11/15 - I pointed the van toward Las Vegas, not for the usual Vegas reasons, but for a reunion with a college friend I haven’t seen since my wedding in 1988. (How has it been that long?) I’d looked him up on Facebook and saw that he and his partner — conveniently, both named Jim — were getting ready to sell their house. I was relieved to see they were still in town, and curious to hear what their next chapter might be.
They had an open house scheduled, so I spent the afternoon running errands. I got a much-needed haircut — shorter, layered, cute… until I realized it wasn’t even. Sigh. I went back the next day and another stylist tried to fix it, which I thought resolved the issue… only to discover more unevenness that night. At that point I grabbed scissors and did a little “van-life DIY salon.” Good enough...
Eventually I headed to Jim and Jim’s place. And wow — I never would have recognized Jim. Time has a funny way of reshaping faces. It made me wonder: do I look that different?
It was so good to reconnect, to meet the other Jim, and to hear about their big plans. They’re hoping to move to Portugal, but apparently the process isn’t as breezy as Instagram influencers make it sound. The backlog for appointments alone is huge because so many people are doing the same thing. Their home, though, is beautiful — and already under contract after just two weeks on the market. Clearly they priced it right.
We went out for pizza that evening (delicious) and breakfast the next morning after a dog walk in the park. Despite my protests, they insisted on paying both times. Very kind of them — though I wished I could’ve treated them as a thank-you for hosting me. I slept in the van, but took full advantage of their shower and laundry. Van-life luxuries!
11/16 - I ended up spending most of the day just relaxing at Jim and Jim’s place — finishing laundry, chatting, enjoying the comfort of being in an actual home for a bit. Eventually I headed out for round two of my haircut drama, then made a stop at Trader Joe’s (always a highlight!).
I tried to swing by REI next, but the parking lot was crowded and cramped, neither good in a Sprinter 170! (There was a huge parking area that I almost drove into, but thankfully I noticed a bar across the top way lower than my van height. I could see no reason for this as it was an open outdoor parking lot. What gives???) Anyway, I gave up and went in search of a place to stay for the night.
My first attempt was a nearby Walmart that supposedly allowed overnight parking, but I was told inside that was not the case. I drove to another one across town, hoping for better news. I’d spotted a street where I technically could have parked for the night, but something about it felt off — too exposed, too busy, or maybe just my solo-traveler intuition kicking in. Either way, I trusted the feeling and moved on. Safety first, even when it means extra miles.
11/17 - Off to Red Rock Canyon! Even under a blanket of clouds, the place was breathtaking — the kind of landscape that doesn’t need perfect weather to impress. I wished I’d arrived earlier because the visitor center turned out to be fantastic, full of exhibits I really would have liked to linger over. But the daylight was slipping away, and I was eager to get out on the trails and explore.
The 13-mile scenic drive winds through some beautiful and dramatic terrain with plenty of pullouts for hikes and overlooks. I find the geology amazing with towering layers of sandstone, ancient fault lines, colors twisted and folded over millions of years… it’s wild to think about how long the Earth has been sculpting this place. It felt absolutely awe-some — in the true sense of the word.
1st stop at Calico Basin. These rocks are just so amazingly beautiful!
On the ranger’s recommendation, Zoe and I set out for the Calico Tanks trail. He said she could probably just do the first half and often she can do more than people think, but this ended up being too difficult with her. The trail started gently enough, winding through those gorgeous sandstone formations, but before long the scrambles began — slick rock, uneven holds, awkward ledges. I tried taking Zoe up a few of them, but she’s more enthusiastic rather than cautious and keeping her on leash for safety meant I was suddenly navigating tricky climbs while attached to a creature who believes in zero hesitation!
It didn’t take long for me to realize that the higher we went, the more dangerous it became for both of us. The rock scrambles weren’t getting any easier so I made the call to turn around.
I’ll admit, I was disappointed. I heard the view at the end is worth the effort and I really wished I’d done the hike solo so I could’ve gone all the way. I even thought about dropping Zoe back at the van and racing up the trail myself, but the sun is setting ridiculously early these days. Winter daylight hours are so stingy!
It was a nice soft red sand path for a while
It started to get super challenging.
