Olá from Madeira Part I – A Strike, A Shot & A Dram…

Flying into Madeira over the "deserted islands" off the east coast

It all started with a free shot and a strike. The strike actually happened first, although I had no clue until I tried to board a flight in Newark that no longer existed.

“Oh, I don’t think we’re flying that route today. We went on strike you see” said the friendly hostess

“But my baggage is already tagged to go to Porto” I replied helplessly

“Oh don’t worry. We’ll just switch things around and our guy will take care of the bag in the back” she answered with a reassuring smile

Downtown Funchal - the main drag of Madeira Island

I wasn’t entirely convinced. With upwards of 90,000 bags going through Newark each day, “the guy in the back” and my one lonely bag didn’t seem like too sure of a thing, but I really had no choice but to go with the flow. That was when tequila entered the picture. I’d made it through security, sat down rather dejectedly in the bar and must have had “the look” because the bartender took pity and offered me a free shot. Shortly thereafter a couple and another guy came over to join in and within a happy half an hour we had a little party going. The world was already looking rosier.

“It’s Portugal, so don’t worry. Things will work out” they all cheered happily

Fabulous Madeira wine -> worthy of an entire study unto itself

And I have to admit they were right. A mere 20 hours or so later I landed in Madeira and my bags appeared magically before me. The high cliffs and rolling coast of the island stretched into the ocean and a warm, breezy air was fanning the coast. My sister was seated next to me, my parents were on their way and we were going to spend a full week in paradise. Things were definitely looking rosier….

Now I have to admit I really didn’t know much about Madeira before coming here. With a bit of short-hand googling I’d learned it was part of Portugal and that it looked like a fairly small island waaaaay out in the Atlantic ocean. I also knew that they make a fortified wine  named after the spot itself which I had a vague notion tasted something like Port. The Portuguese airline hostess in Newark had added to my repertoire by telling me I was going to the Hawaii of the Atlantic, a paradise island and one of the 7 wonders of Portugal.

“You’ll wish you had three weeks over there” she said dreamily

My lovely sister admires the view from our hotel room

What I subsequently found out was quite a lot more. Madeira not only has a varied and fascinating geography (with several different climates), but boasts a wide breadth of culture and a rather rich history.  Through a meticulous and systematic in-depth one-on-one study of the local wine, I’ve also learned that Madeira wine is most definitely not Port, putz grila!  In fact the mere comparison is considered a sacrilegious insult which might possibly get you booted off the island. But all that good stuff is for Part II and I need another few drams before I can get that far. As they say “the best is yet to come” so stay tuned, my friends…

Links to the sea - this is the small fishing village of Camara De Lobos

One of the many gorgeous churches on the island

Let the wine tasting begin!

Old cobblestone streets typical of downtown Funchal

Fulltime RV Insurance – What’s the Difference?

You might feel very much like this when you think about insurance..

While I’m out gallivanting around on a paradise island in the Atlantic I thought I’d leave you with a post on insurance. I know, I know…it’s rather mean of me and you may want to stick your head in the sand rather than think about it (I sure know I do), but it’s one of those inevitable things that come up and just need doing. So, I thought now would be as good a time as any.

Now I should say up-front that I have no particular allegiance to any one insurance company and I rather suggest that you shouldn’t either. Insurance companies compete for business and regularly go through rate-raises (those “vanishing deductibles” always come back in $$ somehow). So, once a year I go out and shop . I stick with well-known companies, but I don’t discriminate as long as I get what I want. Our RV & car policy is currently with Geico and we’re happy with them, but if I got equal coverage at a better price from one of the other many reputable companies I’d be just as happy to leave them.

Is my baby covered?

But I DO want fulltime RV insurance, it IS a slightly different beast than regular car insurance and for those of you considering this lifestyle it’s worth understanding the difference. I’m not an insurance broker so I won’t give you detailed info, but I’ll outline the general facts so you can go off a-happy insurance shopping on your own:

1/ Liability – When you fullime your RV becomes your home, so things that might have been covered under a “homeowners” insurance now needs to be covered under your RV insurance. With liability that usually means a higher value so that, for example, if someone slips and falls inside your RV you’re covered. Ask your insurance if you’re covered in camp (while parked) as well as on the road. Some insurance companies call this “fulltime” insurance.

