Large Boondocking Camp Party in Ocotillo Wells!

Spring brings camping trips, and camping trips mean fun, food and friends!

It's no secret that we love dry camping and boondocking, but we love it even more when we get to share it with friends and fellow camping enthusiasts.

Our church group got together for an "off the beaten path" weekend full of off road adventures, exploring, campfire tales and pot luck (with lots and lots cookies...no seriously, there were a lot of cookies there)!

Near the main turn off, we saw an out of place billboard marking the location of where the 1991 movie "Bugsy" was filmed and we found ourselves on a very long and very rutted out road along the outskirts of Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area. After twenty minutes of teeth chattering, we were nicely shaken (not stirred) and we arrived at our dusty destination.

Our home for the weekend consisted of a large circle of class A's, travel trailers, pop-ups, tents and fifth wheels. People of all ages crowded around this large circle and we had fun getting tours of everyone's "home".

By day, we were all explores, although we explored the vast desert in our own ways. Some chose to lounge around the camp, some went off on their quads and dirt bikes, while others (the totally trailer crew), chose to explore deep canyons, wind caves and ancient fossil beds!

By night, we huddled around an all consuming bonfire, swapped stories and ate a lot. There was a hefty line for the potluck which allowed me the opportunity to climb on top of our rig and get some overall shots of the happy campers.

Kids running and playing in dirt, teenagers huddled together having "important teen conversations", adults swapping RV stories and lots of laughter filled the night skies over Ocotillo Wells this weekend.

We met a lot of new people and we feel very blessed to have been a part of this adventure. Life is good, so share it!

Funny sign in the middle of the desert about the filming of the 1991 movie "Bugsy"

 Hubby and new friend, doing "Trailer Talk"

 A portion of our large circle of toys (Totally Trailer is the brightly glowing one with monster flag)

 Somebody got a new laser toy and we all had fun with it around the campfire...made for an awesome pic too! (p.s. those specks in the sky are actual stars..amazing night)

 Campfire Tales in Ocotillo Wells 

 There's always a line at the buffet!

Check out the view I have from up here of the sunsetting over Ocotillo Wells 

And of course, what is a camp site without a flag. In our case, it's a monster Welsh flag!

Because kids don't remember their best day of television......

The National Wildlife Federation reports that camping increases imagination, cognitive focus and leads to longer healthier lives!

A 2015 survey suggests that only 6% of kids play outdoors and yet the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend at least 60 minutes of unstructured and outdoor play.

Getting outside to hike, explore and camp is a perfect opportunity to feed your child's soul, developmental needs and form strong family bonds!

So get out there and go camping and RVing.....

Camping and RVing with Teens (without the eye roll)!

Having a teenager usually means you are fluent in eye rolls, huffs and puffs and the idea of spending time with family can be met with some resistance.

Many teens have the FOMO disorder (aka: Fear of Missing Out Disorder), so how do you make a family camping trip cool, where for a few days they might put their phones/electronic devices down?

We've included some tips to help limit the distractions (without it feeling like the end of the world to your teen) that will maximize their sense of adventure, creativity, self confidence and stronger relationships with family members.

Get Them Involved-

Teens thrive off of a sense of belonging, so be sure to get them involved in as many aspects of the trip as possible.

    1. Planning the trip- One year, we went away for Christmas, so we let our "little one" help plan the trip. We let her do her own research about the area we were going to camp in and based upon her findings, we let her pick out some of the sights she wanted to see. We balanced it out by doing some of the normal "touristy attractions" and including some off the beaten path (free) adventures.
    2. Having responsibilities at the campsite- Are they aspiring chefs and want to help with cooking meals? Are the mechanically inclined and can help with jacks, stabilizers, RV hook-ups? Are they crafty, hands-on and like to build things (like campfires, DIY hand washing stations, putting the tent together)? Do they have too much energy, let them pound the stakes into the ground or run around gathering wood. Draw on their own natural abilities and strengths to make them a part of the team. Being involved alleviates boredom and downtime that might otherwise be spent on an electronic device!

Limit Cell Phone and Tablet Use-

Believe it or not, this is actually easier than it sounds. Once kids are working on a project, helping, hiking, biking, swimming or doing any type of exploring, it is amazing how sucked in they become. The more engaged they are, the less likely they are to be bored and checking their phone every minute. We affectionately refer to it as the "shiny ball syndrome". When there is something new, shiny and fun, it always captures their attention and takes them away from the normal cravings to incessantly text.

Let Them Do Something They Have Never Done Before-

Independence and curiosity should be the two terms that define the teenage years. Fortunately, camping and outdoor time create the perfect atmosphere to achieve both! Have they been in a cave, a mine, seen a bat in real life, gone horseback riding on the beach, driven an off road vehicle in the sand dunes, snorkeled, seen a waterfall? The coolness factor goes up quite a bit, when they have amazing stories and photos they can show off to their friends.

