

Back on the boat, Erick fixed us delicious rum drinks, followed by delicious chicken tacos for dinner. We were all tired so said

our goodnights after dinner and dishes at about 9 p.m.

Sunday March 24, 2024 Cat Island Day 4

Deb here again. We slept through what we later heard was an epic storm at midnight last night with major lightning and rain. Today the blue sky was back, although very windy and good sized waves on the ocean. In the morning we hung out reading, walking, and talking with Sally and Malcolm along with others staying here. At about 2 we headed to Da Pink Chicken with Sally and Malcolm, who have a rental car for their 3 month stay.

Da Pink Chicken is a classic dive beach bar owned by Patie and her spouse Dean. Patie cooks in the She Shed, and Dean tends bar in the open air space. We spent several very fun hours chatting with locals and non-locals, eating chicken wings and coleslaw, and enjoying rum punch and beers. A pretty perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Once back at 6 pm we sat on the porch with Malcolm and Sally watching the sun set and snacking. Yep, another great day on this laid back island.

Saturday March 23, 2024 Cat Island Day 3

Deb here. Today was all about the impending storm. We had a lovely lazy day, doing lots of reading. We had a first round of rain in the late morning, then another round in mid-afternoon. In between we managed to get a beach walk in, and even had a nice swim later in the day. We’d made plans to eat in the dining room at 6:30. Shortly after we sat down for dinner the storm started in earnest, with torrential rain, lightning, and big thunder. A few minutes later the power went out! Through it all we enjoyed a delicious dinner of cracked conch (me), Cornish hen (John), accompanied by mashed potatoes, salad, and a vegetable dish. For dessert we had tasty red velvet cake. All in all a great day!

Friday Mar 22, 2023 Cat Island Day 2

Today we move from the 3 bedroom cabin to the single bedroom duplex closer to the beach. A lovely couple from Scotland, Malcolm and Sally, are next to us. They’ve been coming each winter for 3 months at a time, and they’ve been coming to Cat Island for 8 years. Rollezz has only been here for about 8 years so they are long time return folks. We can see why.

Malcolm is a retired fishing guide and he bone fishes here. He can just walk out back of the cottages to fish.

We had breakfast in the big cabin and decided not to rent the car for another day. There was some confusion because Maurice didn’t come for the car until midday, which I suppose means he didn’t have

anyone that needed a car. There are only 1800 people on Cat Island and only so many cars. Malcolm and Sally rent a car for the entire 3 months and they say it’s pretty slim pickings. A lot of the cars are in fairly rough shape by the sounds of it. Our rental yesterday had 265,000 km (165,000 miles) which seems impossible since the island is only 47 miles long. They must buy used cars and bring them over from somewhere. (Somewhere that they understand the Japanese woman on the GPS….)

Nice to have a quiet day after all the travelling. We walked south on the beach a long way. There is zero trash on the beach which seems impossible since we normally see boat trash on other islands. A few sea sponges here and there and a few starfish. Actually nothing but wide white sand beach and coral or limestone rock toward shore and then mangrove further in.

Down the south beach there are a few houses that for whatever reason are not occupied and are in really bad shape. We are guessing they were built by someone as their house on the beach and either they passed away, the storms drove them out, or they never finished them. I can imagine it is really expensive to get a 2x4 here between the boat trip and then the rough roads.

We did some reading on the beach, a little lunch and then we walked north on the beach. We never saw anyone else on the beach so we seem to have our own little island. North of us are houses about a half mile away that appear to be in service although we did not see anyone around or signs of recent activities. So they must be vacation places.

Friday at Rollezz is pizza night and games night, so everyone orders pizza and we all get together in the dining room. Sally drove to pick up the pizzas at the gas srarion a mile or so away. After pizza we played Sequence, which Deb and I had never played. This apparently is the game they play most of the time. Lovely way to spend a Friday night. We can see why this place gets great reviews. Very nice people.

The wind is already picking up so we headed in for the night. Tomorrow the bulk of the storm will arrive.

Thursday Mar 21, 2023 Cat Island Day 1

We had cereal in our cottage and then met Hannah and Erick for coffee. We rented a car for the day to explore the 49 mile long island. The whole island has about 1800 people and everybody knows everybody. Maurice came late with the car and Erick had to give him a ride back to his place. Yvonne had to call three people to find a car to rent and this was back near the airport. Yvonne, her husband, her sister Margaret, and a woman named Beverly from Jamaica seem to run the place. Rollezz Resort has been in operation for 8 years and consists of 10 or so bungalows that all appear to be new. They sit right on a beautiful 6 mile long beach with nobody nearby. A couple from Scotland Deb met comes every year for three months!