2/ Personal Property – Since you carry everything you own in your RV you might want to look at the $$ of property coverage in your policy. Most standard policies come with some token amount (maybe about $5,000) of coverage, but if you’ve got a bunch of expensive stuff (computers, TVs, tow-bar, satellite dish, GPS, solar etc.) that you want to cover consider increasing this value. Ask the insurance whether coverage includes stuff attached to the RV which you’ve added after-market.

Negotiating insurance company quotes can be a prickly business

3/ Replacement Coverage – If something catastrophic happens and you manage to total your RV, you should be really clear on what kind of $$ you’ll get from your insurance. Some offer purchase price replacement, but this is usually only on new coaches. Most companies will cover the NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) fair market value of your RV.

4/ Towing - My stance is that the majority of insurance companies really don’t know much about towing bigger rigs. So I always recommend ditching whatever they offer you and getting a separate towing package from one of the “experts”. CoachNet and Good Sam’s are the most-used companies and both get decent reviews from long-time RVers.

5/ Discounts and Deductibles - Of course you should always ask for discounts (good driver, anti-lock brakes, multiple vehicle etc.) and you always want to look at deductibles. My personal feeling on insurance is that it’s there to cover catastrophic events so I want the highest deductible I can afford. Remember that every single claim you make through your insurance company can potentially increase your coverage costs (sometimes by several magnitudes!) so you have to ask yourself if it’s really worth it. Our policy is never to claim the stuff we can  afford to pay ourselves.

Rather than do all the work yourself I highly recommend going through brokers who are experienced in RV insurance and “talk the RV talk”. Here’s a couple of good names that make the rounds on the RV forums on a regular basis:

• Farm & City 800-331-1520
• Gilbert RV Insurance 888-784-6787
• Miller RV Insurance 800-622-6347

And with that I think I’ll take a tall drink by the pool overlooking the ocean….oh wait…I’m already there

Thankful For My Life (and Flying Off Again…)

Everything I want is right here!

Well, Thanksgiving is almost upon us. This interesting little tradition was something I’d never even heard of until I moved to the US in 1992. Personally I love turkey and all its’ associated delicacies, but history and food aside I came to understand that this holiday has a deeper meaning for many people. It’s a time of reflection on all that you are thankful for and that message is certainly one I can relate to.

Life is a beautiful thing

As I sit here in my RV with an expansive view of desert mountains through my front window, my lovely (and incredibly handsome I might add) hubby beside me and 12 wonderful paws sleeping happily in the rig I have to admit that I’m so very thankful for all I’ve got. And I love it exactly the way it is.

During our drive to Phoenix a few days back I asked Paul if we suddenly had unlimited funds would we do anything different? We both agreed that likely not. We might upgrade the rig with some snazzy stuff, help out family, donate to some more charities…but essentially I’d still want to be wheelin’it across the country just like we’ve been doing the past 2 years. Really I would.

Where I'll be next week (map from Wikipedia)

Tomorrow morning I’ll be leaving my cozy home and flying off for a week on yet another grand adventure to see my family at the small Portuguese Island of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s an early celebration of my mom’s 70′th birthday and will be quite the fabulous experience (fear not, I’ll be reporting back). Yet something else to be thankful for.

So, as life moves forward and the past recedes I can only mimic the words from one of my all-time-favorite movies (Joe Vs the Vocano). As Joe floats shipwrecked on the ocean he raises his arms to the moon and says ”thank you for my life”. My goal is to always feel that way, and my hope is that you do too.

Boondocking Site Review – Dome Rock, Quartzsite, AZ

Lovely desert views at Dome Rock

A very easy and natural boondocking spot ~6 miles west of Quartzsite in east-central AZ

Location: Dome Rock, Quartzsite, AZ (info on camping HERE)
Coordinates: 33.64203N, -114.31374W. Link to map location HERE 
Cost: FREE (2 week stay limit -> free pass provided by camp-host)
How We Found It: I initially heard about Quartzsite several years ago on the RV forums and found more detailed info on the individual camping areas from the web (links at bottom).
Nearest Dump/Water: Water and dump are all available in nearby Quartzsite.

