Mid-May Miscellaneous stuff

In 17 days we will be leaving Glamis North KOA for a summer of travel. I think we would both like to stay here, but it is getting too hot. It gets so hot that the campground shuts down from June 1 to Oct 15.

It just looks like sand in the desert, and it is, but this is also a scene in a John Wayne western movie. Can't tell you the title, 'cause I don't know, but I'm told that he comes riding over the dune and down to where the picnic table has been placed. It's a table from our CG, but it wasn't in the movie.

Can you say, "Mad Max"? Well, no, it's just our part-time neighbor, Gary Wagner all suited up for a dusty, desert ride.

Lots and lots of trains pass by on the shore of the Salton Sea. Most of them are container trains, like this one. Multiple engines at the front and the rear is common, as the trains can be up to a mile in length.

You're looking down into an old salt mine on the east side of the Salton Sea. The bottom layer is a viscous slurry that you don't want to get into.

The sign says, North Shore Beach & Yacht Club, but it hasn't been that for many years. It is now the Salton Sea Museum. The building got at least a few seconds of fame in the sci-fi movie, The Island, where it was tricked out to be a night club. Watch the movie and look for the building with the distinctive vents on the rounded front.

Pat, enjoying the white sandy beach at the Salton Sea Museum.

The Museum from the sea side.

Pat, Roslyn Loewen, and Jean Yost with Pat's birthday cake. Jean baked the cake.

The candles are merely symbolic, as well they should be at this age. She still looks pretty good, doesn't she?

Some of the staff that came together to celebrate Pat's birthday. Around the table from the front, clockwise: Jean, Roz, Cal, Jose, Jared, me, Pat.

Jack Rabbits in the desert, plentiful, and with very large ears.

Deer are a common sight in the desert.

Not sure what this is - some type of ground squirrel/gopher/chipmunk. Lots of them, also.

When you see these guys circling overhead, you're probably better off the just keep moving!

Map of the desert area we travel into.



A view of the All American Canal. The break in the canal at the left side shows a "drop", which is a break in the canal to allow rainwater to run off the mountains and flow freely to the sea without damaging the canal. The canal water is diverted underground to allow for this. Drops occur every 2-4 miles, depending on the uphill terrain.

That's all for today. We'll have another posting closer to when we hit the road.