Mount Whitney Portal

When we drove away out of the Alabama Hills we decided to turn right to head up Whitney Portal Road instead of down back in to Lone Pine right away. Our first stop was at the garbage bins at the entrance to the Lone Pine Campground so we could divest ourselves of that horribly stinky, scratchy …

The Alabama Hills

The Alabama Hills

We have a prior engagement up in Humboldt County to take care of nine ducks, one chicken and two cats for some friend’s as they are gone for a month to Vietnam. Heading away from the Mojave National Preserve we have several options on which route we take back up into Northern California. We could …

Mojave National Preserve

Heading back West out of Arizona we decide to spend a few days in the Mojave National Preserve. We’re expecting to find some stunning views and fun exploration while wandering about the third largest unit of the National Park System in the contiguous United States. After a quick stop at the little Hole-In-The-Wall Information Center …

The Mojave Cross

Once we were inside the expanse of the Mojave National Preserve one of the sights we wanted to see as well as pay our respects at was the controversial Mojave Cross. There is lots of information available online about the history of the cross so we will spare you recounting it all here. Since we …

Grundens Foul Weather Gear

Don’t get me wrong – I love my Gore-Tex outerwear. It is light, packable, extremely water-resistant and stylish as well and so that’s what I use those items for. Then there are times when work must get done. Times that the activity I’m undertaking or the task I’m performing demand something more suited to those …

The Road Through Cherry

Driving on Arizona Hwy 169 we pass a sign for W. Cherry Creek Road which my MVUM calls Forest Route 372. We have heard of the Powell Springs Campground in the Prescott National Forest and this road will take us there so we decided to check it out. As our intrepid Tacoma carries us and …

Table Mesa Recreation Area

Table Mesa Recreation Area

After spending the day exploring the Agua Fria National Monument (another one of those Brown Sign Finds) and the Bloody Basin area it was getting late and we needed to figure out a place to stay for the night. We seem to gravitate towards BLM lands when given the option and this is no different. …

Scaddon Wash

Willow and I plan on attending this year’s RTR (Rubber Tramp Rendezvous) in Quartzite, AZ. We found ourselves heading through the vicinity and decided to find the area it will be held at and to get a look at the surroundings and lay of the land for future reference. This is a flat, open, graveled area right off Hwy 10 between …

Dead Horse Ranch State Park

As well as the Tacoma is set-up for our needs and how comfortable we are on this nomadic adventure sometimes it’s nice to avail oneself to the simple luxuries in life. I’m talking about hot showers that didn’t come trickling out of a solar shower bag and potable water that didn’t need to be hand pumped …

Montezuma’s Well

Seems like it would have been a nice place to live back then
A yawn to show her displeasure at not being allowed to go swimming

This is one of those finds that come from following a brown sign with white lettering. Back on Hwy 17 heading north we see the sign and make the decision to check it out. Who hasn’t heard of Montezuma? And this is his well! Cool, let’s go see what we find. After a short drive on …