Back to the Desert

Photo from the internet, but my drive looked a lot like this today!

I've spent the past 3 weeks helping my mother put out some fires in the Central CA valley.  I reached my limit yesterday and yesterday afternoon, I was back on the road to Desert Hot Springs. I spent the night in the Walmart parking lot in Barstow. Nice safe spot, by the way. I pulled into Joe's place this morning just in time for breakfast!

Today I've cleaned out the inside of the van and repacked. I'll stay here tonight but probably will take off for Quartzsite tomorrow morning. I need to stop somewhere and give the van a bath - I drove through washes full of dirty water and mud last night and this morning. Must have been a hell of a storm!

For some reason, I've had a brain block trying to remember the name of Barstow. I knew it was a "B" word... Boron?  No.  Boulder?  No.

Then, last night when I was SO stressed leaving my mother's house, I was wishing I could find a bar to have a gin/tonic to calm my nerves. I rarely drink, but this was a special need :::chuckling::  As I was thinking about a BAR, I though, "Oh yeah!  BARstow!"  So now I'll always remember the name.  I found it a much nicer drive to go straight over on Hwy 58 to Barstow, then down Barstow Highway to Lucerne Valley than to turn right at Kramer Junction and go through all those stop lights in Victorville and Apple Valley. The drive was not only shorter, there was a LOT less traffic and it was beautiful.

Though a hot tub and a swim will be nice tonight,
I'm anxious to get back on the road...

Annie