On the road - to Scenic Overload

We've only been on the road, out of so Cal, for six days. It somehow seems longer than that, and I can tell you, we are "suffering" from scenic overload. If the rest of the summer goes like this I'm sure to run out of disc space and will have to start making DVD downloads at Wal-Mart. So many photo ops!
Right now, Tuesday, June 7, we're having a little change of pace. Pat flew to Minnesota for a week to attend Grandson Gregory's graduation, and I'm staying just west of Phoenix with Annie and Molly. It's hot here, but I have some fixin' to do on the RV, and some books to read, so it's welcome down time.

So, there won't be much new stuff to report for a few days, but this break will give me a chance to catch up on the past week at leisure. When Pat gets back, we then head for Vegas, Death Valley, Yosemite, San Francisco, Hwy 101 along the CA and OR coast, a couple weeks in Washington to visit family and friends and reaffirm our WA residency, and then head eastward to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. More details on our travel plans as we go.

Blogger won't let me add photos at this time, so I'll be back later to do so.

Last post from Glamis North KOA (for this season)

We've spent the last few days getting the campground ready for closing. The summers here are just too hot to remain open, so unlike most KOA's that are just opening for the season, we're just closing for the season. We'll be back in mid-October to undo all the closing exercises and make ready for another winter season of desert camping and off-roading.

Trees full of egrets on the south edge of our campground. The Salton Sea attracts millions of birds as they migrate.

This abandoned building in Niland used to be one of the busiest tomato-packing facilities in the country. After an infestation of white flies, and a flood, the tomato industry here has not been able to recover.

And you thought there was no color in the desert. Lots of bouganvillia around here.

Yellow-headed blackbird is one of the many bird types coming to our yard feeders on a daily basis.

Quail and doves, also.

Jared, serving breakfast on the last day of operation for Sassy's Outback Cafe.

This old, diesel water truck keeps our campground streets and driveways damp so the dust is held to a minimum. The truck runs on a mixture of diesel and fryer oil.

New, large swimming pool - not quite finished, but at least ready for water before closing for the season. When we come back in October there will be 3 new pools and 10 mineral bath hot tubs ready to go. We've worked on the pools and pool area all winter.

This is the older pool, our only working pool this season.

Another view of the new pool.

This little guy fell into one of the new hot tubs and couldn't get out.

I put a piece of plastic pipe into the tub and gave him/her a route of escape.

Wednesday, June 1 we hit the road! First stop will be Joshua Tree National Park, but only for a day, and then it's on to the Grand Canyon for a four day tour with The Escapees. Stay tuned, we'll have lots of new scenery to show over the next couple of months.

Catching Up On Local Sights

So much to see, so many places to visit, and all of them just a few minutes away from our home. In less than two weeks we'll be leaving the Salton Sea area and traveling through a LOT of states and won't be back here until mid-October. Enjoy these local scenes.

Pat, overlooking the yacht harbor at the Salton Sea Museum

Salton Sea Museum from the water-side.

Just a small sampling of birds that winter on the Salton Sea.

Tilapia on the beach. They die for several reasons, mostly lack of oxygen.

Snake encounter near the beach. NOT a rattlesnake.

Dave, watching a mud pot roil and boil. That's a new geothermal energy plant in the background.

Bubbling mud in a mud pot.

Pat confirmed that the mud is HOT.

Salvation Mountain at Slab City. It's a manufactured mountain - mostly hay, clay, and paint.

The Mountain is desigated as an American Folk Art Project.

Can't deny that it is Folk Art.

One of the many painted vehicles parked around the Mountain.

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. 

Winter Assignment Winding Down

Our winter workamper assignment at Glamis North KOA is winding down. As this goes to post we have 36 days until we move on to a summer of travel. Our first destination after leaving Niland, CA is the Grand Canyon for a five day tour with the Escapees RV Club. We'll let you know either where we've been or where we are going as the summer progresses. In any event, we plan to be back at Glamis North by mid-October this year for another winter of fun in the sun. The weather here is the best we have ever found -- anywhere. Eating red tomatoes in February; harvesting summer squash in April; wearing shorts and t-shirts in every month. Almost never rains. What's not to like?
This post will clean up a number of photos I've just been harboring on my desktop. Time to post them and clean up the desktop.

Daughter Angel with Erika and Sabrina after a visit to the swimming pool in March.

Riding one of the rental bikes around the park.

Wellhead for an artesian well - in the remote desert. Water spraying out under natural pressure is hot.

Typical of the many abandoned dwellings in the surrounding desert.

Maybe ran out of gas, water, or air in the desert and simply remains there. Takes a long time to rust.

Hooded Oriole that's been hanging out at our lemon tree and sugar feeder in our yard.

Some of the ladies in the park made a quilt for Roslyn, one of the park owners.

The quilt makers presenting the quilt to Roz at the KOA store and Sassy's Outback Cafe.

Pat, Jared and Roz working on a campground reservation at the office.

Yes, Angel is eating a 'smore.

Taco Tuesday at the Bombay Beach American Legion. Couple in blue in foreground are Marianne and Tom Nance, Master Gardener friends from Newport WA who were here for a week visiting the area. Other folks at the table are some of our neighbors at Glamis North KOA.

So, that's the clean-up for now. Stay tuned for more of what/where/who as it happens.