Stalled out in the desert
trains everywhere
We had to stop here in Kingman, AZ to take care of an overheating problem. We did everything we thought was necessary before we left but the RV keeps over heating. From what our mechanic friend tells us, it is probably just a thermostat or maybe a fan, both easy fixes.
This has been a very hard day. It was 104 degrees at one of the gas stations where we took a break. The scenery is less than inspiring and we had to stop and start about ten times today. So, we’re playing it safe and hanging out in a really big campground that is full of kids. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to get back on the road without all the tension of that darned buzzer telling us that the engine is overheating.
I did take a video a couple of days ago when we were in the South Central Valley of California. There were hundreds of wind turbines surrounding this little town called Tehachapi. (Love the way that word sounds!) I haven’t been able to watch the video yet because of “technical problems,” but I will try to post it here. I found it very hypnotic.
Nevermind. I’ll just put a photo here. Too complicated with a tired brain.
wind power X 100
Through the California desert
I have a lot to say about this trip today but it is not all positive. Driving through the desert was not inspiring for me. The air was dirty. We couldn’t even see the mountains in the distance. There are no crops here, just sandy dirt and scrub brush. It reminded me of the Oregon desert, but there is much more of it. I was tolerating all this dismal stuff when we found ourselves stuck in traffic behind a really bad car accident. We sat there, crawling forward one inch at a time, for about an hour.
I took photos of the accident but they were just too gruesome to show. It was a mangled mess of metal and plastic all over the road. Two big trucks and two mid sized cars were involved. People died there today. Ten miles of highway were blocked off. While we were sitting there I did capture this unique view of a helicopter helping out. We were behind a convoy of trucks and couldn’t see anything that was going on up ahead, then this helicopter flew into the space between the trucks.
helicopter working an accident on highway 58 East
I find this photo beautiful even though I know that there was death and devestation just ahead.
The sounds and smells of a farm in the desert
June 7, 2012 9:00 am
We spent the night in the Harris Ranch parking lot, something that lots of RV’ers do. We shared our “campground” with about 15 big trucks and hundreds of birds. I am amazed at the beautiful bird chatter that has waked me up the last couple of days. I guess they gather wherever there are trees or vegetation. The birds don’t care if it’s a desert or a farm as long as there is water and some insects to eat. Makes me re-think my previous post on the artificial-ness of this place.
Today we will drive to Barstow, CA, which I have just found out is “really ugly.” This is according to Sam’s brother in law who we had dinner with last night. He actually laughed at us for deciding to stay there, but he’s that kind of guy. It’s OK though. I know that you have to “get past the ugly” to see the beauty. So, I will leave today with my eyes open to whatever is in front of them.
I do want to say something about the smells we encountered this morning when we walked the dogs. We are in cow country, so that means cow smells, heavy and pungent. But added to that this morning were the copious rows of society garlic that someone planted along the road because they looked pretty. I don’t think you can eat this garlic so it doesn’t smell like “real” garlic. It is strong and invasive to the nose. A mixture of garlic and cow dung first thing in the morning. This is something I wouldn’t want to get used to!
Entering the Central Valley of CA
What a transition, or lack of transition. We went straight from misty green hills to dry brown hills to plain old desert to desert spotted with artifically green farmland. The reason I say it is artificial is because I know that crops weren’t meant to grow here. Water has to be trapped and routed down concrete channels toward the fake farms in order for these things to grow. California is full of reservoirs. It has been this way for decades. No one questions the logic. But I have to.
This
turns this
into this
Mostly we have seen almond trees, lots of them, mile after mile of them. I love almonds but I had no idea that they would grow in such poor soil. There’s been a little corn here and there and one or two grape fields, but up to this point along highway 5 through central California it is almonds. There are signs everywhere accusing congress of creating a dust bowl here. I guess they are limiting the amount of water that can be used on these farms that really shouldn’t be here anyway. I don’t know the whole story since I refuse to get involved in the drama but something seems upside down here. It’s a strange, discombobulating place for someone who feels connected to the land and the cycles of nature. Here nature is controlled. Almond groves grow out of dirt that looks like sand in a desert. If I was buying land with the intention of growing something I would walk away from this land as quickly as I could, but that’s just me.
Harris Ranch: Meat Eaters’ Heaven; Cow Hell
- So, we drove only a couple of hours today and ended up at a place called Harris Ranch. It is a “famous” restaurant that serves “top quality beef.” I’m not convinced since just a mile down the road I saw about ten thousand cows huddled together in a dusty black field divided by a maze of fences. They all looked dirty and confused, and not happy at all. I assume they are not grass fed since there is no grass for a hundred miles of here. I’ll probably have a salad tonight and go to sleep with a clear conscience.