1. Access – 4.5/5
   Very easy access here although a little extra effort is needed to access the best spots. The Dome Rock BLM area is a large, open spot on the south side of Hwy 10 just west of Quartzsite. You enter the BLM from either side of Dome Rock Road which parallels Hwy 10 (west entrance is at exit 11, east entrance exit 17). Dome Rock is paved and easily drivable and you can boondock anywhere off the pavement on either side. Towards the Quartzsite side (east) the boonocking area is large and flat with super-easy sites even for a large group of rigs. Towards the back (west) it gets more hilly with many dirt roads leading off in various directions towards the hills. If you want to stay in the hills, which I would consider the prettiest, be prepared to scope out the area before you bring in your big-rig. All dirt roads/spots are super-firm with space and support for any sized-rig and lots of choices of spots. Only minor ding is that if you want to get really back and remote in the hills the dirt roads can become rather narrow and uneven/bumpy. 
2. Nature – 5/5
   Lovely nature here. Up on the west end by the hills you have sweeping vistas of Quartzsite in the valley together with pretty views of the surrounding hills. Days worth of hiking and exploring in the hills as well as the prospecting mines hidden therein.
3. Isolation – 4/5
   Very good isolation with a few minor dings. The hills provide lots of open knolls and “hidden” boondocking spots so you can easily find a site with good privacy and no neighbours in sight. The BLM area also seems one of the lesser-used in Quartzsite so generally very few rigs around. The only minor ding is that you are ~1-1.5 miles from Hwy 10 so unless you are well back in the hills you will hear some noise from the freeway. Plus you will occasionally get locals coming to do some ATVing in the area. We found neither to be bothersome, but if you’re looking for perfect quiet this may not be the spot.
4. Pet Friendliness – 5/5 
   Fabulous pet spot. You have days-worth of hiking and exploring in the surrounding hills, plus lots of space to hang out in camp. Also this is mostly “scrub” desert so not too much cactus around which is a big positive for paws on the ground.

Overall Rating = 4.6

Summary: Dome Rock is one of 5 “designated” limited-stay boondocking sites around Quartzsite (see below for info on the others) and is probably our favorite in the area. It’s super-easy to access off paved Dome Rock Road (which parallels highway 10 for ~6 miles west of town) and has the attraction of being somewhat higher than the town and right “in the hills” giving lovely sweeping views of both Quartzsite and the surrounding area. Free Boondocking is allowed on either side of the paved road and accessed by firm, dirt roads that run back in all directions into the hills. The far east side of the BLM is flat and open, but the far prettier section is towards the west side in the hills. Lots of knolls and gently hilly sites with good privacy, yet enough areas firm and flat enough for small multi-rig groups. It’s easy to find a site and you’ll see plenty of fire-rings from previously used locations all around the area.  The only dings we can give this place are that it does get some noise from Hwy 10, plus it is sometimes used by ATVers. However neither bothered us and if you’re adventurous you can drive far enough back into the hills that neither will be a problem. A lovely spot and we will most definitely come back.

Extra Info: No water or facilities (nearest facilities in Quartzsite). There is an on-site camphost (near exit 17) where you can check-in and get your free 14-day pass. FULL Verizon 3G signal so great data & voice access.

Extra, Extra Info – OTHER BOONDOCKING? There are 4 other “designated” limited-stay boondocking sites in and around Quartzsite (Hi Jolly, Plomosa Rd, Scaddon Wash and Roadrunner) as well as long-term (LVTA) sites in La Posa. Dispersed camping is also allows on BLM land outside these areas unless otherwise posted. Detailed info and directions to all sites in these links:

• Quartzsite Camping – from TGIF – let’s RV (pictures and description)
• Quartzsite Camping – from RV Camping (detailed maps & location)
• Quartzsite Camping – from Your RV Lifestyle (description)

Our spot in Dome Rock

Another view of our spot from up the hill. You can (just barely) see cars on Hwy 10 in the far background.

