The Long Trek Home

After a late night watching all the election returns we still managed to get up early. We had some decisions to make, mainly are we heading home north thru Colorado and Utah or taking the southern route. A quick review of accuweather cemented the decision for us. The Southern desert route it is! While were hoping to get in some more hot springs, we were not willing to risk driving thru snowstorms in the Rockies and Sierras. So we begin our long trek home.
Yesterday was a pretty uneventful 11 hour drive in the car. How do you know you have a good marriage and are with a great partner? Well, let's just say when a certain know-it-all woman behind the wheel claims she can make it to the next gas station and is oh so short by a mile or two, and her husband just laughs it off, things are pretty solid. Plan B was a spontaneous picnic lunch on the side of the road as we waited for AAA. As my hubby and I now say, "We'll always have Flagstaff." Check out the picture of me eating crow...
Early last night we pulled into Shady Lane Rv park in the beautiful outskirts of the crossroads of Barstow. The highlight of the evening was a gorgeous sunset. We conked out immediately and slept 9 hours! Today as we are driving in the deserts of Southern California we are so glad we decided to take the southern route home and not risk the mountain passes. We stopped at Murray Family Farms in Bakersfield and were amazed at how much the temperature had dropped and the winds picked up. Looks like that storm is going to happen. Knowing that we had empty cupboards at home we stocked up on pluots, persimmons, avocados, pomegranate juice, dried pears and mango, and some popcorn, of course. Old habits die hard.
We drove thru a lot of precipitation going up the valley. When we finally reached the foothills of home we were greeted with fall colors, cold and wet weather and lots of chimneys going. Yep, summer is officially over. At home there was a package waiting for me from Megan. It was my birthday present (a t-shirt saying I climbed half dome). What a perfect way to end my birthday road trip! Time to build a fire, curl up with my honey and embrace the change in seasons.

Old Santa Fe Inn, New Mexico

Ned, being the romantic he is, booked us a private soaking pool last night. It had a kiva fireplace, starlight sky and was situated underneath beautifully lighted cliffs. Wowza! It's going to be kinda hard to top that one. Needless to say I slept like a log last night. Ned says it was his secret strategy to get me calmed down before all the election craziness begins. Well, it definitely worked.
This morning we had the usual early morning hour or so soak before we headed for Santa Fe. Ned, once again in his infinite wisdom, booked us a room at the Old Santa Fe Inn. He knew that this political junkie needed her fix and a spotty cell phone connection in a campground was not going to cut the mustard.
We had a fun afternoon riding our bikes around Santa Fe and exploring some fun shops then settled into our hotel room getting ready to soak in the election news.
What a crazy fun night texting & chatting with my kids and friends over all the election results. Late night, I think we are sleeping in tomorrow.

Ojo Caliente - Day 2

Today's agenda: eat, soak, chill...repeat.

Ojo Caliente Resort - Day One

Location: Ojo Caliente, New Mexico

Due to the time change we were up early this morning. It was cold so we were definitely looking forward to the hot springs. What a lovely way to start the day, overlooking the Rio Grande as the sun rose. By the time we got out it was warm enough to put on our tshirts and shorts. Ahhh, gotta love the southwestern desert climate. Cold enough to snuggle at night and warm enough to be summer in November.
Our first destination of the day was Santa Fe, a good 3 hour drive. We visited Santa Fe several years ago on one of our road trips and I had rated it as one of my top 3 places in the USA. Ned was worried that I romanticized it too much and was going to be disappointed upon our return. Au contraire! I still fell in love with the colors, architecture and overall vibe off the place. I'm so looking forward to coming back here in a few nights and playing again. We had a nice lunch at a Persian restaurant and then headed into the mountains to Ojo Caliente.
Wow!! This resort took our breath away. Definitely a swanky 5 star spa with all the bells and whistles. We arrived around 5ish, got an incredible camping spot, and then checked out all the amenities. This place is very chill - most of the pools are a whisper zone. I think there are 6 public pools and several private ones. Each pool has unique properties for different health benefits, such as the Soda Pool that aids digestion and arthritis, Several of the pools have water flowing out of pots so you can massage your neck and shoulders under the falls. As the evening wore on, various fireplaces and firepits were lit. The lighting and glow of the place is incredibly beautiful. We spent time in each of the pools, each at varying temperatures. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life soaking in hot springs, under the stars, next to a glow of a fireplace. I'm so thrilled we have booked 2 days here. We are looking forward to just reading, soaking, walking the labyrinth, and hanging out in the hammock tomorrow. There are so many swanky amenities here (sauna, massages, gift shop, fancy restaurant)! While we have enjoyed the uniqueness of each of the hot springs we have visited so far, this one is definitely the high end, pampering one. Gosh, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

