This week we were fully committed to boondocking, living off solar power and gallons of stored water and food. We embarked on a journey that took us through rugged deserts and pine-covered mountains, through sand dunes and 20ft tall cacti, all in pursuit of getting to Southern California as quickly as possible.
As expected a few things happened en-route, and it was a great lesson in maybe pushing ourselves a bit too far.
How it began
Our journey began stocking up on gas, petrol, water, food and a multitude of pinned Google Map locations for us to stay at en-route. With our map in hand, we set off, 848 miles to go.
Counting down the miles
Here is a quick overview of our travels this week, with more delightful insights to follow below:
| Night | Location | Notes | Miles to go… |
| 1 | Pietown, NM | – Pie Why else would we visit somewhere called Pietown? – First RV tire blowout (!!!) | 648 |
| 2 | Larson Ridge, AZ | – Beautiful forest campground all to ourselves! and free! | 478 |
| 3 | Prescott, AZ | All of our targeted spots were taken, it was up a windy and bumpy road for a big rig like ours! We were lucky to find an empty campground at the top. | 372 |
| 4 | Quartzsite, AZ | – Tilly filled out glove compartment with all the quartz or pretty rocks she found – The most RVs we have ever seen | 237 |
| 5 | Anza-Borrego, CA | Our first full shower in a week. It.was.glorious. | 73 |
The details
As you can see from the table above, our week was primarily about travel. Covering significant mileage each evening after full working days. Each leg offered a new landscape, from the beautiful pine mountains to dusty deserts. We took an unexpected turn early on with a full tire blowout, a scary moment, but ever the practical handy man Will and with the kindness of strangers he was able to switch it out with ease.
As we pressed on, exhausted from lots of travel and the constant demands of snacking toddlers swinging around snack bags like a lasso, it was the small surprises that kept our spirits high. The surprise of note was the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which from a distance and our naive intellect were simply 27 giant satellite dishes. When in fact it is a state-of-the-art radio telescope observatory conducting incredible research into radioactivity in space and beyond! The Girls and Will were very lucky to be in the presence of one of these telescopes whilst it was moving into position!
Other noteworthy surprises were the ease and strength in which two young toddlers explored each new environment. From collecting all of the shiniest rocks, paddling in streams, learning not to poke cacti, helping Dad build a campfire at 7am in the morning and zooming around on a Strider bike with the stopping capability that F1 drivers can only dream of.
To round off our summary of surprises we can not forget the road in which we thought we were going to be victims of a highway robbery. Which, luckily for us turned out to be two bus loads of senior citizens taking pictures of the beautiful desert scenery and the road we were on. And least we forget the best part of this entire journey…the hot shower we were able to take at the final campground before heading to San Diego. We rolled in as sun kissed sand covered mongrels and left as clean and shiny as a poodle at a dog show.
As we finally reached our destination in San Diego, we couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment for the journey we just travelled. Long days, lots of snacks and random pieces of knowledge gained, we are grateful for the experiences that shaped our journey, but we very much look forward to the ease and somewhat luxury of the week ahead.
Our Adventures in Frames 
Leave a comment