  

     

Capture the Memories- 

Let them bring their camera, journal, sketchbook or any method that allows them to capture these adventures. Maybe one day they will look back on that trip and think it was the "best trip ever". You never know what they will remember and what memories stand out the most. Give them a way to capture and reflect. I have even made memory books from our longer adventures. I catch our little one going back through them and laughing about the past!

Give Them Some Quiet Time-

Most teens have ridiculously busy schedules and rarely get time to "stop and smell the roses" or enjoy some free, quiet time. Depending on where you are camped, let them find a rock to climb and sit atop, a hammock to read or take a nap or their very own wooded area to explore (watch out for snakes though). A brief moment in time where they can breathe in fresh air, soak in the experience and be able to find some peace. 

Bring a Deck of Cards and Marshmallows-

Having a deck of cards is a fun way to hang out after dinner. I will usually find some mystery or ghost story specific to the area we are camped in and share it after dinner and while we are sitting around the campfire. It's a fun way to engage their thoughts and creativity and we usually end up creating our own mystery story about the area. As for the marshmallows...you can never go wrong with marshmallows and the bigger the better!

Bring a Few Comfort Items From Home-

No one likes to be really uncomfortable, especially growing and brooding teens! Make sure they bring they favorite pillow, most comfortable walking shoes, favorite snack or whatever makes them happy (and no, cell phones aren't included in this list)!

Plan Some Trip Where Other Teens and Families Might Be Staying-

If your teens see that there are other teens there, it might be a cool place after all! Plus, teens LOVE social interaction with their peers, so they might meet some really great new friends to.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, just remember you are making memories for your kids! You might even find that they start asking to go camping :)

Here's to making memories....

Joshua Tree and Packed Campgrounds

Heading out to Joshua Tree all three of us were very excited. We had picked out our favorite campground (Belle Campground) and even went as far as to narrow down the spot we were most interested in getting. There are nine campgrounds inside Joshua Tree and they are first come, first serve spots.Three of the campgrounds (Hidden Valley, White Cove and Indian Cove) will not allow trailers over 25 feet and none of them have RV hook-ups. Being that it was the week before Easter, we called the ranger station on our way to see how full the campgrounds were getting. We were told it was filling up, but that there were still quite a few spots open around the park and in various campgrounds.

By the time we got there and checked in at the welcome center, there was a large sign that read: ALL CAMPGROUNDS FULL (except a few spaces in Cottonwood Campground). Cottonwood was the campground that was furthest south and furthest away from the typical Joshua Tree sites we wanted to see. We envisioned a camp spot nestled among the inspiring jumbo rocks and picturesque views and stargazing. Cottonwood was so far south that it was a very different terrain, with no big boulders and jumbo rocks to climb or admire. The spaces were "pull off the road to your right" spots that left our slide out on the main road waving "hello" to everyone that passed.

We had never been to Joshua Tree, so we picked a spot in Cottonwood long enough to fit our rig and settled in. Campers next to us said there had been no wind and it was perfect temperature outside when we arrived. Blue skies, hot sun on your face and an occasional light breeze to cool you off and keep you comfortable. We opened up all the windows in the trailer and sat for a few minutes just to enjoy the breeze and finally take a moment to relax in our trailer.

Before sunset we ventured up into Joshua Tree, not realizing that the nearest campground and large boulders were a 45+ minute drive. We drove through Joshua Tree completely in awe of the sheer size and remoteness of the park. You can't see anything but the park for miles and mile and the terrain changes from flat open, prarie-like areas to rugged mountain terrain in a matter of minutes. The park itself is 794,000 acres and NO cell service anywhere...talk about feeling remote and isolated (even with the 1.4 million visitors they get each year)!

We finally found the jumbo boulders as it was getting dark and we had to head back for dinner...no rock climbing on this trip :( We decided to only stay the one night and come back again when we can camp at Belle or Jumbo Rocks Campground and really make the most of the true Joshua Tree experience. It's a good thing we decided to leave the next morning, because the high winds followed us up to Joshua Tree and we spent another night and early morning with a rockin' trailer. Up next for us....San Andreas Fault and Hot Mineral Baths...

Cottonwood Campground in Joshua Tree at 3,000 ft elevation and has 62 sites

First Joshua Tree we saw near the entrance to Belle Campground at 3,800 ft elevation

Breaking in the appliances with some good old fashioned "burnt" marshmallows!