Riverbend on the Rio Grande

Last night we took a late soak in the hot tub. For about 2 minutes we had the place to ourselves and were enjoying the quietness of the night before two very drunk middle-aged woman and a construction worker they had picked up decided to join us. At first I was a bit peeved at their loud voices and blaring laughs, but as usual my good natured husband told me "chill out" and appreciate them for their entertainment value. And he was definitely right about that! Initially the two women showed up with just towels around them and a six pack. Somewhere along the line they had met this construction worker who didn't quite know what to make of them. The women eventually jumped in, sans clothes, and begged "someone" to give them massages. We left the scene just as Mr. Construction "reluctantly" stripped down to his boxers and agreed to assist the poor maidens in distress...
This morning we awoke to another deep orange sunrise and decided to return to the scene of the crime to watch the day unfold. The only remnants of last night were a melted candle near the springs. We had the place to ourselves and enjoyed a good hour soak watching egrets in flight, cottontail bunnies scurry past, and listening to the birds. Great way to start the day.
As we traveled from Eastern Arizona into New Mexico we went thru fields and fields of cotton. Who knew Arizona grew so much cotton? We eventually made our way up to the mountains and explored Silver City. It's an old mining town that has been taken over by an artist community. Think Berkeley mixed with Grass Valley. We took the long windy scenic byway over Emery Pass, elevation 8k feet, before descending into the deserts of New Mexico. Our final destination of the day was the tiny town of Truth or Consequences. It's a rather tired old town that has fallen on hard times. My guess is that if it wasn't for the hot springs and the various mom and pop businesses offering their spa services this place wouldn't exist anymore. We are at a spot called Riverbend Resort which is situated on a bend in the Rio Grande. Once inside the gates it's really lovely, exotic and restful. There are severals hot spring tubs to chose from (5 in all) that vary in temperature. It's hard to beat the ambience and unlimited access from 8 am to 10 pm of all the soaking. So, what's the catch? The rv accommodations are really a parking spot across the street located in town, We are given a key to come and go as we wish, which sounds awesome until one has to use the restroom in the middle of the night! Looks like my wine consumption is going to cease a little earlier tonight, that's for sure. Ned and I have already taking a spin on our bikes thru town and soaked in the tubs for awhile before dinner. We are looking forward to having an evening watching the stars from one of the pools. A little different communal experience tonight, but at least everyone is chill.

Favorite Hot Springs so far - El Dorado

Location: Lake Roper State Park, AZ

We slept in this morning and then headed to the "Desert View" private soaking area. I thought the soaking area last night couldn't be beat, but this morning's hot spring's tub was pretty awesome. Below are some pictures from this area. We spent a good hour soaking in both the hot springs and the picturesque view of Saddleback Mountain in the distance. I could have spent the day here just lounging around and alternating between the hot springs and cool shower. Even with the slightly funky hippie factor (or maybe because of it) this place gets top rating so far.
The drive to and thru Phoenix was pretty blasé, mainly flat arid desert. However, once we turned on highway 60 and headed over the Pinal Mountain range we were treated with lots of Saguaro cacti, majestic hoodoos and spectacular long distance views of the red mountains. Our drive took us thru the Apache Reservation and small beat up copper mining towns. We didn't have high expectations for Roper Lake State because it is in a very flat arid area, but it's a really nice campground. The hot tub, fed by natural springs, is close by and you can't beat the 80 degree weather. It definitely feels like summer here and we're on vacation. Ned and I took a ride on our bikes thru the state park and also checked out the hot tub. Good news there are no time constraints on when you can use it. We're thinking of a late night soak when the weather cools off. The other good news is that very few people are here. We weren't too sure what to expect since it's a Friday. The handful of "snowbirds" that are here are quite friendly. It kinda reminds us of North Dakota when all the folks sit in front of their 5th wheels and wave as you bike by. They also don't seem too interested in using the hot tub...yeah!

