First we went to Quartzite with friends to camp on BLM land for a few nights, gave our friend Sid time to operate his new drone. And of course a little jeep time too! We then choose to run over to the Salton Sea which is pretty interesting place which was sold as the Rivera of California in the 50's and 60's.
The Salton Sea was formed between 1905 and 1907 when the Colorado River burst through poorly built irrigation controls south of Yuma, Arizona. Almost the entire flow of the river filled the Salton Basin for more than a year, inundating communities, farms and the main line of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Read more: http://www.desertusa.com/salton/salton.html#ixzz4VKNRfFG7
Slap City is on the land of a Marine Training base used to train men and women during World War II. All of the former buildings at Camp Dunlap were removed. The remaining slabs however, were not removed, and became what is now called Slab City. Squatters and snowbirds have taken up roost at this old, abandoned military base. It all started back in 1965, when Riverside County placed limits on the length of time allowed for a campground stay; the BLM had enacted similar rules
Read more: http://www.desertusa.com/desert-california/slab-city2.html#ixzz4VKPYHdOG
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Along the Parker Dam road there are plenty of burrows some are young ones, cute and fuzzy.
and as one might suspect in the local diners parking lot, among the trucks and trucks is a Rolls!
Needless to say with all the wind rain and dirt in the air the motor home took on a whole new color.
Smiling Bill, what can I say:
He was elated that we had rented a couple Razors to play out in the desert around Lake Havasu and what a blast, the dunes were awesome
We have moved on over to Phoenix to meet up with more friends from the west Jim and Sue. Staying at Canyon Visit RV resort. Sun set on the mountains from our site.
We wanted to see Frank Lloyd Wrights house in Phoenix. One of Frank Lloyd Wright's most innovative and unusual buildings is under attack.
Nestled in a quiet neighborhood in Arcadia, Phoenix, the David and Gladys Wright house features a circular spiral ramp that mimics the Guggenheim Museum. When construction finished in 1953, critics called it Wright's best work since Fallingwater. According to Neil Levine, a prominent Wright scholar, architects and historians say its one of the 20 most significant Wright buildings.
The home was a gift for Wright's son David and daughter-in-law Gladys, who lived there from 1952 until Gladys passed away in 2008. In 2009, Wright's granddaughters sold the home to a preservationist who pledged to take care of the property. Just three years later, the family reneged on their promise, selling the home to luxury home developer 8081 Meridian for $1.8 million. Immediately, 8081 Meridian secured a lot split permit for the property from the City of Phoenix with the intent to demolish the David Wright house to make room for two luxury homes.
On to the next sight, so off to Mystery Castle:
The reality of dying was thrust upon Boyce Gully in his prime. Choosing not to live a life of quiet desperation awaiting the end, he ran away from home, family and friends.
Those were sad but wondrous times of soul searching and physical creativity. In his heart was permanently etched the vision of those precious moments when he and his little girl, Mary Lou, built sand castles on the beach in Seattle. How she would cry when the tide washed them away. “Please, Daddy, build me a big and strong castle someday that I can live in. Maybe you ought to build it on the desert where there is no water.”
He would just smile. Perhaps, it wasn’t a coincidence that he migrated to Arizona. He built Mary Lou a native stone castle - eighteen rooms, thirteen fireplaces, parapets and many charming nooks and crannies, then furnished it with southwestern antiques.
Boyce Gully died in 1945 before he could send for his family. His “princess” was an adult when she moved into her “castle” and began living her fairy tale, perpetuating her dream. She shared her “home” by giving guided tours of her beloved Mystery Castle until her death in 2010.
Today, the castle remains open for tours from October through May. The Mystery Castle Foundation, a 501c3 organization maintains the property so that future generations can share in the history and magic that is My Mystery Castle.
Then a nice hike among saguaros way above Phoenix
Hole in the rock was pretty cool, great hike and a lot of fun.
From here we'll head to Tucson and will do some sight seeing there before traveling on to see our friends Steve and Raymond and their new home in Los Cruces NM before heading to Texas for our dear friends Pete and Patty's wedding..
This is a summary of our last few weeks traveling
