Scotty's Castle and Our Humble Home

Tuesday through Thursday, November 8 to 10, 2011

 Camping in the Texas Springs campground in Death Valley National Park is interesting. It is $7 per night with a geezer card, and the campground is laid out on a hill side with gravel sites. It wasn’t hard to get level, and there is a fire pit and aluminum picnic table. The spaces are spaced okay, not too close together. The thing we find strange is there are a couple of restroom buildings with flush toilets, but they have no lighting of any kind in them. Oh well, you learn to take a flashlight.

 The 49er Encampment activities aren’t in full swing yet, but we didn’t have time for them anyway. Our first stop of the day was at the Stovepipe Wells area, where there is a ranger station, lodging, another gravel campground with RV hookups, and a general store with a penny smasher. The sand dunes are also in this area.  We got our pennies smashed and our passport book stamped, then went on up to Scotty’s Castle.

Old truck in the stable area

Hey kids! Remember this?

Many years ago we did the castle tour, but we decided to do it again, and we also did the underground tour. There were many things we did not remember on the house tour. It was led by a ranger who looked very dapper in his period 3 piece suit. He did an excellent tour.  They do not use the water wall anymore for cooling, and the pipe organ is run by computer rather than the player rolls you can still see beside the control panel. He told a lot about Scotty and Albert and Bessie Johnson and made it very interesting.

Our dapper guide

After the house tour we went back to the cave mobiles to have some lunch, then went over to the enormous swimming pool area to meet our guide for the underground tour. The pool was never finished, but would have been spectacular.   

Unfinished pool area

Barney's going to get us some power

Our underground tour guide

During the underground tour you see a huge pile of tiles that would have been used in the pool. We were led through some of the underground tunnels that accessed all of the plumbing and mechanical needs for the house.  And we got to see the power house. It was very interesting and our guide showed us how the power was produced, with a huge bank of batteries for power storage. There is a spring on the property that provided enough water for all their needs, running water in the house, flush toilets, bathtubs, etc., and was also used to provide the power. They have a solar system that is in bad shape and will be restored.  We all really enjoyed both tours.

It was already dark when we arrived back at the campground, so we just relaxed in the caves.

Wednesday morning we left the campground fairly early and stopped to tour the Borax Works before hitting the road. We went out through Beatty, Nevada, and then on up the middle of Nevada to Interstate 80. We stopped at a rest stop on I80 just east of Winnemucca. It was a long driving day, but it is time to be heading home. More weather is forecast for the weekend, and we don’t want to be driving in snow. There is already a light cover of snow on the hills in Nevada, and it was cold overnight at the rest stop.

Again we got a fairly early start, but stopped for fuel and breakfast in Winnemucca, then just trekked on home. Got the mail picked up, turned up the heat and the water heater and are settled back into life in our humble homes.

The long road home

We had a wonderful trip. We drove about 7300 miles, were in 18 different states, and you never know when the travel bug will strike again.

Hole-In-The-Wall

Monday, November 7, 2011

For sure you are all asking “where are they today” and what hole-in-the-wall place did they find to explore.   Wait a sec and I’ll tell you.

On Sunday we spent the whole day visiting with Pebbles (Fred and Wilma’s daughter) and SIL Chris, along with his son Jason, son  Christopher (grandson of Fred and Wilma) and his girlfriend, Anne Shirley, and Julie, Christopher’s babysitter and long time family friend. Had a great visit, but it came to an end this morning as we hugged and waved goodbye to Pebbles and Chris.

Leaving Victorville, California, we headed out into the wild blue yonder, generally headed in the direction of home, with a few hole-in-the-wall places to see along the way. Our first stop was in Barstow at the Mojave National Preserve headquarters. We loaded up our books with numerous stamps there and were encouraged to stop at Kelso Depot in the middle of the Preserve before going into Death Valley. It sounded like a pretty good stop, so we turned south in Baker, CA, for a quick trip down and back. It was a very good stop. We really enjoyed learning about the history of the place. There is a train depot in the middle of the Preserve about 35 miles from both I40 and I15 in southern CA. All the way out through the desert you wonder why this place is out there and what it is all about.

It was built for the railroad (train depot, duh) They needed extra engines there to help get the trains up a grade, so they had a roundhouse there and built a large depot with boarding rooms for the workers, a small café, in addition to the depot ticket office, telegraph office, etc. until diesel engines became the norm. The round house has been torn down, but the depot has been restored and is a main visitor center for the Mojave National Preserve. There are large sand dunes just a few miles away. There was also a VC a ways down the road that was for the Hole-in-the-Wall area, but that VC has been closed. So we didn’t quite go to Hole-in-the-Wall, but weren’t far away.