Front view of our site

Our spacious "sitting area". Not another rig in sight.

Typical "site" view. You'll see home-made fire-pits and flat spots all over the landscape.

Another RVer tucked into a spot. The dirt road in front leading to the rig is typical of the roads in the area. Quartzsite valley is in the background.

Walking with Polly along some of the more uneven dirt roads further back in the hills. There's a lone truck camper in the back left.

An RVer camped in the very flat section of the BLM near the east entrance.

Driving down Dome Rock Road from exit 11. Camping is on either side of this paved road

Map showing general Dome Rock boondocking area. We parked on the hilly side.

Boondocking Mecca – Quartzsite, AZ

The beast relaxes at her free spot in Dome Rock

For the past several days we’ve been boondocking in one of my favorite spots, next to one of my favorite stories. ”The beast” is most happily parked in our own little wilderness next to one of the biggest and oddest crowd convergences in the country. We’re in Quartzsite, AZ and being here in winter is to become part of a living phenomenon.

Views to the horizon

Quartzsite is your typical lonely ad-hoc desert town. A wild, dry plot of desert with a mere 3,000 or so inhabitants it distinguishes itself mostly by being a “hot-spot” of gem-hunters and backs that up with a slew of odd-ball desert lovers and  no less than 9 major mineral shows each year.

Quartzsite is a mineral hot-spot

But once a year in winter something extraordinary happens. Drawn by a unique crowd psychology that would puzzle even Sigmund Freud, hundreds of thousands of RVers converge onto Quartzsite BLM land and create a living, breathing, pulsating community of snowbirds. It’s a boondocking Mecca and likely the biggest collection of dry-camping rigs in the world.

Early build-up of RVers on the LaPosa LVTA

Quartzsite has adapted to the influx and offers several huge LTVA (long-term) boondocking areas for a mere $180 for the season (7 months). It’s one of the best winter deals around!

One of hundreds of temporary shops that set-up in the area during winter

But that’s not the end of it. With the coming of the wheelers’ begins a madness of enterprise. Out of the blank canvas of the desert there arises  a mish-mash of colorful activities with craft shows, line-dancing groups, pot-luck dinners, rallies, group meetings and music jams. You’ll have RVers selling knick-knacks from their rigs and endless rows of “rummage” shops offering every part, bit and parcel you could imagine. Even the major RV dealerships get in on the deal hosting a massive show in early Jan each year. It’s a crazy rush of spontaneous free-livin’ society at its’ best!

Gorgeous desert sunrise at Dome Rock

But it’s still early days yet. Here in mid-November the collection of RVers is only just starting and we’ve still got plenty of space to ourselves. We’re parked outside the “main drag” in one of 5 designated free 14-day limit parking areas (Dome Rock) with our next neighbour well out of sight. Here we recreate our very first boondocking experience , including our most wonderful loo escapades, albeit with 2 years more on the road and a far better toolbox. And to top it all off we’re part of the phenomenon, baby!

Paul exchanges books at the free book-swap in the local laundromat

Knick-knacks on sale. Snowboard in the desert anyone?

The Hidden Trail To Flag Mountain – Desert Hot Springs, CA

Not all those who wander are lost. –J.R.R. Tolkien

The glorious view from Flag Mountain

I’ve always been a huge J.R.R Tolkien fan all the way from the original 1936 novel “The Hobbit” to the 21st century ”Lord of the Rings“ movies based on his works. Many years ago we took the fantasy a bit further and went on a road-tripping, back-packing trip to southern New Zealand to hike the very hills where the films were made. What a trip!

There's the barrel cactus, or one of about 100 in the area...

Now, Desert Hot Springs is not exactly Fjordland but it’s got those same wild, open expanses that set your heart beating and run your imagination wild. What’s even better is there are a TON of hidden trails. These are the kinds of hikes used by  generations of tribes and explorers, known only to locals and with cryptic directions such as “walk about a half mile to the dirt road, turn right at the elephant rock, follow the leaning lady to the barrel cactus by the old cairn….etc.”, inevitably always followed by the comment “oh it’s easy, you can’t miss it”. For a woman with the directional sense of a single-celled organism these kinds of things are, putting it mildly, always a challenge…and of course I LOVE challenges.

