Welcome to California!

As we entered eastern California on I-10 I remembered that a few years ago we had camped just outside Joshua Tree National Park.  There is BLM land to the north and south of the highway.  We stopped for lunch at Chiriaco Summit and spoke at length with a young lady who gave us some information about Box Canyon.  (I swear every western state has a place called Box Canyon and there's at least two in Arizona!) 

           

With impressive cliffs on both sides of the curvy road through Box Canyon we scouted out places to camp.  We drove all the way through to the little farming town of Mecca.  From Mecca we were able to view The Salton Sea, a shallow sea created by accident after some serious flooding of the Colorado River in 1905.  Subsequent runoff from other rivers in the area have kept the level steady.  The surface level is 226 feet below sea level and it's maximum depth is 50 feet.  (and that's still higher than the lowest point of Death Valley!)

                                 

We returned to Box Canyon and pulled into a camping area and proceeded to get stuck in the sand.  No problem though, just a minor delay and we settled down to gather wood and clean the area.  It appears that this is also an area where locals come to party judging from the number of booze/beer bottles left behind.  Once again I'm frustrated with people that bring glass bottles to a "no glass" area!  Oh and let me not forget to mention that they use the glass bottles for target shooting!  

The rock formations around us were very interesting and I found a small cave/chimney on the side of one of the cliffs.  

                                    The chimney/cave with a view looking up

Did you know this has been a very warm winter in Southern California?  We should have been experiencing temps in the 60's and it was mid to high 80's!  One night in Box Canyon was enough for us.  Higher elevations might provide the cooler weather we wanted.  

On the road again....we drove through Palm Springs and shopped at a Costco there.  There is also a BLM office and we stopped in to get suggestions.  Our first disappointment with the BLM.  The only good advice we got was the name of a vet in Rancho Cucamonga since Kilo still had that giant lump on his neck!

We drove north and found ourselves on the northern end of the Joshua Tree National Forest.  We stopped at a California Welcome Center to get information about camping.  Boy, did we get information along with a large official California tote bag, brochures, maps, a drink cozy and permission to spend the night in the parking lot. We had actually known this was a possibility beforehand.  Not exactly exciting but it was free!  

                               

We rolled along early the next morning, made a vet stop in Rancho Cucamonga and proceeded to the Angeles National Forest for some free camping.  (The Vet felt Kilo had an abscess so antibiotics were started right away.). We drove up the San Gabriel River Canyon Rd and found a spot near a picnic area complete with restrooms.  It was an incredibly windy day and we hoped the breeze would diminish because we would be spending two nights here.  

           A view from our campsite, the river and the steep canyon walls

Mike pointed out how steep the canyon walls were and how difficult it must be to fight a fire there.  Hmmmm....premonition?

The next morning we finished our coffee, had breakfast and began to do some chores.  Suddenly, two Sheriff's Department emergency vehicles came up the road with lights flashing and sirens blasting.  They pulled up to our trailer and and called out that we had to evacuate because a forest fire was headed our way!  Hearing that we sprang into action and had the trailer and truck packed in record time.  We started down the canyon in disbelief.  We didn't smell or see any smoke!  We passed a small community and watched as these folks had to abandon their homes.  We were fortunate we could take ours with us!  

We started to see the smoke and soon it became thick and heavy.  As we exited the Forest we saw many fire trucks lining the road and we waved to them our appreciation of the difficult task ahead of them.  The fire was on the east side of the road threatening several homes - it was good to make it out! 

We found out later this was called the Colby Fire and was arson involving three young men behaving badly on a very windy day!  

We went 20 miles further west into the Angeles National Forest and found a camping area that was open.  There was no one there and it was nice to have the peace and quiet after our eventful day!  

King of Arizona and Hi Jolly

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is located just south of Quartzsite, Arizona with access into the Refuge from State Route 95.  Kofa stands for King of Arizona referring to a mine in that area.  There is a population of Desert Bighorn Sheep that enjoy the very steep, jagged, and rocky terrain of the Refuge. It's a large area with 665,000 acres of pristine desert.  