Zoe and I did a short hike to these petroglyphs. Thankfully it wasn't a long hike as after all the petroglyphs I've seen, this was not very impressive.
It's always fun to see the little oases in the desert!
Is this real??
11/18 - I ended up staying at the Red Rock Campground last night — even though it claimed to be “full.” They always say that, but a quick check on Recreation.gov (thank you, Starlink!) told me otherwise. I picked a site, booked it from the comfort of the van, and settled in.
Today was destined to be a rainy one. Honestly, I’ve had more rain in the desert than I did in Alaska, which feels like the universe playing a joke on me. Despite the weather, I decided to drive out to Blue Diamond to try Cottonwood Station — a place Sherry insisted I had to visit. As I headed west, the rain intensified, and by the time I rolled into town it was coming down in buckets. Cottonwood Station looked packed, and the parking situation wasn’t great for getting inside before being soaked in a torrential downpour. With the sky opening up, I just couldn’t shake the thought of flash floods — the desert is famous for turning into a river with basically zero warning. So I bailed. Zoe and I turned back toward Vegas and found a park where we could wait out the worst of it.
At one point on the drive, the rain hammered the windshield so loudly that Zoe sat up looking scared. Honestly, my heart did a little lurch too. It sounded like hail, but the road was just shiny with rain. Not being familiar, and hearing all the warnings, desert storms are a bit nerve wracking for me!
I can always appreciate cloudy/foggy views like this with the mountains peeking out.
Yikes! It was a bit crazy!
Yep, saw this, went anyway. It had stopped raining by this point.
This was the path, so I can see why the sign was there.
Starting to clear and snow on the mountains!
Sherry and Bob recommend the Red Rock Casino for a place to park. It worked out great and I went to The Yard for a bite and a drink. I had an amazing tuna sashimi appetizer. It was happy hour and 1/2 price. 😀 I had a lemon drop, which isn't normally a drink I order, but I was inspired having watched the bartender make them. I had a great time sitting at the bar watching him, a very skilled bartender, wielding the bottles of liquor and mixers into tasty concoctions in very quick succession.
11/19 - Still cloudy, but we headed up to Calico Hills (not on the scenic drive) and did some walking. Zoe and I walked along the boardwalk and then I did a hike on my own. I didn't realize it would become a scramble and I was carrying my water bottle, so after a while, I decided I'd had enough. I should have brought my backpack!
The spotted rocks are so cool! Apparently it's from iron oxide (rust) as the water seeped through the rocks. I'm sorry, but how cool is that?
What I was climbing up
More spotted rocks. Really they are everywhere
Parking for the night at Ivanpah Dry Lakebed. It wasn't so dry when I was there. Apparently there are land sailing events that go on here and there is some serious solar farms here.
11/20 - The drive through the Mojave desert was so beautiful and so many Joshua trees! Since the Lake bed area was so muddy (where we parked last night), Zoe and I didn't get much for a walk in the morning, so we stopped along the drive and took a quick walk in the lovely sunshine. It was only in the 50s so the sun was very welcome.
Sand dunes
Old Jail
It's hard to see her, but she is still in the jail cell looking at me with the door wide open. She's not the brightest bulb... 😂
Kelso Depot. It housed a train station, ticket and telegraph office, restaurant, reading room, and dormitory rooms for railroad employees.This was an old station where a town existed during WWII. Not much left to the town, but they've done a nice job restoring it and it is now a visitor center and looks like a restaurant too (the building was closed for restoration).
The old general store. There were some remains of homes around this as well.
Heading towards Joshua Tree. Gorgeous views, though the photos don't do it justice.
Last year Juliann and I came through Joshua Tree NP, but I wasn't impressed. Somehow we totally missed this rocky area, so when I realized there was a campground nestled in the rocks, I decided to go here. I'm so glad I did, because, apparently I cannot get enough of big rocks!
Arrived in the Jumbo Rocks CG
I did the Skull Rock trail while Zoe rested in the van.
These looks like vertebrae
Skull Rock. This is quite the tourist attraction.
I almost think this was carved...