I’m pretty disturbed by this area. When we first came to California I was excited beyond belief at the abundance of produce to be found at the little roadside stands. But at the same time I saw the desert posing as farmland and knew that something was wrong. I’m sorry that it’s so hard for farm workers to make a living here, and I’m sorry that there isn’t enough water for everyone to grow what they want to grow, but it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that this is not farmland. It is desert. Why not just let it be desert?
And that is my social commentary for the day.
early morning magic
moon craters
Once again Sam got up at 4 am to get this shot. I know that moon is leading us on our way. She seems to want us to notice her and show her off to other people.
birds on a branch
I woke up to what sounded like thousands of birds singing outside this morning. We are in what seems to be a desert, not much in the way of green except for the artificially created farmland. But there are so many birds here! Maybe I am too critical of the Central Valley. Maybe it is healthy. I heard these birds and when I was walking the dogs I looked up and saw two then three then four and five on a branch. They were flitting around like nervous birds do, but I must have snapped the picture at just the right moment because they look like they are posing.
pull through, plug in, slide out and kick back
Step one: Pull through
Sam came up with the idea for the title and I took the pictures to go with his words. It’s always a team effort.
This is the Los Banos KOA. It is much different from the one we just left in Petaluma. It is dryand dusty, and there is no real grass in sight. But we are only spending one night here so it’s not that important. Most RV parks have spaces called “pull throughs,” which means that there is easy access for large motorhomes with cars attached. There is no turning around or backing up, just pulling in and pulling out.
Step two: Plug in
Electricity and plumbing are simple luxuries that we take for granted in our “real” homes. It’s very easy to hook up and makes a lot of difference in the comfort of the traveling experience.
Step three: Slide out
Most newer RV’s have what’s called “slideouts” these days. Some have three or four. Some even have slide-ups which gives their lucky owners a second story to their home on the road. But those are mostly for famous people. We only have one slideout and that is enough. I appreciate the extra four feet of space for my “living room” and “dining room.” It works by simply pushing a button. How cool is that?
Step four: Kick back
Of course this is the favorite part, kicking back after a day of navigating hills and valleys and long stretches of highway with no end in sight. Tomorrow we will reverse this sequence and head down the road a little farther. We are going south through the central valley of California for the next couple of days so Sam can see his sisters and his step-father, then we will turn east and go to the Grand Canyon. I guess you gotta go through the boring parts to get to the exciting parts.
Petaluma KOA
The Petaluma KOA is a family friendly place with a petting zoo and some very territorial peacocks who seem to run things. They make their presence known frequently by screaming in the way that only peacocks do. This one was simply getting a drink of water from a puddle. I was glad he took a moment to pose for me.
the boss of the campground
When we arrived on Saturday night the campground was filled with kids. I mean hundreds of kids. I met a woman on the road who was trying to catch up with her eight year old son and I commented that it seemed like a great place for kids. She said yes, and safe. What I didn’t realize wasthat that meant some of the parents just let their kids run wild, so to speak. We were greatly dissapointed when we went to the hot tub and found it loaded to the brim with adolescents doing their awkward social antics like spraying each other with a water gun and getting in and out about ten times every five minutes, girls first, then boys following. But the next time we went it was better. Most of the kids had gone home and we had the hot tub to ourselves. My daughters and their partners and friends came for a sleepover on Sunday, and a BBQ and a more relaxed hot tub session on Monday night. That made up for the chaos of the first night. This campground is pure Sonoma County, filled with oaks, redwoods and pine trees. Here are a few images that will stay with me as I travel into the central parts of California.
cabins
Sam and I almost stayed in one of these cabins last December when our RV had to be taken to the shop. The one in this picture is very small and sparse–a queen sized bed plus a bunk bed and a small shelf, no closet, no kitchen, and worst of all, no bathroom. Too rustic for us, so we went to the Best Western.
view from our “street”
Tree lined streets, gravel driveways, one car per site, who could ask for more?
a nice structural oak tree
This tree caught my eye last December so I was glad to finally get a photo of it this time. It isn’t quite like the “live oaks” that I grew up with in South Carolina, but it is still beautiful.
Some friends we met on the way out of town
They actually came up and licked Sam’s hand!
We arrived in Fortuna at around midnight, so tired and bleary-eyed we forgot to enjoy the journey…until these cows came to greet us on our morning walk with the dogs. So gentle and unassuming. If only we people could be more like cows!
This is where the cows’ people friends live.
on the road to simplicity 