I debated if I should write a blog about our travel days, but as we were traveling cross-country over three months, many of our travel days provided interesting sites and crazy landscapes. Over the next two travel days, we would be traveling through the Mojave Desert, and the sights are worth noting.
After three nights at the Watchman Campground in Zion National Park it was time to depart and make our way to Twentynine Palms, California. We would use this location to visit Joshua Tree National Park over two days. To break up the trip we would stay overnight at the KOA in Barstow, CA, a 5.5-hour drive from Springdale, UT.
The night before our departure I checked the weather and noticed wind advisories along our entire route to Barstow starting at 11 AM. The advisory stated, 20-30 mph winds with gusts from 40-50 mph. I was a little concerned. I wanted to get past Las Vegas, NV before 11 AM to hopefully avoid most of the winds. As planned, we departed Springdale around 8:30 AM and made our way through Las Vegas before the winds started picking up.
The drive was pretty straightforward. We would take Interstate 15 through Las Vegas, dealing with the typical late morning traffic. I was glad to see the city in my rearview mirror as we made our way to Barstow.
South of Las Vegas, the scenery gets pretty desolate and beautiful in its own way. I 
am from the northeast, the 150-mile drive from Las Vegas to Barstow was unlike anything I have seen. With the wind picking up, it was quite the sight. It was a desert landscape with blowing sand and mountain ranges way out in the distance. I have been to Las Vegas before, and have flown over this area many times, but never driven this route. All I could do was pray we would not blow an RV tire and be left for dead in the desert.
As you drive past Primm, NV, and into California, a strange site emerges in the distance. You begin to wonder if you are still on planet earth or have you entered some foreign space odyssey. In the distance, you can see three large towers with this bright reflection at the top of each. Was this the location of the Coachella Festival? As you get closer, you notice what appears to be solar panels circling the base of each tower. This is California, unusual sites should not be a surprise. As it turns out, the site is the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. 300,000 software-controlled mirrors reflect sunlight to the top of the three 459-foot towers. The concentrated light strikes boiler pipes creating superheated steam which is piped to a turbine to generate electricity. This complex generates enough electricity to power more than 140,000 homes. Mystery solved! A very unusual sight along Interstate 15 in the Mojave desert of California.
Immediately after this unusual sight, we came to another unusual site, one of several California Agricultural Inspection Stations. We read about this and were prepared as we made our way through the inspection center. The inspection stations check all vehicles and commodities to ensure they are pest-free and meet all regulatory requirements. The purpose is to protect the California agricultural industry from invasive pests.
As we continued on Interstate 15, we passed Baker, CA. As we approached the town, we noticed a very tall thermometer. It turns out this is the World’s tallest thermometer, standing at 134 feet tall, which represents the hottest temperature recorded in Death Valley, 134 degrees. Baker, CA is referred to as the gateway to Death Valley, located 101-miles north, and sits midway between Barstow, CA and Primm, NV.
We arrived at the Barstow/Calico KOA just in time. The winds and wind gusts were picking up. It was so bad, my wife wanted to know if the wind would blow over our RV. I assured her we would be okay. I was so glad we did not have to drive any further!
My original plan, and the reason for stopping in Barstow, was to visit the Calico Ghost Town and dine at Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner. As we were both hungry and stressed from the drive, we decided to head to the diner. Over lunch, we would decide if we would want to venture out to Calico Ghost Town.
Peggy Sue’s Diner is a popular roadside stop decorated with movie and TV memorabilia. I read the Google reviews, and with a 4.5-star rating and over 10,000 reviews, I figured the food must be pretty good.
As we walked through the front door, we were greeted by Betty Boop and the hostess, who was short and curt. Not seeing a sign stating “see hostess to be seated”, we were unsure if we could seat ourselves. There were several guests ahead of us who also looked confused. Having observed the hostess lash out at one of the guests for not providing their names, we promptly provided our name and gracefully moved into the gift shop. When the hostess called our name, we quickly made our way to the main lobby to be seated.
Our waitress was friendly and handed us the menu, so many choices! I
ordered a bacon cheeseburger served with crispy and flavorful curly fries and, as this was a 50’s diner, a chocolate milkshake. The food was excellent and the 4.5-star rating is appropriate. If you are traveling on Interstate 15 and find yourself passing through Barstow, take time to stop at Peggy Sue’s Diner. Just make sure you check-in with the hostess upon arrival.
As we enjoyed our lunch, we could hear the wind and see the sand blowing in the parking lot. Patrons who were coming and going were getting sandblasted as wind gusts picked up. Not wanting to get sandblasted, we decided it would be best to enjoy our food, skip the Calico Ghost Town, visit the local Walmart to stock up on supplies, and make our way back to the campground.
After a good night’s rest, it was time to make our way to Twentynine Palms RV Resort outside of Joshua Tree National Park. Like the travel day before, we faced a wind advisory, 20-30 mph winds with gusts from 40-50 mph. As we headed west on interstate 15 the winds were very strong, and I was dreading the drive. Thankfully this changed after traveling about 30 miles south on 247. In Lucerne, CA, at the intersection where Cafe 247 sits, we made a left turn and started heading southeast. We were no longer traveling into the wind, and the driving improved.
As we drove on 247, all I could do was stare out the window in awe of the landscape. We would see homes dotting the desert landscape, and I just could not wrap my head around what life must be like living deep in the desert. Let’s just say I found this drive very interesting. Based on signage and the many trails in the distance, it was apparent that this part of the desert was an OHV paradise.
With the wind concerns behind us, we arrived at the Twentynine Palms RV Resort 28-minutes before the 1:00 PM check-in. Yup, I got the stink eye upon arrival as the woman behind the counter looked at me, looked up at the clock, then asked how can she help. I politely asked if I could check-in, she pointed out that check-in is 1:00 PM. I kindly stated I was coming from Barstow and departed early, as I was trying to stay ahead of the wind advisory. I said I could sit in my truck till 1:00 PM if necessary. Without saying a word she took my credit card information, and then handed over the park map while providing directions to my campsite (#103). She emphasized the speed limit and stop sign locations. I thanked her and slowly walked towards the exit. As we made our way to our site, I could not help but notice all the empty sites. I began to wonder, where are all the smiles they deliver, as stated on their website?
We wanted to make the most of our time here, and it was early afternoon, so we ate lunch and headed to Joshua Tree National Park.
Travel days are obviously necessary. Our travel days provided my wife and I with many great memories. During this trip, I had to remind myself our trip was purposeful. My goal for this trip was to step back, reset, take adventures, step outside of my comfort zone, and not rush everything. As I sit here writing this blog, reflecting on our trip, travel days helped me achieve those goals.
For a north-easterner, these two travel days were an eye-opening experience through the Mojave desert. They may have been nerve-racking but they certainly left an impression on me.
Savvy-Traveler 