Contemplating all and everyone who's gone before...

I managed to glean the info for such an adventure from my neighbours who’d heard it from some other guy that heard it from some other guy who did the trail several years ago and placed the flags.

The obscure path is known locally as “Flag Mountain” and ingeniously involves both entities -> a flag and a mountain. This was an encouraging sign for me since I figured that even if I completely missed the trail (which would undoubtedly happen), I would surely be able to see the mountain and possibly even espy the flag. In other words, there was hope of success!

Waaay up in the mountains by Desert Hot Springs

The pooch and I loaded up on water and headed off exploring. In fact we spent the entire week wandering the hills while Paul flew away to Flint, MI for his buddy Matt’s wedding. We got lost (multiple times), bush-whacked (almost constantly), got side-tracked by many flag mirages and false trails, but eventually, through sheer stubbornness and dumb luck, we found the hike!

Posing at the top

When Paul got back we completed the entire circuit and proudly posed at the flag that honors the hike. It may not have matched Frodo’s dark hike to Mordor, nor the tumultuous path of early pioneers, but it sure did feel like my own personal glorious adventure.

P.S. For those of you looking to re-enact this little adventure, here are approximate directions. From Sam’s Family Spa turn left at the main exit and walk ~1/2 mile along the road to a raised dirt road on your right. Follow that road approximately straight back to the mountain (last 1/3 will be bush-whacking). Then locate the ridge trail that goes slightly right and all the way to the top. Good luck!

Day-time in the desert

The end of another beautiful day!

Old Glory in her prime

On the hidden path

RV Solar Part IV – Panel Tilting & Winter Solar Optimization

Paul and Alex go a-panel tilting

It’s been almost a year since we made the leap to solar on “the beast”. For those of you who missed the chair-gripping series I’ve got the whole exciting detail of how we decided what to buy and install in Part I (discovery), Part II (equipment) and Part III (installation). Since that time we’ve been geeking out and enjoying our panels through extensive dry-camping travels from FL to CA. I’m happy to say our panels have served us perfectly. On good sunny days we’re usually fully recharged on the batteries by noon plus the panels easily keep-up with our daytime power usage even if we’re on the internet all day. There’s honestly not much we’d change.

But there’s always an opportunity to geek out a little more. As days grow long and the sun sits lower in the sky we’ve started to think about winter solar optimization. Now solar panels actually like cooler temps (their output increases at lower temps), but they have a problem with angle which opens up all kinds of fun thoughts and experiments on tilting. And opportunities to blog, of course. So, here we go:

1/ Why Tilt Your Panels?

In winter the sun stays closer to the horizon

If you remember my lessons from last year, getting the best out of your solar system is all about minimizing loss. The same lesson applies to tilting too. The power density of a solar panel is always at its’ maximum when the solar panel is exactly perpendicular (at 90-degrees) to the sun. The further you get away from perpendicular the more power you lose and so the less power output you get. Since sun angle varies by both latitude and time of day that means your power output is varying all the time. So, how do you know what to do?

Well, in summer the sun will get pretty high in the sky and stays there for quite a few hours (as an example, here in Palm Springs it gets to ~70-degrees elevation) so your panel output will be pretty darn good even if they’re flat. However in winter everything changes -> the sun stays closer to the horizon (here it only rises to ~30-degrees) and your power output plummets. Sunearthtools.com has a really geeky cool page that’ll give you the exact angle of the sun any time of year for any direction and spot (just plug in your location):

Solar Diagram for Palm Springs, CA from Sunearthtools.com. The top line shows the sun angle in mid-summer, the bottom line for mid-winter.

How much of a deal is this, power-wise? In Palm Springs in summer you really don’t lose anything by keeping the panels flat whereas in winter you’ll lose more than 50% of your power output if you keep them flat. It’s HUGE!! To demonstrate this here’s another cool tool that’ll calculate daily flux (= an approximation of the total amount of energy hitting your panels) based on location, time of year and tilt.