Back at the van, I surprised myself by doing a big cook — something I don’t do often. I decided to recreate the salmon Thai curry dish Sherry and I made back in Reno, using the last of my precious Alaskan salmon stash. It smelled amazing, but the meal didn’t quite deliver. The salmon on its own was delicious — buttery, rich, everything I love — but once it went into the curry, the flavors just didn’t come together the way I hoped. The broth was amazing, but the combined dish tasted a little flat.
I’ll have the leftovers tonight, so maybe the flavors will mellow and redeem themselves, but honestly I kind of wish I’d just eaten the salmon plain and savored it. Some ingredients deserve the spotlight.
11/21 - It rained a lot last night based on all the gravel that's on the roads in the CG. I managed to get Zoe out for a walk last night before it rained too hard and again this morning (well, almost noon!). Zoe is extremely particular about her bathroom real estate. Last night she sniffed every square inch of ground like a picky homebuyer before deciding nothing met her standards and trying to drag me back to the van. But I knew she had to go. Apparently she doesn’t experience the discomfort of holding it for hours… or she’s just very committed to the art of selecting the perfect spot. Same story this morning. Eventually she did her business, both times, after long negotiations. (I’m sure everyone reading this blog is thrilled to learn Zoe’s poop philosophy.)
I was supposed to leave my campsite by noon, but the campground was very quiet — the kind of rainy Friday where you know half the weekend campers are going to bail. Tomorrow’s forecast didn’t look any better. I checked Recreation.gov and spotted an available site labeled “20 ft max.” I walked over, eyeballed it, convinced myself I’d fit, drove over… and instantly realized I’d lied to myself. No chance. So back I went to site 97 where I had been, made lunch, and re-evaluated my options.
There was a first-come-first-served campground nearby, so I drove over to check it out. It was a sloppy gravel pit after all that rain — nothing like the paved comfort of Jumbo Rocks. I refreshed Recreation.gov again (as one does), and magically another site popped up. Perfect. I drove over, decided it would work, reserved and paid, and felt victorious… until I realized I had just reserved Saturday night, not tonight. Aaargh! No refunds either. So I’m keeping the reservation for now, just in case I need proof that I did in fact reserve it — just on the wrong day. I’ll cancel it tomorrow so someone else can snag it. Now I’m just hoping the person who canceled the Saturday spot also canceled tonight and won’t show up. 🤞🤞🤞
Recently I filled my diesel heater tank and thought, “Well, that was probably silly — I’m heading into warmer weather, right?” Yeah. No. It’s 2:30 in the afternoon, 43 degrees, and still raining (in the desert, no less!). I’m very grateful for that heater right now. I don’t want to use my little electric heater much because there’s zero sun and I won’t be driving to recharge.
Van life: equal parts planning, improvisation, and praying to the weather gods.
Morning view
The rocks look a bit ghoulish in the rain and fog
Probably not a typical view in Joshua Tree NP!
Since I'm holed up in the van and going stir crazy, we just tried another walk, but it's a very unpleasant mist out there. Neither Zoe nor I enjoyed it, so back in the van, I decided to try to do what exercises I can do in the confines of the van. It's a challenge and I didn't manage to do too much, but it's better than nothing.
11/22 - On my morning walk, I struck up a conversation with a woman named Ashley and casually mentioned my campsite mix-up — only to discover they had reserved site 80 for the night. Oops. Thankfully, Ashley and her partner Logan were incredibly gracious about it. They’d just tucked themselves into a nearby tent spot and weren’t bothered at all. I hung out with them for a bit, shared some tips since they were renting their van for just a few days, and brought over a couple of “birthday" cookies as I learned it was Ashley's birthday. I only wish I hadn’t already canceled my reservation for Saturday night — I would’ve happily passed it along to them.
I spent the day doing two short hikes — Barker Dam and Hidden Valley — before deciding to head into the town of Joshua Tree. I wanted to stay in the area one more day so I could catch some sunshine in the park, and I figured a night outside the NP would give me more options.
Driving out of the park, though, I began doubting that plan. There was a long line of cars trying to get in, and I had a brief moment of panic imagining myself stuck in that same queue the next morning. After weeks of empty entrances during the government shutdown, the sudden return of lines and crowds threw me off completely.
