October 12th: When we left Gustine-CA, we traveled down I-5 to Quartzsite-AZ; we are keeping Independence on freeways lanes as long as we have it … we are hoping to sell Independence quickly, in Arizona, while we are there.
Holland planned a route via Los Angeles: it was the best route!
He had been on this road route more times than he can count - but it was a first for me, and he went out of his way to make sure I got my adventure ;-)
It was scenic.
It was fun.
It was Historic.
It was exciting in many ways.
There were scary moments along the journey; but my man has the patience of Job in tight situations ;-)
It was a road trip planned with love; he would have much rather preferred our usual route because it is two hours shorter, but he planned today's route specifically for my benefit :-D
Huey Lewis And The News - 'Doing It All For My Baby' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpdZvewjwJs)
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Windmills are everywhere in CA; coffee shacks, restaurants, in farm fields, & for solar power … and Cowboys, too; lots of ranches here.
Dust devils were being stirred up …
Coming into the Grapevine, furious pumping black oil pump jacks were spread out, on both sides of the highway.
The name 'Grapevine' actually comes from Grapevine Canyon, where old US Hwy 99 & I-5 come to junction from the mountain Pass, into the San Joaquin Valley. The canyon was named Grapevine because wild grapes grow along the canyon walls.
I was interested in this Pass because Holland made it sound so interesting when he told me about it, as he planned our route to Arizona: so, I did some research … and couldn't wait to see it with my own eyes - and experience it for myself ;-)
From Footpaths To The Grapevine~A Brief History of Southern California's Ridge Route: (https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/from-footpaths-to-the-grapevine-a-brief-history-of-southern-californias-ridge-route)
The Grapevine is the heart of California’s freeway system. It’s also vulnerable: (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-27/southern-californias-grapevine-will-again-test-travelers-in-coming-days-heres-a-little-history)
Holland's mother made annual trips over this stretch of road when married to his father … she made the drive from Kelso-WA to Layton-CA, and on to far-flung patches of ground in Texas, while Holland was growing up. She made the trip in a station wagon with six children ranging from teenagers to toddlers in diapers: often towing a trailer behind with clothing, food, and other miscellaneous items children need.
Ruth was a gutsy woman.
Holland is very familiar with this highway, turned freeway; he has been on it the majority of his life ;-)
The Grapevine Pass (old spanish Tejon Pass) = pronounce like 'tey-hone': (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tejon_Pass)
'The Grapevine' roadway & town.
Community of Grapevine-CA: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapevine,_California)
The Grapevine Pass.
Frasier Mountain-CA
Frazier Mountain-CA:
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frazier_Mountain)
Ground Squirrel - something new to me.
Ground Squirrel-CA: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_ground_squirrel)
Fort Tejon-CA; new information - I would never have known this if Holland hadn't taken this route.
Fort Tejon-CA:
(https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=585)
We love Independence - but - we are putting her up for sale, and forging a new direction for our road gypsy lifestyle.
When we were on the downside of the Pass, the terrain changed from rolling hills to giant mountain peaks - the most notable peaks, were in the Pyramid Lake & Dam area … they were very sharply defined, very steeply peaked, and giant in size: real mountains.
An unexpected 'oh!' moment.
Pyramid Lake-CA
Pyramid Lake-CA: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Lake_(Los_Angeles_County,_California) & https://pyramidlake.us/#:~:text=Pyramid%20Lake%20is%20the%20only,world%20over%20for%20several%20decades.)
A Dam in the background.
Pyramid Dam-CA
Pyramid Dam-CA:
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Dam)
Pyramid Hills-CA
Angeles Crest Highway-CA
Angeles Crest Highway-CA = State Route 2: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_2)
Angeles Crest Highway-CA
I-5 North-CA
Angeles Crest Highway-CA
This looks like an Oil Refinery; but I couldn't find any info on it.
The scenery on the downside of The Grapevine Pass, coming into Los Angeles, is really cool … it's a mishmash of jagged ridges against the skyline, gentle rolling hills, and high plateaus; there's a little bit of everything spread around the immediate area. We still had 40 miles between where we were on the Angeles Crest Highway-CA, and the city of Los Angeles-CA.
When we passed through Pasadena-CA, Jan & Dean's song ran through my thoughts, and I smiled: I grew up listening to their songs (and later, watched the movie based on their lives, and life in the limelight of stardom) … and now, today, my eyes are seeing the landscape that blossomed into a catchy song that defined an era never to be experienced again. I'm so thankful to be finally living my road gypsy dream ;-)
Jan & Dean ~ ‘The Little Old Lady From Pasadena' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4Si8w8E1XA)
My first husband liked The Beachboys - but their songs always gave me a headache :-(
I like Jan and Dean's music (1) my mother played her records of their songs, a lot (2) I like their funtime tunes, too (3) their lyrics and funtime backbeats, are not annoying like The Beachboys. Jan and Dean were the sunny california surf rock music of the surfing era - The Beachboys were poor imitations. MPO
Holland isn't familiar with either bands; he's more in tune with screeching big hair bands, and doesn't {get} early rock, or the appeal of gentle rocking ballads: in some ways, a 6 year age difference really makes a difference ;-)
Jan and Dean were living the hot rod/surfing scene; and performing california surf rock songs, long before The Beachboys formed their band.
