Road Trip
by Pasadena Adjacent
Let Pasadena Adjacent be your guide as we head off into the wilds of the beautiful Anza Borrego Desert. Buckle-up funsters.
Now that we’ve left Jacumba (previous post) and Bert Vaughn’s Hotel we can head off on In-Ko-Pah road and visit Bert’s “Desert View” Tower. Notice the crocodile left of Boots? sculpted by out-of-work engineer W.T. Ratcliffe during the depression. And yes, this could of all been yours for a pittance back in 1956.
Lets move beyond Plaster City to Anza Borrego State Park. We hear voices in the “adjacents’ that point us in the direction of hidden delights; a kind of sixth sense. Perhaps those voices are eminating from local nudist’s and self sufficient desert dwellers, Marshal and Tanya South . Possibly from the ruins of their adobe home atop Ghost Mountain. Hear the whispering? “pull over at mile 46 on Hwy S2″ where we are sure to discover an oasis of native palms up an isolated canyon. It’s been a long drive. Time to curve around the Salton Sea and visit Chef King Soupiere where I’m certain we’ll be well fed after we take Baby-Cakes out for a walk. Don’t let the name “Baby-Cakes” fool you; that pup survived the bite of a mojave green.
Our home bound stradegy is to wait out Andy Roony’s 60 Minutes diatribe, then blend into interstate 10’s mass of humanity. Namely those folks driving monster trucks and big ass RV’s; followed by carts filled with motorized land toys (the ones that tear up the desert).
Have you looked at the names applied to current model RV’s? “Rampage Avenger, Marauder, Challenger” may we add “Tortoise Destroyer”
Pasadena Adjacent 
When I saw this landscape (the first frame of the video) I was reminded of the popular vintage post card depicting desert flora that I’ve posted above it.
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Saw the Desert View tower on one of Huell Howser’s shows. Been itching to visit the Anza Borrego area for a while now, maybe after the first of the year. I need the desert (and mountains for that matter), the vast emptiness is comforting.
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RV’s =
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Dammit, you beat my vette, even with all your speed bumps (which I will visit, just because it’s you). I was going here, in a post or two. Think I’ll take your trip with a cup of morning coffee.
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I see there is no need to buy a vintage postcard of dessert flora for you. :) But I was thinking of it.
Sandstone Canyon, Anza Borrego, Thanksgiving 1981. Been meaning to make it back there… I took some of my best photos there with a 110 film camera.
Mr. Mid-Town – that is one long link for just 2 words.
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PS – fud mucker
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PSS – enjoyed seeing the fabulous ceramic sculpture at Chef King’s
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Late to the ball as always, this comment is re: Ada, a few posts back. There is a silly but engaging “steampunk” (don’t ask) novel that stars Ada, “The Difference Engine” by the well known William Gibson and less well known Bruce Sterling. Published 1992 and on Amazon.
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The South family stuff is fascinating.
They were nudists because it was practical, given the shortage of water for washing. (I said I was gullible.)
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Beautiful desert scenery, awful to think of off-roaders ripping into it…as in Charles David’s 1960’s desert forays with his motorcyles, although I can see why he wanted to be out there removed from everything.
I love the speed bumps (thank you Altadena for providing a name). The vintage postcard stikes me as how the desert would look like if ~isneyland or The Victory Garden (PBS tv show) lived there. Pretty unnatural. I saw an episode recently that was filmed at the Huntington Botanical Gardens which focused on their catus collection; grand but rather unnatural looking.
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This is very educational–about a part of the world where I’m not likely to find myself. You bring it alive.
There was a good essay on the Salton Sea in Best American Essays a couple of years ago. I’d never heard of it till then.
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Keith: Did you catch the kitty link? The towers are great fun and near the tail end of Highway 80 (include that on the trip if you head for SD). When I return I want to hike “Valley of the Moon” near Jacumba and the trail leading to the South Family ruins. I’m with you on the solitude. Did you notice how few cars we passed on the video?
Mid Town: well at least you didn’t bring “mother” into the discussion. pity the tortoise
AH: What I lack in literary prowess, I make up for in links.
for future reference; the tortoise always beats the hare. Speed bumps; good description.
Tash: Mid Town likes to torture me. The sculpture is actually made of wood by Chef King Senior. Visits the links; they include some nice little hints for your future travels.
Jim: there’s also a movie called Conceiving Ada staring Tilda Swinten on Netflixs
Jean: ding ding ding…I’m with you. Several of my posts have been linked to Desert Magazine. It’s where the Ghost Mountain Experiment was documented. I nearly bought the movie when I found it for sale at a desert store off Agua Caliente road.
did you catch this?
http://www.desertusa.com/video_pages/south_dvd2.html
and this. A link to desert magazine and the experiment
http://tinyurl.com/preview.php?num=2fmpt6g
D: The hiker jumps over my speed bumps. Now thats she’s so POPular she hasn’t any time for me (notice my thinly veiled attempt to make her feel guilty? I learned that from Ramona).
I like your critique on the card (and the Huntington). But didn’t I do a rather splendid job locating a similar landscape? the chances of that many different type of cactus being in bloom at once (and growing together) could only happen at the Huntington.
Charlie probably didn’t have to go so far…La Puente/La Habra was still rural back then.
Banjo: Isn’t this the kind of road trip you once wrote on? the winding two lane highway.
Is that essay online? you might enjoy this clip
True Story: during a time when there was a shortage of nurses, hospitals were putting out an open call. A Polish couple I met, took that call. They looked at a map of California, saw the Salton Sea or in hyperbole speak “the California Riviera” and decided that this was place for them. They nixed the sea in favor of Palm Desert but more then a few Hungarians chose to stay on
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I wouldn’t bet on the tortoise and the hare in this scenario; I think you’ve probably got me beat in either case. But I visited all the links except the nudists. That one didn’t come up, so to speak.
