Updates on our 2023 February snowbird trip journeys and camping locations. We finished our 14-day camping limit on BLM land near Ajo, Arizona, then moved back west to camp across the street from the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. After about ten days, we headed to Death Valley National Park with stopovers at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area and Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark.
The video contains a map overview of our routes and camping locations. Information on where to dump and get water and groceries. Then some wildlife video footage from Cibola, dash cam footage from the Mojave desert, and finishes with a still photo slide show. Enjoy! Ray
When I went to Belly Acres to dump, no one was around. I called three times to pay but no one picked up ... resulted in a free dump and water fill.
I was at Death Valley, in June, back in 2016. I stayed at the campground by the crater (last week it was open). It was definitely getting too hot. Your video brought back some good memories.
I think it's for late-arriving RVs for overnighting. They had some registration papers in a mailbox and a pay slot. I learned that because I went to dump around Christmas, and the office was closed for the holidays, I just filled out one of the forms labeled it dump and fill and tossed it into the slot. :)
Visited Mesquite Dunes yesterday in Death Valley National Park. Nice, low wind and about 20C (68F). Here are a few pix. In one, you can see my lovely wife Anne having a great time photographing dried, cracked mud.
March 12th Starting to warm up down in Death Valley now, so yesterday moved up to 3000 feet chasing cooler weather for boondocking. Snagged a free camping site at what's called The Pads due to some leftover remnants of what looks like may have been an RV park or temp mining community, About 12 miles from the park entrance near the Nevada border. Nice views of some mountains and starry night skies.
March 14th, 2023 Not much rain today, but some big clouds here in the high desert near Death Valley. Yet another storm system is moving through California!
There were dramatic skies from passing showers in Death Valley yesterday, so we took a drive down to the Devils Golf Course. A vast field of rock-hard salt formations.
A couple of photos from a hike I took above our free campsite at what's called The Pads just outside Death Valley, not far from the Nevada border. Looks like some giant cleared an RV park off the table, leaving just the concrete pads. It's located at 3000 feet. In the background, you can see where the road heads over a crest and then winds its way down 20 miles to below sea level into Death Valley.