Diamond Valley Lake Part 3

The West Side of the North Hills Trail

After a fun hike out and back starting from the east trailhead of the North Hills Trail, outlined in yellow on the map above, Jeff and I decide to find the west trailhead. As we head west on Domenigoni Parkway, we also notice a sign directing us to the Diamond Valley Lake Viewpoint. However, like so many signs and trail markers, the directions are vague and insufficiently marked. But Jeff and I don’t give up. Actually we stumble upon it from Winchester Road only to find out the Viewpoint is not open.  But aha, we also find the trailhead for the North Hills Trail. Not discouraged, we return a few days later when we can explore both.

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After registering at a guard house and driving up a winding road, another guard greets us at the Clayton A. Record Jr. Viewpoint.

Clayton was a 4th generation San Jacinto native, a dairy farmer, businessman, community leader, and an elected official who helped develop regional water policy.  Before the Metropolitan Sewer District of Southern California began constructing the reservoir known as Diamond Valley Lake in 1995, Clayton spent many mornings on a bench here, gazing out at the trickling waters from Mt. San Jacinto and Mt. San Gorgonio. The Viewpoint was dedicated in 2002 to commemorate his service and leadership.  (dvlake.com)

No dogs are allowed here and accessing the Lakeview Trail is prohibited.

On foot we spiral up to the top and enjoy the scenery of Hemet down below. A compass rose gives us our bearings.

Mt. San Jacinto is to the east.

To the north is Mt. San Gorgonio and the Domenigoni Hills of the North Hills Trail.

The Saddle Dam can also be seen in the picture above. This dam was built to increase the storage capacity of the lake. It rises 130 feet above the lowest point of the Domenigoni Hills ridgeline and is .5 miles long. The inlet/outlet tower controls the amount of water in the reservoir. (en.m.wikipedia.org)

To the south are more hills and a great view of the West Dam.

Just below the dam is the forebay and the pumping station.

We enjoy the scenery…

…and head to the West Trailhead of the North Hills Trail.

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The parking area is huge and beautiful, filled with picnic areas and lots of places to tie up horses. I’m not sure why.

But the hike starts out crossing an aqueduct…

…and leads to a dry grassy area that runs parallel to the water canal. It is difficult to walk through and the mile markers are confusing. Not sure where the “trail” is leading, we alternate between staying the course that hugs the boundary fencing and climbing the steep incline to the gravel road that follows the aqueduct.

After a mile or so, we cross the irrigation canal again and head toward the hills. At last the trail looks promising and is easy to follow and well marked.

Our goal is to get near the halfway point leading to the overlook of the lake.

We start to encounter dams of tumbleweeds blocking the trail and manage to plunge through them, until finally we reach an impassable thicket.

We are tired of dealing with the disappointments of the trail, especially of the reality of having to return this way again.

Discouraged, we cut our losses and head back. Bummer…

Oak Glen

 Mile High Fun for Everyone

Oak Glen is a 5 mile loop of historic apple orchards, scenic landscapes, unique shops,   family-friendly restaurants, fragrant bakeries, and living history sites.

Located among the slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains, Oak Glen is uniquely surrounded by desert on all sides. But it is always 10 – 15 degrees cooler here than in the valleys and the mile-high climate provides beautiful changes of seasons. (http://www.oakglen.net)

Our neighbor, Allison, suggested we take a day-trip here since it is less than 25 miles from San Jacinto. Even though apple season runs from September through November, and we arrived at Diamond Valley RV Resort in the middle of November, Glen Oak is open all year, sort of. So we took her advice and drove up one day.

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The red color in the hills is from the fire retardant used to control a recent fire that started from a car crash.

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Except for the mountains in the background, the scenery reminds us of  a fall day in New England:

 

 

 

 

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We stop at the Parrish Ranch store because it’s open on a weekday.

 

We sample apples, cider, and apple butter. We leave with a bag of Cameo apples that don’t turn brown when sliced, apple butter, and apple butter barbecue sauce.

Enoch Kidder Parrish settled in Oak Glen in 1860 and was the first apple grower, planting an acre of apple trees in 1867. The store we visited was originally the packing shed and is the oldest wooden stick structure in San Bernardino County. (http://www.oakglen.net)

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Our next stop is Oak Tree Village, 14 acres of family fun including  shows, shops, food, animals, pony rides, and train rides.