Hubby also put out small orange cones around our slide out on the street, just as an added precaution. We tied rocks to them to keep them from blowing away, lo and behold, they ended up scattered around the camp area when we woke up the next morning. If you were to pan right you would find three other cones on the far side of the road!

Queen Mine Tour and Bisbee

Bisbee.....what's a Bisbee? It's a mining town just a few miles south of Tombstone. This town also has history as it was part of the Tombstone story (Doc Hollidays girlfriend "Big Nose Kate" lived there and it's where people from Tombstone had to ride to get supplies). Once dubbed as the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco, Bisbee was a real copper mine.

The Queen Mine operated continuosly for 100 years and was the largest production of all mining districts in the world...producing metals valued at 6.1 billion (valued in 1975)!! We got to take the tour of this mine! We got our own hard hats, very flattering yellow raincoats, a mining light and a ride on a mining cart 1,500 feet down into the mine. We saw the elevator shafts, original drills and leftover precious metals still in the mine. Our tour was led by an actual miner who worked in the mine and had a lot of interesting facts and stories to share. It stays 47 degrees down there, but that was nothing compared to outside.

The night we showed up in Bisbee it snowed on us and left a nice little blanket on the charming town (and our car)!This adorable town was built up around the mine, with most homes and businesses built directly into the mountain. With it's old buildings, unique setting, red and multi-colored rocks, a massive mining pit and a dusting of fresh snow; this was an absolutely charming town that we really enjoyed. The history behind the mine is fascinating, check it out: http://www.queenminetour.com/History

Tunnel coming in to the town of Bisbee, it had just started to snow

Queen of the Copper Mines, Bisbee has some amazingly colored rocks, mines and massive mining pits

Speaking of Massive Mining Pits....Check out the 850ft deep Lavendar Pit (water in bottom and snow around the top edges). That's a looong way down

Visitor information at the viewing site for Lavendar Pit mine (as seen in our pic above)

Light dusting of snow on the town of Bisbee (Queen Mine entrance seen in center of pic). It looks nice and sunny, but trust us...it was cold.

We took a drive through the heart of Bisbee one night. No one around and the street lights all lit up, surrounding old historic buildings and quirky shops; this was so much fun!

The RV park was attached to the Queen Mine, making it very convenient for us

Our car and trailer were attacked by snow during the night. By the time we took the picture most of it had melted, but we know our trailer and truck's tires were begging for some slippers to keep warm (they are southern california natives ya know)!

The old Queen Mining cart that took us down into the mine

3 little miners looking to strike it rich in a historical copper mine

No turning back now, we are committed to going 1500 ft down into a mine with a bunch of people. Thank goodness we have yellow slickers for protection...haha

Looking back down into the mine shaft. If you look above there is a marker indicating how far down you are (they had one every 100ft). Little one loved keeping count!

Inside the mine...off to the left is the elevator shaft along with the bell and a list of codes for emergencies

Two miners trying to retreat from the main copper room where there are still visible signs of minerals all around

Down at the 1500ft level we got off and walked around with the guide. They weren't lying when they said the mine stays about 47 degrees year round. Note to all, if you ever get lost in a massive mine, just look for the "Surface this way" sign...it's better than google maps! haha

Actual veins and remnants of precious minerals 1500ft underground. Look at the amazing swirls of color embedded deep within these rocks! We stood right next to it...quick where's my pick ax?

Original mining carts left underground

We followed the sign and made it out alive....apparently the yellow slickers and blue plastic hard hats are good luck! Although, I'm not sure what was colder?

Triangle T Guest Ranch

After the Living Caverns, we continued to head East to Dragoon, Arizona where we found ourselves at Triangle T Guest Ranch. This ranch was recently renovated thanks to a show called "Hotel Impossible". It was a real ranch with RV hook-ups, horse stables, Private cabins and bungalows, hiking/biking trails and some amazing grounds filled with massive boulders and great rock formations.

Triangle T Ranch

Our Campsite up against the boulders

The rock looked like a baseball glove

Campfire in the wilderness

We specifically chose this place for the rugged horseback riding in the picturesque setting. A certain little girl was so excited and loved her trail ride. She had a horse named "Chiquita" which was perfect for her. Mommy had a gorgeous horse named "Cisco" and Hubby had a feisty guy named "Romeo".

The Three Amigos

There was no real trail, as we wandered around the acreage surrounding the ranch on a perfectly sunny day....needless to say, it was a great adventure! After the ride, we walked around the ranch (which was deserted in the middle of the week) and admired the old stagecoach, played a little horseshoes and spent more time bonding with the horses and rock climbing. Our campsite was tucked up against a big boulder that had a split down the middle that we liked exploring. That night led to a big campfire and glo-stick dancing....Great time all around! http://www.azretreatcenter.com/ (Triangle T info)