Week 238-239 - The Road Less Traveled - 03-13-2011

The Road Less Traveled,

This is a phrase that a lot of RV travelers use, "The Road Less Traveled". Getting away from the city and people and enjoying nature as God created it. Well, after five years and meeting hundreds of RVers, we have come to find out that most take the freeways to get from point A to B in the least amount of time. But, not us! Of our 70,000 miles of travel, at most 20,000 have been on freeways and most of that was forced on us as the only road available. Whenever possible, we take the side roads. Below is the I-10 freeway heading from Arizona to Desert Hot Springs, California. It is straight, level and boring, to the nth degree. Yes, we have been over this road a few times, but not today.

Rather than taking one day to go from Casa Grande, AZ to Desert Hot Springs, CA, we spent 3 days. On our second day, we left the I-10 on the AZ-95 North and headed to Parker, Arizona where we stayed at the Elks. BTW this is the 70th Elks that we have stayed at. If you are going to travel full time, join the Elks: nice folks, good food, cheap overnights and you get the local's low-down on the area you are visiting.

In the morning we left Parker and followed California Highway 62 to Desert Hot Springs.

You don't see cool railroad bridges like this on the I-10.

California here we come!

You can't beat a lonely road like this for peaceful traveling.

Occasionally, you see another vehicle. That's good; you know you're not on a dead-end road, which we have done many times!

No trees, but still a scenic landscape.

Around the corner . . .

. . . nope, nobody there!

Stop anywhere you want, take a hike, enjoy the view, envision a Conestoga wagon (first RV) passing through this untouched area over 100 years ago.

A few more isolated miles, . . .

. . . a dry lake . . .

. . . and you arrive at 29 Palms. Now, you're in the city, but no traffic to speak of; still an enjoyable ride.

29 Palms is know as an "Oasis of Murals". We saw many along Hwy 62.

We're not sure where the name 29 Palms came from. Legend has it that there was an oasis here surrounded by 29 palms. Others say there were 26 palms, but doesn't 29 sound better! We didn't see many palms and we are not sure, but we think these belong to the city of Yucca Valley, west of 29 Palms.

As you turn southward from Yucca Valley . . .

. . . you pass through some nice foothills . . .

. . . and voila! You arrive in Desert Hot Springs without having to drive on the freeway.

Now, wasn't that a better travelogue than pictures of straight, level, boring I-10?

See you next week as head to Northern California.

Love, Pete and Ellen

Photos from Mar 2011