                                     

Our first night in the Refuge we camped a few miles off one of the entrance roads.  There is no fee however there is a 14 day limit.  We had come in rather late and we both felt we could find a better spot.  We drove north to Palm Canyon, an area of the Refuge where native California Fan Palm Trees grow.  One of the few places in Arizona that has actual native palm trees.  

       Can you see the palm trees?

  

We took the hike into the Canyon and saw the palm trees crammed into a narrow gully.  It was amazing that they actually grew in that spot.  We enjoyed the hike and it was good exercise for the dog.  The mountains in Kofa are not particularly high but they are impressive looking.  It is the perfect habitat for the Bighorn Sheep and there's supposed to be 400 to 800 living in the Refuge.  (Although I'm sorry to say we didn't see any!) 

Looking for the right spot to camp we studied the map and saw the old Mountain Telephone and Telegraph Road was just north of us.  We found it although there was no road sign the telephone poles going into the Refuge was our clue.  This road was less populated with campers and the first four to five miles is BLM land.  We saw one or two other trailers and went in about 2.5 miles to find the right spot.  

                                 

It was close to a wash, there were quite a few trees and shrubs and plenty of dead wood for camp fires.  Both Mike and I uncovered Black Widow Spiders while picking up wood reminding us to use care!  (What is it with us and spiders lately?)

One day at Kofa we did some landscape painting.  Mike painted the Kofa skyline and I painted a scene from Empire Ranch.  Kofa was the type of place that would get your creative juices flowing!  

We visited Quartzsite while we were there, one time with Nick, Sally and Rosie!  Quartzsite could best be described as one giant swap meet from one side of town to the other!  We did some exploring and found people selling a little bit of everything.  The biggest exhibitors were rock and gem collectors.  We saw barrels and barrels of rocks and could not believe the enthusiasm for them. 

This place had a carnival atmosphere when it came to food for sale.  One trick is to not have prices posted for instance the man selling waffle ice cream cones.  It was a warm day,  it looked irresistible and as the man handed you the cone he said "that'll be seven dollars". (Mike got sucked into that one). 

There were many people from the northern states and Canada camping near by.  Long Term Visitor Areas are maintained by the BLM and offer four large campgrounds for minimal fees.  Many "snowbirds" spend the winter here taking advantage of the warmer, dryer desert weather.  

Quartzsite has some interesting history.  Back in the 1850's, Jefferson Davis, who was Secretary of War, procured a herd of camels to open a wagon road across Arizona from Fort Defiance to California.  The camels and their caretaker, Haiji Ali,(from Syria) came to reside in the Quartzsite area.  The camel experiment was interrupted by the Civil War and the camels we're let loose to roam the desert and survived for many years. Haiji Ali, who became known as "Hi Jolly" by the troops, stayed in Quartzsite and died there in 1903.  

During the time we stayed in Quartzsite, our dog, Kilo had become sick.  He would not eat and was lethargic.  We hoped it was nothing serious maybe just a 24 hour bug.  He perked up some but still had low energy which is not the norm for a two year old dog.  He had a few unusual symptoms, he kept his head down and the only way he would eat is if we raised his dish.  A few days later we noticed a swelling on his neck.  What the heck?  It was plainly obvious just by looking at him.  Then we remembered the Black Widow Spiders and how Kilo likes to pick up and chew on the fire wood.  Perhaps an angry Black Widow had bitten Kilo out of spite for disturbing her habitat?  

                                         

Well, Kilo was eating and drinking so we figured it was no emergency and we would keep our eye on it.  

We began planning our exit from Kofa since we had a wedding to attend in California the next week.  So glad we spent some time in this beautiful place!  

                       

Honeymoon at Vulture Peak

IOur first destination after leaving Phoenix was Vulture Peak Road, just south of Wickenburg.  This is a Bureau of Land Management area and we knew there was dispersed camping two miles into the road.  Mike and I had hiked Vulture Peak last year and had been impressed with the wilderness there.  

                    

                                  

                   We hiked Vulture Peak last year when I was going through chemo.

As we drove along we saw a road going off to the left and found a good place to park the trailer and camp.  It was an abandoned mining site but was now littered with broken glass and other assorted items that had been shot up including a computer!  We must have picked a favorite spot for target shooting.  