The tracks are still a main line, and a number of trains go through each day. One freight train came through while we were there. There is a steam engine train scheduled to go through on November 20 that would be fun to see, but we had to leave the area.

Leaving Kelso Depot, we went back through Baker and headed north to Death Valley National Park. As we got close to the Furnace Creek area which is the main hub in the valley, we noticed a large number of RVs. Sure enough, here we are in the middle of something again. This is the week for the 49er Encampment, and the place is jammed. We found a camping spot out of the main area, and will stay two nights.  

Check back for pictures.
w

Jumbo Rocks and Pebbles

Saturday, November 5, 2011

After a good night of sleep in Black Rock campground in Joshua Tree National Park in southern California, we went back into the main section of the park to look around. After a kind of stormy day yesterday, today was clear and bright. Many of the campers in the campground were in tents, and it was a little cool. Glad we had more protection than just a tent. There was some thin ice on the puddles left from showers yesterday, but the sun felt good as we got underway.

This is our campsite in the park

In the morning before exploring the park

Our first stop was the Oasis VC on the northeast edge of the park. We got our stamps there, and talked to the ranger a little about the highlights of the park, then went out to see for ourselves, planning to do the park loop road. We stopped at many of the exhibit signs along the road, and checked out some of the jumbo rocks. One is designated skull rock, another elephant rock, and we could easily see why.

This is skull rock

This is split rock.

Lots of huge rocks in parts of the park

None in other parts.

Then we drove out to Keys Overlook where you can look out to San Jacinto Mountain, and can see Palm Springs, and several other towns down in the valley. Also quite evident there is the San Andreas Fault which is the major quake line running up through central California. There is a split in the fault line, and the town of Desert Hot Springs is right in the middle.

Continuing on, we stopped in the Hidden Valley picnic area for some brunch. The picnic tables were fairly busy, and it was still just a little cool, so we ate in. The area is a hub for rock climbers and hikers, and was really busy. We went to check out Barker Dam, but decided we didn’t want to take the trail in. Our final stop for the park was the Joshua Tree VC to get more stamps, then we got on our way to Victorville to see Pebbles.

Bear Valley Road was mostly a huge parking strip, and it took a long time to work our way through town. Christmas rush must have already started here. Even Mesa and Oklahoma City weren’t that bad.

Pebbles and her furry pets, Rocco, Rosie, and Daisy were here to meet us, with Christopher and Anne Shirley joining us for dinner. Good to see everyone.

We will spend another day here before continuing on to Death Valley and then home.

w

California Here We Come

Friday, November 4, 2011

Thank you Lee, you are an excellent host. Not only power and shower, but lots of food too. Sorry we didn’t have room to take the salads, they looked yummy!

Driving into, through, and out of the dust storm!

The forecast of snow in Flagstaff and other points on our planned route had us changing our plans. Knowing we would at least see some wind, blowing dust, and rain, we chose that against the snow, and headed west into California. We did in fact get some wind, and a short area where the dust storm was quite thick, and we got a little rain.

Since it is into November now, some RVs are already present around Quartzsite, but many thousands are still to come!

It has been many years since we have been in California, and had forgotten the inspection stations at the border. We didn’t have any problem there, and on we went to Joshua Tree National Park.

California agricultural inspection

We were going to top off our fuel tanks before going into the park, but the only station we found was out of diesel. Oh well, we were okay, so went on into the park. We stopped at the Cottonwood VC and got our stamps and the brochures, but they were closing in a few minutes, so we didn’t get to see the video.

Setting up after dark

Driving on through the park, we checked out the first campground we came to, but didn’t see anything suitable, so went on. We weren’t going to make it to the next VC before it closed, but needed to get through the park to check out a campground on the other side. Indian Cove was full, but we got our stamps there and the ranger called ahead to Black Rock to check on camp sites for us. They had sites available, so we went on.  It was already almost dark, so we quickly got tucked in for the night. It will be another cold one.

Salt River Canyon

Thursday, November 3, 2011

We had to bundle up a bit because it was quite chilly (downright cold) leaving the parking area near ShowLow, Arizona, but the cavemobile fires soon had us warming up, and away we went, down through the Salt River Canyon towards Globe. We enjoyed stopping along the way at several turnouts just taking in the beautiful scenery and taking our time.

In Globe, we stopped and listened to the friendly women in the visitor center, and loaded up with maps and brochures for Arizona. Globe is copper country, with several mines in the area. The visitor center had ore samples you could buy, and some were quite pretty. Nope, they won't be in your Christmas stocking.

We continued on through another scenic canyon, enjoying the different rock formations. As we came down from the hills nearing the outskirts of Phoenix, there was quite a haze in the air. We chose to believe it was dust blowing, but could have just been smog!

