FROM THE DESERT FLOOR TO THE MOUNTAIN TOP AND BACK……WITH A PIE:))

(This is Tuesday’s Post)

Oh how nice to feel that warming sun beaming through our windows this morning.  Having previously checked the weather we knew we were in for a nice day.  Still having major internet problems trying to publish my blog.  When it still hadn’t published this morning we took my laptop computer along with us today plugged in and riding along in the back of the Jeep working away at getting my post published.

BORREGO SPRINGS DEAD AHEAD THIS MORNING

It was about 9:30 again when we tumbled out of the Motorhome and into the Jeep.  No clouds sitting on the western mountain tops so we knew it would be a clear day in Julian California.

HEADING TOWARDS BORREGO ON HIGHWAY S22 CHRISTMAS MORNING

Cruised into Borrego Springs to drop off some garbage then headed southwest out of town up highway S3 through the Yacqui Pass to the junction of highway 78 at Tamarisk Grove.  A right turn on 78 led us first through the winding tight turns of the Pinion Mountains and from there it was a straight stretch of highway all the way to Banner where we began climbing up the Volcan Mountains.  From Banner at the base of the Volcans on up to Julian at the top is another one of those excitable twisting mountain drives complete with hair pin turns and and beautiful scenery.  In about 15 minutes one goes from vast stretches of dry scrub desert to acres of pine forests.  Nearing Julian we saw snow still lining the road in shaded areas.

JULIAN CALIFORNIA IS STRAIGHT AHEAD HIGH ATOP THE VOLCAN MOUNTAINS

IT IS HERE IN BANNER WHERE THE WARM DESERT WINDS MEET THE COOL MOUNTAIN AIR AND WE BEGIN OUR CLIMB TO JULIAN

A FEW YEARS AGO ON A SUNNY DAY WITH PASSING RAIN SHOWERS IN THIS VALLEY I TOOK A COUPLE NICE RAINBOW PHOTOS

I ALWAYS ENJOY THESE MOUNTAIN ROAD DRIVES

ABOUT THE 4000 FOOT LEVEL WE BEGAN SEEING SNOW ALONGSIDE THE ROAD

Entering Julian it was very apparent to me that there were no people left in San Diego today because for sure they were all in Julian.  The place was a traffic zoo.  We always like to grab a coffee at a little south end eatery called Grannys.  Despite the jam of traffic I was extremely fortunate to find what was probably the last parking spot in Julian and it was on our side of the road right across from Grannys.  Figured because we had actually got parked we might as well make the best of our luck and walk across the road for a sit down breakfast.  Grabbed me a few photos along the way.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY TIMES I HAD TO GET KELLY TO GO OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF JULIAN’S MAIN STREET AND STOP TRAFFIC SO I COULD TAKE A FEW PHOTOS:))

Took me awhile to get out of the Jeep with the bumper to bumper traffic right beside us filing into town.  Getting across the street was a dash for life or be savagely run down by a string of cars traveling about 2 miles an hour.  Of course it was just as dangerous on the sidewalk with throngs of what I expect were city dwellers with crazed shopping eyes searching for bargains in the mountain top arts and craft stores.

NOTICE THE SNOW ON THE HILLSIDE AND ROOF

REMINDED ME SO MUCH OF A NICE SPRING DAY BACK HOME IN ONTARIO CANADA

  

Again we were extremely lucky to find us a table for 2 in the small eatery.  Sat by a window looking out over what reminded me of Spring back home with warm sunshine, a nippy cold breeze and melting snow.  Granny’s bake all their own pies and breads here and breakfast was excellent.  Loved their home fried potatoes which they cube up themselves.  Good coffee and Kelly picked up an oven warm tiny apple pie for later which we took back to the Jeep and totally demolished in the front seat.  Opened the back hatch and checked the computer.  Blog was still trying to publish.

NICE LITTLE EATERY WHERE WE DECIDED ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT TO HAVE BREAKFAST SEATED IN THE SUNNY BACK ROOM

KELLY LIKES READING MENUS AS MUCH AS SHE LIKES READING BOOKS AND NOTICE THE SNOWY VIEW OUT THE WINDOW

I HAD MY USUAL BACON AND EGGS WHILE KELLY HAD THIS DELISHIOUS ‘MOUNTAIN LADY OMELETTE’

 

A COUPLE COFFEES TO GO

OUR COVETED PARKING SPOT

CHECKING MY COMPUTER TO SEE IF THE BLOG HAD PUBLISHED YET….IT HADN’T!!

YES THEY DO GET A GOOD DUMP OF SNOW HERE FROM TIME TO TIME

Knowing I was just about at the limit of my people/traffic tolerance it was time to get out of the morass we were in so merged into the almost solid line of steel going by and headed straight through town and out the other side.  ‘Whewww’

TIME TO GET THE HECK OUT OF TOWN

LONG LINE UPS TO GET INTO SOME OF THE EATERIES

NOTICED A LOT OF ORIENTAL PEOPLE IN TOWN

We have been to Julian half a dozen times before so knew soon as we got passed the Julian cemetery we would be free and clear of all the people stuff.  Minutes later we were out into the beautiful treed hillsides and on our way to our next destination .  More apple pie was headed our way.

LESS THAN A MINUTE AFTER LEAVING JULIAN WE WERE IN THE BEAUTIFULLY PEACEFUL PEOPLE AND TRAFFIC FREE COUNTRYSIDE

Again it was winding roads with tight turns rolling through a beautiful pastoral landscape.  Thought to myself California might be a nice place to live if it wasn’t for all the high prices, stacks of people, and drivers seemingly bent on reaching any destination in the State in 15 minutes or less. 

