Finally, I got out for a hike: first real one since I was sick at Imperial Dam. It was only about three miles, but it felt great to be away from the trailer and to see expansive views! Senita Basin This area of Organ Pipe Cactus Monument is named after the Senita Cactus, which grows […]
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Bull Pasture and Victoria Mine
On our first two days at Organ Pipe National Monument in Arizona, Tracy went hiking in the mornings while I goofed off around the campground, trying to rest. This post is illustrated with his photos and info I found online about the places he went—I wish I’d gone so I could describe it personally. I […]
Easing into Life on the Road at Organ Pipe Cactus Nat’l Monument
We are gloriously at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, an internationally protected biosphere south of Ajo, Arizona, but closer to the town of Sonoyto in Mexico, which we can see at night from the campground. Tracy will be catching up on his hiking and birdwatching here while I continue to recover from Covid (I hope […]
Joshua Tree Hikes
I’ve really been enjoying myself boondocking outside the south entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. I think I’m getting the hang of the desert, although I can’t say that I love it (yet, at least). I have lots of pictures to show you and stories to tell, but I thought I’d show you our hikes […]
How Did We Misjudge This Much?
It’s very early Thanksgiving morning, and I’m on the sofa trying to write a post about this beautiful national park I’m in (Joshua Tree), without having gone on a single hike in it. My photos are from one drive we took through the southern part of the park, like a couple of n00bs. What happened? […]
Towing Your Home on the Busiest Travel Day
The Monday before Thanksgiving may not be the busiest travel day ever, but as we moved camp that day, each figurative bump along the road made it feel like a doomed day. (Spoiler: in the end Tracy found us the best possible boondocking site right outside the south entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, so […]
I Spent My Birthday on Tatooine
I didn’t know this until I’d been here a few days and was scrolling through the Death Valley info on the NPS app: several Star Wars scenes from two of its movies were filmed here. This was a national monument back then, not a national park and national wilderness like it is now, so it was legal […]
A Different Salt Life
I do miss the Salt Life of the ocean; this time last year we were skirting the Gulf of Mexico on our way from Texas to Florida and loving the small towns along the way. The salt here is pervasive though, and in Death Valley the standing water at the lowest basins is sometimes saltier […]
Mosaic Canyon
This is another slot canyon like Golden, but the geology is much different. The rock here has been turned to marble due to so much flash flooding, and it’s as smooth as a marble countertop in places. We walked along the widest parts with a gravel floor for the wash and had excellent views of […]
Golden Canyon
Slot canyons are pretty common here in Death Valley due to flash floods, and they make for lovely hikes. The revealed geology is colorful and varied in texture. We hiked up this slot canyon, through soft clay-like rock with a gravel wash for our path, and the sun was rising still against the tallest peaks ahead […]
