We will be on the road for the next several days making our way to Lajitas, Texas for the pre-rally to the ACA Rally in New Braunfels.
Travel days involve work and planning. The focus and daily routine is to get up, unplug, and get on the road, drive to the next destination, find the RV Park and set up for the night. If possible we try to take a walk.
My driver is the mapper, dividing the day's drive into manageable chunks. He also locates RV Parks along the way and calls to make reservations. All this is made easy using the Good Sam software. He then imports the information into the GPS and we also go over the route together on an old-fashioned AAA map. He is the boy scout so scouting and mapping are his forte.
My job is to prepare food for the road, and if possible, several dinners. I spend a few days cooking ahead, freezing, and preparing a few days' stock in the fridge for a quick nutritious meal in the evenings.
From Pismo, we got on Highway 101 south to Rt 166 east, then Rt 99 north for a short jog to connect to Rt 223 which lead us to Rt 58 across Tehachapi, Mojave, and to Barstow for the night. We passed the spot where 3 years ago a strong wind gust tore off two roof vents and unfurled our awning. This time we were fortunate that the 35 mph westerly winds were blowing directly behind us, pushing us along, and did not affect us at all until the approach to Barstow turned south and then north, so that the wind for a short distance hit us broadside. By early afternoon we were in Barstow, hooked up and had the kettle on. The wind was whipping fiercely enough to keep us indoors without a walk. Overnight the gusts died down completely.
Travel days are active photo days. My panoramic view from the buddy seat gives me a grand sweep to the horizon. Here is what I saw today:
Rt 166 was new territory we had not yet driven. It follows the Cuyama River valley, flanked by the Sierra Madre Mountains to the east and the Carrizo Plain National Monument to the west. The landscape was very dry, a golden khaki, enveloped by soft hilly mounds.
The rest of the drive up through Tehachapi took us through more folds of hills, which at this time of year were dry and brown. On the other side we descended into the Mojave desert, a fairly flat, dry and dusty terrain. This is where Edwards Airforce Base is located. And where Joshua Trees appear out of nowhere.
Eventually we drove into civilization, the town of Barstow. Here the winds were whipping fiercely and we were glad to approach our destination at Shady Lane RV Camp. It certainly is not a glamorous place, more of a Motel 6 overnight spot. Family run and operated, the park is clean, offers full hookups and the fastest internet we have experienced in a while. And it was quiet.