But the desert blows the mind clean of all the nicities of civilization. The doilies, and such. And what remains, or what’s revealed, is always a surprise.
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Testing 1,2,3,4. WordPress doesn’t like bluegrass . . .
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Looks like I’m in. I don’t really have much to add. Your post is so rich with goodies that it’s either 500 words of response or a quick summary–and now the story about the nurses, too.
I’ll check that Ytube on road trips. I do like ’em but don’t have the endurance I once did. I’m still stunned at all you see on two-lanes that interstates hide, the good, the bad, the ugly.
Frankly, I didn’t think anything could make me interested in Southern Cal. or deserts, but I think you have. I’ve heard others voice AH’s sentiments about deserts blowing things clean. I’ve heard it about Anarctica and Alaska too . . . .
But your history stuff and photography makes it real, new and interesting to an outsider–first the Watts towers, now the Bush fence (which I did not remember at all).
Nudist colony? Not a Naked colony? I should quit now.
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Wonderful series, I really like the framing, all very beautiful.
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It’s well worth bumping the video up to full screen, it’s like running down the highway in real time.
I don’t think many people appreciate a sense of place as much as you [and Mr V ???] do. You just have to get a travel show gig, this is just fab – again.
PS Christianity is a desert religion – I think I’ve made that point before – so I’m not really all that impressed with steeples and the like. But I do love this.
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Um, by the by, Nigger Head? Definitely Old School. I got the same jolt reading a PD James book of “Wooster and Jeeves”, he talked about going to see a nigger band, nothing derogatory intended he must have thought (????) but I couldn’t read any further after that. I’ll settle for the sanitized PBS episodes which are hysterical.
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Thanks for the links.
You resisted the movie? The trailer makes me want it.
And the entries are on line. This is great.
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Just watched “your” video and a couple others on Salton Sea, which lived down to its reputation.
I second PJ’s motion on screen enlargement. Your video really puts us there. What a landscape. As a SoCal native, how do you respond to it?
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AH: Although some may choose to wear a cross or star of David around their neck, I’m either wearing a turtle or a cockroach around mine.
I’ve joined the “experiment” on Face Book which led to this link. Check it out (pretend arrow pointing down)
Jean: (pretend arrow pointing up)
http://marshalsouth.com/index.asp
check out the ever changing banner (ode to PJ) I’m all a twitter (pre-twitter interpretation)
Leovi: thank you for visiting. I’v enjoyed looking at your mysterious photos
Banjo: 500 words of response; am I complaining? go for it!
Grahm Parsons – U2 – The Doors. It’s a poets corner
Re: Salton Sea..I’ve stayed overnight three times starting in the mid-80’s. The Bomby arena side. We drove looking for hotels. Found a cool swiss chalet modernist hotel in serious decline. 20 bucks and headed by a surprised white guy who was this side of Festus. Spider webs between bed and wall. Discovered half the rooms had caved in and the other half were housing illegal farm workers. I decided they were illegal because they scurried every time I walked out of my room. Next time we returned it had been plowed under. Lots of roads that were laid out for a development that didn’t happen. I think a famous architect contributed to the arena. A tiki restaurant (chipped beef on webers and a bag of chips). An in-town street lined with mobile estates, plastic flowers, concrete bric-a-brac and oleander bushes. The regular was an elderly sun baked gal who drove a VW with those pipes shooting out the back engine. I was enchanted
PJ: “real time” why I chose it. I also like the soundtrack of the car engine. I’m so honored that both you and Banjo played it in full screen (I haven’t even done that)
My opinion; the most deserty version of the sky god is Islam. Studied Karen Armstrong and Benard Lewis. Also have a collection of m3 Adhans. You can almost hear the wind
My grandmother once used the term “darky”. I suppose I should have been appalled; instead I laughed. Were all victims/participants of our times
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Whoa! What a ride. I visited the Sonoran Desert years ago with a friend who was teaching me the names of all the cacti. The postcard would have come in handy. I love the other-worldly nature of the desert, the smells, the quirky characters who settle there. You’re a superb guide.
Ah, Baby-Cakes, the promised pooch. He and Boots are damn cute.
Once again, a deep journey.
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Susan: Thanks! before I met Mr V I looked at the desert as something you had to pass through to get to something good. He taught me to appreciate it.
Baby Cakes survived a rattlesnake bite without medical intervention; mojave greens are the most poisonous of the vipers. The chef was completely maxed out (credit/cash wise) at the time and the asshole vet wanted 3 grand for the anecdote. Rather then watch the dog suffer the chef requested euthanazia. The vet said in all snark-a-tude “don’t ask me to kill your dog” so the family sat at Baby-Cakes death bed all night long. The next morning the swelling began to recede. Sometimes the gods take pity
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Always a special pet that defies the odds, I’ve had one in my lifetime. Hooray for Baby Cakes, not to mention having a great name.
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Late, sorry. I love this.
The desert has a silent call. It’s easy not to hear it. Someday I’ll tell you of my first visit. It’s a place I like to visit alone, but I’m not picky.
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That Baby Cakes story is amazing. Makes me think some kind of Carlos Castaneda mysticism was involved.
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Chris McCandliss – Into the Wild – had a Salton Sea adventure before his final big adventure. Sounds like an interesting spot, I’ll have to put it on my list…
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D: Our beloved Tess(s)
Petrea: tell me tonight
Susan: Baby Cakes now prefers taking her walks in her familiar hood “The Green Palm Mobile Home Park”
PJ: Thats right; I saw the movie. Actually it’s one of the few movies I own
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Tried reading Into the Wild…found it too distressing after a while.
Came across the Chef King video – I like the home AND got a glimpse of another bag painting. So fun.
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