First stop with the car is Como Hill, the Mt Everest of the Bahamas at 206 ft. above sea level. It’s the highest point in the Bahamas and it took all of 10 minutes to conquer. There’s a stone tower and out buildings called the Hermitage which look big from the base of the “mountain” but once you get there seems to be something you would expect elves to live in.

After the strenuous hike down the “mountain” we drove to Gilberts, the pretty good grocery store on the island. The whole island was abuzz since the mail boat came in this morning, which is their weekly delivery of everything. When the mail boat comes, there are lots of people driving around delivering and picking things up.

We stopped back at Rollezz to put groceries in the refrigerator and then drove to the southern end of the island. The car we rented had 270,000 km on the odometer and the roads here have nasty potholes everywhere. It’s a tiny Nissan “Dayz” with a GPS we never did figure out how to turn off, that barked out directions in Japanese. Erick did an admirable job weaving around the potholes and I checked the tires when we stopped to see if any were missing air. 

At the southern end of the island is an airstrip and a sport fishing marina called Hawk’s Nest where a few people were cleaning the daily catch. They were excited that they’d caught a 58 pound Mahi Mahi, which is just 2 pounds short of “tournament weight” whatever that means.

The big excitement was feeding the entrails to the sharks off the dock. 15 or 20 sharks were waiting and it was quite a show to see them throw the chum to the sharks. Yikes.

Then back to Rollezz through the northbound minefield of potholes. Hannah and Erick went back to the boat to clean up and we met back on shore for a nice dinner (grouper, steak, chicken along with peas and rice, salad, and delicious cabbage)and evening here at Rollezz. Hannah and Erick are getting up at 3am to move the boat to a marina in Eleuthera to be safe from the oncoming storm. We’ll see them back here in a few days. We bid them farewell as they took the dinghy back to Bonnie Lynn on another moonlit night.

Wednesday Mar 20, 2023 - Nassau to Cat Island

Slept like babies as we should have since we got up at 1am yesterday. There is a large group of high school kids staying here which is pretty cute and they were pretty quiet last night. There’s a pool here and they were in it yesterday.

We got breakfast in the hotel which was a buffet, scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes & French toast, etc.

Our flight is scheduled for 1pm so we called for a taxi at 10:45. We heard that the Western Air flights leave early. The taxi got us there around 11am ($26) and the airport here was way more modern than we remembered. We’ve been here before but only remembered walking across the tarmac to get to and from the plane. We’re on a regional flight which may have not gone upstairs where the modern airport is. We met a woman named Patie who is the chef at Da Pink Chicken Beach Bar on Cat Island and she was on the same flight (only one flight daily) so we followed her. The plane was pretty modern, about 50-60 seats, so not as rustic as we are used to here for puddle jumpers. Sure enough they lifted off the runway at 12:45 and we landed on Cat Island about 30 minutes later. The plane was full and we waited in the parking lot for them to pull the wagon with the bags up to us. Margaret and Beverly were waiting  to take us to the Rollezz Resort where we’ll stay until Sunday. First stop was the grocery store but we didn’t feel organized to buy anything but some snacks.

The resort is on a beautiful beach peninsula and we have a very large modern cabin with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen / dining room. Good cell service (T-Mobile) so I texted Hannah and they brought the dinghy over to meet us. Their boat is anchored right off the beach. We caught up with those guys and decided to go over to the boat for supper. We got the nickel tour through the boat and it a beauty. The people they bought it from, Bonnie & Earl, custom built it 20 years ago. Structurally Earl made sure everything was built heavier than required, the engine is bigger than required, and everything was built for the long run. Aesthetically, the interior has lovely wood everywhere and the cabins are woven together to offer privacy and yet the movable walls allow a large common space. Hannah & Eric have a nice stateroom in the back with their own bathroom. Wow!

Eric prepared a nice sunset meal of grouper, wild rice, summer squash and tomatoes. The tasteful lighting on deck made for a beautiful evening.

Hannah gave us a moonlight dingy ride back to shore where we collapsed into bed.

