SAND AND SEA ...

Coughing and hacking, I buttoned up the rig about 9:30 am and followed the Chance RV out of town.  With hardly a sole left at the fairgrounds, it looked like a ghost town.  In an effort to keep our blogs at last slightly different when we travel together, I TRY to pick things I don't think Dan will photograph or talk about.  It is funny however, how many images we take that are exactly the same!!

Dan opted for the East side of the Salton Sea since we came down the West side last year, and this road was new to me.  It didn't take long to find the SAND portion of the trip.  It's EVERYWHERE!!!  The sea came along soon enough.  Driving through this area, it just amazes me to think that people spent thousands of dollars to move to this sand covered tumbleweed scrub brush area in the name of "Resort" or "Spa".

I suppose the blue water looks pretty and I'm relatively sure it didn't look quite this bad in the early days, but even at it's best, I don't think this place would hold any interest for me.

The sign says Corvina RV park to the right ... with the Cafe long closed down.  There aren't even any paved roads into these areas close to the water!!

This sea was an accident stemming from a canal that diverted water from the Colorado River.  The resulting breach/overflow created this lake in 1905.  The lake continued to grow until the Union Pacific repaired the breach.  By 1920, fish were introduced, making it a tourist destination.  In the meantime, the U.S. Government, in their infinite wisdom, designated the lake irrigation water.  

With no outlet, the water that was pumped out over the fields, gathered up salts, DDT, Agent Orange and other pesticides and drained back into the lake.  It didn't take long to become a disaster.  When the freshwater fish died, they introduced saltwater fish.  By 1986, the saline levels spawned an algal bloom that smelled like lovely rotten eggs.  The fish became inedible and the resorts closed.  As a wildlife preserve, it didn't fare any better, with two huge rounds of bird deaths from tainted fish and water.  Barely 100 years old, there are lots of grandiose plans to resurrect the area, but I wouldn't hold my breath!!

Here's a lovely little farm for sale if you're of a mind to live in the middle of nowhere!!

With lots of wind pushing our sailing rigs along, we finally crossed into Arizona.  I'm exhausted from my cold and trying to keep my rig on the road!!  We finally parked at Western Sands RV Resort south of Yuma ... a very nice "seniors" park with wide spaces so you don't hear your neighbors.  At about $100 for the week with electric charged by your use, it's the least expensive I've seen ... and the neighbors are ever so nice!!!   I have been personally invited to the JAM, whatever that is, on Thursday night.  I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with food however.

Dinner was at our ever favorite Cracker Barrel ... mostly because they serve my all time comfort food, mac 'n cheese!!  The trout was delicious too!!

Up early today, I'm off to La Mesa to get my dryer fixed.  Keep your fingers crossed it only takes ONE day!!