With plans to camp at Imperial Sand Dunes canceled, we find ourselves, late in the afternoon, wondering where we will spend the night. Fortunately, the ranger at Imperial Sand Dunes has some advice: check out Tumco Ghost Town in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains.
I had thought we would spend the night in Imperial Sand Dunes Recreational Area. What I hadn't anticipated was the park's extreme winds and camping permit prices.
And we are back on the road! This time, for are are traveling for some human-made scenery: the open air art gallery or East Jesus, in Slab City.
Big Horn Sheep, Palm Trees, Slot Canyons, & Off Road Misadventures In Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Like all road trippers, we have a long, long list of places that we "meant to visit" but never quite made it in the past. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was one of those places for us for several years. I have a feeling that the anticipation will not leave us underwhelmed.
After spending all day wandering around Morro Bay, we have little time to travel to a campsite before dark. Fortunately, Montaña de Oro State Park is only six miles south of Morro Bay.
It is about lunch time as we approach Morro Bay. Without any particular plans for the day, we agree to pause for lunch by the water. Yet, it doesn't take too long for us to discover that we will be staying for a lot more than just a meal.
If you close your eyes and listen, you might think you are in the echoing halls of a labyrinthine restroom as the entire population of a broken cruse ship strive to handle food-poisoning. Yet, the sound of moist flatulence is actually coming from a different orifice and species.⠀
So, we've been raving about Big Sur a bit. But here is the down side: rock slides. I'm sure you've heard plenty about them. The slide between Mud Creek and Salmon Creek Station is expected to close that portion of Highway 1 through 2018. That means no through-routes of Highway 1. For trailers and other large rigs, that means Highway 1 is an in-out trip starting in Northern California. But we have a truck camper and are taking the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road.⠀
We are done wandering in eastern and central California. It's time to go to the coast. It's time to head to Big Sur and Highway 1.
After a few days to recover from our wintery detour, we are ready to go exploring. Our first priority is to enjoy the Amador County wine region. Could we go wine tasting in Napa? Sure. But that is crowded and overexposed. There is plenty of fine wine to be discovered across California. And our hosts are well versed in their local wineries.