              

      Our trailer in the old mining site at Vulture Peak

Mike went to work cleaning up the glass.  One of our goals in this camping journey is to leave each site better than we found it.  The common sign found on these lands is "Pack it in, pack it out" meaning whatever you bring in take it back out! What a shame there are so many illiterate people visiting these wilderness places.  How else would you account for all the trash left behind?  

Anyway, as Mike was cleaning he called me over to check something out.  He pointed down to an old metal tub and there was a big, brown tarantula!  I'm not a big fan of spiders but I was fascinated by this guy and took several photos.  Thank goodness he had no interest in us and just stayed in the tub the whole time we were there.  

                     

                     The tarantula that shared our camp site

We were on our honeymoon on wilderness land but we could not prevent the Jeep Tours and OHV's from interrupting our peaceful spot.  One afternoon a group of four Jeeps stopped right below our campsite and had their picnic lunch.  Really?! There's thousands of acres out there and you have your lunch here?  They weren't the only ones to do this, another group drove right through our campsite.  We figured us being there probably ruined their target shooting plans or something.  

We did go hiking on some of the many trails around and had some pretty decent views.  One day was a long, hilly bike ride - good fun and did we ever poop out our dog!  We tried out our new "pie irons", (a gift from Mike's daughter, Yib) and made some pretty decent biscuits and eggs.

 

Hiking in the Vulture Peak wilderness, with views of Vulture Peak

Mike built a large bonfire in one of the metal mining tubs (Not the tarantula's tub) in order to ring in the New Year.  (Although we did not make it to midnight).  

                                                    

 

               Our New Years bonfire and breakfast a la pie iron 

            Ok, the biscuits look burned but they were really good.

Looking for more peace and less action it was time to move along.  We packed up and drove into Wickenburg to research our options.  As we searched the map we found an abundance of BLM lands heading west on Route 60. We knew eventually we would need to go to California for a wedding in mid-January.  Down Route 60 we went past miles and miles of cotton fields and ranches and not much else.

                                    

                                                Buckskin Mountains

Heading north out of Wenden (a tiny town with a cotton farm, cafe, store, post office, at least three churches and farm worker residences) we veered off on a dirt utility road and literally headed for the hills.  I knew when we reached the base of the mountains we would be on BLM land.  We finally came to a fork in the road, one way was a dead end backed up to the hills so it was a good place to camp.  

I became obsessed with knowing where we were exactly.  After all, I had been studying maps and researching different areas.  Our cell phones were useless.  We had no signal and we were in the middle of nowhere!  I finally had to "let it go" and help Mike get down to business, unpacking, gathering wood and setting up camp.  

                                

                                          Camping in the desert valley

We wanted a more quiet location and we certainly found it!  We saw one vehicle while camped there.  It was a local rancher and he provided us with our location.  We were backed up to the Harcuvar Mountains - yup, in the middle of nowhere.

                            

                   Climbing a Harcuvar Hill to get this view - middle of nowhere!

He also told us that during World War II General Patton had done some troop training just a little west of where we were camping.  This was classified information finally released during the 1980's.  Residents and visitors were cautioned that there may be live remnants of unexploded shells used during war training exercises.  

Mining was big in the hills surrounding us and I discovered an abandoned mine while out walking Kilo.  This mine was fenced off with a warning sign and when I peaked down into it I could not see the bottom.  

We hiked, rode our bikes, cooked over the fire using our new, nifty pie irons, read books and talked.  One morning we watched a Road Runner hunting on the hill above us and we heard coyotes every day but didn't see them.  This was truly a remote area and feeling the need to reconnect with civilization we prepared to leave.  We practically have this "pack and go" thing down to a science.  What used to take us half a day is now done in less than two hours.  

                  

                    Early morning camp fire and coffee

Soon we were on our way bumping along the rough road.  Driving back into Wendon, we stopped at the post office so I could mail some notes.  Mike got out to look over the trailer, walked to the back and then something caught his eye.  Because one of the pins was not put in place on our Thule bike rack, Mike's bike had crashed down into the trailer, a pedal and handlebar actually impaling the front of the trailer!  I mean we are talking about seeing daylight through those holes. Not only that but the fork on his bike had snapped off on impact leaving fork and tire somewhere back in the wilderness!  