Hot Springs and a Date

Location: El Dorado Hot Springs, Tonopah, AZ

We woke early this morning to the most amazing sunrise. It was so beautiful it inspired us to get out of bed and take an early morning soak. Even though this place is a bit funky there's something to be said for relaxing in a private bath, watching the sky turn from red to pink then blue amongst the quiet and solitude. It was hard to tear ourselves away, but we had a long drive today and also wanted to visit a nearby date farm. I highly recommend visiting China Ranch Date Farm if anyone is within an hour of Death Valley (or even an hour and a half from Las Vegas). It's hard to fathom that this lush place exists in this arid part of the desert. We drove down thru a deep winding canyon that at one time was a gypsum mine. Imagine the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland and then suddenly lush green date trees appear in the distance. This particular Ranch has had a long and tortured history, but really got it's start in 1990 as a date farm. It is amazing!! We were fortunate to be there at harvest season. I had no idea how dates even grew on a tree let alone how they were harvested. Check out our photos of the date trees with various cloths hanging over the ripe fruit to protect them from pecking birds. Who knew they were so brilliantly orange and yellow before maturing into the ripe brown dates we all know. Of course, no visit would be complete without tasting dates of every variety imaginable. The grounds were so interesting and entertaining to wander around. There was a definite laid back Hawaiian vibe to the place. The owners have put a lot of work into this ranch with a tiny museum, various picnic grounds and signage throughout the date groves explaining all the different varieties. One of their claims to fame is their date shake. Unfortunately, at 10:30 in the morning we couldn't bring ourselves to do it. Instead we settled for stuffing ourselves with dates and more dates.
As soon as we emerged from the oasis in the canyon we were left with the bleak desert landscape for the rest of the day. We drove thru a Joshua Tree Wilderness area (and almost ran out of gas - close call), thru Searchlight, Nevada (home of Harry Reid), across the Colorado River and into Arizona. Tonight we are about an hour outside of Phoenix at a rustic albeit very romantic hot spring "resort". The downside is you can hear the interstate, but wow this place gets the best rating for ambience. Imagine an upscale hippie commune secluded little piece of beauty. The one bathroom is a fenced in area outside, as is the shower. It's very cleverly done and quite the experience to sit on a full fledged flush toilet out in the open. Kinda the best of both worlds. For tonight's soak We opted for a private area that overlooked the desert rather than the communal space. We climbed into our private pool just as the sun was setting behind the Saddleback Mountains. What great symmetry to end the day watching the sky go from red to black and the stars magically appear. Tomorrow morning we are going to try out a different soaking pool. I hope to get pictures of this place, but since everything is so "au naturale " I don't want to be too voyeuristic snapping pictures.

We hit the lowpoint....

Location: Delight's Hot Spring Resort, Tecopa, CA

in the United States at 285 feet below sea level at Badwater, Death Valley. Okay, that was a trick, but it seemed appropriate on Halloween. The temperature last night was no where near the night below, but closer to 45. Needless to say it felt a heck of a lot better getting up and at 'em this morning. We didn't have to walk very far, perhaps 50 feet to take advantage of Keough's finest...a rather run down soaking and swimming pool. We've stayed here a couple of times before so we knew what we were getting into, literally. Nevertheless it still felt great to get a good 45 minute soak before heading off for the day. I took a great photo of Ned sitting in front of the old bath house looking like a man of leisure. What a crack-up! We took our time continuing down 395 stopping for mochas and to visit the Beverly and Jim Rogers Film Museum in Lone Pine - fun, kitschy place. Eventually we veered left and headed for the bowels of Death Valley. The highlight of the day was having a late lunch in Stove Pipe. What a fiasco, kinda like a Lucy Show episode. There were 4 couples in the dining room and one waiter. He was absolutely clueless!! After taking all of our orders he proceeded to bring each table the wrong lunch. To make matters worse he started grabbing plates off each table and switching them to try and make the orders right. At one point we all threw our hands up in the air, to indicate we hadn't actually taken a bite out of someone else's lunch and then everyone started laughing. One woman even started videotaping the "great lunch swap caper". The poor guy even managed to screw up our check which was par for the course.

