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.....

RV Industry is Growing- Why has RVing become so popular?

According to the March 16, 2015 market and data trend report prepared by The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, there are more than 9 million households that own an RV, which is a record high and a 16% increase from 2001 (and a staggering 64% increase since 1980)!


So, why the increase in RV/trailer/5th Wheel demand?


* RVing and Camping support a healthy and balanced life and lifestyle. This includes being active, experiencing nature and good old fashioned quality time with family and friends. According to RVIA, RVers said they report better bonds with their children and family members.

* Rvers can take more frequent, shorter trips throughout the year that are closer to home. Rather than taking one large block of time for one family vacation a year. With busy family schedules, RV owners are able to do more weekend getaways and be involved in recreation close to home.

* RVs can be used for a multitude of purposes including: tailgating, traveling with a big family, the ability to take pets along on trips, being involved in team events that travel or for business purposes.

* RV traveling is much more cost effective than flying, cruises etc. A 2014 Vacation Cost Comparison done by PFK Consulting USA, proved that a family of four can save 27-62% on vacation costs by traveling in an RV. From food savings (not eating out), to hotel savings (you can dry camp or RV parks typically only cost $30-$45 on average) and no luggage fees or rental cars, this really adds up (even when you factor in cost of ownership and gas)!

* IRS tax deductions for owning an RV

With all of these benefits, why wouldn't you want to experience the happiness and freedom that come with owning a recreation vehicle?

To read the whole article and market trend release from RVIA click here: http://www.rvia.org/?ESID=indicators

The Totally Trailer Trio is happy to be part of this "movement" to get out and explore more!

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!

Merry Christmas from Catalina State Park (Totally Trailer Style)

We celebrated Christmas, Totally Trailer style in Catalina State Park. Christmas Eve we each baked and decorated cookies for baby Jesus and awoke Christmas morning to blue skies, saguaros, an excited kid, homemade quiche. a festive trailer and lots of love!

The stockings were hung in the trailer with care....

Christmas Eve cookie making

Our own holiday masterpieces 

Christmas morning look of sheer shock and excitement

Tears of joy on Christmas morning 

Thanksgiving at Tumco Ghost Town

Our Thanksgiving holiday led us out to ghost town and old mining area in the Imperial Valley. We've driven by this area multiple times and have always wanted to stop and explore. We did some research and realized there was so much to explore, see and find. We loaded up our trailer with a metal detector, black lights and flashlights and headed out with gold fever! We had two magnificent camp spots that were walking distance to the historic Tumco Site, abandoned treasures and hiking trails galore. We explored the historic Tumco site, ruins from the old town, roped off mine shafts and remnants of a town abandoned almost one hundred years ago. Multiple mines surround this area including the recently purchased American Girl and American Boy mine and many more in these Cargo Muchachos Mountains. Want more info on this historic town, there is actually a song written about it on YouTube... John Malcome Penn wrote the song "Tumco Mine" which we've added below, but beware, the song can get stuck in your head!

             Welcome to Tumco Historic Mining Site !

       

       Take a look at the waterfall effect of this mine shaft

We fell in love with the beautiful teal colors in the abundant "kyanite" 

View of our spectacular camp spot right next to Tumco!

Our little one looks even smaller in the basement of the old Miner's Club Saloon

Not only did we love the sign, but we also loved the remnants of the old Golden Queen mine 

Look what we found! Small tunnel on the outskirts of Tumco

Foundation to old building from Tumco Ghost Town

Cans, bottles, pottery pieces and thick glass remnants are a reminder of life back in the mining days

Small cave and prospectors mine in Tumco

The mountain ranges surrounding the area are indented with caverns, holes, nooks and crannies!

Plenty of "rusted history" was left behind in the old ghost town

 View looking down onto what is left of the eastern neighborhood -check out the tailings in right corner

Considering this structure was built in the 1800's, we were amazed how much was still standing

A photo of what the town of Hedges looked like in it's heyday

       The sun sets on the last two walls remaining from the town hospital

My miners staking their claim

Looking through the iron bars down the mouth of a very large mine in Tumco

4 cyanide vats bake in the desert sun

Welded iron guard the mystery of this gold mine and keep visitors safe

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?