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| leaving Indio |
We left Indio under sunny skies. Our plan is to meet up with Alpine friends in Death Valley where we will spend a week together.
Our route took us back along I-10 westbound, north on I-15
through Barstow, then north on route 127 to the turn-off to Tecopa. To break up the long drive, we gathered in Tecopa first, a town so small that if you blinked, you would miss it. There are 150 residents living in Tecopa. The only draw to this out-of-the-way spot seems to be the natural hot springs.
This is what we saw along our route:
- snow-capped mountain peaks and wind turbines
- the dry Mojave Desert
- Joshua trees once we were above 3,000 feet elevation
- the California canal, this desert state's life-line
- miles of nothingness - just desert, sand, rocks, and bare mountains
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| after many miles, in the middle of nowhere, there is an exit to this strangely-named road |
The closer we got to our turn-off to Tecopa, the more remote and other-worldly the terrain started to appear. It was as if we entered another planet.
And yet, in the middle of nowhere, in this remote and desolate spot, there are several RV parks and campgrounds, all promoting their natural hot spring pools. In fact, as Uncle Google informed us when we searched for information about the RV park we were going to, there are gender-segregated hot pools and clothing is not an option! We did wonder what adventure we were about to experience...
However, at the RV Park where we met up with our Alpine friends, there were private large tubs for couples to enjoy the hot spring-fed mineral waters. And boy, did it feel good to soak in that hot water. And afterwards, my skin felt soft and silky. It was certainly a different hot spring experience from others we have had.
Tomorrow the Smiths, Collins, Hasmans, Archers, and we will continue on to Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park.