Caryn is at the wheel when we arrive at the California border, so Mary quickly briefs her regarding the expected agriculture questions, and urges her to use discression, considering we’re packing a few Granny Smiths. The border agents only ask where we’re coming from, and Caryn replies “Arizona”.   We breeze through, and luckily the agents don’t give chase after noticing our Florida license plate.

Part of the beauty of this trip is our ability to change our minds, plans and direction.  By the time darkness is approachin, we decide we’ve had enough close encounters with cacti for now, and decide to forgo Joshua Tree, and head right to Palm Springs.   We pull into Palm Desert about 7 pm, and head straight to City Wok, one of Caryn’s favorite restaurants in the Cochella Valley.   After dinner, we head to Goldmine Yogurt, for a delicious peanut butter and chocolate minicup.  After desert, we head over to the Cathedral City Travelodge, where each spring we spend two weeks during the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament.  

Caryn goes in and encounters her buddy Leroy, the manager, and secures our usual room (#105) with microwave and refrigerator.  She also gets a discount, since once again we a green coupon book.  For anyone interested in these fabulous coupon books, they are available free at many rest areas and gas stations.   The can also be accessed via computer at www.exitguide.com, where you can search for coupons by state and city, and print them out on your computer.  

Thursday morning we enjoy a leisurely start, then walk next door for lunch at Thai Kitchen, followed by a dip in the hot tub, and lounging by the pool.  Later we walk next door for a few small tacos at Taco Shop, then head to downtown Palm Springs to visit the weekly street fair, where we sample some mini doughnuts made right before our eyes by a little automated contraption which drops out the dough and ferries it through the hot grease, finally dumping cooked doughnuts into a tray, where they are doused with powered sugar.   We also have a Danish puff pastry, sold at a booth manned by an older couple, he waiting on customers, she making the pastries a few at a time.   When they’re finally cooked, he adds a spoonful of boysenberry preserves, and presents them to the anxious customers (that’s us).  After all the excitement of the street fair, it’s back to the hotel for some Thursday night TV, and a good nights sleep, since we have a shoot in Palm Springs at 8 am Friday morning.

After the early Friday start, we head down to Goldmine Yogurt, where we each have a mini peanut butter and chocolate yogurt, then pick up some carnitas from La Casita restaurant, and head back to the Travelodge for a picnic.   Barely lasting through the meal, Mary heads inside for a nap, while Caryn makes some phone calls.   Unable to sit by and let Mary enjoy a peaceful slumber, Caryn wakes her with some idle chatter about frequent flier mileage, and then proceeds to fall asleep herself.   Unable to fall back to sleep, Mary watches Drew Barrymore in “Once Upon A Time” on HBO.   Mary wakes Caryn after the movie, and they head over to photograph a carwash sign at dusk, featuring a neon elephant. We’re very excited because in past visits the sign was always broken, but when we pulled in on Wednesday night we noticed that it was fully functional, but it was already completely dark out, and decided to return one night at dusk, so we could have some light in the sky.   (This is the lesson part of the chapter).   When we got there, the adjacent street was closed down, and there were some heavy machines parked in it.   Apparently it was these heave machines that had knocked into the elephant sign since our arrival, severing the neon tubes.

We did some shots anyway, then decided to head west to Cabazon, to photograph the Eurovan with the giant dinosaurs at night.    We’ve only shot the dinosaurs during daylight, and we’ve seen postcards featuring them floodlit. Well, we arrived to find the dinosaurs dark, with a Wal-Mart 18 wheeler parked behind.   “Maybe they haven’t turned on the floodlights yet” we thought.   Upon closer inspection, we discovered that there are no floodlights.  The postcards must have been shot during a movie, perhaps PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE. Not wanting to admit complete defeat,   Mary took out the mini tripod, and did some time exposures.   Then we headed over to Hadley’s, where Caryn got some Gummy Bears, and we felt the weight of an Ostrich egg (it's quite heavy, and about the size of a cantaloupe).  All this activity worked up quite an appetite, so we headed back to Palm Desert to search out a great little Italian restaurant that Caryn’s father's cousin had taken us to last March during the tennis tournament.   Even with a full moon, it sure is dark out here, and after quite a search we found Le Donne Cucina Italiana. We share a salad, and leaving nothing to chance, Caryn orders the same chicken dish she had last time. Being a bit more adventuresome, Mary orders a pasta dish with ham and mushrooms in a pink sauce.   Delicious!   Too full for yogurt, we head back to the Travelodge.  

Saturday morning we pack our belongings at a leisurely pace, then check out and drive right past the Salvation Armywith the three white furry bandhats that Caryn didn’t  approve of, and head to the BANK OF AMERICA to do some much needed banking.  We hit Goldmine Yogurt one last time, only this time we decide yogurt will be our lunch, and gorge ourselves on a small!   After that, it’s over to Trader Joe’s for some quasi-healthy grub, and we’re on our way back to AZ by 1:30 pm.  While at Trader Joe’s we notice that our first absolutely favorite restaurant in the Cochella Valley, Kokapelli Cafe, has reopened after going out of business last February.   The menu has changed, and we’re too full from yogurt to even think about eating again.   All in all, we managed to hit most of our favorite eateries while in town.  

