Ely Railroad Station
We were backtracking to Ely to have Carolyn’s rear wheel looked at, at least we hoped were were. Smoke is a prelude to things breaking, we hoped her rig would make it back the hour’s travel to get looked at without an expensive tow bill. But this detour lead to some unexpected finds, including a new awesome camping area near an abandoned farm. Join us on the road back to Ely.
My annual time in the States drawing to a close. It was the beginning of April, I had a bit more than a month before my six months would be up and I’d have to be back in Canada. While that may seem like a ton of time for those of you used to two week vacations, I knew there would be limited time to see the sights between Las Vegas and the Canadian Border. There never is enough time to see everything – but then there is always next year to see other things.
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My journey north takes me around Death Valley, and into the Pahrump area. The area is empty of people, with only a few small settlements about. But there is a rich history, of which many bits remain standing in the dry desert air, if you are willing to head out and explore parts unknown. Join me in my explorations to see what I found.
No, this is not a political rant, rather a telling of a quirkier bit of a tourist attraction I encountered. I was on my way north, heading towards Death Valley. My stop for a few days was Baker, where I would encounter a few surprises. While I wasn’t abducted by aliens, I at least got to try some of their delicious jerky. Read on for my alien experience.
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After resupplying in the Palm Springs area, I decided to explore north of there, in what some people call Homestead Valley. I’d seen on the maps that there was a scattering of BLM land that was not too high up. That’s a good thing in that it was not that warm yet. I was also just far enough away from the Los Angeles metro area to be out of range of homeless camps or party spots just outside of the city area. But it turned out I was definitely close enough to get a mix of LA and local rural culture in the area. It was an interesting mix. Read on to see what bits of culture I found boondocking in the desert here. Continue reading
Part of a geode
I had explored most everything northwest of Blythe in my current round of boondocking. I had explored every area around Blythe that was not Native Reserve or private land, except for southwest of Blythe so far. My discussions with the locals suggested there was some promising boondocking out there, if you were willing to try some rougher roads. There was also some geode mining areas to check out. That all sounded good to me, so it was off to check out the Black Hills and Palo Verde Mountain area.
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I had to resupply in Blythe, so it was time to move to a new spot. I was not done with the Midland area yet, as I had found new cool areas to explore while out on the motorcycle. I expected the spot I had found to be empty, but no, it ended up being a local hangout. Read on to see who I found. Continue reading
Midland sunset
I arrived in Yuma to visit my friend Larry, whom I met during my first adventures boondocking in Quartzsite. I had a small list of things to work on for the RV, plus one new upgrade that was going to have to be done at some point anyways. Then it would be off to boondock in some new areas around Blythe. Continue reading
I left my nice spot beside the Colorado River only reluctantly, heading towards Quartzsite: the winter meeting spot of many nomads. I had picked a spot for a group of us to meet, but not in Quartzsite. I was going to be closer to Bouse, camped in an area with fewer people. I had found a spot wayback off the road, out of sight of most people who like to camp in that area. There were even some nice trees to camp beside. That is the advantage of returning to an area you are familiar with, you know the best spots. Come see where I’d be spending a few weeks with friends. Continue reading
There be camping near here
One advantage of having a motorcycle with you is that you can go exploring around your environs and see what other spots might be available near you for boondocking. I typically look at the aerials of my surroundings while I’m boondocked in a new area and go explore anything that might be a good boondocking spot nearby. The motorcycle gives me extra range to go exploring further afield. This time, I end up finding an unexpected free boondocking spot right by the Colorado River! Continue reading