Barney's brother was expecting us, so that was our next stop. After visiting a little bit, Betty and Wilma loaded up some laundry and went down the road to find a laundromat. The Wash Tub wasn't far away, and we got that chore taken care of.

Meanwhile, Fred had taken off for Scottsdale to visit the Book Center there. He and the manager had been working acquaintances before Fred's retirement, and he enjoyed seeing her again.

All back at Lee's, we talked him into going to Golden Corral for dinner, then we settled in for the night.

Petrified

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Yes, indeed, it was cold overnight. Our water hoses froze, but we don't think they were damaged. We didn't waste any time getting out of the RV site, and headed west to cross the border into Arizona, then north to I-40 and the Petrified Forest National Park. The Painted Desert is on the north side of I-40, and the Petrified Forest is on the south side. There is a VC just outside the entrance, so we stopped there for our stamps and to watch the video. It was really a good one, and mentioned the theft problem they have. It claimed they lose approximately one ton of petrified wood per month. At that rate, there won't be much left for future generations to see. As you enter the park they ask if you have any with you, and as you leave they ask if you took any. Like someone is going to admit if they took some! It is a $325 fine if caught with some, and that should probably be higher.

The Painted Desert section showed lots of colors, with reds predominant.

We stopped at most of the turnouts, and toured the old Painted Desert Inn, then went south to the Petrified Forest area. Again, we stopped at most of the turnouts.  We took the short walk up to the ruins of the Puerco Pueblo.

There was a sign posted saying there had been aggressive bees in the area, so Betty had to sit that one out. We went on to see the tepees, layered blue, purple and gray cone shaped formations that are colored by iron, carbon, and other minerals.

This is one of the many "tepees" in the park.

The Jasper Forest was next, where erosion of the rocky bluff has strewn petrified logs across the valley.

Many of the logs are very beautiful.

Such brilliant colors.

Then came the Crystal Forest Trail. It was an easy almost mile long trail through all kinds of petrified log chunks that were very colorful. They say the logs used to hold glassy amethyst and quartz crystals, but most have been taken. How sad that we don't all try to preserve these areas.

Our final stop in the Petrified Forest was at the Rainbow Forest museum. They have a slab of very colorful red petrified wood in there that weighs about 800 lbs.  It is probably 6 to 8 inches thick and maybe 3 feet across. It has been highly polished and was beautiful.  We were sort of tired out by then, so didn't take the trails there. They have one log along the path there that is the largest in the park, and they call it "Old Faithful."

This is not "Old Faithful" but is a large petrified log. Betty and Barney checking it out.

From the park we headed southwest to the town of Showlow, hoping to stay in the WalMart parking lot overnight. As we neared town, Wilma had looked it up and found that the Showlow WalMart does not permit overnight parking. We stopped at Taco Bell for some fortification, and went out to WalMart to check it out. There was an area across the road from the parking lot that had several RVs already parked for the night, so we joined them. It was quite cold, but we were happy to have a place to pull off for the night without having to shell out big bucks.

 
On to Phoenix tomorrow.
w

Skid Row Breakfast

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

We got a fairly slow start this morning because we didn't have far to go . We drove the old Route 66 through Albuquerque, but didn't stop along the busy street. Our first parks stop was at the Petroglyph National Monument on the west side of Albuquerque. We stopped at the VC to get our stamps taken care of and went out to a trailhead where there were a number of rocks with petroglyphs.

A character in the parking lot

Two characters checking out the decorations

Leaving the rock pictures behind, we took Interstate 40 to Grants, New Mexico, and stopped at a multi-agency VC for our stamps and information. We watched the video there, and then went down to a little park in the middle of town for our lunch.  We had hardly opened the campers when the first of several probably skid row residents came by to "chat" and ask for a handout. It didn't take us too long to finish up and get back on the road, headed for El Malpais National Monument. That is pretty much a hiking destination, and since we weren't doing any of that, we just stopped at the VC, chatted with the ranger, got our stamps and then headed on to El Morro National Monument. El Morro is not too far from the western border of New Mexico. It was a pretty drive through wooded hills between El Malpais and El Morro, and the elevation is approximately 7500 ft., so it was cool. It was too late in the day to take any of the short trails at El Morro, but we stopped at the VC, got our stamps and watched the video, after taking numerous photos of El Morro.  The ranger told us you can still see the handholds that the Indian women used when they decended from the top to fill the water jugs, then climbed back up balancing the water on their heads. There are ruins on the top, but we didn't get to see them.

Power and shower were needed tonight, so we bypassed the free little campground in the Park, and found a nearby RV campground. I'm sure we've stayed in worse, but can't remember when. At least we have power so we can run our little space heater.

w