Agua Caliente to Calimesa

I packed up Jan 1 for the next step of my adventure. I planned to go back part of the way I had come and headed north on the east side of the Salton sea. I had missed Salvation Mt last year and it was very important that I see it this year because the creator is now in a home with Alzeimer's and it is uncertain if the plan will continue.

 

 

 

I also took this picture of the Salton Sea. This is also a very interesting history as the Salton Sea was initially formed and believed to be THE new Resort area of California but as the water evaporated and the sea became too salty and the fish died it no longer was a great place to go. Now Tilapia is the only fish able to live in these salty waters and hundreds of migratory birds use it as a stopping place.

 

Then I also stopped at the Oasis Date Farm and enjoyed a pce of date cake and coffee. It was still pretty cool The temperature that is.

 

 

 

 

This is Steve the great guy who accompanied me to Julian and who was also camped next to me. Now I will try and transfer some more pictures and continue on to my next stop. After the date farm I headed right through Palm Springs on I 10 hoping to get closer to Death Valley but it was so cold and windy I finally stopped at the Calimesa Inn in Calimesa , California.

Agua Caliente continued

I have not got a clue but I did manage to get more pictures in Blogger. So here goes. Let's get a few more pictures and days on this blog. Here are some of the great people I met on this campout.

This is Burt and Lisa and Reid. They were here last year and are great friends.

This is Phil. One of those great people who keep turning up at these BMW events.

This is the sunrise Jan 1, 2013. It worked for me last year and is the reason I am here again. Although somewhat cooler hopefully it is the beginning of a great year just as 2012 was.

Paul Chute is also one of those great people who keep turning up at the right time.

 

Barb and her husband Kirby were camped next to me and we discovered that they had helped me out in 1998 when my sidestand was broke on my R100RT and I stopped and asked them for help holding my bike while I got off. Somewhere in Montana. Small world.

 

The lady on the left is Darrien. Her and her husband Doug brought me a tent last year. They live in Billings Montana but winter in Yuma.

 

Colleen and her husband Steve from Salt Spring Island came in shortly after I got there. I had met Colleen,s sister in Calgary and then contacted them when I got to Palm Springs. Colleen came over to meet me and I am sure we will be in touch again.

 

These are friends I met in Sipapu New Mexico BMW rally. Joan,David Karen and Art.

 

 

In the foreground is our campfire ring and the shelter in the background is where we enjoyed all our meals. The next picture is my campsite. I will close her and try and find my picture of Steve who accompanied me to Julian but at least I accomplished something today and I see a few more photos I will use in my next blog.

 

 

Agua Caliente

Okay I think I may have figured this out so this is a test run. Arrived in Agua Calliente Dec 29 and set up camp. Then others started arriving. about 45 in all.

 

Yeah it worked! Scott who is quite a character set up this very unique to say the least (TENT)

 

As you can see in the background the weather was not as nice as last year. The next morning I headed up to Julian for that piece of apple pie that they are famous for. Steve accompanied me.While we were there it started snowing but it was fortunate we went that day as Peter tried to do it the next day and had to turn back as there was snow and ice on the road and especially on the corners. Not a good thing on a motorcycle.

 This was taken in Julian just before the great piece of pie at The Julian Pie company and before it started to snow. Note the attire of other people in the photo. Now if I could just figure out how I got this photo in here. It is most difficult with many steps. There must be a simpler way but I have no one to ask.

 

 

 

 

Wow another success and I still have no idea how I did it. Why do things have to change?

Anyway Steve and I headed back down to Agua Caliente and enjoyed a soak in the hot pool and all the great company and food that was provided. Now if I can get a few more pictures in here of the people I met. Will try to do so. Well I cannot seem to get this to work so will publish and when I solve my dilemna will post mor pictures of Agua Caliente.

 

 

 

 

Agua Caliente campout

I never dreamed it would get this cold in Southern California. And of course it is not as cold as Calgary but it has been below zero most evenings. However I am now at Agua Caliente close to San Diego and west of the Salton Sea. Got my tent set up and waited for others to arrive. Sorry this is very frustrating but cannot access my pictures like I always do so will try again tomorrow. From Agua Calliente I headed around the Salton Sea to Salvation Mountain and a Date Farm and then north to Death Valley. It continued to be cold but I had an incredible journey. Will do more later. Marg

VFW Yuma to Agua Caliente

The next day Trish had business to do in Yuma so her son Don and I went to Lake Martinez to scope out their next stop. Not much in the little town but I took a picure of the boat dock and the place we had lunch Fisherman's Cafe.

 

 

Leaving the little town we went about 10 miles up a gravel road to the Nature Centre where I took these pictures and studied plants,birds and animals indigenous to the area. Good to see people preserving these fragile spaces.

 

 

The piece of wood with the holes is a bare cholla cactus. How fascinating.

 

This Honda and trailer were in a trailer towed by a 40 foot motorhome at the VFW in Yuma. I had an uneventful trip from Yuma to Agua Caliente except I stopped for fuel outside El Centro and along comes Paul Chute and Phil and some other friends from previous BMW rallies and so I had company for the rest of the ride and arrived safely and set up camp. More and pictures in next episode.

 

Yuma

Trish was not going to arrive at the VFW north of Yuma until after 4 so I packed up and rode over to Kathryn's. Her and I  went over to see Abe and Betty Peters at their RV park. We visited for a bit and then headed out to see Gord Gailbraith from BC.

 

Abe

 

Betty

Kathryn

After several U Turns...I am sure Kathryn was just trying to live up to her nickname we found Abe and Betty and then headed north of Yuma through the Yuma Proving Grounds.

 

This was at the entrance to the VFW and then we continued north.

 

 

 

 

When we arrived at the motorcoach Gord and his friend are staying in at Squaw Lake behind Imperial Dam they had gone to town for lunch and some groceries.So we waited and then visited for awhile and then headed back to Yuma.

 

 

When we returned to Yuma I went back to Kathryn's and picked up my bag and then headed back to the VFW to meet up with Trish. Her and her son Don arrived and we got settled in. More in next episode.