The shops and restaurant are open but the family fun area is only open on weekends now.

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Besides apples, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, watermelons, pears, and pumpkins are available for U-Pick.

Special events take place monthly from February through December.

And finally, Oak Glen is a popular “go to” destination for weddings. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were married at the Secret Garden venue located on Parrish Ranch in 2015 over the July 4th weekend.

Diamond Valley Lake Part 2

North Hills Trail

The North Hills Trail runs for 6.5 miles east and west and somewhat parallel to the Domenigoni Parkway, skirting the Diamond Valley Lakeview Trail. See the yellow line in the map above.

There is a dirt parking area at the East Trailhead and unlike the Marina, you can park here free. A donation box with envelopes for a $2 per person contribution is located in the parking lot. You simply fill in your name and vehicle information, enclose your cash, rip off the receipt to take with you, and slide it into the slit of the box. But the box is too full so we carry our cash and envelope with us.

Jeff thinks we are going to hike out for about 40 minutes and then turn back, however I have different plans. In 2.7 miles there is a Lake View Point to trek to and that is my goal.

I don’t take any pictures until we reach the View of Diamond Lake so I find some taken by other hikers.

I remember this marker well. It is looking back 1 mile out from the trailhead.

 alltrails.com, courtesy of Chris Ibbeson, 1/13

After walking 2 miles the trail starts to climb and pull away from the highway.

 alltrails.com, courtesy of Chris Ibbeson, 1/13

My eye is on the prize to reach the top so I cajole Jeff to go “just a little further” to the next bend and then another and then just one more. Meanwhile, we put one foot in front of the other to reach the top, gaining an elevation of some 500 feet.

  alltrails.com, courtesy of Brian Johnston, 2017

Halfway to the top a barbed wire fence separates us from the Lakeview Trail. Jeff and I remember passing this way on December 1st.

And we continue climbing around the rim until we reach a wide-path detour…

…and arrive at the overlook of the lake. There’s even a picnic table waiting there.

All in all, a fun hike and a good workout.

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Footnote: I dedicate this hike to my mother who passed away on this date 5 years ago. This one’s for you, mother!

Santa Ana Winds

The same winds that fueled the Thomas Fire that wreaked havoc in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties visited San Jacinto in early December.

Here are pictures of some of the destruction that took place where we live at the Diamond Valley RV Resort:

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A tumble of tumbleweed a few blocks away…

And, if you can imagine, tranquil Diamond Valley Lake had to be closed due to 7 foot waves!

 

 

Diamond Valley Lake Part 1

Diamond Valley Lake is a man-made reservoir 4 miles southwest of the city of Hemet, CA. Its volume capacity is 800,000 acre-feet. (en.m.wikipedia.org)

According to watereducation.org, an acre-foot is the amount of water that would cover an acre of land, about the size of a football field, 1 foot deep. That is the equivalent of approximately 326,000 gallons of water.

Diamond Valley Lake is a domestic water supply source for drought, the peak of summer, and emergency needs.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California began construction of the reservoir in 1995. It took 4 years, from 1999 – 2003, to fill the lake with water supplied by the Colorado River Aqueduct. Today the Inland Feeder delivers water to Diamond Valley Lake. (en.m.wikipedia.org)

In our search for places to hike in the San Jacinto area, Jeff discovered DVL and its 21.8 mile trek for hikers and bikers around the lake.

DVL is about 10 miles away from Diamond Valley RV Resort where we are parked for the winter months.

To access the trail along the lake, you have to park at the Marina and pay a $9 fee. An additional $2 per person hiking fee brings the total to $14. But we don’t mind. We’re giving back to the environment.

The trail is a litter-free wide dirt path that follows the outline of the lake. There is no drinking water available but port-a-potties are scattered about 5 miles apart. Now and then canopied shade stations appear, and depending upon the direction of the sun, they offer a reprieve. Fishing is allowed along a designated portion of the shoreline.

We enjoy an out and back hike of 5 1/2 miles.

                                                       a natural dried flower arrangement

Looking back towards the marina, Mt. San Jacinto photo bombs the 2 pictures below:

Any guesses as to what the circled object in this next picture is?

Here’s a zoomed-in view:

 Give up?

