Not an Early Riser

Since I don't put enough pictures in this blog--here's my cat Scrappy sleeping on top of my mom.

I need to do my writing without any distractions.  That means staying up late at night when my mom's asleep.  That also means that I sleep late every day, getting up sometime after 10 or 11am.

This was not possible at our Bluewater Casino boondock.  There was some huge boat race going on at this marina/casino.  The parking lot speakers were blasting announcements at 7am, and extremely loud boat engines were revving. 

x_x  Ugh.

I tried to keep sleeping with earplugs, but it just wasn't happening.  So we packed up. 

This is our first time hunting down a "pay" dump station.  We needed to dump, take on water, dispose of trash, and shower.  I researched http://freecampsites.net and their sister site http://rvdumpsites.net hoping to find a place were we could do all of the above.

The answer was the La Paz County Park.  https://rvdumpsites.net/#!20937&query=sitedetails  The dump station was $10 and we were able to shower also for $2 per person.  We got rid of our trash at the dump station trash barrels.  We also filled our fresh water by pulling near a bathroom and connecting to a spigot.  Is this really allowed?  I'm not sure.  The camp host said it was 'probably okay', but there was also a place selling water on site.  We got away with it.  The showers were very nice too--and cheap!

We are trying to head West to California to a boondock with a lot of potential that's not too far outside Los Angeles.  I'm a four hour drive away from there.  I don't really want to drive four hours with my mom following behind.  That's a major journey for our caravan.  On top of the distance there was also a strong wind advisory. 

Nope.  We're not going to make this trek today.  All I want is a nearby boondock on BLM land.  I want to be some where peaceful and quiet to recover from the noisy casino.

We head north to Lake Havasu toward this boondock:
  https://freecampsites.net/#!4456&query=sitedetails

Except I turn left instead of right while coming up 95 North and take the camper down treacherous dirt road for far too long.  When I get to an electrical station I turn around and lead my mother back out.  She has four wheel drive that is tearing through the dirt no problem.  I have my heart in my stomach with white knuckle fists clenching the wheel.  OMGOMGOMGWHATDIDIDO!?!?!  I really thought the RV was going to tip over, fall into the ravine, get stuck in the dirt, or have a tire pop.

While I'm trying to escape this road I see RVs parked up high across the highway.  THAT'S the turn I should have made, going right instead of left.  Thanks for nothing Garmin.

Now we got to a BEAUTIFUL camp site.  OMG.  It looks like something you'd normally have to pay for.  We're up in the mountains with lovely vistas all around, and there are fifty or so other campers spaced far apart around us so we feel safe.  The road in was hard packed dirt, and there was plenty of level spots.  HALLELUJAH!

Look!  I actually took pictures for once.  We're level--I was holding the camera crooked

Lots of other RVs but we're nice and far apart.

 We're set until our next dump.  Frankly we may just come back here for two tank cycles.  I really missed campgrounds like this.

Tonopah Nevada Boondock

Hello from Tonopah!  We made it to the BLM boondock described to me here:  http://freecampsites.net/#!10273&query=sitedetails

This looks like a good boondock.  You don't pull off by the BLM office as described on that site, but go further until you see a dirt road with a cow rail across it on you left as you go south on 95.  This will take you to a circle of dirt with lots of unlevel spots.  Scout around past the old fire pits and you can get a level-ish area.  It is easy on, easy off, just as reported, with a big circle to drive around to get back to the dirt road.

The pictures are from the Tonopah station, where we stopped before getting here.  It's a tiny casino with an unspectacular cafe.  I wish we'd gone to the BBQ place we passed before getting to it instead.

It's cloudy, but our batteries are still charged up from the RV park.  We should be fine for one night.  It's a good temperature here with a nice breeze.

Tonopah is a beat-up old west town with a lot of relics from the past that would look like deliberately built tourist buildings elsewhere, but are just really old buildings here.  There's a lot of old buildings in town that still have the old west facades from the 1800s, but you can tell they are just old, and not trying to fake that look. 

There's a lot of old mining relics, dilapidated and dangerous looking.  Also a gigantic old hotel that was just completely abandoned.  It's a real eye-sore as you drive into town. 

Anyway, when I'm driving and towing the rig I'm too stressed to be snapping pictures.  You'll have to make do with what I snapped at Tonopah station.  If you prefer to stay at an RV park, rather than a perfectly good boondock, we were quoted $27 to stay in the RV park there for the night.

I'm glad we didn't plan to stay here long.  It's kind of a depressing 'One McDonald Town' like Pahrump.  At least in Pahrump we have my mom's church and that kick-ass RV park we like.  So...tomorrow we continue onward!

This isn't the majestic kind of boondocks you get from RV Sue.  It's desert scrub brush, broken bottles, and scorched earth firepits.  Meh.  It will do for tonight.  It was halfway between Reno and Pahrump so it was the perfect stopping place.

Some kids pulled over to rock hunt but quickly either got bored of it or creeped out by our presence and left.  I think we'll be safe for one night.  Wish us luck!!!