LOSING ALTITUDE COMING DOWN OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS IT WASN’T LONG AND ALL SIGNS OF SNOW WERE GONE

I REMEMBER TAKING A PHOTO OF THIS GATE LAST YEAR

At Wynola we turned right onto highway 79 and headed for The Julian Pie Company in Santa Ysabel.  Had been a little over a year since last time here.  It was apple pie we were after again and of course their best in the world pure apple cider.  I took a few photos inside while Kelly was buying up the goodies then came back out to check on how the publishing end of my blog was coming along.  Holy Smokes it had finally published somewhere between Julian and Santa Ysabel.  This was my 3,155th post and in all the years since switching to the Blogger format back in 2007 it was the longest any of my posts have ever taken to publish.  But that slow internet connection we have been under for nearly a week is about to change.

WE JUST MISSED SEEING ALL THE PIES BEING MADE

LOOKS LIKE KELLY IS ALREADY LINING UP WEDNESDAY MORNING’S BREAKFAST

MANY YUMMY APPLE PIES IN THOSE RACKS

NO THAT PIE AND ICE CREAM IS NOT FOR US IT’S FOR THAT LITTLE FELLA BOTTOM LEFT

PHOTO IS BLURRY BUT I THINK THE SMILE MAKES UP FOR IT

CHECKED MY COMPUTER AND ‘WALLA’ MY POST HAD FINALLY PUBLISHED

With pies and apple cider in hand we were back into the Jeep and headed off down the highway for home.  Just south of Warner Springs we turned right on S2 then swung left on S22 through Ranchita heading for Montezumas Grade and Borrego Springs far below on the desert floor.  I’m really making an extra effort to keep my highway numbers and directions up to speed Stu:))

THIS WHOLE AREA HAS MANY INTERESTING ROCK FORMATIONS

Tumbling down through the top third of Montezuma’s Grade we remembered a nice scenic camping area where we had done a couple hikes out of a few years ago.  We pulled in for a leg stretch.  If it wasn’t for a poor to no internet and cell phone connection the Culp Valley campground would be a great place to boondock for us.  Well that’s if we could get the rig up the steep mountain grade from Borrego Springs and with our mass airflow filter working properly now I bet we could.   A few photos and we were once again back on the road quickly losing altitude and dropping back down to the desert floor below.

WE START THE LONG WINDING DESCENT INTO THE BORREGO VALLEY BELOW

STOPPED FOR A LEG STRETCH IN THE CULP VALLEY CAMPGROUND

PHEEBS INTENTLY WATCHING THE JEEP IN CASE KELLY TRYS TO SNEAK A PIECE OF APPLE PIE

THESE TYPES OF ROCKS ARE GREAT FOR SCRAMBLING AROUND ON

THIS AREA WOULD BE OUR IDEA OF A NEAR PERFECT BOONDOCKING SITE

STILL KEEPING AN EYE ON KELLY, THE JEEP, AND THE APPLE PIE >>>>>>

A quick stop at the grocery store was in order and we were soon back out to our rig on Rockhouse Road.  Always nice to go somewhere and always nice to come home.  And home will be on the move Wednesday.

THE BORREGO VALLEY BELOW

After much logical thought plus monitoring with a bit of trial and error thrown in we have decided to have Solar Mike in Slab City replace our aging coach batteries.  Figured it’s better to do it now while here close to Solar Mike’s rather than wait a year or so for them to deplete to the point where they are not functioning at all anymore.  We may not be anywhere near here next year, who knows.  Call it preventative maintenance if you will.  Mike has us scheduled in for early Thursday morning so we’ll spend the night somewhere on the east side of the Salton Sea Wednesday night and I’m hoping we’ll be back into the world of speedy internet service and reliably strong cell phone coverage once again. 

ACRES OF LEMON AND ORANGE ORCHARDS VISIBLE ON BORREGO SPRINGS NORTH SIDE

Didn’t get to do my annual Marshal South hike this time but we are hoping to return here to Borrego Springs in maybe late February or early March so I hope I can get my legs to carry me once again at that time up Ghost Mountain to Yaquitepec.

FARTHEST MOUNTAIN RANGE IS THE SANTA ROSAS AND THE BROWN ONE IS COYOTE MOUNTAIN

Doug and Yuma from Miss Adventure Travels is on the road again heading for the Southwest.  A slight ker-fuffle in St. Louis but he and Yuma were soon back up on the interstate heading west again. 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A wife went to the police station with her next-door neighbor to report that her husband was missing. The policeman asked for a description.
She said, "He's 35 years old, 6 foot 4, has dark eyes, dark wavy hair, an athletic build, weighs 185 pounds, is soft-spoken, and is good to the children."  The next-door neighbor protested, "Your husband is 5 foot 4, chubby, bald, has a big mouth, and is mean to your children."  The wife replied, "Yes, but who wants HIM back?"

-----------------

“Why was the orange sad? He had peelings for the apple.”

----------------

You Grew Up in the 80s If...

-- You learned to swim about the same time Jaws came out and still cant swim naked at night.
-- You dressed to emulate either Duran Duran, Poison, Madonna, Rick Springfield or Cyndi Lauper.
-- You had a poster of Bo, Luke & Daisy Duke.
-- There was nothing questionable about Bert and Ernie living together.