Trona Pinnacles

The pinnacles formed under the water of Searles Lake 10,000 to 100,000 years ago. Each one was a spring that grew as the calcium-rich spring water mixed with the alkaline lake water and formed layers of tufa. When the glaciers that fed the lake were gone the pinnacles remained, rising out of the dry lake basin. 

 My blogger friend, Nickie, recently wrote about the bad condition of the road leading to the pinnacles but we were passing by and decided to try it anyway. It's still bad! We didn't get any farther than her and Jimmy. We camped on the BLM land and I zoomed in on the pinnacles to get a few photos of them highlighted by the setting sun. 

Just down the road is the desolate town of Trona where a huge  processing plant, mostly closed down, is the last remnant of the mining operations the began on the dry lake bed in 1863. In 1913 Trona became a full fledged company town and remained that way until 1967. Rows of identical company houses line some of the streets but others feature burned out or collapsed structures, evidence of a series of earthquakes that hit the town in 2019, further adding to its decline.   35.61567, -117.37928  Pinnacles

 

Route 66 - Boondocking South of Oatman, Arizona

Our plan to escape the unseasonably warm weather in Lake Havasu City sent us twisting and winding along Old Route 66 to gain almost 2000 feet. The first day was relatively comfortable but soon became hot so we didn't stay long. 

This area is large with a slight slope towards the mountains. There are dirt roads for hiking. It's very quiet and would be great for a group. Oatman, a mining town turned into a tourist town, is just up the road. Oatman gets very crowded and parking is hard to find so we didn't stop on our way north.

The ground is rough with large rocks so it's not accessible.

 Most people get to Oatman by exiting I-40 south of Kingman and driving south. This section of road is narrow with sharp curves.  Vehicles over 40' are prohibited. Exiting I-40 at Topock and going north avoids the sharp curves. Do some research before driving the road with a large RV. 

I made a blog post about the road to Oatman when we drove Route 66 from the beginning to the end in 2015. Everything is pretty much the same even after 11 years. Route 66  34.9584601,-114.4091732

  

Standard Wash Boondocking

 Standard Wash is right off of the Route 95 so there's continuous noise from the traffic. We were camped here with a Homes On Wheels group and needed a spot large enough for about twenty vehicles. The dirt road continues northeast towards the mountains so it's possible to camp farther from the road and noise. 

The ground is very rocky and rough so wheelchair travel is difficult. Standard Wash  34.41988, -114.20002 

 

Super Bloom at American Girl Mine BLM

The late November rain storms that soaked the southwest provided the moisture necessary for dormant flower seeds to pop open, creating spring super blooms all across the desert. 

We camped at American Girl Mine in February with a Homes On Wheels caravan group. It might not look spectacular but when one of our knowledgeable members lead a flower walk, we spotted flowers in bloom that we've never seen at AGM even though we've camped there every spring for years. 

           

The BLM land at American Girl Mine is flat and large so finding a camping spot is never a problem. The combination of rocks and sand make it a bit difficult at times for wheelchair users. American Girl Mine  32.8356, -114.81039

Salton Sea Headquarters Campground and Visitor Center

We traveled along the Salton Sea in 2021 and stayed at New Camp  which is a part of the Headquarters area of the park. This time we chose the Headquarters Campground for the convenience of a full hookup site to dump our waste water and fill our fresh water. The campground is along the east side of a large picnic area parking lot with fourteen sites lined up in a row. The campground appears to get little use so the lack of privacy due to the closeness of the sites is slight. The host site was the only occupied site when we visited.  

The visitor center is at the south end of the lot. It's small with a few exhibits about the sea that are a little out of date. The water now in the Salton Sea is the result of a cut made in the bank of the Colorado River in 1905 when irrigation canals were being dug. Water flowed into the valley for two years before the breach was repaired. The beautiful fresh water lake became of a vacation paradise for a short period but soon increased salinity of the water, algae blooms, fish die offs and agricultural pollution left most of the small communities ghost towns. The large parking lot at the Headquarters is evidence of how popular boating, fishing and swimming was in the 1950s and 60s. 

None of the campsites are designated as accessible but most can be used. The visitor center is accessible. The trails to the lake are sandy and not accessible. Headquarters   33.50533, -115.91479

 

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

 The zoo was established in 1970 as a  wilderness preserve and gradually became a full fledged zoo as animals were added. All of the animals are desert dwellers so they are comfortable in the hot climate of southern California. Most of the enclosures are very roomy. The  giraffe and ostriches roam around on a grass covered hill with palm trees for shade. A special enclosure for the wallabies allows visitors to walk paths where the animals live and play. 

    Over 1,200 plant species are featured in gardens that represent different regions of the world. 

The main paths are wide, paved and fairly level. Visitors using wheelchairs may need assistance on the sandy paths. The five mile loop nature trail, with connecting trails to make shorter loops, is not accessible do to loose sandy soil. Some viewing areas are partly blocked by the fencing but most have alternate viewing areas. The shuttle tours are not accessible. 

The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle if parked across the spaces. Zoo   33.699, -116.37502

 

White Sands National Monument

The white sands of the monument were formed over thousands of years as rain water and snow melt, which dissolved gypsum from the San Andres Mountains, flowed into the Tularosa Basin. The shallow lake that formed dried up as the climate changed, leaving behind a large gypsum playa. Strong winds from the southwest are constantly breaking down the gypsum crystals into the fine sand of the dunes and piling them up into ever-changing shapes.

 The monument has a small visitor center with exhibits and a short video. A sixteen mile scenic drive winds through the dunes with stops at picnic areas and hiking trails. 

    The visitor center and theater are accessible. The Interdune Boardwalk is accessible however the area is off limits due to the 2024 crash of an Air Force jet. The pilot ejected before the crash and was uninjured but the area is not safe for visitors. The Playa Interpretive Trail is about 1/3 of a mile out and back. It's hard packed and accessible with assistance and leads to a seasonally wet area where gypsum crystals form. The interpretive signs are too high to be read from a seated position. The other trails and the dunes are not accessible with a standard wheelchair. 

The visitor center lot has long RV spots. Most of the other parking lots are large enough for any vehicle. Monument   32.77918, -106.17214