Jan & Dean's - Deadmans Curve Complete Movie 1978: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urGKfPceyYI)
I was thankful I-5 took us along the outskirts of Los Angeles, because it was tense driving: the CA drivers are a lot like OR drivers (rude, risky, and dangerously aggressive). I understood why Holland was getting tensed up just thinking about planning this route; but he planned it, and drove it, because I'd never experienced this part of CA. He loves me - and I'm appreciative of his loving actions: he is giving me my dream, and living it out with me … he is the best traveling companion because he has been to nearly every State in America, and adds life to my journey with personal stories, as well as historical tidbits, he has to share with me about each State we visit.
Elohim was good to me when He brought us together :-D
We avoided downtown LA, and I was okay with that. I'm not a big city person - I prefer the natural scenic appeal of byway highways ;-)
Los Angeles-CA
Avoiding downtown LA; freeway skirting the outer edges of the city.
Azusa Street-CA
When we passed by Azusa Street-CA, I mentioned that this was where the Pentecostal movement was born - Holland didn't know anything about that! Which further made me wonder about his father's evangelistic ministerial claims: how can anyone in a legit ministry field, not know about the significance of Azusa Street???
Azusa Street Revival: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azusa_Street_Revival)
Coming into San Bernardino, I noticed an Historical Marker on one of the highway sound barrier walls, that we were driving along the historical Route #66 (no time to snap off a pic of the notation due to traffic).
We sat for a bit …
San Bernardino-CA: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California)
We've been on Route 66 most of our time spent in CA throughout 2023 & 2024 ;-)
We came thru the Redlands-CA
Route 66 in San Bernardino-CA:
(https://www.route66roadtrip.com/route-66-san-bernardino-california.htm)
Route 66-CA; we traveled most of this route all of 2023 & '24 to date ;-)
Route 66 is a Bucket List {to do} for me … and we plan to complete the entire route when Independence sells (we plan to downsize to a slide-in camper on the back of Betsy) - that is a joint Bucket List want.
I was proud of Holland the entire drive; he has the patience of Job when it comes to tricky freeway interactions. Since we came down off The Grapevine, we had two cars jet out in front of us and nearly come to standstills - totally ignoring the fact that Betsy and Independence combined are larger in size than most semi's, and equal in weight, if not heavier, than most semi's. We cannot stop forward movement, on demand, but they assume we can. And we saw two near collisions as cars were jetting across lanes and not using their side mirrors. Watching and cringing at the frenzied activity all around us, in my head I could hear the smacking of pool balls coming together in a colliding kissing smack … and praying to God we wouldn't be pulled into a wreck.
In about 2011, the old, non-operational 80 ft tall Allendale water tower was converted into a cell tower. The cell tower owner commissioned the Hattas Public Mural company to paint two old citrus advertisements on either side of the reservoir that celebrate the area's citrus growing heritage.
Allendale-CA Water Tower: now a Cell Tower.
It was dusking when we reached the outer edge of Palm Springs-CA …
Trying to stay awake as twilight darkened the surrounding area, I vegged out with some vintage 1960's music; it was guitarist Jimmy Page's night, to get my attention ;-)
Jimmy Page:
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Page)
Even though Page founded Led Zepplin, I couldn't stand the violence-themed-falsetto screeching: I remember a gentler Jimmy Page playing with The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Van Morrison, and Donovan … when men sounded like men, and sang songs with a love, peace, and hope message.
Palm Springs-CA
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway-CA, coming into Palm Springs-CA: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_10_in_California)
Rough roads no matter if we stay on the freeway, or not. Roads down South are just terrible roads to travel with a maximum length RV.
Missed them tonight, too - I saw notification on the internet, that they were showing tonight … but, not here :-(
… and fully pitch black nighttime, when we reached Coachella-CA, and was locked in police-halted traffic, for about 20 minutes. At first we were annoyed (long hours on the road, and kamikaze drivers - we were wanting a break in the chaos), but as we watched about two dozen motorcycle cops buzz past us: Holland said he thought it might be a police funeral motorcade - and I said that I don't think they do that at night; then he noticed a loooong motorcade following, and said, "that's the President's motorcade; lots of government tagged vehicles …". I said I hoped it was President Trump, and not one of obama's soul-empty-robotic-puppets. He said he didn't know, but it was for sure one of them: I said I'd get on my Tablet and "research what's going on here, tonight."
We were wondering what all the excitement was about; a wreck was a possibility given the way people all around us, had been driving.
Still locked in place …
Protected motorcade passing by us; Coachella-CA
President Donald J. Trump is the leader America needs, in this, her greatest hour of need. The obamanite demonrats are sorely lacking on every {leading} point.
