Travel Journal – March 28, 2016

The day has come when we leave our camp at Usery once again and head West, leaving my Arizona family and starting our travels for 2016. It’s a bright sunny day, but there are high winds in the forcast for this afternoon. That being said, we are off a little earlier than normal. Our first destination will be six miles north of Quartzsite at Plomosa Road BLM.

About 45 minutes outside of Quartzsite the wind caught up to us. They whipped us around at 20 to 25 miles per hour. It makes driving a little nerve racking, but I continued at a slower pace since we were so close and made it safely to camp.

Arriving Plomosa Road

I’ve been Full Time in my Coach for two years now and this is my first boondocking experience in the desert. I have been a little reluctant to boondock for several reasons which included not owning a generator, no solar panels, safety  and road conditions when pulling my Coach off the main highway, among others. For those of you who have been following me, you know I resolved the first two issues over a year ago. I bought a “solar suitcase” and have tested it several times for many days with good results, even in the rain when I really had to watch my useage.

As we arrive, turning right on Plomosa Road, I notice the Host parked on the right, just as Nina from Wheelingit blog had written about on one of her posts. Excellent information Nina and it helped me take the first step, along with others, finding this special place.

A Week in the Desert

Jagger in Coach’s’ Shade

Wondering in the desert

Jagger and I stayed here a week, experiencing a two day wind storm and inhaling a lot of dust. I’m still choking up dust weeks later. I guess next time I experience something like this I need to buy a bandana.

There was not much happening out here, as the party at Quartzsite has already moved on weeks ago. Most of our stay was comfortable and Jagger and I took daily walks in the desert. My solar package worked flawless out here, keeping the batteries topped off through the night. Of course I couldn’t run my AC, TV or appliances, but I can charge my phone, tablet and laptop using 12 volt chargers. I haven’t purchased an inverter yet and I’m not sure that I will anytime soon.

Visiting A Friend

While visiting the area, I went up to Parker one morning to have breakfast with an old High School friend, Coy. Also he came down one other day and we had an early dinner in the Q at Silly Al’s pizza. It’s an interesting place to visit and has good pizza. It’s always nice seeing a friend you haven’t seen in a long time.

In a few days Jagger and I will pack up and travel to the BLM area outside of Joshua Tree. Then we’ll head on to our destination, O’Neil Park in Orange County. There I will mix with many friends and see my doctor and dentist for check ups.

Until next time, Safe Travels…Gary

More Photos: Plomosa Road Boondock