It’s a floating bathroom!

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

In the Coachella Valley Preserve

 en.m.wikipedia.org

Just minutes from Palm Springs and other desert cities in southeastern CA lies the Coachella Valley Preserve.

 bayhillway.com

 fws.gov

According to the U.S. Geological Survey website, usgs.gov, the Preserve is located along strands of The San Andreas Fault System between the cities of Palm Springs and Indio. The California Nature Conservancy purchased the first 1,920 acres. With the support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Preserve expanded to 17,000 acres of desert dune fields and palm forests. Over 1,500 California fan palms are fed by springs rising along parallel fault  strands emanating from The San Andreas Fault. Clustered into 6 groves, the main palm groves of the Preserve are called the Thousand Palms Oasis.

 3dparks.wr.usgs.gov

Today the Center for Natural Lands Management, CNLM, manages Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve in the Coachella Valley Preserve to protect and conserve an ecological habitat for the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard. In 1980 the federal government listed the lizard as a threatened species. (CNLM brochure)

   coachellavalleypreserve.org                     

CNLM is a non-profit organization for the protection and management of natural resources. It’s main objective is to safeguard the native species and their habitat.

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Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve comprises about 880 acres of the Coachella Valley Preserve. It is easy to get to from exit 131, Monterey Avenue, of Interstate 10. Take a right on Ramon Road for 3.5 miles and a left onto Thousand Palms Canyon Road.

All of a sudden, a grove of palm trees appears.

After driving 2 miles on Thousand Palms Canyon Road, we arrive at a small parking are. How small is small, you ask? Carpooling is recommended and RVs, campers, and 5th wheels are not allowed in the parking lot.

I take a few pictures after we park and head toward the rustic Visitors’ Center.

There is no entrance fee, donations are optional.

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Although the Oasis is the hub for the 28 miles of hiking trails available in the Coachella Valley Preserve, the most popular hike is the McCallum trail, a 2 mile round trip excursion through a palm oasis, across an earthquake fault zone, and through a desert wash, ending at another oasis. (CNLM Trail Guide)

 desertroadkill.blogspot.com

 beginning of the McCallum Trail

Looking up at the fan palm trees…

 a pretty spectacular view

Fan Palms are the only native palm trees in California. With roots that barely reach down 8-12 feet, they can only grow where water is at or near the surface. These palms can grow up to 60 feet tall with leaves over 6 feet wide. Some of the larger trees in the Preserve may be 150 years old, but most are younger. The grassy brown hula skirts around the trees are actually dead fronds. (CNLM Trail Guide)

In late spring the fan palm produces small fruits eaten by many birds and other animals.

Because of the presence of water, many water-loving plants thrive in the riparian biome of the oasis. Riparian refers to a river bank and is a wetlands area. Cattails, common reeds, arroyo willow, and salt grass are just some of the plant species providing food and cover for desert wildlife. (CNLM Trail Guide)

 salt grass

Leaving the riparian forest, we encounter another biome: a desert wash. Plants living here need more water than those on the desert floor, but not as much as plants in the wetlands. (CNLM Trail Guide)

 the desert wash

The creosote bush is the most common shrub found in North American deserts. (sign on trail)

 creosote bush

The desert smoke tree’s ashy stems resemble a puff of smoke in the distance. (sign on trail)

Arrow-weed is another species found in desert washes. Native Americans used the straight stems to make arrows. (sign on trail)

                                                 pink flowers blossom in spring

Tamarisk trees, seen below, are non-native vegetation. Originally imported from the Mediterranean region, they are often used as windbreakers, marking old homesteads and homes in the desert. (sign on trail)

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The Coachella Valley Preserve is located on the Mission Creek trace of the San Andreas Fault, the famous and most visible earthquake fault. The San Andreas Fault stretches from California’s border with Mexico to just north of San Francisco, where it plunges into the Pacific Ocean. It extends somewhere between 700-800 miles and reaches at least 10 miles deep. Many smaller faults branch from it, so it is more of a linear fault zone as opposed to a single fault. The McCallum Trail runs on and parallel to the Mission Creek fault. (CNLM Trail Guide)

According to the sign along the trail, the bluff to the west has a mixture of exposed sand, gravel, and rock layers that are tilted. Who knew that was what I was looking at?