Researching what all the busy activity was about.
Trump Rally 2024
I'm STOKED!
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October 13th: We made Arizona late last evening, and had a hot moment when a hitch snafu led to hot brakes that had us pulling over at La Paz, in AZ, to inspect and fix the situation - and sit a while until we could safely continue down the road. We spent the night in Yuma-AZ, hoping to secure an RV parking space for a while … but everything is closed on Sunday, in Yuma, and there's no place to legally boondock; so, we decided to backtrack to Quartzsite-AZ, where we are hoping to catch a selling wave during the RV Sales bonanza that will be taking place, shortly.
We're excited to start our life in Yuma-AZ … and we are also excitingly hoping for a downsize in living quarters, sometime soon.
We called ahead to The Pit Stop and secured parking there, and planned on being set up, and comfortably relaxing, in two hours time.
October Plans for Quartzsite-AZ; we may stay longer if our business, there, takes longer.
However: this morning, we had a tire blowout, enroute to Quartzsite-AZ :-(
Tire blowout; right out of the chute, this morning …
Help, on it's way.
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Elohim is faithful :-)
The sun was hot; and while we do enjoy it's warmth on our bodies, and the way the warmth lifts our spirits … strenuously working under the blaze with weak lungs would not be wise.
We needed help.
We petitioned Elohim … got on the Internet, and was greatly blessed: so, we gave a glowing review report on our Earth Angel's Website :-)
{{GREAT - deserves as many stars as possible :-)
Friendly, quick, and reasonable priced help: we had a tire blow out on Highway #95, just out of Yuma, on our way to Quartzsite; it was Sunday morning. NOTHING is open on Sunday, in Yuma. We needed help, so we sent an S.O.S. Heavenward, got on the Tablet … and called the first number that said, "Open".
He was there in 20 minutes, and the tire was replaced in record time. The price quoted for a new tire and switch out time, was very reasonable, given it was Sunday {which would normally be 'overtime and then some' to anyone else}; we highly recommend this man.
SHOUT OUT & maximum star rating from us :-)}}
We should not have had a blowout on a tire - they were replaced a mere 6 months ago:
My "DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK-CA; Pt. #2~'Strong Wind'" Post:
https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/04/death-valley-national-park-ca-pt_10.html
Today's goal is to get to Quartzsite; set Independence up in The Pit Stop RV Park … and promptly list her for sale. People flock to Quartzsite-AZ to buy RV's, new or old; and we are hoping for a speedy sale. Of course, Elohim's Plans for us may not be our plans for us - but we are praying and hoping to downsize so we can get more into the bush regions that pique our interests: we want to camp off-grid, not just visit for a quick peek. We really can't take Independence off-grid; and parking her at an RV Park to drive 2 or 3 hours into the bush - and another 2 or 3 hours back to the RV Park, doesn't interest us.
We want to enjoy relative solitude; listen to the coyotes sing their night songs, and view the stars, and milky way, in all their nighttime glory. We want to visit, and camp, in far-flung isolated ghost towns, abandoned mining communities; where the only sound is the quiet hum of nature, and a skidding pebble under the soles of our shoes as we explore. We want to visit places in the mid-West, and on the East Coast, where we won't have to be overly concerned about undersized parking areas. We want to be able to park and camp, inside National Parks, instead of 4 hours outside them.
We want a smaller camper; a smaller camper would help us check off our Bucket List events.
I hope Elohim agrees with these wants, and helps to provide us with a workable solution.
Coming into Quartzsite-AZ, we passed through a portion of the Colorado River Indian Reservation:
Reservation Land-AZ
Wonderful sunshine.
There is always a welcoming spot for us, here :-)
My curly-haired giant; now that we are in sunshine land, the curls will be cut off, to keep his scalp cool.
We like the quiet solitude, here.
And we like the parking rates, too :-)
The Pit Stop RV Park
#425 N Central Blvd, Quartzsite, AZ 85346
Inca Doves; this is a new bird for me :-)
Inca Dove Info:
(https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Inca_Dove/id)
Since leaving Gustine-CA, on our way south to Quartzsite-AZ, we were literally journeying from point A to point B among giants: the mountainous Grapevine Pass, the solar windmills of Pam Springs … and America's own legendary giant with a clear vision and determined Plan, for American's and the USofAmerica; President Donald J. Trump's motorcade.
And there was another assassination attempt!
Third Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump at Coachella Rally: (http://tribune.com.pk/story/2502594/third-assassination-attempt-on-donald-trump-foiled-as-armed-suspect-arrested-outside-coahella-rally)
The obamanites are intent on murdering this man because their demonic hordes cannot control him, destroy him with kangaroo court ridiculousness, or force him to get behind their New World Order nonsensical wickedness.
But Elohim protects those He has specific Plans for.
Tonight, in this moment of time, we got Independence set up at the Pit Stop ... and basically lazed the remainder of the Day away, thankful for the many blessings we have enjoyed this Sunday ;-)
