We left Tucson on Monday am after a lovely evening at Sylvia’s on Sunday night with her extended framily. We met all of her posse when we were in Tucson in May and it was great to reconnect with them and catch up. Super fun evening with good people. We left Tucson about 11 and headed due west on I-8 towards California. We decided to stay in Southern California near Thermal for the night but on the way Big Daddy suggested we visit the Salton Sea. He had researched and the Salton Sea was created in 1905 as a result of an 18 month flood of the Colorado River. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Sea It was a thriving and glamourous resort location in the 1920’s-70’s and is now largely a ghost town. I was intrigued so we took what we thought would be a quick stop to explore a ghost town in the Jeep. It was totally run down, there were a few residents, but a weird place. And stinky. Like dead fish stinky. We unhooked Rodita (my shiny new Jeep which we tow behind Dericka the RV) to tour the town and take pictures. We went a couple of blocks and saw the rundown uninhabited buildings and then found beach access. In the Jeep. Rodita, a Colorado vehicle, could not resist the sand, so we took her for a spin. And got stuck. Really stuck. Like tow truck stuck. On a beach in a deserted town near sunset on a terribly stinky beach. Initially I was pissed. And then the reality and hilarity of the situation hit. And it was fun and funny. It turns out that neither AAA nor Good Sam will tow a vehicle if you elect to make a bad decision. So once I used their services to identify tow companies in the area, we made some calls and spent some money. In the end we walked back to the RV for dinner, while we waited for an update from the tow company. Based on the good fortune of having two vehicles and one that we could spend the night it, they let us know they would get us out on Tuesday am. We drove to our RV resort, spent the night and awaited their call on Tuesday. Rodita was back on pavement by 10 am having been winched out of the murky sand by a rescuer named Rusty in a much bigger cooler Wrangler. And we have a great story to tell.
After Salton Sea we headed a bit east to see Joshua Tree National Park. All desert with the exception of the occasional oasist. Not our favorite National Park, but Marleigh and I were able to stamp our passports with one more stamp from one more NP. That makes 3 for this leg of the trip… and six since September. So that’s a win.
We then drove into Southern California and I managed to safely guide us to Orangeland RV park in Anaheim. We arrived about 4pm and enjoyed leftover dinner in Dericka and went to bed early. Between the stress of Rodita having slept on the beach and negotiating LA traffic in Dericka towing Rodita for a total of almost 60 feet, I was asleep before 9 and slept over 9 hours.
Today is a cleaning, laundry, working, regrouping day and also a day of several celebrations! First, my dad celebrates October 23 every year – when I was 4 my dad broke his arm (and nearly amputated it) and he celebrates the fact that he has use of his left arm “and can wipe his own ass”. Secondly, Rodney proposed to me this day in 2004 in the Atlantic Ocean at Key West at sunset where we saw the green flash. And finally, but of no lesser importance, it is Tim Brungard’s Birthday!!!! YAY! Cheers all around! Tim is driving from Fountain Hills today and will join us tomorrow for a day at Disneyland! Ya know, because when you’re Uncle Timmy, its what you do. So we celebrate today and tomorrow and all days!
Needless to say we are doing well and having fun- living our best lives! Have a drink for us today- its a good one!
Marleigh and Me 