Our last hike

in Arizona took us on switchbacks,

through patches of wildflowers

and over rocks 

along the Dead Horse Canyon Trail. Finally we have reached a fitness level that allows us to comfortably hike 6 miles with an elevation gain of 750 Feet and now we must return home (flat land.)

Social distancing has been easy in Catalina State Park. The campground is spacious, we are self-contained (that means we have our own shower and toilet,) and (with the help of our Corona Cronies and the All Trails phone app), we have hiked the less known and less traveled trails. On the occasion we met hikers on the trail, either we or they stepped off the trail to keep the recommended 6-ft distance. Except for picking up our on-line grocery order, we have not left the park in 10 days.

We will miss distant socializing with our Corona Cronies, our ever present feathered friends,

Arizona sunsets

and all the opportunities for safe outdoor activities. However, we are looking forward to long showers, consistent unlimited high speed internet, our own laundry (we are running out of clean clothes) and a mailing address (ABN has been out of her favorite skin care products for two weeks. )

The plan is to continue self-isolation as we make the 5 day, 1600 mile trek. If all goes as planned, we will not leave The Wanderer except to pump gas (yes, we will use disposable gloves and wash our hands) and maybe walk around an empty parking lot. For the safety of our community, once we are home we will continue to self-isolate for an additional 14 days, just to be sure the enemy has not hitched a ride.

December 18th we embarked on our Winter 2020 Adventure and, in spite of mechanical issues, a hiking injury and the COVID-19 war, we have not been disappointed. We have explored new areas, made new friends, learned to adapt to changes and revisited our contamination prevention skills (from our health care and nuclear energy careers.)  

So now let the last leg of our adventure begin.

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Greetings from a Social Distance

We watch virtually from our little home on wheels as our country joins together to fight yet another enemy, COVID-19. We think the best possible place for “social distancing,” is the wide open spaces of the great outdoors.

However, as many states are trying to discourage traveling, state parks and some public lands are closing and/or not allowing new rigs to enter. Our travel plans are changing accordingly.

As with any adventure, the key is to adapt. After all, it would not be an adventure if everything went as planned. We were hoping to catch up with friends, old and new,  on this phase of our Winter 2020 Adventure, and we did; just not all of those we had planned. Instead of hosting meals or meeting up at breweries/restaurants we gathered around the campfire, complying with the CDC's less than 10 people, 6ft “social distancing” recommendations (at the time.)

When it isn’t raining we hike. 

(yes, it does rain in the desert) 

Captain is up to hiking 5 miles on moderate to difficult trails.

We are not totally alone on the trails.

We believe the exercise and sunshine boost our immunity (even if it doesn’t, it guarantees a good night of sleep.)

Just because we can’t enjoy an occasional meal out doesn’t mean we are not eating well. Captain is giving the Little Green Egg a workout while ABN roasts vegetables in the oven, and yes, we do have some good wine on board.

Like most of you, we are keeping out of the grocery stores as much as possible by ordering online and picking up at the store. If we do need to go into a store, only one of us goes in to lessen the odds.

Fortunately Clorox wipes and disposable gloves are a staple in our little home on wheels, so we had a small (enough) supply on board when panic shopping began. We put on gloves before entering a public place (like a laundromat or grocery store) and when touching a publicly used entity (like a gas pump.)

Except for the above, everything else is our world is pretty much the same; we start the day with coffee while reading our local paper, go for a hike, watch Jeopardy, have a glass of wine, fix dinner, read, ABN draws, writes and edits photos while Captain changes reservations and plans hikes. It’s a pretty good place to “shelter in place.” 

And we have a couple of little friends visit all day long.

Could not capture the beautiful iridescent colors. 

We have reservations here in Catalina State Park near Tucson through March 30. Where we go from here is yet to be determined. After leaving California a couple of weeks ago, there has been very little chance that we have been exposed to the enemy, however when we do return home we will “self-isolate” for the recommended 14 days just to be safe.

Until then, look for the positive. 

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Out of the Desert, Though the City to the Coast

Leaving the desert, we overnighted at ChinaRanch Date Farm, a Harvest Host location near Death Valley. The drive to the farm was a bit intimidating (watch the video to see just how intimidating) but well worth it.

(Sorry for the clicking on the video; we didn’t know that was happening, don’t actually know what it is and don’t know how to strip YouTube audio. If you find it as annoying as we do, you might want to mute the sound on your device. )

Store and Bakery

Date Palm Orchard

Date bread, date cookies, date muffin, and coconut date shake; definitely worth the drive.

We were able to get in a little hike;

Yep, Captain is hiking again!

Always a pleasant surprise when we run into new friends we have met in our travels. We first met Tina at Lake Havasu, again at Death Valley National Park; the third time at China Ranch Date Farm required a photo.

Tina is a realtor in Newark, CA traveling solo in her Winnebago Minnie Winnie.

On through the city

stopping first in Riverside, CA, where we had dinner with Captain’s cousin.

Having not seen Barbara in about 15 years, there was a lot of catching up to do.

