Near Joshua Tree National Park, CA

I stopped briefly at the Ram service to double-check the pressure of my brand new tires before heading out to Joshua Tree National Park, in California. It was a fairly easy drive with great weather, as usually the sun is the biggest issue making sure that things aren't too bright while using the right sunglasses. We stopped briefly at Quartzsite, which has a discount grocery tent. I should have saved myself some real money and gone here instead of Fry's, where I spent $75 for groceries yesterday. This Quartzsite grocery spot is basically a tent with items that are near or just barely over expiration date. I was able to get a jar of Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and Starbucks Coffee, within expiration date, and for a real screaming deal! As I drove off this morning I realized that I did not pack any chocolate, nor did I take that gorgeous head of romaine lettuce. But alas, those items were not available at this tent. I guess I will be on a chocolate and lettuce restrictive diet, at least for the next day or two.

I kept myself entertained by listening to the radio and surfing channels. I did come across a song that seemed to epitomize my current state of life which is being "a ramblin woman," on the road, on the go, traveling, and trying to explore the gypsy lifestyle. I don't have satellite or Sirius radio, so the pickings are slim in these remote locations. It's either the religious stations, the Spanish Mexican radio, or country and western. I need to dig up some decent CDs. In any event, I wound up near Joshua Tree National Park on BLM land, and so far I'm the only one here within a mile. I'm not far from the I-10 and can hear the traffic ever so faintly. The vast open landscape is really freeing, and the weather is just perfect.




















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bryce Canyon National Park, then almost home

Image
​ A great night in the Utah desert, and a rather chilly morning, surprisingly, but I got up and hurried out of there with the intention of getting to Bryce Canyon National Park. I wondered if I would have enough time and decided it was only 20 minutes one-way, out-of-the-way as I continued on my route home. This would be my third time visiting Bryce and I’m so glad I did. As with any National Park, there are some new changes and the Ranger told me that because I’m over 20 feet I would have to park in the main parking lot and take the shuttle bus in to see the viewpoints. She gave me a tag to hang in my window. My heart sank to the bottom, since I know the shuttle buses will not except pets, and I was not willing to leave Jo Jo. However, upon examining the tag, it indicated vehicles over 23 feet to park and shuttle. My Travato is 21 feet. Hmmmm, I was annoyed. So I ignored the directions and went straight to the parking area at the sunrise amphitheater and not only did I see other campe...
Read more

At home now… from the great 2023 Alaska Road Trip!

Image
​ Jo Jo and I are home, from the trip of a lifetime! 106 days, 11,539 miles, 675 gallons of gasoline, a ton of fun, beautiful views, and amazing experiences. Other than a brief head cold, no other mishaps, except my souvenir windshield chips. The Sylver Gypsy performed wonderfully. She kept me safe and warm. My last days were drive heavy, but I managed a quick stop at Bryce Canyon National Park. My last night was in the Coconino Forest near Flagstaff, where I also made a brief stop at Sunset Crater. I’ll need a few moments to adjust being back to reality, but it’s nice to be home!
Read more

Montana to Blackfoot, Idaho

Image
​ Well, other than spending the day driving I didn’t do much else. Unless you consider the excitement of filling up my gas tank for $80.00. It’s the first time in a long time when I looked down I saw my gauge in the red and the yellow warning light came on indicating low fuel. I never do these things, but I must’ve been in “the zone” while driving. Either way, I made it to the next gas station and I also have 2 gallons as a spare mounted to my ladder. I wound up staying in the same place that I stopped in May, as I was traveling up north. It’s Rose Pond Park near the town of Blackfoot, Idaho. I even recall exactly where I stayed and it was open and available. However, there was a radio concert going on right around the corner. I wasn’t into listening to the “boom boom.” I found another spot just as a truck came with three ATV, mini bikes and kids who spent the next two hours driving around, mostly in the parking lot. I was actually concerned that they would come by too closely or lose ...
Read more