We have zig-zagged across the country and, boy-oh-boy, do we have some gems to share! Browse campsites, off-road trails, scenic outlooks, oddities, museums, hiking trails, and more.
We hadn't planned a stop in Tombstone but it just so happened that we were driving right through. It is almost as if the town itself were saying "I'm Your Huckleberry." At the very least, it offered tasty steak and locals dressed in period garb. As much of a tourist trap as it was, it was that fun kind of tourist trap and we handled it the way we handle all such draws: by remaining out of the gift shops.
I hear that Sunset magazine is going to try to say it, so let me say it first: Bisbee is the best little town to live in. It has a ton of history, quirky community, artists, a micro brewery, and amazing scenery. Originally a mining mecca of rich copper deposits, Bisbee only barely survived the closing of the mines. Yet, as real estate prices slumped, the artists took notice. Cheap land and scenic views drew artists looking for a place to work and revived the area into its artsy, touristy present. While we only stayed two days, a return is definitely in order.
After a night outside of Phoenix with friends and some excellent Mexican food, we moved on to Tuscon, where the gem show continued but we had already had out fill of gem shows in Quartzsite. Instead, we rediscovered the wonder of the local library and its open internet connection, taking a few days in Tucson to see more friends and get work done. We may need to start reviewing libraries. Some of these are truly superb, with gorgeous views along with useful tools. Libraries are now, officially, added to our list of digital nomad's core tools, along with truck stops, Walmarts, and Denny's.
Quartzsite is the snowbird's nest. Every year, the tiny Arizona town swells as RVs and campers flood the trailer parks and BLM land and a two month long gem show commences. While the main street does offer some restaurants and a few hotels, the action is in these popup towns where venders sell quartz, antiques, pizza, and beer. If we hadn't already made plans in Phoenix, we would have spent a few days enjoying the warm weather and Beer Belly's Adult Day Care.
The Salton Sea is an interesting example of when humans take water away, give it back again, and then take it away, yet again. The sea was a long standing body of water until the Colorado River was redirected. When a levy failed, the redirected river returned to it's original path, replenishing the Sea for years while the levy was being rebuilt. It experienced a golden age as a recreational destination for Los Angeles's cramped denizens...until it started to sink. As more water evaporates per year than is replenished into the Sea, the Salton Sea retains little other than salt, farm runoff, and the resulting dead fish. Rent is pretty low.
While we had already enjoyed a short hike with friends while staying in Palm Springs, we decided to circle back to for a night of camping after we bid the crew adieu. After an awesome hike, we settled in to a small camp site, set up our newly acquired inflatable glamping* chairs on the roof of the van to eat Bahn Mi and drink wine, and watched the sun set. Unfortunately, we, yet again, forgot to consider the elevation we were camping at and quickly retreated into the van as soon as the light show was over.
Joshua Tree may be a National Park today, but, back in the day, cattle roamed the scrub brush and miners wandered in search of gold. This history remains in arrested decay along the Wall Street Mill trail in the Wonderland of Rocks.
Desert Christ Park is an early foray into biblically themed parks. It's not nearly to the state of gems you might find in Kentucky, but it has it's own charm as it attempts some earnest Greco-Roman styling in plaster and rebar. While it may not constitute very fine art, it's scale makes for some great group pictures.
Noah Purifoy's Outdoor Desert Art Museum fills ten acres of "environmental statues" outside of Joshua Tree, California. Visitors wander down a dirt road to the yard of towering sculptures of found art. Toilets, bowling balls, hooks, rope, and scrap metal find their place in 3D collages and weird structures.
The Kabin may be part of the Kcymaerxthaere series of pieces by Eames Demetrios but it certainly stands on its own in drawing your attention into an alternate world. This dilapidated "Kabin" on the outskirts of a housing development in Joshua Tree, California feels as if we had crossed into an alternate timeline. The Krblin Jihn Kabin is a faux-historic preserve where religious dissidents were exiled. It is complete with explanatory panels and plaques outlining the historic context and traditions.