Tuesday Mar 19, 2024 Bisbee to Nassau

Set the alarm for 1:00 am but woke up 15 minutes before. Long day today…

Our flight from Tucson to Dallas leaves at 5am and it’s 1.5 hrs drive to the car part and another some minutes shuttle ride to the airport. Once again, the stress is unwarranted since everything worked out great. 

The kiosks and desks do not open until 3am so we arrived just as they were starting their day. We got our luggage checked in and boarding passes and found our gate. We like our little Tucson airport. Small and hard to get lost in.

Flight left right on time and we got to Dallas in 2-3 hours. I slept most of the way.

In Dallas we changed terminals so had to ride the little monorail to Terminal A from C. They called our names and we got an upgrade to first class all the way to Nassau. We have only been in first class once before on a 40 minute flight between Phoenix and Tucson so this counts as the first upgrade.

I sat with a guy from Arkansas who was going to Nassau to get a motorboat certification of some kind so he can rent a boat in Europe. Three day course. Deb sat with a woman who worked all the way down while her husband and kids were back in the cattle seats.

Got to Nassau early, where it was overcast and they may get a little rain (did not see any after all). Got our bags and a $20 taxi to Orange Hill Beach Inn where we have stayed before. Reasonable family run place where they have a honor system cooler and meals so you don’t need to take a taxi anywhere. I had my first Kalik beer, I have officially arrived in the Bahamas. Tomorrow we get a puddle jumper (Western Air) to Cat Island where we will stay at the Rollezz hotel and where Hannah and Erick will meet us. Deb had a glass of wine and we sat on the balcony and enjoyed the warm humid air then off to an early bedtime. 

Friday Mar 15, 2024 Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to Bisbee

OK, time to go home. We took advantage of the dump station and cleaned everything out so we wouldn’t have to do it at home. Then Rt 86, a couple hours, to Tucson. We stopped at one of the Bisbee Breakfast Clubs now in Tucson (there are 6 in Tucson now!!), then Rt 10 to Benson then home.  Did the driveway shuffle and cleaned everything out of the van. Dave flies back to Vermont on Monday so we have a little rest time and a few events before he heads home.

Good to be back home!.

Odometer = 26448

Thursday Mar 14, 2024 Koffa to Organ Pipe National Monument

I did not have the pie as tempting as it was....

It was nice camping last night with no lights to spoil the night sky. Today we continue our “Arizona Sample Pack” tour, a big loop around Arizona.

We set the GPS to get us to Yuma but we did not go right into town. After a few attempts I got the website to give me a reservation, only a dozen left or so. There are 200+ sites there so this spring break again is keeping us sharp. 

We hit I-8 and then east then Rt 85 through an Indian reservation to the park. The visitor center had a ranger tour of the local cactus’ which we did. I think it helped Dave sort out all the different cactus’ here and clarified some things for me.

Nice campsite for $10 with the senior pass. Bathrooms had running water, flush toilets and hot free solar showers which we partook of.

Quit evening, made dinner in the camper and bed. We drive home tomorrow.

109th night in the van

odometer = 26208

Wednesday Mar 13, 2024 Lake Havasu to Koffa National Wildlife Refuge

 

Great night at Lake Havasu, gotta come back. Today we dive into the Quartzsite scene. The Quartzsite area is a mecca for RV folks in the winter. There are vast BLM Dispersed camping places available and the town itself has anything an RV person could want. There is a little kinda secret place south of Quartzsite that a friend tipped us off to last year and Deb & I stayed there once. 

We tried to follow the Colorado River as closely as we could which took us south and then a bit west over the river to Blythe CA. Lots of crops being grown, not sure what. They need to put signs next to every field saying what they are growing. Drives me nuts.

We hit interstate Rt 10 and then east to the Quartzsite exit. We saw gas prices go up by a dollar in California and then back down by a dollar in Arizona.

Quartzsite was fairly busy. We went north to find one of the big dispersed camping areas so Dave could see what that was all about. Then south on Rt 95 and turn into the Palm Canyon area of Koffa. It’s about 5 miles to the end where you can hike into the canyon where the palm trees are. Deb and I did it last year. Not too many people here so we drove back down the hill about a half mile and pulled into one of the many flat spots with a fire ring of rocks. 

We relaxed until after the sun went down. Dave saw a string of Starlink satellites going by. They launched 23 more this morning and I assume they were on their way to being placed in the right spots up there. Space is getting crowded for sure.

Made some dinner and then off to bed.

