“What if this is what you are really here to do? To live these moments only you will live and to say thank you that you were the one they were offered to.”
~The Story People
I stayed in Holtville, CA across from the Old Fogey Hot Springs (no wisecracks please) until Tuesday morning. I really loved it there. The LTVA (Long Term Visitors Area) was nothing special, but it was a very short walk across a barely used road to get to the hot springs. I went to the hot springs twice every day that I was there. It was extremely hot water, which I love, and could have soaked in it for hours, but after 15 minutes or so, I could feel myself, getting light-headed when I stood up. Getting out, I’d sit with my feet dangling in the hot pool. The temperature was in the upper 70’s and so I didn’t cool down quickly. I drank more water than usual, but even so, I knew I was getting dehydrated—perhaps from the heat, maybe from the minerals I was soaking in, maybe both. At any rate, I’m convinced that the hot mineral springs helped heal my shoulder which I injured about 2 months ago trying to lift my solar suitcase in and out of the van. It’s nearly back to normal. And after two long soaks each day, I slept like a dog every night. (even Cosmo was jealous)
On Tuesday I moved over to Imperial Dam. It was an annoying drive on bad roads and slightly out of my direct path to where I wanted to end up in Green Valley (South of Tucson) but I’d heard it was a beautiful spot. I got there and drove round and round, able to see the water (lake? Reservoir?) from high above and far away but couldn’t find a road that was drivable to get down to it. I gave up and parked in a big open area in the middle of a sea of giant 5th wheel trailers. Everything about it felt ugly. I decided that I’d get up early in the morning and drive a bit more to see if I could get parked close to water. When I got up and packed up, and drove around, I realized that I could get closer to the water, but always a bit high up so that accessing the water wouldn’t be doable, and looking down, no one was actually in the water, and the water seemed to have receded and was bordered by several yards of muck on all sides. I just didn’t want to be there, so I drove down the road through Yuma and stopped just east of the U.S. Army Proving Grounds. I had been craving pizza, so passing through Yuma I found a Domino’s and treated myself. I drove about a half hour more and found some BLM land outside of a small town called Wellton. There were nice mountain views, and the ground was level, flat and sparsely populated.
I breathed a sigh of relief, turned off the van, put my solar panels out and ate some pizza.
I stayed two days. The site was nothing special, but it was nice to be out in the boonies again, and not surrounded by giant rigs and people buzzing around in off-road vehicles flying Trump 2024 flags. I knew I was home when I went out in the afternoon and saw this in the distance.
The stars came out brightly at night, the wind picked up and I slept with the windows open. I could hear explosions at the nearby proving grounds, which sounded like bombs in the distance, a reminder that the Empire is always nipping at my heels.
When I left Wellton, I kept heading toward Tucson on I-8. I drove farther than I am usually willing to drive, but listening to Audible Books made the drive tolerable. I stopped on BLM land, at Vekol Valley National Monument just west of I-10 where it connects Phoenix to Tucson. There were lots of Palo Verde, Ironwood and a smattering of Saguaro Cacti. The weather was perfect–76⁰ during the day and down to around 50⁰ at night, making sleeping with the windows open pure bliss. Cosmo and I sat out in the sun during the day and took walks and I joined him for several short naps.
Lessons From The Road: I’m in Limbo. Actually, I’ve got about a week before entering Limbo. I’m on my way to see friends in Green Valley, south of Tucson, AZ. I know where I’m staying (sort of) between now and then. After I leave? I’m clueless. I expect to head back west toward San Diego, and head up to Long Beach to have a mechanic there who I trust do some work on the van. I’m not sure my route to San Diego, and I definitely have no idea where I’m going from there. Some have suggested that staying along the California coast for the summer would be my best option to stay cool in what I expect to be a brutally hot summer. I concur. The problem is that the California coast offers very little free or cheap camping opportunities. There is BLM land, but it is inland, and once you leave the coastal region, all bets are off on staying cool. I have a friend I met on the road who stays in San Diego all winter. She does stealth camping (parking on side streets, in neighborhoods and industrial areas and tries to look as inconspicuous as possible/) She has a new Mercedes Sprinter Van with tinted windows. It could be anyone’s van, or a commercial van. My Roadtrek couldn’t pass that test. California has a “Safe Parking Lots” program in some areas. If you get a pass, you can stay there in a safe (often a church parking lot) overnight in your car or van. I believe you have to come in between 6 and 8 p.m. and be out by 7 a.m. It could work for a couple of nights or if I get in a bind. I think it is mainly for the homeless, which technically I qualify for.
I’m grasping at straws. I’m brainstorming. I’m convinced I’ll figure something out to keep cool this summer, but I don’t know what.