According to earthquake.usgs.gov, a fault is a fracture along which the blocks of the earth’s crust, the outermost layer, on either side have moved relative to one another, parallel to the fracture. Below is a depiction of the right lateral strike-slip fault that runs along this trace.

 earthquake.usgs.gov glossary

There has been no significant rupture of the Mission Creek trace in over 300 years, but the slip-rate on the fault is between 2.3 – 3.5 centimeters per year.

 play.google.com

Slippage along the fault is uneven, with some sections continuously moving a small amount, while other sections move more rapidly. (CNLM brochure)

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The mountain ranges create a “rain-shadow” desert, which means the moisture-laden ocean air does not reach the desert floor. As wet air from the coast moves up over the mountains, it cools, falling as rain in the mountains, but bringing very little moisture to the valley itself. (CNLM Trail Guide)

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Approaching McCallum Oasis…

This beautiful pond is formed by water seeping up along a trace of the earthquake fault.

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The inviting sitting area below is called “The Citadel”.

The hula-skirt-like palm fronds provide homes for snakes, lizards, rodents, and black widow spiders. The rare yellow bat also roosts in the palm skirts while great horned owls peer out of the tops of the trees. (CNLM Trail Guide)

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We head back…

Welcome to San Jacinto, CA

San Jacinto is one of the oldest cities in Riverside County and is named after Saint Hyacinth who died at the age of 12 in 108 AD.

 en.m.wikipedia.org

Hyacinth was an early Christian who refused to participate in ceremonial sacrifices to the official Roman gods. Denounced as a Christian, he was imprisoned, scourged,  tortured, and finally only served meat which had been blessed for sacrifice to the gods. He eventually starved to death as he would not eat the meat of Roman gods.

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The city of Hemet is south of San Jacinto and Beaumont is to its north. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, San Jacinto was a dairy and agricultural center. (en.m.wikipedia.org)

 City-Data.com

 bestplaces.net

Several dairy farms still exist today as evidenced by the annoying appearance of pesky flies and the intermittent whiffs of cow manure in the air.

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The Anza Trail, one of the first European overland routes to California, crossed through the San Jacinto Valley in the 1770s.

A nearby street commemorates its name.

Mission padres named the valley after Saint Hyacinth and established an outpost here in 1820.

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The San Jacinto Valley is located at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains in the east and the Santa Rosa Hills to the south with the San Gorgonio Pass to the north. It is home to the cities of Hemet and San Jacinto.

Below is a picture of the San Jacinto Valley as seen from the San Jacinto Mountains. The bright street in the middle is Florida Avenue (State Highway 74) in Hemet.

 en.m.wikipedia.org contributed by John Stroud

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The valley is also the setting for a novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson who visited the area in the 1880s.

 en m.wikipedia.org

Helen, a poet and writer (1830-1885), became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Native Americans by the United States government.

Her romance novel, Ramona written in 1884, dramatized the mistreatment of Native Americans in Southern California after the Mexican-American War.

 en.m.wikipedia.org

The novel’s sentimental portrayal of Mexican colonial life appealed to both readers and film producers.

In 1910 D.W. Griffith directed a 17 minute drama starring Mary Pickford. True to the book’s theme, the silent film explores racial injustice through a love story. Below is the film’s title credit. The subtitle reads A story of the White Man’s Injustice to the Indians.

 en.m.wikipedia.org

Click here to view the opening sequence from TCM, Turner Classic Movies.

 deadwrite.wordpress.com

In 1916 Donald Crisp directed 10-14 silent movie reels of Ramona, starring Adda Gleason. All but 5 reels are lost. These remaining reels are preserved at the Library of Congress. On April 6, 1916 the New York Times printed a movie review.

 nytimes.com

Delores Del Rio starred in the 1928 silent film version of H. H. Jackson’s book.

 en.m.wikipedia.org

Mordaunt Hall, a film critic from The New York Times, praised the silent film as “an Indian love lyric” in his May 15, 1928 movie review.

In 1936 Loretta Young and Don Ameche starred in the first film adaptation of Ramona with sound.

 en.m.wikipedia.org

On October 7, 1936 film critic Frank S. Nugent posted his review in The New York Times praising the cinematography but finding issue with the plot as “a piece of unadulterated hokum about Lo, the poor half-Indian girl who fled a southern Californian hacienda with her chieftain’s son and was tragically victimized by the ruthless American land-grabbers.”