The way we cope with these situations is to find the humor in it - after all no one was hurt.  We laughed thinking about the previous trailer's owner and how he kept it so pristine.  "Just a few scratches on the upholstery from the cat" he told us.  We pictured him looking at the R-Pod now with a tear running down his face and that got us laughing!  

After making some very temporary repairs (using plastic grocery bags and duct tape) we were on our way once more.  We decided to head for Quartzsite, Arizona home of a huge swap meet and a big destination for snowbird RVers.  There are large areas of BLM land around the Colorado River Valley where we could park and camp.  

                                   

Two Holidays and a Wedding

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas we stayed in Phoenix with our friends, Nick and Sally.  Mike had called Nick to see if we could park our trailer on his property and plug into his "shore power".  Nick gave us the thumbs up so we drove to the city. 

 

   Nick and Sally's home in Phoenix                                            

Since we had no plans for Thanksgiving Dinner, we enjoyed dinner out with Nick and Sally at the Deer Valley Airport.  Thus began our 30 days in Phoenix.  We enjoyed their hospitality, a spare bedroom and our own bathroom.  This was pure luxury for us!  

Daily schedules were quite different with our hosts.  We get up before dawn and they get up around the crack of noon.  (Well, maybe not that late!). Mike and I would brew a pot of coffee and sit on their back patio.  After all, we had to keep up our morning tradition even if we weren't camping!  Kilo would play with Nick's dog, Rosie.  She's an amazing eleven year old Chow-Basenji mix.  She was motherly toward Kilo, tolerating his playfulness until finally she would bully him across the yard.  She did not behave like an eleven year old dog!  

                                                

                                                 Rosie Derrie-Berry

Most mornings, after coffee and breakfast, we took Kilo and Rosie to the dog park.  Kilo had a blast meeting and playing with a wide variety of dogs.  There was Layla, the beautiful brindle Boxer.  Penny, the very submissive and "so homely she was cute", German Shepherd.  Duke, the bear-like Bouvier and his companion, Matilda, a mixed breed that looked like Rosie.  Chuck, the Staffordshire Terrier, going through obedience training.  Shelby, the calm alpha female of the park and Perry the freckled Boxer.  We met their owners but of course only remember the dogs' names!

                                                                                       

                    

Fun at the dog park!

Rosie strolled around not really playing with the other dogs, just sniffing and greeting.  We imagined a story about her being a real estate agent meeting clients and networking at the dog park.  We re-named her Rosie Derrie-Berry after a real estate agent in our old neighborhood.  (Yes, there is an actual person named Rosie Derrie-Berry)

 During our time in Phoenix we decided to set a date for our wedding.  We chose December 26, my father's birthday.  Our good friend, The Reverend Bill Kurasz, not only agreed to marry us but offered his lovely home as the venue!  Bill encouraged us to invite friends and family to help us celebrate our special day.  He also planned a luncheon to be served after the ceremony.  Our East Coast family would watch with the help of modern technology a la FaceTime and Google Hangout.  Our Phoenix family would attend in person!  We decided to write our own vows.  It took me a week to do this - it took Mike about an hour one morning.  

                                        

                                          Mike and the Reverend Bill

For the wedding, Mike put together a nice, semi-casual outfit approved by his personal fashion consultant, Yib.    I found a knee length cocktail dress at Macy's - just fancy enough to be a wedding dress but I would definitely wear it again!  

Christmas Eve morning the plan was a breakfast picnic at Steele Indian School Park with the McBride clan.  Christmas Day would be a dinner put on by Mike's cousin, Cathy.  Christmas evening would be dessert and games at Nick and Sally's.  Then December 26th would be our wedding.  We had three days of celebration lined up!  

                                                                      

                                            

SoJo, Mac and Matt wearing the awesome "Harry" New Year hats obviously printed in China.

