FOUND US A NEW LOCATION THIS MORNING AND IT IS HAPPY CAMPERS WE ARE:))

PHEEBS IS FEELING VERY CONTENT IN OUR NEW SPOT

As expected we woke up rested and feeling much better about things this morning.  What a treat to step out of the coach in calm air after the windy week we had west of Yuma.  Not cold and we took ourselves for a nice walk reminiscing back through the years about the many times we have stayed in the Rock House Road area. 

MORNING WALK THROUGH SOME PLEASANT OLD MEMORIES

Ever since first coming to Borrego Springs in December of 07 we have always come to Rock House Road at the Clark Dry Lake Bed.  Up until a couple years ago there was lots of room for RV boon-dockers here in a natural desert setting.   The sweeping views of the Santa Rosa mountains are as magnificent as ever but due to changes and Anza-Borrego State Park acquiring land here it is not the same as it once was.  Bulldozers have flattened and totally removed much of the natural desert setting along with a number of Jeep roads and once great boon-docking spots.  Because of Anza-Borregos new boundaries and the rough bull dozed area RV’ers are now confined to a smaller space closer to Coyote Mountain.  There is still a fair amount of room but it does mean more rigs in a smaller area and that just doesn’t work for us.  It is in no way anything like a crowded RV Park or what you find around Quartzsite in mid to late January.

THIS IS HOW THE NATURAL DESERT LOOKS AND TURNING AROUND A SECTION OF IT NOW LOOKS LIKE THE BULLDOZED AREA BELOW

NATURAL DESERT FLOOR ABOVE AND BULLDOZED VERSION BELOW

SAY COULD THAT BE A COYOTE DASING ACROSS ROCK HOUSE ROAD UP AHEAD??  NAWWW, IT’S JUST THE PHEEBS:))

ATOP A MOUND OF DIRT NOTICE THE MEMORIAL ON THE LEFT

WE THINK THIS IS A MEMORIAL TO A WOMAN WHO ONCE LIVED IN AN OLD TRAILER OUT HERE YEAR ROUND…SHE WASN’T FRIENDLY AND WE NEVER MET HER BUT REMEMBER SEEING HER TRAILER

After our encounter with ‘the angry person’ Sunday we left that particular area and drove the Motorhome and Jeep back to where we had un-hooked the Jeep Saturday across from Peg Leg Smiths.  Figured we would overnight there further back from the highway but found it way too bumpy.  Looks flat from the highway but dirt bikes, dune buggies, and ATV’s have torn up the surface so many times over the years the whole area is lumpy.  Didn’t really want to go up to Rock House Road but it was the only place left so go up there we did and spent the night.

OUR OVERNIGHT ROCK HOUSE ROAD SPOT

Could see a couple campfires out and around a few distant rigs and oh how nice those campfires smelled as those memory filled wisps of wood smoke drifted our way.  It was a quiet night.  If your a new boon-docker headed for Borrego Springs I would definitely recommend you come to the Rock House Road area and enjoy it as much as we have over the years.

SANTA ROSA MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND

After our morning walk and with Pheebs riding shotgun in the back of the Jeep we headed off to check out a couple more potential boon-docking areas traveling first the back way through Borrego Springs where all the Palm Tree and fruit orchards are.

 

THERE ARE A COUPLE BEAUTIFUL GOLF COURSES HERE AND I COULD EASILY PUT A WHOLE ALBUM TOGETHER WITH NOTHING BUT GOLF COURSE PHOTOS

BOTH GOLF COURSE PHOTOS ARE DRIVE-BYS

First area we looked at didn’t pan out because the road leading into the desert was too rocky for the rig’s tires.  Traveling a little further out of Borrego (18 minutes) we headed for an area we we remembered from previous years.  And we hit the ‘Jackpot’:))  Turning into the desert we followed a narrow sandy road to it’s end and found an excellent spot but it was on State Park land so we weren’t sure about it.  Spotted a fellow walking near a Class A Motorhome so Kelly quickly bailed out and hailed him down.  Turns out he was born in Windsor Ontario.  A really nice chap who owns the land his Motorhome sits on and has lived here for many years.  Said he has seen people camped here before and felt we would be just fine setting up in the area we looked at.  With that affirmation under our belts we raced back lickety-split to Rock House Road to get our Motorhome.

HEADING SOUTH THROUGH THE ‘TEXAS DIP’

I ALWAYS WONDER WHAT STORIES THESE OLD BUILDINGS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE COULD TELL

While packing up the rig Kelly spotted a fifth wheel nearby and recognized the people from a blog she reads.  They are a young fulltime working on the road couple and their blog is 188 SQUARE FOOT SMALL HOUSE BIG FLUFFY FAMILY.  They too were in the process of packing up and heading out mainly because of the slow internet.  Like us they had scouted out a better location finding one over in the Blair Valley.  Blair Valley is the location of Marshal South’s Ghost Mountain homestead so our next location move may very well be over that-a-way.  Sure hope so because I have been wanting to camp over there since late 2008.

WITH KELLY FOLLOWING IN THE JEEP PHEEBS AND LEAD THE WAY INTO BORREGO SPRINGS

Driving both the Motorhome and Jeep we rolled out of Rock House Road and headed on into Borrego Springs.  Needed a few grocery items so while Pheebs and I pulled into a large parking area on the northeast side of Christmas Circle Kelly whipped into the grocery store for a few things and picked up a California Burrito at Jilbertos to go.  That jumbo Burrito turned out to be the best of ever and neither one of us could finish our halves so saved what was left for supper.