Lo refers to Ramona Lubo, after whom many claimed the novel was named…

 en.m.wikipedia.org

The novel was also aired as a telenovela or Spanish soap opera in 2000.

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On April 13, 1923 The Ramona Pageant premiered as an Outdoor Play in Hemet, CA. Staged annually, it is the longest running outdoor play in the United States. It is held over 3 consecutive weekends in April and May at the Ramona Bowl, a natural amphitheater.

 tripadvisor.com

In 1959, 18-year-old Jo Raquel Tejada played the title role. We know her today as Raquel Welch.

 pinterest.com

Ten years later, another famous actress starred as Ramona. Anne Archer was 21 years old.

 pe.com

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Less than 4 miles out our RV door, where State Street turns into Gilman Springs Road, lies a heavily guarded compound of 50 buildings surrounded by trees and high fences topped with steel blades.

 en.m.wikipedia.org

Patrols, cameras, and motion detectors keep watch 24/7. The property is bisected by the public road with cameras recording passing traffic. An underground tunnel runs across the street.

Below is an aerial view of the compound from the west.

 en.m.wikipedia.org

So, arriving at our San Jacinto snowbird destination at Diamond Valley RV Resort, Jeff and I exit Interstate 10 West in Beaumont, head south on CA 79, and exit onto Gilman Springs Road heading east. All of a sudden we encounter lush greenery amid the brown monotones of the mountains and desert. Peeking out are spiral columns topped with turrets, a gate house, beautiful blue buildings, a golf course, and what looks like a church.

Are you as curious as I was? Let me give you some hints:

1. A sign from the road reads, Golden Era Productions.
2. It belongs to a church.
3. Tom Cruise stayed and studied here in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
4. Does L. Ron Hubbard ring any bells?

This lavish resort compound is Gold Base, the international headquarters, though not legally recognized as such, of the Church of Scientology.

This land was well-known by local Native Americans for the natural hot springs bubbling from what is now known as the San Jacinto Fault. In 1890 Sydney Branch purchased this parcel and developed it into a resort and spa. In 1913 he sold this property to the Gilman brothers who further expanded the resort into a popular vacation retreat. By 1978 the Gilman Hot Springs had lost its popularity and went bankrupt.

With extreme secrecy, L. Ron Hubbard pays $2.7 million cash for the resort under the guise of a group of investors who called themselves the Scottish Highland Quietude Club. The new owners supposedly had a condominium project in mind, but Hubbard’s ulterior motive was to create his church headquarters here without anyone knowing it belonged to the Church of Scientology.

 scientology.org

Why the intense secrecy? At the time, the Church was charged with a criminal conspiracy, called Operation Snow White, against the United States Government. Hubbard and his wife were accused of infiltrating and stealing unfavorable documents about Scientology in 30 countries.

 Mary Sue and Ron Hubbard (scientologymoneyproject.com)

 tonyortega.org, The Underground Bunker

For more information about Operation Snow White, check out this 1990 article from the LA Times. And to read what Scientology has to say, go to their Stand League website, Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination.

Hubbard went into hiding, eventually living in an undisclosed location in Hemet, code-named X. The Gilman Hot Springs property was code-named S, and no one in the Church could travel directly between the 2 locations. Instead, with all the drama of a spy movie, Gilman and his minions had to make indirect trips of 120 miles each way.

In 1980, however, a local reporter broke the story that Hubbard was living in Hemet and working at the Gilman location. So, literally overnight the base was converted into Golden Era Studios and presented to the world as the Church of Scientology’s media production facility. After conning the world into believing that the organization had an acceptable function, the international management was safe to return to Gold Base.

 en.m.wikipedia.org

Ironically, L. Ron Hubbard never lived at the base. He authorized renovations on Bonnie View, a tutor-style house on the property, with the intentions of residing there. Unfortunately the original house had to be torn down. The almost $10 million mansion built to replace it was not finished until 2000 and Hubbard had already died in January of 1986. The mansion and his living quarters, however, are still maintained in anticipation of his reincarnation.

 whyweprotest.net

Today, David Miscavige, the Church’s current leader, lives and works on Gold Base with other Church officials.

 scientologynews.org

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Unless otherwise noted, the information from this blog came from Wikipedia. I have found this to be a reliable source, after checking its references time and time again, against other online sources of information. I now contribute a small yearly donation to its site organization.

