On our way home

We are on our way home.  This is our 3rd night on the road and we are currently camped in a Corp of Engineers park, Lake Benbrook, just south of Fort Worth.  The temp was 71 the last time I checked and the wind is whistling through the live oaks overhead.  I-20 E has been a struggle all day due to a ferocious wind.  But currently it is quite pleasant and not scary like last night at Monahans Sandhills State Park where the constant battering gusts made sound sleep impossible.  (I was so glad that we were still hooked up to the truck....thought we were going to be blown away.)

I am so sorry for not writing more but the isolation of the desert relaxed me to the point where I did not even want to communicate.  And the lack of internet access has helped me to break some of my electronic addictions.  Maybe on another day I will be able to describe what it felt to live in a canyon so close to nature and so far from the city.  Incredible  memories!

Quartzsite Gathering

I am tucked away in a corner of the Quartzsite McDonald's and the crowds are not too bad considering it is a Saturday morning.  I left my husband back at camp this time as I was needing to catch up with emails and business.  Quartzsite continues to amaze me with the collection of people that are drawn here.  I just saw a pick-up loaded maybe 20 feet up in the air with stuff...can't say it was junk..it may have been all their possessions.

Buckskin Mtn

We spent five nights at the pre-Quartzsite Casita gathering held at Buckskin MTN State Park.  This was in Parker, AZ and was on the Colorado River.  A beautiful place!  It was the first time on the trip that we were down to our short sleeved tees and warm most of the time.  I don't know how many Casitas, ects, showed but I think it was about 25 trailers.  We just about took over the campground.

Colorado River----entrance to park

morning moon over dome rock

our camp with dome rock in background

sunrise

sunset

Thursday we relocated 50 miles south to the Dome Rock area of Quartzsite.  We came in a day later than the crowd and camped with another Casita and 13 ft Scamp who were also first timers to this monumental event.  We settled in the back "40" and within hours we were surrounded by other eggs.  Last night was spent swapping stories with a couple from Phoenix who also had their share of learning experiences.  We plan to stay until Monday and then hit the road heading back toward Phoenix.

We are beginning to think about home as there is just a few weeks left in our time in the sun.  I am hoping that we will be welcomed by blooming jonquils and lenten roses.

We think we are going back to our first campsite at Tortilla Flatts for the remaining time but that could change.  I have loved the unstructured life with no yard or housework and already feel sad when I think of ending the trip.  But other adventures await us and we will be seeing some of our new friends again on the road.

Now it's time to head out of McDonald's ( a bus is coming in) return to Casitaville in the desert!


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Quartzsite and Joshua Tree N. P.

I am sitting in McDonald's in Twenty Nine Palms, California and trying my best to write.  I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything and it is mostly due to the lack of internet connection.
We have been camped at Indian Cove in the Joshua Tree National Park (CA) since last Monday, 1/30....leaving tomorrow heading for Buckskin MTN State Park in AZ.

This has been the most amazing place!  We are camped up in the mountains nestled in among ancient rocks.  There has been almost no one in the campground all week and we have had the outhouse all to ourselves!  I never imagined that having an outhouse (pit toilet) would feel like luxury.  But after dry camping in the desert at Quartzsite for 6 days with a malfunctioning sewer system, this convenience is extremely appreciated!

Yesterday we hiked a 3 mile moderately difficult trail to Forty Nine Palms Canyon.  We did not see any Joshua Trees but the palms were amazing to find tucked in the back of the canyon.

Must not leave out a picture of a Joshua Tree!


We spent one night at a county park, Lake Pleasant, on our way from Phoenix to Quartzsite and the whole experience at Quartzsite will need to wait for another day.  The most amazing thing was finding the people that we met in Tortilla and camping with them.  There were 80,000 to 100,000 RVers there and we found them!  We just looked where the Casita people usually go...Dome Rock area...and David spotted the unusual looking fifth wheel Escape that they had.

We spent 6 nights camped below the Dome Rock (Quartzsite) with 5 other egg campers, two Escapes, one Casita and two Bigfoots.  These people were from Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico and knew each other from previous gatherings.

The RV show was fun and my fears of feeling too crowded did not materialize, mostly because of the spaciousness of the desert.  Yes, it was crowded in town and we had to wait in line some but returning to our little private peace of real estate among the cactus made it worthwhile.

We have enjoyed the solitude in the rocks this week but are looking forward to attending the pre-Quartzsite Casita gathering tomorrow back over in Arizona.  Not sure at this moment if we will be returning to Dome Rock on the 10th but we probably will. I might miss something since there should be over 60 Casitas there.

The solar panels will be packed this afternoon
and after another long winter desert night we'll be heading out tomorrow.