Lonesome Desert - Mojave National Preserve

Hole in the Wall Campground (Mojave National Preserve), California

"For all the toil the desert takes of a man it gives compensation, deep breaths, deep sleep, and the communion of the stars"

Mary Austin, "The Land of Little Rain"

Sand Dunes

Our last day with GTA was October 10th and we are now back on the road again. It feels good to be moving and we now find ourselves meeting up with our camping club with FMCA called Cuatro Estados (Four Corners). Our location is a remote campground in the Mojave Desert called The Hole in the Wall. It is such a stark change from the Tetons but we have always found the desert to be very beautiful. It takes a couple of days to adjust to its wonder and fully appreciate the beauty.

Along the way here we stopped for one night in Evanston, WY  at a so, so campground called Phillips RV Park.  However, the breakfast at Jody's Diner was memorable. Waking up to snow was a bit of a shock but it didn't last long. Whew! We got out of the mountains just in time.  

Elks Lodge (five sites) Provo Utah

Elks Lodge

The next two nights were in Provo Utah at a fantastic Elks Lodge. The five non reservable sites have full hook ups, modern lodge, friendly members, and $2 draft beers. For $20/night it is a perfect combination for a nice place to stay. We were like kids in a candy store due to the wide variety of shopping in Provo  Jackson Wyoming is very remote and expensive.  Just to give you an idea the closest Walmart is 100 miles away and in a different state. 

In N Out Burger

Camping World, Sams Club, Verizon, and yes Walmart were some of our stops. A first for us was trying a In N Out Burger. What a yummy treat.  Provo is very green and manicured with mountains surrounding you from all angles.  It's very picturesque but the air quality is rather poor due to almost constant smog.

Our next stop for two was at the Nellis Air Force Base FAM camp called Desert Eagle in North Las Vegas Nevada for two nights. Suddenly we have developed a strange creaking sound in the front of the motor coach over the drivers side wheel.  We spent most of our time here trying to find someone to look at it but couldn't get an appointment for a week at the  nearby Freightliner. Hopefully this repair won't be too complicated or expensive. TBA. We will stop back here after leaving the desert.

Desert Eagle FAM Camp

The campground is really nice with full hookups and a manicured site. As with most military campground everyone is so friendly. There was lots of planes flying over and this is the home for the Thunderbirds. John has been thrilled to see F-15, F-16, A-10, F-22 and C103 planes flying over. This is a very active base. It's only $20/night however you must be active or retired military to stay here with a few exceptions.

So, now we are here in the Mojave desert with our camping rally.  While we were out west three years ago we joined this club during a rally in the Four Corners area with FMCA.. Then we spent the rest of the time out east and were only able to attend one rally. It's a very active club and each one is so well planned. We met the rally leaders in Florida (Barry and Jann) last winter and spend about a month with them on and off seeing some of the sights around Sanibel and south Florida. They also came to visit us in the Tetons this summer and we had a fun kayak trip down the Snake River.  So, we may not have attended many events with the club but we value the friendship we have made with them.  It would never have happened without belonging to Cuatro Estados.  The French call this Lagniappe - something unexpected.

The Hole in the Wall Visitor Center

Note the holes in the "wall"

The Mojave National Preserve is the third largest National Park (Yellowstone and Death Valley are slight larger). It encompasses over a million acres and is very remote.  There are two campground and we are staying in The Hole in the Wall. It's a primitive campground (unreservable)with nice sites and breathtaking views and did I mention the stars at night are awesome.  Just the way we like it! And, it's only $6/night with a Golden Age or Access Pass. 

Our site 

Barry and Jann planned some great hikes and off road trips. However, the day after we arrived I found myself at the ER in Bullhead City due to a very painful knee.  I had some concerns about a blood clot but after a few tests they found some fluid had built up in my knee and called it an effusion.  I was certainly relieved.  The sudden onset of it in conjunction with driving such long distances without much exercise had me concerned.  The care at the ER was top notch and soon we were back at the campground. I'll just have to scale back some of my activities for a few days.

The next morning we woke up to this outside our front window. 

The sunrise in the desert is truly breathtaking.  

We are heading out to see the sand dunes and Kelso rail station.  Check back tomorrow to see how the day unfolds.