Diamond Valley RV Resort

A PHOTO GALLERY

 

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Our Space

 

How we rigged the sewer house…

 The connection to the sewer is elevated, preventing gravity to allow the hose to drain properly. After walking around the RV Park, we noted how other permanent residents resolved this problem. So Jeff came up with an inexpensive alternative using plastic buckets, pvc pipes, and a hand saw that we took turns using, to create a “slide” for the hose. (TMI?) 

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Other Spaces

 

I know it doesn’t look like a Resort, but “don’t judge a book by its cover” which I probably did in my previous  post on Blythe, CA. (Mea culpa)

In between the long-term residents’ colorful and cozy spaces are a scattering of newer RVs. 

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Office and Ammenities

 

 a beautiful outdoor patio

 a heated pool and hot tub

 For $5.50 we can wash and dry 2 full loads of laundry! 

 the Club House

 and lending library

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On November 21st every resident was invited to a pre-Thanksgiving catered dinner. But wait, There’s more! After dinner each RV space received a raffle ticket and then we played Bingo. Jeff and I yelled, “Bingo!” twice and took home headphones and a rotating light show projector of stars and moons. During the Bingo Games raffle tickets were drawn. From grand prizes of a computer laptop, big-screen TV, and a multi-purpose mini outdoor grill, each RV space received a prize.  We won a Cuisinart toaster with Bagel, Defrost, and Reheat settings. Meanwhile we met Diana and her daughter, Alex, and schmoozed with others. (Well, at least I did!) 

As the dinner experience broke up, people piled up paper plates with leftovers and desserts. Really? Even the edible decorations were disassembled and taken home! Against the wall was an arrangement of fruit, kind of like a cornucopia minus the goat’s horn, flowers and corn. Among this array of fruits were light red-orange, small, apple-looking items topped with green blossoms. I thought they were some kind of pepper or tomatoes. When we left, all of the bananas and apples were picked over. So I figured no one would miss a few of these mysterious fruit whatevers. I took 3. Later I learned they were persimmons. 

 A gentleman told me to let them sit out for another week until they were very soft. To eat them, he suggested I cut off the top and simply scoop up the insides with a spoon. So I followed his advice and enjoyed mildly sweet spoonfuls of soft red-orange goodness, reminding me of the consistency of a kiwi fruit. 

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 The dog park even supplies its own “poopie” bags! However, someone does not pick up after their dogs. Seriously? 

 When we first arrived the grass was green but daily hose-watering cannot compete with the desert sun. 

 Here we have met Vickie, another Diana, and Rick. Rick helped design and landscape the dog park and takes pride in its appearance. So, we all are appalled by the person or persons not picking up after their pets. We suspect the same culprit but cannot prove it yet. According to the RV Park rental agreement, failure to clean up after your pet results in a fine of $100.

Beside the dog park, a passionate gardener is planting a community vegetable garden.

But I would say that the biggest amenity here is the people! Residents are outgoing and friendly, starting with the management. Mooshy runs the office. Ron is the resident handyman. Abraham lives and works here too. Behind us lives Janey and her 3 dogs. Maggie just moved in with her dog, Piper. Across the street are another Rick and Allison. Marla lives down the street. Elliot and Sherry’s space is surrounded by a garden of potted plants. (Sherry is responsible for cultivating and planting the vegetable garden next to the dog park.) Good people. Good energy. A caring neighborhood.

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Outside The Gates

Diamond Valley RV Resort is nestled in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains at the corner of State Street and Ramona Boulevard. Avid walkers, Jeff and I pound the pavement daily for an hour or more. When sidewalks end we travel on dirt or the street encountering many homeless people, churches, schools, trailer parks, tire stores, Mexican markets, and lots of litter. Not exactly pretty, but wait… 

 

 

 persimmons

 a massive tumbleweed!

 We collected a bouquet of these on the ground along Ramona Expressway. Don’t know what they are but they look great on top of our nature “curio shelf.”

