What a Ride! - Part One

We left NorCal in a driving rainstorm (pun intended) on January 17th and settled into Orange Grove RV Park just east of Bakersfield, CA, some 310 miles south. The rain quit somewhere around Fresno, and the rest of the day trip was uneventful. Orange Grove is one of our preferred parks, particularly this time of year when the Valencia oranges are ripening! Management encourages guests to pick as many as they want from the grove of trees scattered throughout the park. There is generally one tree per site, but as we all know, the best oranges are the ones "over there", so a quick walk about was in order. We came away with enough oranges to share with friends as well as for ourselves.

Our friends Steve and Suzi traveled with us that first day, and then on to Indio and Quartzsite. As we passed through the Palm Springs area, we once again marveled at the huge wind farms. It's a perfect place for them because strong winds blow from the desert of inland Cali and Arizona toward the cooler coastline of the Pacific through a narrow mountain pass. Very Green!

We parked in the lot adjacent to the Spotlight 29 casino in Indio for the night, along with quite a few other rvs. It's an easy off, easy on place to catch a nights sleep and to eat at the buffet!

On Saturday, the 19th of January, we slipped into Quartzsite, AZ, to meet friends Bill and Diane from Tucson. We all enjoyed day trips into the "Big Tent" RV Show, and campfires in the evening!

Our first full day in the Quartzsite area found us driving north on US 95 toward Parker, Arizona. Our destination was the Nellie E. Saloon and Desert Bar. Only open on weekends, this rustic watering hole has been built on the site of a former mining camp, by a fellow named "Ken". Since he began work in 1975, continual additions have been made, and today it is a destination for bikers, hikers, and tourists. We found the burgers to be outstanding and the water cold. Other adult beverages are plentiful and abundant.

The entire place runs off of solar energy or, in an emergency, generator backup, because it is located some six dirt miles off the main highway just north of Parker. It is an amazing testament to the dedication of one man, who continues to plan additions. Of course the thousands of dollars he pulls in on any given weekend help with the project!

One  impressive addition to the property is the church. Built completely out of unpainted, untreated steel, it dominates the area. It is only a few feet deep, but is built for the ages!

After three days in Quartzsite we shifted gears and headed north. Steve and Suzi ran to the east and Bill and Diana led Donna and I north into Las Vegas, Nevada.

Stay tuned!