2/ How Do You Tilt?

Our home-made tilt bars

The fanciest type of tilting systems are “sun trackers” that exactly track the sun all day long, but these are not exactly practical on a free-wheelin’ RV roof. Some RVers keep their panels mobile and just bring ‘em out to tilt/track the sun manually whenever they need them. With 6 heavy panels to lug around that wasn’t an option we wanted on our “beast” so it made a lot more sense for us to permanently attach the panels and look for other tilting options.

Our solution was to get the AM Solar mounts (highly recommend them, even if you aren’t going w/ AM Solar for the rest of their gear), and then add-on home-made tilting bars. Some basic 1/4″ aluminum stock from Home Depot cut to whatever length you want with holes drilled in (you can even drill multiple holes to have multiple tilt options). Combine with screw/nuts and you’re good to go!

3/ What’s The Best Tilting Angle?

If you’ve made it this far and manage to remember what we talked about in #1, then you know that what we’re looking for is to get your panels as close as possible to 90-degrees to the sun. The cool sunearthtools.com link will tell you what angle the sun gets to in your area, and some simple geometry will give you the optimal tilt angle:

At our current latitude and time of year we’re talking around 60 degrees tilt at noontime for best results. Now, obviously the sun moves diagonally across the sky during the day and rises/sets somewhat southerly in winter so that number doesn’t stay constant and the real (max. total energy) formula is a rather more complicated (the cool tool shows that). But if you face your RV East-West and tilt panels facing due south more or less at the 90-degree noon-spot you’ll get pretty darn close to getting the best out of the sun.

4/ Beware the Shadow Monster

See ma...NO panel shadows!

Tilting is just like everything in solar. You’ve got to make sure you avoid ALL shadows. Together with Marvin we were very particular when we installed our panels last year to make sure they had NO shadows from anything on the roof whether tilted or not, even with long winter shadows. I’ve seen shading models that show just 3% shading of a solar array can lead to a 25% decline in efficiency, with 10% shade producing up to 50% decline! The losses are dramatic and could mean the difference between a system that works and one that doesn’t. Even panels that have special “bypass diodes” (meant to help the shade problem) will suffer voltage loss for each cell shaded. Don’t be caught by the shadow monster!

5/ And Our Results Were….?

We conducted our little tilting experiment out in Owl Canyon BLM. Our tilt-bars only go to ~45-degrees so we knew we wouldn’t get optimal output, but we expected a pretty significant boost. Mid-morning with panels flat our 600W system was putting out ~20Amps. With the tilt we hit ~30 Amps, a 40% improvement. As the day wore on our boost got even better with the MPPT charger kicking up output to a stunning peak of~45 Amps at around noon (MPPT really shines with higher-voltage panels in colder temps). Coooool!

We plan to do even more detailed tracking experiments later this the winter and will undoubtedly share these exciting results with our readers, but for now this is a good start. There is also much more geekiness that can be done with solar so don’t expect to see the last of this sunny series.

Lounging in Paradise – Desert Hot Springs, CA

“Paradise is exactly where you are right now…”

Welcome to paradise...

We had just met Rio & Kitty in the local hot tub. They looked like a couple right out of a corny Vegas mob movie -> old-timers with big hair, big bling and a leopard-skin bathing suit with all the busty ”fill” to make it work. They’d travelled here on a whim 25 years ago in a 27-foot Winnebago with 5 kids and decided they couldn’t leave. In fact, the kids were the ones that begged them to stay.

“You guys enjoying your stay in paradise?” they asked

It was an interesting question.

The massive wind-farms in the San Gorgonia Pass just outside of town

You see Desert Hot Springs is a quirky little place. Your very first thoughts as you drive into town might be more along the lines of “What a dump…”. The first thing you see as you enter the valley is the massive eye-sore of San Gorgonio Pass wind-farm. Then you take lonely Dillon Road into what can only be described as mobile home heaven in the desert. It’s a panacea of trailer parks, one after the other with a few run-down shops and long tracts of flat desert land inbetween. And the local grocery store doesn’t exactly inspire confidence with its’ fully barred windows. It’s not the best first impression.