Tuesday Mar 12, 2024 Flagstaff to Lake Havasu State Park Campground

Because the Forest Service and other sites are closed, it looks like we better not go any further north. So west it is. There is a big piece of Rt 66 that goes through Oatman that I have been curious about so we took the interstate, Rt 40, as far as Selgiman AZ where Rt 66 picks up. This section is pretty original with Burma Shave signs and old gas stations, mostly all closed. Part of it goes through an Indian Reservation and the coolest part was a real windy, guard rail free section called the Golden Valley. Not much traffic on this road which I-40 bypassed. It twists and turns down the western side into the town of Oatman which is only about two blocks long and full of tourists feeding the wild burros that wander through town. It appears that there is still active mining all through here as we saw some modern looking, but small scale equipment. I think tourists are all they mine here now.

We finished up Rt 66 and headed south along the Colorado River. 

Lake Havasu is a huge reservoir which we had heard about had never been to. It looked pretty busy (spring break, I know) so we stopped at Lake Havasu State Park to ask about our chances of finding a site. The guy said he had space in the overflow camping area so we said what the heck, we stay here tonight.

We went into town and saw London Bridge. Kinda bizarre but the guy who made his money selling McCulloch chainsaws who married into the Briggs & Stratton family decided to buy the London Bridge (they were building a new one. He had it taken apart, stone by stone, shipped the stones to Los Angeles, shipped it to Lake Havasu and re-assembled it. Only in America!

It is actually a really beautiful bridge which carries day to day traffic. They built a nice park under it with shops and a nice park.

Dave had never been to an In-N-Out burger place so we had an early dinner. Back to the campground and spent the rest of the evening talking to assorted interesting people walking by.

Monday Mar 11, 2024 Dead Horse Park to Grand Canyon and Flagstaff AZ

 

I was hoping to get close to the Grand Canyon today and find a Forest Service campsite but as we went north it became apparent that many places are still closed and there is still snow in the woods. We tried for a motel near Flagstaff that our friend Lindsey had recommended but they were full and they said good luck since it’s spring break week. But Dave’s app found a Quality Inn, which was actually newly renovated, pretty cheap and not full. So we checked in early and looking at the clock realized, what the heck, let's do the Grand Canyon this afternoon since it is pretty close. We took the less traveled road, as always up to the park and it was bumper to bumper, but anyone with a senior pass could bypass the gate and we drove right through. Parking was not so easy. We spent a half hour trolling the park and stalking anyone who looked like they were heading back to their vehicle. We did get a spot and got in line at the visitor center to get a brochure and talk to the nice ranger folks, who reminded us it was spring break week. That was actually pretty fast (nice job park service!)

Dave had the idea of taking our picture at the canyon drinking milk from the Miller Farm back in Vernon, our grandfathers and now our cousins farm. The bottle it and I had an empty bottle so we had all the props. The guy who took our picture must have wondered what was going on with two old guys drinking milk at the Grand Canyon.

The road east follows the south rim and it was not as bust as the visitor center so we got a couple more pots in. We had a half hour holdup while they cleaned up and accident. Someone had gone off the road and hit a tree and they had a couple ambulances there to get them out and haul them off.

Then east out to Cameron and back south to Flagstaff. Dinner at Texas Road House where we had a conversation with an Indian guy who was in town at a conference of some kind. Fascinating guy who knew all about the Abenaki tribe back in Vermont. Back to the hotel and then bed.

Sunday Mar 10, 2024 Bisbee to Dead Horse Ranch State Park

We packed up some groceries and clothes and pulled the van up to the end of the driveway and did the transfer thing, filled up the water tank and toilet and then we were off. I had previously emptied the camper of all the stuff we did not use after the last year or two so kind of a clean slate thing. I found a cot that would fold up so it did not protrude into the kitchen area and according to my brother, Dave, it is pretty comfortable. Two old guys climbing over each other in the middle of the night to use the bathroom did not seem too appealing.

  We had breakfast before we left and then snacked in the van. Going through Safford is the long way but we wanted to get away from the Phoenix / Tucson city route that is the shortest way. And I had never been on these roads. 

After a left at Safford there is a long stretch through the San Carlos Indian Reservation, then we hit Globe/Miami, another mining town. Then Theodore Roosevelt reservoir then a couple real wiggly roads (Rt 188 to Rt 87 to Payson then Rt 260 through the mountains).

We got to Dead Horse Ranch Late afternoon and found our spot. It was pretty full and I think I reserved one of the last spots. Nice bathrooms and nice tidy park. We drove into Cottonwood and had dinner at the Tavern Grill.