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 Seasons’ Greetings from the desert…

 St. Anthony Catholic Church

 a tiny shrine to St. Anthony built from stonesby F.J. Walkowiak in 1936

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Heading West Part 3

Phoenix, AZ to Blythe, CA… November 11th

Today’s drive is a short one. The distance between Apache Junction, AZ to Blythe, CA is only 185 miles. Just outside of Phoenix we catch Interstate 10. After crossing the Colorado River, we enter CA. Blythe is the first town off of the 10 at the junction of US 95. We spend the night at Burton’s Mobile Home and RV Park because of its easy access off and on the Interstate.

The picture below is the space we pull into, parallel to the chain link fence and scenic view of residents’ coiffed back yards.

Lovely, isn’t it? I bet you can guess what we nicknamed Blythe. Here are a few more pictures in case you need a few more clues:

If the word Blight crosses your mind, you are correct. It doesn’t help that the day is overcast. And we aren’t here long enough to meet anyone or explore the other parts of the city. According to en.m.wikipedia.org, Blythe is an agricultural area in the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert along the Colorado River. Since it is 4 hours away from 10% of the country, it is a great stopover city, especially between Phoenix, AZ and Los Angeles, CA.

I know better than to judge a book by its cover because its pages may be precious. Such is the case with Blythe, as I discovered after we left.

Look closely at the picture below.

Can you see a head, body, arms, and legs?

This is one of the Blythe Intaglios or Geoglyphs found in the Colorado Desert about 15 miles north of downtown Blythe. Intaglio is an art term applied to burial mounds referring to a design cut into a hard surface. A geoglyph is a gigantic figure incised on the ground by humans for some unknown reason. (en.m.wikipedia.org) Best viewed from the air, the Blythe Intaglios include 3 human figures, 2 four-legged animals, and a spiral.

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Final Destination… Blythe, CA to San Jacinto, CA… November 12th

Another short day as we continue along Interstate 10 West through Desert Center…

…and the Coachella Valley along the southern edge of Joshua Tree National Park.

We stop for gas and notice the evidence of the homeless population…

…and the widespread litter problem we have observed in the lesser known cities of California.

Continuing along the 10 West, we pass through Indio…

…Thousand Palms…

…and Cathedral City…

In Beaumont we exit the 10 and catch State Highway 79.

San Jacinto is about 15 miles from Beaumont where 79 becomes Sanderson Avenue.

We arrive at our winter home in San Jacinto at the Diamond Valley RV Resort shortly before 1:00 PM.

Heading West Part 2

60 West Into Arizona to Apache Junction, AZ… November 10th

Our planned destination is Globe, AZ, about 260 miles from Magdalena, NM, where we stayed last night.

Springerville, AZ

When we reach Show Low, Route 60 dips south and we enter the White Mountain Apache Reservation. The spectacular drive south presents picture perfect postcard moments of photo ops.

Meanwhile, we call all the RV Parks in Lake Elsinore, CA (our preferred winter destination) only to find out that our opportunities to stay there are not looking good. No place has room for us this year. Why this area in southern CA? It’s affordable, for one. As you look closer to the ocean or San Diego, the monthly rates skyrocket out of our comfort zone. And more remote places in the eastern desert offer great rates but no internet or cable, and very iffy cellphone reception. (We investigated the costs of Hughes Net, Exede, and Dish, but the additional cash outlay for a short term solution would offset the savings.) We keep heading toward Lake Elsinore anyway.

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The only RV Park in Globe is closed for remodeling. So we keep driving. Route 60 turns west again and we head toward Phoenix.

For the next 30 miles I search for a place to stay overnight. We don’t need a gated resort with spa amenities that cater to the annual snowbirds. Nightly rates are a lot more than we want to pay. I just know there has to be a reasonable place for us.

Then Eureka, I find a spot in Apache Junction…

This would be a great place to snowbird, in my opinion, at least. It’s clean, affordable, no frills… And Phoenix is only about 35 miles away. We just aren’t quite ready for this part of Arizona yet. But check out the saguaro cactus up close and personal here in the Sonoran Desert. This species of cactus can grow up to 40 feet high.

 

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Before we retire for the evening, we find a place to stay in California that is about an hour east north east of Lake Elsinore and about an hour west south west of Palm Springs. Diamond Valley RV Resort is located in San Jacinto. ETA… Sunday, November 12th.