Just this morning as I was walking Banjo along the desert road, looking for burros and enjoying the peaceful sunrise, I had decided that this Imperial Dam LTVA is a smart place for us to stay put for a while. An hour later, inside the trailer when Tracy says he may have found us a […]
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Why Do People Come Here?
I’m still mulling over possible reasons. They should be obvious, but I can’t wrap my head around it. Here’s a quick recap from my previous posts about Imperial Dam LTVA (long-term visitors’ area). Cons That pictures above is not of the LTVA, although I snapped it while I was taking the trash to the dumpsters […]
Settling into Life on Boot Hill
We’ve been here at Imperial Dam LTVA for longer than 95% of our campsites, I’d estimate, and I guess we’re getting the hang of this place. And I have to admit, it’s treating me a lot better than it is Tracy. I’m getting to be gregarious and reaffirming my faith in humanity (kind of), whereas […]
Banjo Days at the LTVA
The desert here isn’t Banjo’s kind of place; the only mammals around seem to be the wild burros, and they act like they’re going to charge when they see her, so we stay away from them. Of course, we still take her on three walks a day, but they’re along the rocky, hard paths here, […]
Balance Is a Seesaw
From Bruce Springsteen’s “Growing Up.” on Asbury Park, 1973: I took month-long vacations in the stratosphere, And you know it’s really hard to hold your breath. I swear I lost everything I ever loved or feared, I was the cosmic kid in full costume dress. Well, my feet they finally took root in the earth, […]
Where Eclectic Nomads Go for Community
I feel like I’m in a Talking Heads song sometimes. I’m a bit confused about exactly where we are, plus how I feel about why we’re here vacillates. Yet, we’ve been here (BLM land in Arizona? California?) for only two full days. Seems like my disorientation is greater than what could fit in two days. […]
Jumping Cholla at the Campsite
The Cholla Cactus Tracy told me a story about why the Cholla are called the Jumping Cactus: that little ends of the branches fall off and are blown a bit away from the plant, so you’re more likely to miss seeing the bits as you’re busy avoiding the plant. Bang—you step on them, let them […]
Towing Your Home on the Busiest Travel Day
The Monday before Thanksgiving may not be the busiest travel day ever, but as we moved camp that day, each figurative bump along the road made it feel like a doomed day. (Spoiler: in the end Tracy found us the best possible boondocking site right outside the south entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, so […]
Anza-Borrego
The small tourist town of Borrego Springs is right in the middle of Anza-Borrego State Park, about 40 miles north of the Mexican border (in California). We came here because we’re basically dilly dallying around the southwest for the winter, trying not to get to our “destination,” Yuma, so early that we’ll be bored there […]
Co-camping among the Manzanitas
Imagine that a friend, whom you haven’t seen in two years, pulls up to your remote campsite. Imagine that she pulls out of her car: a bottle of champagne, a dinner kit of salmon and veggies (prepped and ready for the stove), and a bag of limes. Now, imagine that she also pulls out a […]