The fabulous view from San Jacinto mountain

But then something astonishing happens. Like a big, comforting blanket the place just grows on you. First you sink yourself into a soothing mineral pool with view of a fiery red desert sunset. Then you meet a couple of the locals and get invited like old family to chat and  join the pack. Then you take a 3-hour hike in the hills and soak in all the deep, barren, fabulous beauty that is the desert. Add-on some pure puurrrfect desert winter weather and the majestic San Jacinto mountains in the background. Before long you’re liking the place and in a few days you’re just outright loving it.

Hiking the mountains in Desert Hot Springs

It’s exactly the same thing that happened last year when we came here. Desert Hot Springs may be the outcast neighbour of ritzy home-of-the-stars Palm Springs, but it is most definitely the place to be. We loved it so much last time that we decided we just had to come back. Same place (Sam’s Family Spa), same fantastic mineral pools and same exact wonderful impression.

Oh yeah...this is the life!

And we did the whole tour all over again -> the Aerial Tram (they had 5 inches of fresh snow on the peak this time), Palm Springs Village Fest,  Farmers Markets, unlimited spa-soaking, and long hikes in the surrounding hills. I even got the chance to meet up with fulltime RVers Terry and Martha from Gypsy Life Journal who were lounging at Lake Cahuilla County Park (nice spot, by the way and they accept Passport America mid-week).

Ahhhh...the fabulous winter desert!

Our original plan was actually to stay here a month, but more nutty travel plans got in the way (more on that story to come.).

In the meantime if you wonder what I’m doing  just imagine me lounging in paradise. ‘Coz that’s exactly where I am…

Gorgeous desert with San Jacinto in the background

Street vendors at the Palm Springs Village Fest

Another great hike in the surrounding mountains

Terry, Martha and lovely pooch Charlie in front of their rig

BLM Campground Review – Owl Canyon, Rainbow Basin, Barstow, CA

Biking around pretty Rainbow Basin

A lovely $6/night BLM campground in colorful Rainbow Basin in south-central CA.

Link to campground here: Owl Canyon, Rainbow Basin, Barstow, CA
Link to map location here: Owl Canyon, Rainbow Basin, Barstow, CA

1. Site Quality = 3/5
   Typical simple BLM sites here, but with some nice touches. All sites are basically firm dirt clearings with  no hookups and wide variations in both size and levelness. However there is decent separation and a good choice of sites for bigger rigs esp. towards the very back (#22-25) and the right-hand loop (#16-21). Lovely, brand new ”sitting areas” with shelter, picnic table and firepit/grill. Great views all around of both the pretty Rainbow Basin rocks and down towards the valley.
2.  Facilities = 2.5/5
   Simple, but very nice facilities. Large, clean pit toilets at several spots plus several playground areas. There is a “limited use” water spigot at the campground, but it’s sometimes dry and recommended to use it sparingly (so fill up before coming). NO dump station.
3. Location = 4.5/5
   As a pure nature stop this is simply lovely. You’re right in the middle of the gorgeous Rainbow Basin with lots of biking/hiking/exploring all around. Also within 10 miles of Barstow for shopping needs. Only slight ding is there is a 5-mile dirt road (excellent, wide, flat and graded but nonetheless dusty) to get into camp.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Wonderful pooch park yet again. Lots of space to hang out in camp plus lots of lovely hiking trails in Rainbow Canyon.

Overall Rating = 3.75
BONUS ALERT = Camp in the midst of colorful Rainbow Basin!

Summary: This little campground is definitely a bit of a hidden gem. It’s a simple BLM campground with dirt clearings and no hookups, but it’s got all kinds of nice little touches. The entire spot appears to have been completely renovated recently so there are truly lovely “sitting areas” with brand-new shelters, picnic tables, fire-pit/grill plus very nice pit toilets and even several playgrounds. Sites have a bit of variation in size/levelness, but there’s a decent selection for “beast”-size. All the sites are tucked into the lovely and colorful Rainbow Canyon so you have gorgeous rock views as well as a deeper view south into the valley plus miles of hiking, exploring and biking. The only slight ding is that it does take 5 miles of dirt road (Fossil Bed Road) to get here. However the dirt road is very wide, flat and very nicely graded (probably the nicest dirt road I’ve ever driven!). On a dry day it’s dusty, but an easy drive for just about any-sized rig. On a wet day it might get rougher plus there is a “dip” into a wash just before entering the campground that can get flooded so check conditions before going. Overall a rarely used and simply gorgeous little spot. It’s well worth the drive and we’d definitely stop here again.