Zoe and I wandered around town for a bit, and she was a total rockstar with a dog named Brownie. Brownie’s people were working really hard to help her feel more comfortable around other dogs and strangers, and Zoe — sweet, steady Zoe — helped her relax. Brownie wore a muzzle, but her tail was low and loosely wagging, and she approached Zoe with surprising calm. Her humans were overjoyed, saying they’d never seen her so relaxed around another dog. I wish I were staying longer; I would’ve loved to keep helping them.
As evening crept in, it was time to figure out where to sleep. I checked out the Walmart but wasn’t feeling it, so I drove back to the California Welcome Center in Yucca Valley — the same spot Juliann and I stayed at back in February. It felt familiar, easy for the night.
It was a wet start at the Barker Dam trail!
A dead Pinion Pine. They make for very majestic skeletons.
I wonder if there is always some water here above the dam. We just got quite a bit of rain for a couple of days, so I'm assuming there is more water than is typical.
Barker Dam - back in the early 1900s ranchers kept their cattle in this area (seems crazy!) and built this dam to create a bigger hold for the water that collected here naturally. The ranching effort here was short-lived as rainfall decreased in the early part of the century leading to grasses declining and many springs drying up.
That is a water trough on the left for the cattle. There used to be a pipe that brought water to the trough from behind the dam.
Pictographs
Hidden Valley hike - this area
Green grass (and some other greenery) in the middle of the desert!
Boulder crowd surfing?
Downtown Joshua Tree had many cute old western style buildings and a great little artsy section.
World Famous Crochet Museum
Tiny! That's the whole thing. Cute.
Outdoor beauty parlor?
Purple cactus - I thought it was pretty.
11/23 - It worked out perfectly that I spent the night somewhere I didn’t feel tempted to linger in the morning. I woke up early and headed into the park around 9 a.m. — practically dawn for us lazy bones. To my surprise, there was almost no line at the entrance, and I rolled into the Wall Street Mill trailhead by 9:30 with tons of parking available. When I returned from the hike, not a single space was left. Early bird gets the worm, as they say! 😄
The hike itself was… fine. I was expecting more ruins, so it felt a little underwhelming, but hey — I got my steps in. Plus, the trail was blissfully quiet compared to the Barker Dam circus on such a beautiful Sunday.
After that, I drove up to Keys View for the panoramic fix, then attempted the Hall of Horrors. The small parking lot was full, so I moved on to the Skull Rock area instead and wandered the Discovery Trail and Face Rock. There’s another stop called Split Rock nearby, which I skipped, mostly because split rocks seem to be absolutely everywhere out here. Not sure how different this one could really be...
Sunny day views in Joshua Tree NP
Climbers. With the cracks, it makes it easy to find holds.
Wall Street Mill hike:
This was the location of a shootout where Worth Bagley died. The killer went to prison, but when he got out he carved a stone marker that stood here. That original marker was relocated to the museum because someone vandalized it 10 years ago. People - grrr.
Water seeping out. I wonder how many thousands of years before it looks different from the erosion.
Face Rock
Face Rock from another angle. Hard to see it from this angle.
Skull Rock again with tons of people. A sunny Sunday!
As hard as it was, I left Joshua Tree NP and headed towards Anza Borrego Desert State Park. This took me through the Salton Sea area again (where I had passed thru back in February), so back down below sea level. The bottom of the Salton Sea is almost as low as Badwater Basin in Death Valley
I'm pretty sure this is smog.
Salton Sea with date palm grove in the foreground. The Salton Sea surface is 236' below sea level, while the bottom is estimated at -278. Almost as low as Badwater Basin!
By late afternoon, I made my way to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park for the night. There’s plenty of BLM land in the area, but much of it seems geared toward OHVs, and I really wanted a proper shower. Well, I got one — technically. It was token-operated, so I bought four tokens (two minutes each), and I optimistically let the first token run hoping the water would warm up. It did not. It was just barely above freezing, but I needed the shower badly, so I gritted my teeth and powered through all four miserable minutes of icy misery. If I’m paying for a shower, I expect at least lukewarm water. Grrrr.
But on the bright side… I’m clean.
