HE DUG HIS OWN GRAVE, BUT THEY BURIED HIM IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY PUBLIC CEMETERY……….

As much as we enjoy Borrego’s Clark Dry Lake Bed boon docking area we still prefer to look out our windows & see nothing but Mother Nature’s handy work.  And so it is hear north of Desert Center in the Chuckwalla Valley.  We both find ourselves much more relaxed when there’s nothing between us & miles & miles of desert mountains.

Nice morning walk on ground we have never walked on before.  Mountains we have never seen & a new desert landscape to challenge our knowledge.  For me, it is RVing at it’s best.

DESERT VERBENA
 
SOME OF MY PHOTOS SHOW CURIOUS MARKS IN THE SAND WHICH I THINK ARE CAUSED BY TINY CRITTERS SKITTERING ABOUT…LOTS OF GOPHERS HERE

Until a couple days ago we knew nothing of a place called DESERT CENTER.  Yesterday it became a point on the map & today we are living here for a few days.  We have traveled some roads, we have met some of it’s people & we have eaten at the old Desert Center Café.  I had a mess of bacon & eggs & Kelly had a Breakfast Burrito which she said was the best one she ever had.

 
Desert center was once a booming place & originally founded by a grizzled old character by the name of 'DESERT STEVE' RAGSDALE.  Interestingly enough he was a friend of Marshal South.

 
SUPERWOMAN SLIPS INTO A PHONE BOOTH

A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ WHILE WAITING FOR BREAKFAST
Like so many old western towns, Desert Center is a mere ghost of it’s former self.  Not much left anymore.  With the closing of the big Kaiser Steel Mine 13 miles away in the Eagle Mountains & the building of Interstate 10 diverting all of the traffic further afield the town has tumbled into a dusty obscurity.

 

Like countless thousands over the years we have passed by Desert Center a couple times never giving it much thought.  Just kind of looked like a tumble down old place with a bunch of old broken Palm trees.  Well, I guess that’s what it kind of is now, but it’s heart still beats, even if it is a little slower nowadays.  It very much reminded me of the once thriving towns & gas stations one would find along old Route 66 further to the north.

 

But, just a mile or so north of Desert Center lies an Oasis of stately Palms, golfing greens, manicured gardens, & a small man made crystal clear lake with fish.  Paved streets winding through a few tidy little neighborhoods.  This quietly friendly 55+ Adult community of golf & ATV enthusiasts even has it’s own fire department.  It is a true gem in the rough & as one resident told us, “not many people know about it”.  This is Lake Tamarisk Desert Resort.

  
      

We had heard of a few rock formations in the area so we Jeeped ourselves out onto some desert roads in search of them.  The directions we had were sketchy so the only one we found was the big Alligator just to the north of I-10.

CAN YOU SEE THE DRAGON GATOR MAKING IT’S WAY THROUGH THE MESQUITE
Found the spot where Desert Steve Ragsdale dug his own grave & was supposedly buried….except he wasn’t.  You can read about that & him on the Wikipedia link above.

DESERT STEVE WROTE THE WORDS ON THAT PLAQUE & AFFIXED IT TO THE ROCK HIMSELF…ALSO DUG THE GRAVE IN LEFT FOREGROUND
  
DUG THE GRAVE HIMSELF ALRIGHT BUT HE NEVER DID END UP BURIED THERE AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT METAL THING IS
We were back to the rig by noon & an hour later the winds found us again.  The mornings sunny blue skies gave way to an increasingly dark cloudy sky.  Looked like we had a storm front coming in & temps dropped.  Rain started about 6 o’clock.  We are parked on a hardened stone surface much like Quartzsite so knew if it rained we wouldn’t be getting stuck or dragging any mud or wet sand into the coach.

STOPPED AT McGOO’S FOR BANANAS…ANYONE REMEMBER THE CARTOON CHARACTER, MR. McGOO??  I DO:))                
Reading WHEELING IT'S Tuesday morning post I couldn’t help but notice commenter ROBIN'S thoughts as she in part said, “I’m just painfully shy.  I’m sure there are others like me out there. Maybe I should start a special blog: RV’ing Tips for Introverts.”  There are others like you out here Robin and I am one of them.  If you start that special blog……count me in:))

THOSE ARE THE COXCOMB MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND
 
INTERESTING WEATHERED MESQUITE STUMPS HERE…I SEE A BIRD’S HEAD PROFILE FACING LEFT IN THE RIGHT PHOTO
Two new Blog Followers tonight.  BHOUNDS joins us as well as Dean from I LOVE MY MOTORHOME.  We love our Motorhome too Dean.  Thanks for dropping by folks & welcome to our travels.  Much appreciated by all here at the Bunch:))
 
LIONS FACE TOP LEFT…DONKEY LOOKING DOWN AT RIGHT & I DO SEE A WILD PIG’S PROFILE IN PHOTO AT LEFT
GROANER’S CORNER:((  One Sunday a pastor asked his congregation to consider giving a little extra in the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns.
After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had contributed a $1,000 bill. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation, and said he'd like to personally thank the person who had placed the money in the plate.
A very quiet, elderly, saintly widow shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front. Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much and asked her to pick out three hymns.
Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation, pointed to the three most handsome men in the building and said, "I'll take him, him, and him."
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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
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