Darkness approaches, and we’re near the town of Picacho, AZ, where there is a state park with campground, but we’re not sure it will be open after dark.  Before the park we see a sign for a state prison, and decide that we don’t want to camp here, and keep going, not sure where we’ll spend the night.   Fortunately, about 10 miles past the state prison, we see a sign for the state park, and decide to see if it’s still open.   We’re in luck, you can enter until 10 pm.   We take swing through the hookup campground, and discover that it’s basically a paved parking lot with water and electric hookups, and bathroom/shower facilities.   Mary wants to check out the non-hookup campground to see if it offers more ambiance, but all it offers is porta-sans, so concrete it will be for tonight.   We join the three other RVs already occupying the ‘campground”, then pay our $15 fee. We decide on a quick set up, no tent, and no reversing the front seats of the van, just pop the top, make the bed, and set up the camp chairs outside, and settle down for a nice peanut butter sandwich, on a great loaf of bread from Trader Joe’s.   After dinner we pull out our TV, and watch a National Geographic show on birds.   Mostly Mary is doing the watching, Caryn is once again mesmerized by solitaire on the iPaq.

Mary wakes up early and looks outside, to see the glow of sunrise coming over the mountain, and some cactus silhouttes.   Reluctantly, she tears herself from the cozy Eurovan bed, and ventures outside.   It’s beautiful!   Saguaro cactus everywhere, but not so tightly clumped together as in the National Park, making for much better photos.   She returns to the van, and awakens Caryn, with the promise of some great photo ops.   Caryn is up and at ‘em, begrudgingly. EOS in hand, she’s off in search of the perfect cactus.   Mary finishes up her photos, and brews up a pot of espresso.  Gotta love that Eurovan stove! Who needs Starbucks!   Caryn wanders back, and you guessed it, heads for the solitaire machine!  Mary heads for the showers.  By the time she’s done, it 9 am, and all the campers from the primitive campground arrive to take showers.   Caryn is frustrated, but gets her turn by 9:30 am.   We pack up and prepare to depart, but head out to do some self portraits with giant cactus.   Mary is wearing a red t-shirt, and not wanting to be outshone, Caryn dons a yellow tee.   More on this choice later. While wandering around, Mary remembers that the ostrich farm is just down the road, perhaps at this very exit.  

We leave Picacho State Park for Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Farm to visit with and feed the ostrich and deer.   Admission is $2, and includes a cup of feed, a YELLOW cup of feed. The proprietor, a jovial fellow in overalls, leads us out side to the ostriches, and shakes his yellow feed cup, announcing to the animals “Fresh Fingers”.   He demonstrates how to feed them, emphasizing to put just a few pieces of feed in your hand, and bring it up to them slowly.   This, I suppose, is to cut down on the biting, because, as the sign says, “Ostriches Bite - not responsible for accidents.”   He also demonstrates how to kiss the ostrich.   We decide this is best left to the professionals.  

Caryn is quite brave, and begins to feed the freakish beasts with the beady eyes.   All is going quite well, until she gets a little over anxious, and puts a tad too much food in her hand, resulting in the first bite. They don’t have teeth, so not much harm is done.   After trying to photograph the feeding frenzy, Caryn decides to return to the car, to fetch her EOS camera and fisheye.   It didn’t take long for the ostriches to decide that the lens might perhaps be food, and peck at it. She switches to the 70-200. All the while Mary is taunting the silly birds by rattling her feed cup, and holding it near Caryn’s lens. While concentrating on a longer lens shot, Caryn inadvertently leans against the railing, and that’s when it happens, a sneaky bird snuck up behind her, and pecked her on the ass.    Caryn realizes at this point that they’re attracted to her yellow shirt, thinking SHE'S THE BIGGEST FEED CUP OF THEM ALL!!  We witness an ostrich tending to it’s eliminating function, and with that we decide to switch to the deer, who are much more mellow, yet a bit more slobbery.   After about an hour and a half, and three cups of feed, not including Caryn, we decide we’ve had enough. We head back toward the Tucson area, where we plan to have lunch, BUT, not before Caryn again begins the quest for the Java Frost.   We pull into a Circle K, and score! Then it’s off to Sonic Burger, where we make ourselves sick on chicken strips, fries, and a hickory burger.  Back on the road, and Mary, munching on Pepto-Bismol pills, is one step closer to vegetarianism, only putting off the commitment until after Amy cooks us a lamb dinner when we arrive in West Virginia.