  It’s pretty busy here which is typical for Arizona in March. We also discovered it is spring break and all the schools are out so looks like we are in for some business this week.

Monday Feb 5, 2024 - Painted Rocks Petroglyph Campground to Bisbee

Since we got in so late last night and we couldn't find site 38 and there were lots of empty sites, we just took an empty one, site 31. Amazing how disoriented you get in the dark. We slept well and woke up to a pretty nice campground. And we did find site 38 on the way out of the campground.

No rain but we read the news of the torrential rains we just missed. We made coffee and tea and then headed out. We need to find a car wash as the van is filthy. We stopped in Gila Bend for a McDonald's sandwich and more coffee, and then the usual way home via Rt 8 to Rt 10 and then back to Bisbee. We did find a car wash which we could fit the van into so while not a great job, we knocked most of the left over mud we got at Death Valley. The van needs a good inside out cleaning. All those beaches left a lot of sand everywhere.

We stopped on the Divide Road (aka a flat spot) to shuffle everything into bins and bags then did the usual driveway shovel routine. We emptied everything so we can clean everything up and clean the van since it might be a while before the next adventure.

odometer = 24686

Sunday, Feb 4 Tijuana to Painted Rocks and Petroglyphs Campground near Gila Bend, AZ

Deb again. Another leisurely morning. Jake had a scheduled call with a friend who’s now living in England, so he was on the phone for awhile and John and I took Tyler on a neighborhood spin. Once again, those dogs were barking everywhere we walked.
Mid-morning we packed up and headed out to El Yoghurt, a restaurant Jake and Nath had heard great things about but had never been to. We had to wait a few minutes for a table, but everything was so good. The restaurant started in the 1970’s and has had the tradition of providing healthful food, and they offered a great menu. Jacob had vegan chorizo with tortillas and veggies, I had buckwheat waffles topped with yogurt and strawberries, Nath had eggs benedict, and John had the buckwheat French toast. Our dishes all came with fresh squeezed orange juice and homemade fruit salad. All so good. The restaurant is located in a beautiful natural area within sight of the border wall.
By the time we finished brunch it was a bit after 1 p.m. and time for John and I to head back across the border. We stopped at the house to pick up Tyler and then they drove us to the border crossing. They walked us up to the line to cross and we said our goodbyes. Next time we see Jake and Nath they’ll most likely have two babies with them… so exciting!

Since John and I have Global Entry passes the crossing is a snap. We had a non-existent line, whereas the pedestrian line for regular entry looked to be at least an hour long. I am so very glad we have those passes, especially with Jacob and Nath in Mexico at the moment.
Back to our van, paid the parking fee ($90), and headed east. We made a stop in Yuma for a Jersey Mike’s sub and gas, and then on to the campground near Gila Bend. Big rains are forecast for Tijuana and the CA coast tomorrow, so we were glad to get out of the area before the storms. Back to Bisbee in the morning.

Saturday, Feb 3 Tijuana

Deb here again. We had a nice leisurely morning including coffee, tea, and baked goods. Jake and I took Tyler out on a neighborhood walk and wow, there are so many dogs around. It’s common in their area to keep dogs behind gated areas, and everywhere we walked dogs started barking. In addition there are lots of random street dogs who patrol the streets of Tijuana. Jake and Nath both commented later that if they could change one thing about living in Tijuana it would be to possess a remote control with a “mute” button that could be used on barking dogs. I felt as though I was in a scene from 101 Dalmatians, when the dogs start a dog communication distress network. It’s really nonstop!

Late morning we made a plan to go to the museum downtown in the cultural center, with a first stop for birria at their favorite taco place. We arrived to a packed restaurant with a simple menu. Birria is a slow cooked meat (beef in this case) that has the texture of a pulled pork. We each had a couple of tacos that were simply packed with meat and topped with cilantro and onions. Delicious, even enjoyed by Jacob the vegetarian. 
We continued downtown and found a spot to park at Tijuana’s outdoor shopping mall across from the cultural center. It was time for coffee and chai lattes at this point, so after a stop for drinks we walked around the mall for awhile. It was a lovely sunny Saturday, so lots of people out and about.

