Family in California

During our first visit, Christmas 2010

Since year one of our RV travels (2010), we come as far west as California to visit my uncle who moved to the Golden State in 1958. Sadly, and suddenly, he passed away last spring. As executor of his will, I carried out his wish to be cremated and return to California to pick up his remains and his few personal belongings. It's a bittersweet trip, knowing we'll never being able to visit Uncle Bill again, but we do meet his best friend, and visit with my aunt and cousins (not Uncle Bill's wife and daughters, but his brother Frank's).

 Background story - my dad had three brothers. Two, Uncles Frank and Bill and their families, moved to California in the mid and late 1950s; my dad, his oldest brother and their parents (my grandparents) stayed in Ontario. Uncle Bill's wife didn't like living in California, so she and their daughter returned to Ontario within a few months. They divorced, she remarried and Uncle Bill lost touch with his daughter. Unfortunately, their relationship didn't survive the distance.

 From the time I was a youngster, maybe 9 or 10 years old, I've written letters to Uncle Bill and we always exchanged birthday and Christmas cards. It was a practice we continued until his death. He was my favourite uncle. I don't know why; we rarely saw each other. We just clicked. I will miss him dearly, but having listened to stories about him from my aunt and cousins, and Uncle Bill's best friend about his life in California, I am convinced he lived his life exactly the way he wanted to. And isn't that all any of us can ask for?

Back - Bev, Dan; Middle - me, Aunt Irene, Jan; Front - Brad A fun and very chatty day is spent with my Aunt Irene, cousins Jan and Bev, and Jan's husband Dan. We haven't seen each other in almost 10 years. We also share our best memories of Uncle Bill.

Uncle Bill's best friend, Tony and his wife Libra. Uncle Bill spent a numerous holidays, weekends and evenings with Tony and his family over the past 30+ years, being granted honorary grandpa status to Tony's three children.

Century old olive trees shade this outdoor patio Tony takes us on a tour of the area, something we could never get Uncle Bill to do during our visits. At 80+ years old, Uncle Bill didn't want to venture far from home. This is Padua Hills Theatre about half-way up Mount Baldy. Originally privately owned, it was bequeathed to Pomona College in Claremont, which later transferred the title to the citizens of Claremont. It is beautifully preserved and still used for dinner, dancing, theatre and special events.

San Antonio Falls, Mt. Baldy One of Uncle Bill's favourite spots on Mount Baldy, San Antonio Falls. Ice pellets start to rain down as we begin the short, 1/4 mile hike from the parking lot. But we have to see it.

Brad and I near the Falls. Yup, that's snow up there. And it's drizzling ice pellets!

The last photo I have of Uncle Bill, taken during our visit during the American Thanksgiving in November 2014. He's enjoying a beer at our campsite in San Dimas above the Puddingstone Reservoir, a spot he really loved for its great view and tranquility in the maze of California highways.

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

After leaving our Colorado River campsite, we head back to Yuma for a few days, mostly to attend the Main Street Market on Tuesday so I can buy my favourite Cilantro Lime White Balsamic Vinegar. We love this market and, although there are typically only 2 or 3 fruit and vegetable stands, they have plenty of fresh veggies at very reasonable prices. Most other vendors sell jewelry, rocks, handbags, shoes, etc. A trip to the Sunday market at the Quartermaster Depot is a huge disappointment with only one veggie vendor, and he isn't selling much of anything we want. So no other blog info or photos from our second stay at Mittry Lake near Yuma. Instead, on our way to visit family near Palm Springs, California, we take a few days to hike in Joshua Tree National Park. The weather is unusually warm (90F in L.A. and abut 75F up here in the "high desert"), so we take advantage and work on our "going home tan".

Joshua Tree National Park

Driving through the park, we spy snow-capped Mt. San Jacinto, which towers above Palm Springs. The joshua trees grow only at this elevation in the Mojave Desert.

Brad is the orange dot almost in the middle of the picture Brad practicing his climbing along the Split Rock Loop trail. This is one of four trails we hike during our three days in the park.

An especially clear view (there are days when you can't see across the valley due to smog being funneled down the valley from Los Angeles). The line of hills right behind my head were formed by the San Andreas Fault which lies directly beneath. The city of Palm Springs is at the base of Mt. San Jacinto on the far right of the photo.

Along the Lost Horse Mine Loop trail is the remains of the mine itself. Views of the valleys are pretty along the trail as well.

Brad is the orange dot bottom centre Cottonwood Springs, a grove of palms and cottonwoods near the south entrance of the park. This is also the beginning of the Lost Palms Oasis trail, but we don't hike the 7 miles round trip. It's too hot!

From Cottonwood Springs, the trail ascends to Mastodon Peak, from where the views surrounding are spectacular. It's not a long or steep hike, although the last few feet require scrambling up some rocks. This isn't the peak, but a stop along the way. The Salton Sea is in the background between the ridge on the left and the ridges on the back right.

Meet Chuck Walla. No, I mean - a chuckwalla, the largest lizard in this desert. He's about a foot long and several inches across - a big guy. When threatened, he'll run into a crack in the rocks and puff up his body so prey can't pull him out. Smart. Our first chuckwalla sighting.

Colorado River, Arizona

Camping on the Colorado River, south of Ehrenberg and I-10

We spend about 10 days camped above the Colorado River, overlooking the agricultural fields of California. Brad is just getting sick when we move here from Quartszite. A week later, I come down with the same cold. But in between, we get out for a couple of days and enjoy several beautiful sunsets and a campfire.

An antelope or deer The Blythe Intaglios are across the river on the California side, and north of the city of Blythe and I-10 about 30 miles. The Intaglios are drawings left in the desert by local natives perhaps thousands of years ago. An intaglio is made by scraping the darker layer of top rocks and dirt away revealing a lighter colour of dirt below, or by tamping (pressing repeatedly on the surface) thus creating a depression.

A human figure, upside down (better lighting for photo) There are four figures drawn in this area, but all are fenced to keep vehicles from driving on them (so sad that has to be done), and they are so large (the largest is 171 feet tall) they are difficult to photograph from ground level. Three of the figures are of humans and one is of animals.

The Palo Verde Dam lies between Parker to the north and Yuma to the south. The colour of the Colorado River here reminds us of the Niagara River in the gorge.