Around 4 pm we pull into the southern Arizona town of Bisbee, a funky little town is the mountains of southern Arizona,   home of The Shady Dell RV Park and campground. After a quick trip to the Chamber of Commerce, we find The Shady Dell, a RV park featuring eight silver vintage travel trailers that are available for nightly rental.   We learn that of all these silver trailers, only one is an Airstream.   We later learn that the owners of Shady Dell, Rita and Ed aren’t very fond of Airstreams, because "they’re not very well insulated, and don’t have much wood inside. "

Sunday night we stayed in the 1951 SPARTAN ROYAL MANSION, a 33 foot trailer built by the Spartan Aircraft Company, which at the time was owed by J. Paul Getty. During it’s time, this was considered the Cadillac of travel trailers.  Although these trailers have been painstakingly decorated with a 1940’s-1950’s motif, some modern modifications have been made, such as modernizing the electricity throughout, and adding hot water heaters, as well as household style toilets (in some).  Showers have been removed and all showering is down in the bathhouse, which features tiled showers,and toilets, since not all of the trailers include bathrooms. Our MANSION is complete with a vintage B&W TV, which has been retrofitted to work with a VCR to play some old movies which are included in the rental price of $70.  After a bite to eat at DOT’S DINER, we settled in for the night, and watched Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in the 1954   film, THE LONG, LONG TRAILER (directed by Vincent Minelli).  We learn a new word - “trailerites”, which is what the trailer folk call each other in this movie. It was a perfect evening, following by a great nights sleep in the birch wood paneled bedroom, complete with chenille bed spread.  Another nice touch is the bedroom window, which opens via a crank, like auto windows used to.

After some pancakes and and a breakfast dessert of Bisbee Pie with ice cream at Dot’s, we gather our belongings and move five trailers over to the AIRSTREAM, a 21 foot 1949 beauty ($55 per night).   This trailer also has a working kitchen and full size bed, but no bathroom here.   It’s just a few short steps to the bathhouse, so we know we’ll be okay. After a shower Mary whips up some veggie ravioli that we picked up at Trader Joes, and we have a nice lunch outside on the patio furniture. Then it’s off to Old Bisbee for exploring.   Driving down main street, we pass a decorated “Art Car”, with a big gold 3D lion on the trunk.   Farther along Main Street we see a Eurovan parked on the street.   We park behind it, and snap a photo, for posterity.  We wander the streets and find an antique store, where we can’t pass up a mint green lap tray/desk, and the door from an old postal box, with working combination.   With our purchases in hand, we continue on, to the staircase that says “Save our 1000 steps”.   Mary’s game, and off she goes.   It’s not that bad, but doesn’t seem like 1000 steps.   She counts the descent, and only comes up with 80.   What’s that all about?   Back to the center of town, and we stop at the Bisbee coffee company for some refreshment.   Then it’s back to Shady Dell, where Caryn decides to do a quick load of laundry, ”to get us caught up” since it’s only $.75 for the wash, and the same for the dry. The detergent is free.  At this point, Caryn would like to share with you her feeling on stain removal.”   SHOUT is the best there is, and Spray and Wash should be out of business.”

Mary makes use of the three pronged electric outlet in the laundry room to charge the computer, and   catch up on some writing.   Dusk approaches, and Mary does some snaps when Dot’s Diner turns on their lights.   When she’s done, it’s back to writing in the laundry room. A few minutes later, Caryn arrives with the news that the Eurovan we saw in town is parked at Dot’s Diner.  We decide to head over for dinner, and to meet our fellow Eurovaners.   We settle for the dinner special of Chicken Marsala with veggies and rice ($6.75)   We strike up a conversation with Emily and her eight year old son Peter, who are traveling in the Eurovan from Silver City, NM.   We have a nice conversation over dinner discussing our vans, and trips.   Caryn fills Emily in on the green coupie book, then   takes Emily and Peter over to see our “States Visited” map, and leaves Mary in the diner to pay the check.  Realizing she’s short on cash, she strikes up a conversation with the waitress and chef, and waits at the diner for Caryn to return with some money.   After about 10 minutes, and no Caryn, Mary goes in search of Caryn, and some cash.   Caryn returns to the diner, only to discover she has no money either.   We bid farewell to Emily and Peter,after they show us the mohair chair and stuffed dog they bought in town.  Caryn gets some cash from the van, and settles up at the diner, then it’s off to finish up the laundry. Afterward, we head back to the Airstream to play some 45’s on the phonograph, peruse the wedding album and Airstream guest book that are there for our enjoyment.

Tuesday morning we move our belongings to the van.  We plan to spend the day hanging out waiting for Fed Ex packages (Priority delivery is by 4:30 pm!). We'll spend the night in the smallest trailer at Shady Dell, a 10 foot 1952 homemade gem that someone built from plans in Popular Mechanics magazine ($35/night).  It is exquisite, right down to the red dinette booth, and 3/4 bed.   This may be the nicest interior yet, with curved wooden drawers, and a white porcelain “ice box”.   It even has some vintage paper place mats from the Green Lantern restaurant in Tucson, and coffee cups decorated with Saguaro cacti.  There is also a gas two burner stove which runs on propane.   They sure pack a lot into this 10 feet of space.   We decide to keep the clutter to a minimum tonight, and leave most of our crap in the van.   After we finish checking out of the Airstream, it’s over to Dot’s Diner for some pancakes, followed by Bisbee Pie a la mode.   After that, we just chill.

On to Chapter Seven!