China Ranch Date Farm

I talked Rick into another Harvest Host stopover. We decided to spend a free night at the China Ranch Date Farm, and turned off the highway to find it. It was easy to follow their signs through the desert! However, the road became quite interesting, and I could feel Rick tense up. Through steep hills and sometimes one lane roads, we made it to the bottom of the canyon!

The date farm was started by a man from China, but is now under new ownership. It was fun to walk through the date groves, all labeled with informative signs. The crops were able to be raised because of one small river running through causing the oasis. Clever irrigation paths were seen running to the trees. A flea market shop was in the main building with a bakery and malt shop. Everyone that we ran into could not believe that we had not ordered their famous date malt. Oh, well..................

Winnie decided to escape and run away into the twisted brush area behind our coach, so we talked and had a wine with a couple from California while we waited for her return. We were all a bit nervous as coyotes roam the land. I guess she was tired of Rick's cat calls, as she eventually returned. 

We decided to go to Shoshone to the famous and only saloon in town called, The Crowbar." We shared an order of fajitas and then headed back to the date farm. It was a much easier drive in a jeep. After our night of sleep all alone, Rick decided that he was tired of the desert, and wanted a nice camp. He had researched and off we went to Terrible's RV Resort in Pahrump, Nevada. 

Kelso, California

Leaving Twenty Nine Palms, we headed for the China Date Farm. It was almost lunch time and we both needed to stretch our legs! As we rounded the bend, we saw a sign for Kelso and thought we would stop the RV and get out for a bit. 

It was a lovely spot that is now more or less a ghost town. However, the Park Service has financed a huge restoration project to maintain the old depot and its grounds that were once very popular during the depression. The railroad stored "helper engines" here to help push the trains up the steep grade of the mountains. The land was owned by the Union Pacific Railroad, and it was a major stop. Housing was put up quickly for the help. Living in the desert must have been a bit lonely, and apparently many chose to drink heavily. A double sided, steel jail was used often to house the drunks of the day!

After a turkey sandwich, we wandered throughout the depot rooms set up as a museum. The railroad history was explained, along with a library. I found the local cacti fund raiser interesting. Local children painted their cactus to be auctioned off in May. Rick would not let me bid on one! So, back to the coach we went, and headed for the China Date Farm.

Visiting Joshua Tree National Park

We decided to stay at Twenty Nine Palms RV Park in California for three nights. That way we could do day trips into the park with the jeep. The temperatures were still cool, and I kept wishing that it would raise about 10 degrees. However, Rick was quick to remind me that it was the perfect temp for hiking, which we found ourselves doing quite a bit.

Day one we entered the North Entrance of the park, where I got my National Park Passport stamp. We drove the long southeast path toward Cottonwood Spring. Driving along we began to appreciate the Joshua trees in their funny, Dr. Seuss look as they twist and turn with greenery on the ends of their branches. They can grow to 40 feet tall, but only gain an inch/year!

Our next stop was the Cholia Cactus Garden. The garden is dominated by cholla (choy ya) nicknamed "Jumping Cholla" as they tend to stick to anything that they touch. We witnessed one woman using a pliers to pull the cactus barbs from her tennis shoes after getting too close! This reminded me to look, read, but stay on the path through the garden.

Upon arriving at Cottonwood Spring, we started another hike through desert and sand to the rock boulders, as we climbed higher. Rick stated that we never took up rock climbing because Jess would not keep her shoes on. I on the other hand was not sure that we were ever brave enough! The Cahuilla Indians inhabited this area before the gold mines opened.

We decided to drive back to our RV following the Old Dale Road. We had been told that it was a jeep trail, and that our vehicle would have no problem. That was true until we reached the border of the park! Around the corner opened up rough trails of rock and huge gaps. We did chicken out and turned around for a longer ride back.

Day 2 was spent in the northern section of the park. We had a nice 1.5 mile hike to see the Jumbo Rock area. Millions of years of change were evident as we walked around, past, under, and between the huge eroded monsters!

Rick decided to brave another jeep trail, and this one was much better as it was all in the National Park. It brought us to Barker Dam, an old cattle rustling area. The dam was built around 1900 to hold water for the cattle and miners. It was fun to hike through more gigantic rock, and then to come upon a wet area containing the old dam.

By this time, Rick was complaining of hunger. We drove to Hidden Valley picnic area where we made friends with a cute little chipmunk creature. It was a nice warm spot in the sun and all of the wind blocked out! Packing lunches and water was important as there were NO eating spots in the park.

