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Road Trippin’!

  • Road Trippin'!

How Camels Paved the Way for Route 66

Jaylyn and John2 months ago1 month ago031 mins

It wasn’t Camel cigarettes that paved the way for Route 66, although that would come later with its billboards and imagery appearing along the iconic Mother Road. It was living, breathing dromedaries (one humped Arabian camels) and Bactrian camels (two humped) acquired from Turkey, Egypt, and Tunisia.  A persistent legend of the Southwest is the…

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  • Road Trippin'!

Salvation Mountain: Death and Redemption Near the Salton Sea

Jaylyn and John2 years ago3 months ago014 mins

We visited Salvation Mountain for the first time with my sister, Dawn, when she recently flew in from the East Coast. We recalled watching television host Huell Howser visit there in 1997 and were intrigued. Salvation Mountain had again recently landed itself into the news media. So a mere 26 years later, we decided to…

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  • Road Trippin'!

Beware of Deserts Bearing Gifts: It Can Be Deadly

Jaylyn and John2 years ago11 months ago220 mins

Sometimes a desert is like a Trojan horse. Few desert rats disagree that the desert can be a beautiful, magical place. It’s wide open horizons and endless views across miles of sand, cacti, Joshua Trees, boulders and mountains, especially at sunrise and sunset, can be captivating. The allure is reminiscent of a Siren’s song though…

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  • Road Trippin'!

Tarantula: Miners to Movies at Dead Man’s Point

Jaylyn and John2 years ago11 months ago710 mins

The movie Tarantula featuring the small desert town of Desert Rock, Arizona, and a giant tarantula was actually filmed in Apple Valley, California. Many of the scenes were shot at Dead Man’s Point. It was the fourth biggest film at the box office in December 1955. The movie’s tagline said, “More terrifying than any horror known to…

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  • Road Trippin'!

Zzyzx: More Than a Tongue Twister

Jaylyn and John2 years ago11 months ago08 mins

Today’s trivia you didn’t know you needed to know: Zyzzyx Road, a low budget indie horror movie from 2006, not to be confused with another 2006 indie horror titled Zzyzx with a different cast and rebranded Burned, is known for being the lowest-grossing film of all time. It made a grand total of (drum roll,…

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  • Road Trippin'!

Shields Dates: Where the Dating Game Lives On

Jaylyn and John2 years ago2 years ago012 mins

Your knight called and said you really ought to be here. Shields Dates, located at 80-225 Highway 111 in Indio, just over the border of La Quinta, is a favorite stop for world-class travelers and locals alike. The company was founded in 1924 by Floyd Shields and his wife, Bess Lugton. Floyd Shields was one…

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  • Road Trippin'!

The 20th Century Cave Dwellers of Dublin Gulch

Jaylyn and John3 years ago2 years ago019 mins

Shoshone, California, “The Gateway to Death Valley” is an interesting village with a full-time population of about 31. That’s 31 people who can wake up and go to sleep with this panoramic view of their home. Dublin Gulch is on the southwest outskirts of Shoshone. The caves were dug out of compacted volcanic ash from…

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  • RV Park Reviews

Snowmageddon in Hill Country: A Big Texas Howdy

Jaylyn and John4 years ago2 years ago016 mins

Team work makes the dream work. In hardly anytime at all we were packed up and ready to evacuate. Left the RV park in the middle of a sideways blizzard with no regrets. Still no electricity after 16 hours…

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  • Road Trippin'!

The Curious Case of the Cronese Cat

Jaylyn and John5 years ago2 years ago28 mins

Cronese vs. Coronise Figuring out the origin of the Cronese Cat’s name has just about as many theories as a storybook feline has lives. It was believed the natural wonder is either named for early explorer and author Titus Fey Cronise or William H.V. Cronise. In 1870, both were officers of the Piute Mining Company….

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  • Road Trippin'!

The Station: Home of Joshua Tree’s Big Josh

Jaylyn and John5 years ago2 years ago19 mins

The quaint village of Joshua Tree has more to offer than just its magnificent National Park. That’s quite the tall order, you say? Meet 20 ft tall Big Josh, formerly known as The Mecca Cowboy who stood in front of Poor Richard’s Pawn Shop and Mini Mart since 1965. He now lives at The Station,…

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