THAT’S CHRISTMAS CIRCLE TO THE LEFT WITH THE PALM TREES

EVERY TIME WE COME TO BORREGO SPRINGS WE STOP AT CHRISTMAS CIRCLE TO SHUFFLE OUR FEET ON THE GREEN GRASS

IT’S A FAVORITE PICNIC AREA FOR FOLKS

THE TOWN OF BORREGO SPRINGS BACKS RIGHT UP TO THE BASE OF THOSE SAN YSIDRO MOUNTAINS

JUST BEHIND THOSE TREES ARE A FEW SUBURBS OF BEAUTIFUL HOMES WITH THE MOST EYE CATCHING SOUTHWEST LANDSCAPING

ONE OF MY FAVORITE LITTLE TOWNS OF EVER

We were soon back on the road again with Pheebs and I leading the way and Kelly following in the Jeep.  We timed it and it was about 18 minutes to our new site.  Oh boy, we are soooooo pleased with our new location we were almost ecstatic.  Well of course you know people our age never really get too ecstatic about anything much anymore so let me re-phrase that and say, ‘we are pretty darn happy about our new spot.  It has all the pluses we like.  We are totally surrounded by Natures wondrous beauty.  it is quiet, peaceful, and relaxing.  A few distant highway noises but that is acceptable.  We can see for miles and miles all around us.  On distant horizons we are bordered by the massive San Ysidro mountains to our northwest, the towering Santa Rosa Mountains and Coyote Mountain off to the North with the Borrego Badlands between us.  Borrego Mountain behind us with the San Felipe Hills and Vulcan Mountains straight ahead to the west.  To our east are the Pinion and Vallecito Mountains.  My oh my are we ever happy campers at the moment…….and I use those ‘at the moment’ words for a reason.

MAKING OUR WAY TO OUR NEW LOCATION

ALMOST THERE

THIS IS IT WE’RE HERE:))

AND PHEEBS WAS RIGHT AT HOME RIGHT AWAY IN OUR NEW LOCATION

THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TIME SINCE LEAVING CONGRESS THAT WE HAVE BOTH SAT OUTSIDE AND FINALLY RELAXED AND LOOK HOW HAPPY THAT LITTLE PHEEBERS IS

THOSE GREEN OCOTILLOS MIGHT BE BLOOMING SOON

You know the old saying, ‘if something seems to be too good to be true it probably is.’  Our main concern is that we may be asked to leave by a State Park Ranger and we are prepared for that knowing we are on State Park land.  But in the meantime we intend to enjoy our new spot to the max.

IT HAS BEEN YEARS SINCE I LAST TOOK ONE OF THESE RELAXING IN MY CHAIR PHOTOS

WHILE OUT FOR A RARE ‘HATLESS’ WALK WITH PHEEBS IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY PICKED UP MY CAMERA

I GOTTA REMEMBER NOT TO LEAVE MY CAMERA LYING AROUND

WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THESE NASTY TEDDY BEAR CHOLLAS AROUND

When we first scouted out the spot in the Jeep we checked it out with Kelly’s laptop and cell phone to make sure we had Verizon and T-Mobile coverage……..AND WE DID:))   A reasonably good darn signal too.  Maybe not exactly smokin fast but much better than Rock House Road for sure.  Setting up the rig Kelly noticed the signal kept dropping in and out so for the first time since taking our internet directional antennae off our Congress house roof in March of 2016 we hauled it out of storage, dusted it off and set it up in a window facing Borrego Springs which we can actually see across the Borrego Valley.  ‘Walla’ we were good to go and the Verizon signal held right in there.

SEVEN OR EIGHT MILES ACROSS THE BORREGO VALLY CAN BE SEEN BORREGO SPRING’S GREEN ORCHARDS ON THE RIGHT WITH THE MAIN PART OF TOWN ON THE LEFT….SAN YSIDRO MOUNTAINS ON THE LEFT AND SANTA ROSA MOUNTAINS ON THE RIGH

Now a little catch-up.  I said catch-up not ketchup.  In a response to a comment on my Sunday post Kelly left this note in our Shout Box:: Gypsy..we were not anywhere near his tent. He was probably 1/4 mile away. It seemed to be an issue with him "stalking" his ex-wife who likes to use the spot we were going to set up on……That pretty much sums up what happened.  As it turns out, the site we are at now is actually better than the great site we missed out on:))

THIS IS WHERE THE ANGRY PERSON LIVES

AND THERE HE IS NOW!!

Like the song ‘What A Difference A Day Makes’ we ended our evening tonight on a much higher note than we did Sunday night.  Amazing how a good night’s sleep can clear ones head of discouraging thoughts.  With another good sleep tonight we will see what tomorrow brings.  We do not plan on going anywhere or doing anything.  Just a totally big relaxing day here at home:))

SUNSET ON MY SWEETY:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A man went to his lawyer and told him, "My neighbor owes me $500 and he doesn't want to pay up. What should I do?"  "Do you have any proof?" asked the lawyer.
"Nope," replied the man.  "Okay, then write him a letter asking him for the $1000 he owed you," said the lawyer.  "But it's only $500," replied the man.  "Precisely. That's what he will reply and we will have the proof we need to nail him."

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On a rural road a state trooper pulled this farmer over and said: "Sir, do you realize your wife fell out of the car several miles back?" To which the farmer replied: "Thank God, I thought I had gone deaf!"

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- I have to admit, I am a pretty smart guy. I know all the right answers!  Unfortunately, everyone asks me all the wrong questions.

-  On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.

- Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.

- I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.

- Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it.

- There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable application of high explosives.

- I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either.