No, we did not see every spot in the park, but did cover a lot of ground! We both agreed that it was worth seeing. The different terrains were fun to see and explore. The amazing desert plants that are able to survive, and the "few" animals that we spotted helped us gain a better understanding of southern California and the Joshua Tree National Park.

Boon Docking

I finally talked Rick into "boon docking" in the desert! We pulled off the road between Lake Havasu City and Parker, AZ to stay on the desert. We wanted to stay close to Havasu as the huge Fireworks Convention is going on in town. We drove close to SARA Park last night to watch the warm up and practice fireworks put on by two different companies. They were pretty amazing as they try to sell their show to the big time buyers!

Heading back to the desert camp, we joined some neighbors at their campfire. It is the first fire we have taken part in since we left home! Fun to talk to other jeepers and teachers from Wisconsin! Now that Rick feels more comfortable, he has committed to two nights in the free desert camp! It is dry camping, we have to use water and generators sparingly.  The fun continues!

You have to Go To the Desert Bar

When talking to people in Lake Havasu City, they all said the same thing, "You have to drive out and see the Desert Bar!" With only three days left in Havasu, we thought it was time to take the drive. Off we drove toward Parker, Arizona about 30 miles away. Taking a left turn onto a gravel road, Rick commented that we would not be the only ones checking out the spot. After a five mile drive over rock and dust, we found out that statement was true! The parking lot was full of cars with license plates of all states!

The Nellie E. Saloon (Desert Bar) is in the Buckskin Mts. and use to be an old mining camp. Ken, bought the land in 1975 which included a liquor license. He opened the bar, and hauled water in with an old fire truck. In 1997, he drilled a well. The saloon started out as a little lemonade stand look. After five years, he started adding buildings, or shelters.

A bridge was built to take you over a crevice and get to the bar and sitting area. Then, a church front was added for special weddings, pictures, and events. There are no pews and it is too small to put a chair in, but is an interesting look sticking up in the desert. Ken built a home to live in and does not venture out often. We met him amongst the 400 people or more that were there. 

The Desert Bar is only open on Saturdays and Sundays and closes in the HOT summer months. We found the sign in the parking lot amusing, stating that there is no beer drinking in the parking lot, as there were people sitting every where in the outdoor setting considered to be buildings. There is always some form of music entertainment. We could understand the draw to spend your lazy day in the sun having a beer and listening to the 60's and 70's tunes.

Kathi spent 20 minutes in the hamburger line, while Rick spent his time in another line for french fries. The sign states in no uncertain terms, "No Cheese!" We had been warned that the hamburgers were well done, but I found them quite tasty! The french fries on the other hand............ After spending an hour eating, looking, buying a t-shirt, and listening to the music, we headed back out to find another spot for Rick to try his metal detector.

Retirement Fund

Rick and I decided it was time to supplement our retirement fund, so Rick purchased a metal detector. Off we went to the desert to find our rich rewards! Learning to use a metal detector is a lesson in itself, and Rick is now reading the owners manual after our first day of searching.  However, we are very proud of our first day finds, and may have to keep them in our, "This and That" can.

What Shall We Do Today?

After spending two weeks in Lake Havasu City and exploring all that the town of 50,000 has to offer, we thought it time to take the advice of others and go exploring in the desert region. Fitted in our hiking boots and tennis shoes, off we drove to find the hiking trails in the park, SARA. (Sports and Recreation Area)

Our 5 mile hike took us through the wash area, or creek bed. We had been told it was a good path to follow as there had been no rain for some time! The wash area continued to flow down hill, and soon we were into rock. It was fun to look up at the various rock formations. From the rock units taught, you would think that I would be better suited to identify the rocks around us.

We continued on a downward walk to enter what is known in this area, as SARA's Crack. Rick said that he would not like to rock climb, but here he found himself doing a bit of that! Sliding into "skinny" crevices, climbing over boulders, and sliding up and down some rock formations turned out to be quite fun!

The quiet desert with it's cacti and brush seems quite populated as you come across groups of hikers. We even made one friend who kept appearing! He prided himself on being our guide as he popped in and out of our walk. He would hide out on a rock cliff, take a nap, eat some cheetos, and then run to catch up with us again. I must admit, that he frightened me a bit, and I was glad to know that there were groups of people who might come upon us if anything strange happened. However, he turned out to be a harmless man, perhaps out of work, who enjoyed spending time in the desert each day.