 Extra Info:  Mostly 1X on Verizon here, but we were able to get voice and a slow, usable data signal using our external antenna/amp. 37 total sites costing $6/night no hookups, all first-come-first-serve. Limited-use water on-site, but NO dump station

 Extra, Extra Info – BOONDOCKING? Turns out Barstow is an OHV-riders paradise and there are large tracks of OHV (off-highway vehicle) BLM land just south of the city along Hwy 247 in Stoddard Valley that allow free dispersed camping with a 14-day limit. When we drove past it looked like easy access with large, dirt roads (Stoddard Wells Road) and we saw quite a few toy-haulers and big-rigs sprinkled around the valley. Just be prepared for noise (motorbikes/ATVers) and company.

View of our site #22 near back of campground

View of back of campground. We're in #22 on left. Alex's rig is tucked into #24 at very back.

View of nicely isolated site #16 in right-hand loop. This looks toward the valley.

Another neat site tucked into the rocks #21

View down entrance of campground. Site #9 on right behind the joshua tree.

View down other side of entrance (site #29 on left)

Typical "sitting area", site #23 shown

View of one of the playground areas

The very nice graded 5-mile dirt road that takes you into camp.

Off The Beaten Track – Rainbow Basin, Barstow, CA

The hidden Gem of Rainbow Basin

Since we were driven out early by high winds from our glorious spot in Lone Pine, our “pack” decided to wheel it out and head to shelter down south in the grand Mojave desert. We were looking for the best of the best -> solitude, beauty, views, trails. In other words a spot where no “beasts” have gone before. So, of course we took the back-road to Barstow, CA and stopped there ….. ????

Shadows of Joshua Trees in the canyon

Now those of you who know Barstow may be surprised. For those of you who don’t I’ll paint a little scene. Close your eyes and imagine if you will a desolate desert plain stretching, well…to infinity. Raise your thumb, twirl it around and plonk it randomly anywhere on this dreary landscape. Add-in several enormous truck-stops, a few sad strip-malls and an ad-hoc town and voilà, there you have it. Barstow has emerged like a single stubborn weed in a huge dusty back-yard. NO-ONE vacations at Barstow, at least no-one that I know.

So naturally that’s where we went. And naturally we found everything that we were looking for, because as everyone knows there’s a hidden gem in everything….somewhere….and right here the fabulous spot is called the Rainbow Basin.

Biking into the Miocene era...

Just ~10 miles out of Barstow on a long dirt road it rises from the desert like a diamond in the rough. Rainbow Basin is an ancient formation deposited in the middle Miocene (16-13 million years ago). Tectonic motion, compression and erosion raised the earth over many millions of years and sculpted the rock into alluring curves of mineral deposits. From neon green to deep red the layers roll like rock petals of a giant rose blossoming to enclose you completely. Add-in a sprinkling of picturesque Joshua Trees and you’ve created the painting of a masterpiece.

Some pretty country out here

And there’s more than just pretty rocks here. The site is a paleontologists dream with over 368 sites and 17 new species of mammals discovered right here including the very first record of a mastodon in California. Camping is on BLM land right in the midst of the colorful painting, surrounded by miles of hiking and biking. It’s simply stunning!

Entrance to the Rainbow Basin area

Our “pack” hunkered down within the protective rocks for several days while the winds passed by up north, enjoying pretty much complete solitude (we were literally the only folks there the first 2 days) and gorgeous surroundings. A worthy and unexpected little stop  off the beaten track….and all of it in Barstow too.

Sunset in camp

A pretty view of the rocks from the trail

Deep in Rainbow Basin

Blue sky and rainbow rocks