Time to Recovery: The Yoda Rests

The start..
From Mountains to Mexico: The Yoda Rides.

..... continued

Day 1 – Quartzsite, Arizona
Hi Jolly Campground – BLM (Free)

After a wonderful visit with our kids and grandkids, our flight back to Phoenix went smoothly. However, the Hilton park-and-pay shuttle dragged on for 45 minutes, but eventually we reunited with the Yoda. Hot, but happy, she looked great, and we were ready to head west.

Originally, the plan was Lake Havasu, but plans shifted and we landed in Quartzsite, a place we know and love. It isn’t about amenities (there aren’t many). It’s wide open desert camping, peaceful and raw, with a primitive beauty that always draws us back.

This time we stayed at Hi Jolly Campground, after a short stop at the Hi Jolly Cemetery, where Hadji Ali (nicknamed Hi Jolly), a Syrian camel driver who worked with the U.S. Camel Corps in the 1800s, is buried. An interesting historic landmark in the middle of the desert.

Temperatures were cooler than August, but heading in to the desert it's always smart to stock up on water just in case. (Fun fact: even a sealed 5-gallon jug of water can go bad after sitting in the hot Arizona sun for 10 days.) Jim’s “solution” was mixing in questionable fresh water. To be on the safe side I bought two fresh gallons.

That night, we lounged around camp still in our “travel day” clothes, waiting as the stars filled the desert sky. It was that in-between time when your eyes haven’t quite adjusted and every bush seems to morph into some kind of wild animal.

That’s when Jim slowly leaned over and whispered, “Don’t look.”

Well, he should know me better by now, the first thing I did was look. At first, I couldn’t make out much, but then one of the bushes, about twenty-five feet away, looked back at me. When Jim’s flashlight beam caught it, my heart nearly exploded. A big cat.

My thoughts went from, poor kitty, how does it survive out here?....straight to....Holy shit, RUN!

In a blur, I launched myself into the truck bed. The cat darted off, but I wasn’t buying Jim’s calm reassurance. He tried coaxing me down, insisting it was “just a house cat.” Nice try. His trickery wasn’t working, I wasn’t leaving the safety of the Yoda, and he had just volunteered himself for escort duty on all ten of my nightly bathroom trips. House cat? Yeah, right, Sheesh!

Day 2 – Barstow, California
Owl Canyon Campground – Rainbow Basin Natural Area BLM (Free)

We left Quartzsite the next morning with coffee and a guilty fast-food McDonald's breakfast. A short stop at the BlueWater Casino dock gave us a river view as we ate. Crossing into California, we stopped for photos at the most beautiful Welcome to California sign in Parker, one of Jim’s planned “finds.”

Sometimes nature calls and you need to pull off....Jim always finds a good photo op and it just so happens I had a straw.

Next up was Calico Ghost Town, once a booming silver-mining community, now preserved for wandering and exploring. The next day was their big “Calico Days” festival, and we briefly considered staying. But in the end, we chose solitude and kept moving.

We found it all at Owl Canyon Campground in the Rainbow Basin Natural Area. Empty sites and the desert landscape was stunning, multi-colored badlands, unique rock formations, and endless quiet. The temperatures were perfect, though I once again regretted not wearing boots for the trails Jim led me onto.

Back at camp, we were preparing dinner when the sky shifted. Colors turned eerie, almost apocalyptic, and winds whipped through the canyon. A rainbow arched against dark clouds before thunder and lightning rolled in. We huddled in the truck cab, listening to the rain. I climbed onto the tailgate just to watch the lightning split the sky. Jim captured incredible photos.

That night we cozied up in the truck bed, Netflix on, rain pattering above us. Chilly, but magical.

We took to the morning sunrise that painted the rocks in colors only the desert knows. It was absolutely stunning.

Day 3 – Kern River Valley, California
Keysville South Recreational Site – BLM (Free)

Just two hours of driving brought us toward Lake Isabella, though Jim, in true form, had surprises lined up along the way.

The first stop was a railroad museum, which instantly flooded me with memories of my grandfather (Papa Dester).