The Steele Indian School Park Christmas Eve breakfast included a wonderful coffee cake with fruit salad and coffee.  Mike handed out some awesome hats misprinted "Harry New Year" found at the local Dollar Store.  The only casualty was our dog Kilo, who met the wrath of Fox.  She nipped Kilo as soon as she arrived letting him know she's the boss.  Fox is a take charge kind of dog and she is all business when it comes to her new job as The Nanny to baby Charlie.  Speaking of baby Charlie, he was celebrating his four month birthday! 

    

Uncle Mac and Charlie.                 Papa Mike with Charlie and Gramma Waffle

Christmas Day we headed to Cathy's for an early dinner.  There we met up with the McBride kids and spouses as well as Mike's Mom, Barbara.  We loved seeing cousins as well as Aunt Billie and Uncle Ray.  At one point there were five dogs roaming about. 

 

Dinner was delicious, turkey, ham and all the fixings!  The weather was perfect at around 70 degrees. For dessert, there was the most amazing red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.  Mike's cousin, Nancy, gets many kudos for that scrumptious treat!   

Mike's Uncle Ray is especially beloved. A kind, soft spoken man now frail and moving about with the help of a wheelchair or scooter.  When he quietly got ready to leave with the help of his grandson many of us followed him outside to say goodbye.  It was not a simple ordeal for him going from wheelchair to car seat.  Sensing a bit of awkwardness, Uncle Ray blurted out "Haven't you ever seen anyone get in a car before?"  which got everyone laughing.  We assured him we just wanted to say good bye!  

We returned to Nick and Sally's where we played games and continued to eat until late in the evening.  It's a hard time of year to watch your weight!  

                                                                     

                                             

                                Uncle Ray enjoying Christmas dinner with Kelly and Charlie

We rose the next morning - my Dad's birthday - and our wedding day.  In keeping with tradition we had our usual coffee time, of course, a bite to eat and then made our way over to Reverend Bill's house.  

In front of family and friends we made our vows and became husband and wife!  It was an emotional, loving moment and we felt truly blessed.  

                                

                                                                  

     

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Patrick McBride!

Not ones to waste any time and anxious to start our "honeymoon on the road" we got busy the next day.  We certified our marriage license at the courthouse then took that to the Social Security Office so I could change my name.  Unfortunately we hit that office at lunch time, a crowd of people waiting and one window open.  

We all know how that goes!  We did some more running around trying to get my new license but it was too soon and we would have to return at a later date.  

The following day we packed up our belongings and prepared to leave Phoenix.  Farewell to Nick, Sally and Rosie, what an enjoyable stay we had!  It was time to move on and begin married life together.  

Our Wedding Vows:

Mike, today I am here to marry you, the man I love, my best friend and partner.  

With patient kindness I will be there for you in joy and adversity.

I promise to be "really good, sweet and nice".  I promise to love you unconditionally and remain faithful through any storms we may face.   I promise to always keep sacred our morning coffee hour.  This is our time for reflection and loving communication.  

I am so grateful God has brought us together.  

Thank you for inspiring me to broaden my horizons and move outside my comfort zone.  Thank you for sharing my love of nature and all the beauty around us.  Thank you for patiently accepting my daily weather reports and bird sightings.  Thank you for loving me with hair and without.  

I love you, Mike, and my heart is full!  I am honored to be your wife, camping partner and fellow explorer in this new adventure.  Let nothing part us until death. 

                                                       

                                      

    

Jeannie, you are my best friend, and today I commit myself to you in marriage for as long as we live.  You've proven yourself faithful, kind, patient, and tolerant.  It is my deepest conviction that you are a tangible manifestation of God's love for me, and I want to reflect this love back to you.

From this day forward, I promise to love you without condition, to be faithful to you, to trust you and to prove myself trustworthy to you.  As God gives me presence of mind and spirit, I vow to transform my intention to honor you with action, to practice restraint when I am angry, worried, or annoyed, to shun sarcasm and negativity, to cherish you, not in word only, but in deed.

Jeannie, I love you.  I look forward to a life filled with meaning and joy with you by my side.  Each day you grow more beautiful in my eyes, and I want to be all for you that you have been for me.  It is my prayer that no thing, in the world of form or of spirit, should ever diminish the bond that exists between us.

I want each person present today to witness and to know that I love this woman and take her to be my wife, for as long as she quotes lines from Fantastic Mr. Fox.