Located in the area is the Nixon Presidential Library, allowing us to check off number 10 of 13 presidential libraries.

We don’t know about you, but when we think of President Nixon, all that comes to mind is Watergate and his resignation. We didn’t remember all he had accomplished in his 5 year tenure.

·       Created the EPA

·       Signed the Clean Air Act of 1970

·       Signed Title IX, opening the door for female athletes

·       Ended the military draft

·       Began the pulling the troops out of Vietnam

To name a few

ABN felt a bit of nostalgia when she saw a uniform Pat Nixon wore when she was serving with the Red Cross.

Moving on to the coast,

Morro Rock in Morro Bay

we joined 40+ Lazy Daze at Morro Bay, CA; some vintage, a lot old (like ours) and a few new.

Most were from the Southern California Caravan club and were weekend/vacation RVers. The exception was Lauralee, Joan and Debbie, three strong women traveling alone, full time.

Once again we had a bit of a bump in our Winter 2020 Adventure; the Coronavirus. No we are not sick or in quarantine, and as far as we know we have not been exposed. The reason for this trek to the California coast was to meet other Lazy Daze owners at an annual gathering to glean ideas for modifications. In past years open houses were a part of this sharing of ideas. But COVID-19 had reared its ugly head making it risky for folks to go in and out of the RVs. We were very disappointed but still found it interesting to gather for tech talks and we came away with some useful information.

While we were on the coast,

(wrong, we didn’t try another spa) we checked out the famous Hearst Castle.

Indoor Pool

Only a small portion of the wine cellar.

Yeah, it was a bit opulent to say the least.

Turning The Wanderer east, we traveled back through Los Angeles

to Anza-Borrego DesertState Park.

We found a pretty much isolated place to park (for free for 30 days)

and are contemplating self-quarantining, not because we have knowingly been exposed but, well it is pretty and, except for the rain, the weather is agreeable. We stopped in Ventura to buy toilet paper supplies; we have plenty of solar, propane, gas, cell phone service and satellite TV.

Just kidding! While it is a good idea and ABN is living her dream,

on Saturday we will continue our journey east with home on the radar; (Unless we are stranded due to flash floods or forbidden to enter our home state.)

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Into the Desert We Go

Needing some quiet time, we found just what we needed in the California desert.

Notice, we said quiet time, not isolation. In Death Valley National Park, we were surrounded by folks, but we had no agenda. We soaked up the wonderful sunshine, soaked in the spring fed pool, read and took long walks (at least ABN did; although Captain is nearly back to normal he decided not to add additional stress just yet.)

One of ABN’s long walks took her to Mustard Canyon, the site of borax mining in the late 1800s.

Think 20-Mule Team Borax; 

the 20-Mule Team refers to the way borax was hauled from the mines. Apparently most of the labor was done by the Chinese immigrants making $1.30 per day minus food and lodging.





Our drive through the park took us to

So named when a surveyor led his mule to the water; the water was so bad the mule wouldn't drink it. The surveyor wrote "badwater" on his map. What is pictured above is salt. 

to Artist's Palette,

and Zabriskie Point.

Snow on the mountain; Salt in the basin

Finding an oasis in the desert, we stopped in for a drink at sunset.

Most of the activity in Death Valley National Park seems to be hiking, golfing, bicycling and sight-seeing. We do hope to return to hike and maybe bring the tandem.

After a few days in the park, we moved on to a resort.

Now, resorts are not typically a part of our travel adventures, but Captain said we should splurge and call it a late Valentine’s treat, so off we went to Delight’s Hot Springs Resort in Tecopa and this is what greeted us:

Okay, this is not an accurate representation of the resort although it is what we saw as we arrived. 

The “resort” is one of several located in the Tecopa Hot Springs area and is probably as nice as it could be in the harsh desert environment.

No cell service but we were able to check
in with mom on the land line. 

The hot mineral spring baths were nice.

We did have full hook-ups but were advised at check-in the water didn’t taste very good. Fortunately we had our own water.

The Brewery

seems to be the gathering spot for travelers. Without WiFi or cell service at the “resort”, this is where we went to check email and download our local newspaper (and of course it required we have a beer.)

One evening we sat at an outdoor communal table where we talked with a young man from Connecticut who had been riding his bike and camping in the desert for two weeks; he was riding back to Las Vegas to fly home. Also at our table was an immigrant from Mexico and his young son who were camping nearby. Reuben shared that he worked in a casino in Las Vegas. He gets 3 weeks’ vacation a year in which he travels throughout the country and Canada camping with his wife and son. Eleven year old Diego has visited all but 13 of the US states.

We found Tecopa Hot Springs very interesting as we saw a bit of a very rugged part of our country. The wind blew relentlessly for two days and two nights which created waves of dust. The constant ultraviolet rays cause deterioration of homes and vehicles. One can understand why the towns are few and sparsely populated. Downtown 

Tecopa, CA

has one brewery, one church and a post office. What brings folks to live in the desert, we wonder? It must be the challenges.

We think "resorts" might be a bit over rated and have had enough of the desert for now and The Wanderer is pointed toward the coast.

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