Since we've explored Death Valley before we decided to drive past Furnace Creek and take the long Southern route through the valley. It was interesting to see Death Valley from the floor looking up, rather than viewing it from the overlooks. It was even better to experience it at 90 degrees rather than the triple digits!

Tonight's spa adventure is at "Delight Hot Springs Resort." It's located in Tecopa, a funky small desert town. There are 4 private baths to which we have unlimited access. They are decorated Greco-Roman style, freshly painted and in pristine condition. Th.at said, the RV park is just that...a place to park your RV...in the desert, with no water available. Because it's Halloween, and it's in the middle of the desert on a Wed night we have the place to ourselves. We've already taken a dip in each and every bath, cuz we could. We are now sitting outside in our bathrobes enjoying the pleasant desert night time air, with some wine and crackers. We are looking forward to a possible midnight soak and then another one before we leave. The good news is "taking the cure" as definitely cured my cold. Let's hope it does wonders for Ned's achey joints.

Cruising Down 395: Bodie, Mammoth & Crowley's Hot Springs

Location: Keough Hot Springs, Bishop, CA

After a chilly start, (it takes a strong constitution to take a pee in the high desert at 29 degrees!) we continued our drive down Highway 395. It had been at least 15 or so years since either of us had been to Bodie so we thought it would be fun to poke around there again. By the time we drove down the washboard road and entered the park it had warmed up to at least the mid 60's. Perfect for doing the walking tour and reading about all the history. Ned was the tour guide and I concentrated on taking photos. There were very few people there and it was quite fun to have the place to ourselves. Hard to believe that over 10,000 people lived in this Godforsaken place! It took 8 days to bring a wagonload of supplies in from Carson City. Temperatures could reach 120 in the summer and the winter could bring 20 feet of snow. Given these harsh conditions it's amazing that there are still parts of this town standing. Our next destination was Devil's Postpile National Monument. We drove by Mammoth Ski Resort which seemed to have about 2 feet or so of snow from last week's storm. When we reached the gate to Devil's Postpile, it was closed for the winter. Bummer. Note to self - remember to check this out in the summer months. We drove around the Mammoth Ski Resort and were wowed with some of it's high end shops and housing. I don't know, give me the low key atmosphere of North Lake Tahoe any day.
We had read about several hot springs in the Owen Valley that were on government land but were below the radar, known to locals and not advertised. We took several miles of dirt roads, followed the printed directions that included such details as "turn right on the alkaline road immediately after the second cattle grate...take a hard right near the large rock and then veer left at the fork." The walk to the hot springs was along a boardwalk about a 1/4 mile. Amazingly we found this sweet hot springs. When we first arrived we thought we had it to ourselves and were just ready to go native when a family of 5 arrived, including their 2 small children and dog. Ned, being the scientist he is, had brought along his thermometer so we could measure the temperature of all the hot springs we are going to visit. This particular spring measured at 102. Perfect! We had a great soak and learned from the locals that the other hot springs in the area were valve controlled and had overheated. This spring is completely natural so no temperature issues. We lucked out! After a very relaxing soak we continued onto Keough Hot Springs in Bishop, a place we have stayed at a couple of times before. The pool and hot springs are closed tonight, but we hope to take advantage of them in the morning. We did measure the natural creek and hot springs that are on government land close by, but since they were only about 92 deg, we are holding out for the private one tomorrow. This desert weather is something else. It was quite pleasant warming up to 76 degrees today, but now that the sun has gone down the temperature is plummeting quickly. Looks like another cold night and morning. Good thing I'm snuggling with my honey tonight!