The museum at the cultural center ended up being a winner. There was a 20 pesos (about $1.25) admission and it was packed with all kinds of historical info presented in both English and Spanish. We toured the museum until we reached saturation point, then made our way through the garden area and back to the car.
Jacob drove us on a different route back to their home, taking us through the high rent district (a distinct lack of street side trash there) and approaching La Playas section from the south through a tunnel. Once back we took Tyler out for a beach walk, and then Jacob made us all a delicious tortellini and veggie dinner. 
Later Jake and Nath put on an episode of a Barascorian, a Mexican Netflix series set in Mexico City in the ’70’s with subtitles and it was a fun one. Off to bed after a full day.

Friday, Feb 2 Joshua Tree National Park to Tijuana

Deb here. We woke up to a clear but chilly (34 degrees) morning. After coffee and tea in the van we packed up and drove to the nearby park visitor center. I’d love to return to Joshua Tree National Park when we could camp for a few days. It looks like a beautiful area and glad to have a little preview.
Next item on our agenda was a good breakfast, and we’d both read that John’s Place in Yucca Valley offered a tasty meal. Reviews were spot on, including great eggs and pancakes, cheap prices, and friendly waitstaff. One of our waitresses had a British accent, and when we asked her where she was from she laughed and told us she was a Yucca Valley native. Apparently her best friend is British, and each week they swap accents in their workplaces. Pretty funny!

We’d told Jake and Nath to expect us at the border crossing by 2-3 so started the drive to Tijuana. There had been snow on some of the mountains and in spite of a busy drive it was really lovely. This was our third time leaving a vehicle at a parking lot on the US side, so we knew where to go this time around. It’s not cheap to park a car there, but it all feels safe and secure, and from there it’s an easy walk to cross into Tijuana.
We parked the van at 1:15 and by 1:45 we were in Tijuana with Jake and Nath waiting. The first stop was an awesome French bakery they’d recently discovered for croissants and breads, and then a tour of all the major construction that’s being done. Tijuana is constructing an elevated roadway and the scope of the project is huge. Our second stop was at their neighborhood Cali-Max, a really great grocery store, for some groceries.

Once at their home we went out on a beach walk with Tyler. It was a gorgeous evening, and Tyler loves running on the beach. Later on Jacob and I walked to a nearby tamales stand, followed by a stop at their favorite empanada shop. We all feasted on empanadas and tamales, along with lots of conversation with baby updates, and then off to bed.

odometer = 24145

Thursday, Feb 1 Death Valley National Park (Stovepipe Wells Campground) to Joshua Tree National Park (Black Rock Canyon)

Deb here. I woke up about 5 this morning to roaring wind gusts and rain. I’ve never been in the van when it’s been bumped around by so much wind! It felt as though we were on a boat during a storm. Milo managed to sleep through the whole event!
The wind eventually died down, and by 7 it was just a drizzling rain without much wind. The van was covered in sand/mud from the evening. We had our coffee and tea in the van and drove the remaining miles toward the park exit, stopping at the great Furnace Creek Visitor Center. This was a good one, with informative displays about the history and topography, along with a 20 minute movie about the park.

After our visit we ate some breakfast in the van and drove off toward Death Valley Junction outside the park. What a desolate landscape, with almost no settlements. In DV Junction we turned south on 127 toward Tecopa. Hannah had filled us in on a couple of places she’d been to near Tecopa, so we detoured off the main road to check them out. Rain all the way, which must be pretty unusual for the area.
We passed the numerous campgrounds advertising hot springs in Tecopa, and set google maps for China Valley Date Ranch, a place Hannah had mentioned. Milo just about turned back as we drove down a steep dirt road in the rain, but we made it to the date oasis in the desert. Pretty funky place, with a gift shop and date products for sale, along with hiking trails and picnic spot. Too rainy to explore outside, but I had a super delicious date shake (can’t resist those tasty treats) and John ordered coffee and a date muffin. Fun place.
Back on the road. No traffic until we reached Rt 15 in Baker and then lots of traffic all the way until we left the interstate in Barstow.

Our plan was to head for a Joshua Tree National Park campground in the northwest corner of the park, and the last couple of hours was on a quieter two lane road. There was a bunch of trucks and campers pulling 4-wheelers that all turned off at one point for what looked for a backcountry race through the desert of some kind. 

We arrived in the campground at 4:30, still raining, and set up camp for the night. Nice campground but it looks as though this area was hit badly by flooding, and the roads within the campground are pretty rough. We repeated our last night’s dinner of raw veggies, tomato soup, and grilled cheese sandwiches, and watched the last 2 episodes of the Terminal List before bed.

odometer = 23964