The second was the Rand Museum, but we skipped it because the turnoff was buried in road construction, complete with a pilot car we’d already spent too much time behind.

Next came an old cemetery, but we chose not to stop, hmm...maybe because of the creepy man in a giant orange truck that sat nearby, staring us down. The whole scene gave me the creeps.

Our fourth stop was a miniature roadside village, tucked away on Acacia Street of all places. Quirky and unexpected...so cool!

The final detour before camp was a hotel known for its paranormal activity. Luckily....or unluckily, the owner wasn’t around to give us the official ghost tour.

Lake Isabella itself was packed. Campgrounds full, crowded, noisy. After striking out at three spots, we finally landed at Keysville South along the Kern River, below the dam.

We pitched the tent, our new addition, for the first time this trip.....thankfully. That night, a thunderstorm raged. Rain soaked the ground until it felt like we were floating, the wind hammering the sides of the tent like sails. I thought we should move, but Jim insisted we ride it out. By morning the ground was soaked and it was a muddy mess, but the tent had held. A test passed. And of course the Yoda kept us dry and protected us from it all.

Day 4
The morning was spent learning the lessons of camping in a river bed.

With coffee in hand, mud and storm debris around us, we got busy. The ranger came by to check things out and he confirmed what we’d guessed one side of the river, our side, was mostly homeless encampments, which explained the floating trash and the strange campsite below us.

The afternoon brought sunshine. We dried gear, cleaned mud, and later dipped in the river to rinse off. When storm clouds gathered again, we moved camp uphill for safety. Dinner was chicken gumbo, eaten under the night skies. As the stars returned, so did peace.

We woke to the warm sun, Jim made coffee, I prepped the beds and cab for travel. Then I enjoyed a little quiet morning reflection. Around mid-morning, a sketchy guy approached camp carrying a pickaxe, telling us to make sure we flag him down if anyone suspicious came by and he'd take care of him. Um…OK, your freaking suspicious! There were so many things Jim could have said and I am thankful his reply was, "all right buddy, will do." Sandwiches packed, it was time to hit the road.

Day 5 – Raymond, California
Cordonizo Campground – Buchanan Dam, Eastman Lake ($20, Recreation.gov)

The fifth night, our final night, we landed at Cordonizo Campground on Eastman Lake. We found our site and met the camp hosts, J (with one letter) and his wife Terri.

Of course we had chosen the most scenic, and therefore windiest, spot. After a restless afternoon, we moved camp to a calmer site nearby.

Jim took off to test out the showers and returned with a happy smile and two thumbs up. I followed and let the hot water wash away all the grime of the last few days. When I returned to camp Jim had prepared an amazing quesadilla dinner. This guy!

That evening, no music, no Netflix just the view and complete stillness of nature.

We took time to take a walk and catch the sun set for our last day of camping for some time. We watched the sunset melt from pink to blue, framed by our “tree of life.” which inspired deep conversation about time and how quickly it goes.

Day 6 – Roseville, California (Homebound)

The morning sun pushed me out of bed, golden light flooding the tent. The woodpeckers, squirrels, and birds sang their morning song. Jim, already up, handed me coffee.

We packed with our new found rhythm, each in our own flow, then hit the road for one final stop before heading home.

As always, these adventures with Yoda offer solitude, starlight, and the chance to slow down. In the past two months we've had two very different desert experiences, both shared beauty that tested us, gave us stillness and renewal to face the coming months.

It's funny how things rarely go as planned and always seems to be an adventure, but I am always grateful for Jim, not only for his patience with me, which trust me takes a lot, but mainly for his strength through fourteen challenging years of pain. His unwavering choice to live on the brighter side and the way he continually helps me see the world through experiences that are amazing, beautiful, and exhilarating inspire me.

I’m excited for the months ahead. They will demand discipline, determination, and strength; qualities Jim absolutely possesses and I’m so hopeful he will finally find relief.

Are we nervous? Yes! Ready? Absolutely! This life is an adventure, and there’s nothing we can’t handle. We will be back on the road in no time! We’ve got this, Jimbo. 😘💚