Sunset from Anza Borrego Palm Canyon campground
11/23 - Zoe and I had a relaxing morning at the campground and finally left the site a bit after noon. I considered doing the Palm Canyon trail, but decided against it as I was feeling lazy and didn't really want to leave Zoe behind. Instead we drove into Borrego Springs and checked out the sculptures at Galleta Meadows. There were so many scattered around in various fields. Even as I left the area the next day I saw a bunch more on the other side of town. I really enjoyed checking them all out.
I drove into the "fields" (all sand) and was mostly OK, but since it had rained recently, I had to be pretty careful.
Zoe hanging out with the mammoths (?)
This dragon was my favorite.
The other end is across the road
I didn't get close enough to these to get good shots due to some rough terrain to enter the field or even pull off nearby, so this was the best I could do
After touring around, we settled in at Christmas Circle (a park in the center of the rotary) and laid in the grass for a bit. I never do this. I put down a towel and just relaxed in the sun and it felt sooooo good!
I decided to go to the Red Ocotillo for dinner that had great reviews and it was right there at Christmas Circle. I left Zoe in the van and walked over and sat outside by the gas fire they had. Then back to the van and moved it just across the rotary to a dead end street for the night. The campground wasn't much nicer, so I figured I may as well stay here. I liked having access to green grass. I really miss green grass!!!
11/25 - After a pretty mellow day yesterday, I figured I should do the iconic hike of the park, which is the Palm Canyon hike that I passed up yesterday. So I went back to the park/campground where the trail was (had to pay the $10 day use fee) and did the hike. Since I had cell signal, I set up the temp monitor in the van just to be safe. While on the trail, I checked on the temp, but it wasn't reporting the updated temp. I was confident that she'd be fine, but being able to check the temp in the van while I'm away gives me so much peace of mind.
The hike was about 3 miles and took almost 2 hours. It was moderately strenuous, but I was pretty tired at the end. It's not high elevation, but maybe it's because it's dry? Or is it just that I'm old? And out of shape? It was in the mid 70s and full sun, so I was pretty sweaty and decided another shower was in order. My plan was to go to another campground with a shower that night, but I had a pile of tokens for this park that the park ranger had given me when I told her about my cold shower. So, with fingers crossed, and this time in a different bath house, I had a warm (not hot) shower that was way more pleasant than the other day!
There were hopes of seeing Bighorn Sheep, but no luck for me. On the way down, I was pretty sure I heard the bleep of a young one, but couldn't find it. I'm told they blend in really well and you have to catch them moving to see them.
These are old palm tree trunks from past floods in the canyon
I just read that the Ocotillos that often look dead, really aren't. The buds are ready to sprout as soon as they get some water and they were pretty green after the recent rains.
😲 That's old!
After stopping in at the Visitor Center (should have done that before the hike!), we headed towards Julian. Less than an hour drive. I ended up going back to William Heise County Park, where I had stayed for 3 nights last time. Driving through Julian, I was disappointed with the huge throng of tourists, so I went straight to the campground, scoped out a spot, and settled in for the night. Lots of groups of people, which is when I feel most lonely. I felt funny spending the evening in the van while others were gathering, but that's solo life at times. Often I'll visit with people and they might invite me to join them for a fire, but being holiday gatherings, this didn't feel like the time for that.
With winter’s short days, I often wish I could enjoy a fire of my own in the evenings, but a solo campfire doesn’t have quite the same magic. Besides, I spend almost the entire day outside, so retreating into the van at night feels perfectly fine… especially when the cold starts creeping in.
11/26 - We braved Julian again today and it felt just as chaotic as yesterday, maybe even worse. Parking was its own little adventure, but after a few hopeful loops I found a spot big enough for Big Bertha. Later, as I wandered through town, I spotted a handful of pay parking lots I would’ve gladly forked over a few dollars for.
Julian really is a charming little mountain town if you can momentarily overlook the tidal wave of tourists. I chatted with an art shop owner who insisted the crowds only swell during the fall apple harvest, but I was here in the spring and it felt just as busy. Maybe it’s just her shop that sees seasonal rushes, plus she's off the main street.
Julian’s biggest claim to fame is its apples and pies, and plenty of people (myself included) were stocking up for Thanksgiving. I had my heart set on grabbing a slice at the Julian Pie Company, but they weren’t serving by-the-slice today—so much for my pie-as-breakfast plan.
Fortunately, the Julian Cafe & Bakery came through. I treated myself to a crumb-topped slice and picked up a whole pie while I was there. The slice was a little on the sweet side, but still absolutely delicious—and honestly, pie for breakfast feels like a tiny act of rebellion I fully support.
Julian
Breakfast of champions!
I had made a reservation at Dos Picos County Park ahead of time (so unlike me!) so that I could have a proper shower before attending Sunny's family's Thankgiving gathering. True to a campground shower, the water temp was unreliable. It started somewhat warm, then went cold, then got warm enough to enjoy the last couple of minutes. The campground was ok. There was a trail I tried to do with Zoe in the cooler afternoon, but it ended up being fairly steep. I thought I'd try to do it on my own in the morning, but realized I didn't have time.
It was great to see Sunny again (after at least a year I think), and everyone so was wonderful and welcoming!
This was a good sign.
There was a bit of concern on Tom's part about incorporating Miss Zoe into the pack, but I was 100% confident that Zoe would be the perfect angel that I know. We introduced the dogs outside, one at a time. Mia was the only one that showed any anxiety about Zoe's presence, which is understandable after having been severely attacked by her sister dog (non sibling) years ago. Zoe charmed her and after some tension on Mia's part, she mostly relaxed.
Tom did most of the cooking (turkey on the grill) with contributions from many. Everything was fabulous. My pie wasn't a hit, but there were several homemade deserts, but I enjoyed it.
Ellie, Zoe, Nala, and Mia waiting for a treat
Tom and Soraya have a gorgeous home with this outdoor living space and kitchen with fireplace. I would live out here and I'm sure they do.
The final table arrangement after much discussion and trials by Daniella and Nicole.
Left to right (for my sake): Rachel, Sunny, me, Soraya, Tom, Brian (in back), Janet (in back), Daniella, Norma, Nicole, Audrey, Miles. Jen took the photo
You can't really tell how small this is, but it's a tiny pillow (3"x 3") that Sunny crocheted with a door that opens and a bear that comes out. So incredibly cute!
We played this game and I highly recommend it. It's super fun! It's like playing telephone, but with drawings. So much laughter, especially the 3 little piggies that ended up as a Spam Call. (You had to be there.)
A neighborhood decoration
Zoe being treated as the queen she is. Everyone LOVED Zoe. She's always the star. Too bad she doesn't love all the attention that people try to lavish on her. Nicole tried to pick her up to put her on this ottoman, but Zoe growled and Nicole respected her. She doesn't like me picking her up (doesn't growl, just wriggles).
I ended up parking outside Tom and Soraya’s house for two quiet, comfortable nights. After spending three full days with everyone, I felt like I’d been folded right into the family. Sunny’s whole crew is just wonderful—warm, funny, and easy to be around. Soraya even offered me a shower (I accepted immediately!) and kindly offered laundry too, but that felt that was a bit much, so I passed.
Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to line up a place to stay for December. I think I’m officially bailing on Baja. I’ve reached out to three listings on Furnished Finder and… radio silence. I left voicemails and texts for the two I’m most serious about—one in La Jolla, one in Ocean Beach, both shared spaces. The biggest factor is finding somewhere I can park Big Bertha, which might be the toughest part of all. You’d think landlords would be eager to fill their rentals and collect December rent, but apparently not! The third option is up in Julian, but I’m leaning toward staying closer to San Diego. Probably. Maybe.
There’s also a tiny home in Mount Laguna that I’m completely smitten with, but there’s nothing else around—just me, the trees, and my thoughts. Which is either serene or lonely, depending on the day. There's hiking, but for a whole month, I'd rather have some civilization close by as well.
Tonight I parked at a Harvest Hosts winery near where Sunny was staying, so she came over to join me for a tasting. Grant, the owner, was incredibly welcoming—he poured us several samples and even a full glass each, yet only charged us for the single glasses. We made sure to tip well to even things out.
Parking here is easy enough. It’s close to the road, so the daytime noise is noticeable, but there’s a stream nearby that adds a soothing backdrop. Zoe has been stretched out in the sun while I catch up on the blog. I wish I could work outside too, but the glare on my laptop screen makes that impossible.
