We are at the Golden Acorn casino off I-8, just west of the San Diego/Imperial county line (map). We are at the crest of the Sierra de Juárez range, around 4,100', having climbed here from below sea level in the Imperial Valley. It's mostly downhill from here to San Diego.
Yesterday we ditched off I-8 where it peels away from the All-American Canal, choosing instead to continue west along the canal on California 98. Before making the turn, we passed the Imperial Dunes Recreation Area, which was chock-a-block with rigs. At some point we realized it was the weekend, and most of the rigs belonged to weekenders out with their sand toys, although we encountered sprinklings of snowbirds here and there.
Once on 98, we saw nary a rig, even though the route passes through BLM land, including the Yuha Desert, with many suitable boondocking sites within easy access. We stopped at a familiar Wal-Mart in Calexico for some supplies, and I supposed, freshly stocked, we might have stayed in the desert ourselves last night. It felt too early to stop, though, and we wanted to get the climb out of our way.
The casino here is small, with only a pizza stand and a diner-type restaurant, but we ate there last night nonetheless. There is also a c-store adjacent to the enormous truck parking lot, making the whole place a sort of truck stop as well. We are parked clear across the other side of the property, where it is flat. There were only three other rigs here when we arrived, but it looks like about a dozen spent the night. There were also several tour buses here last night, including a few from Mexico -- apparently, this is a nice day trip for the Mexicans, and I'm pretty sure it falls within the border zone, so those with the limited crossing credentials can come here without a passport.
We should be in the San Diego environs tonight; tomorrow, we will begin scoping out our limited overnight options within scooter distance of TrawlerFest. I have my fingers crossed that we can get at least one business to agree to let us spend three nights.
Photo by MMMMichelle
Thank you for your wonderful and informative postings all these years. I truly have gain much wisdom.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking of driving from D.C. to California within this week or two and since you just did this trek, can you tell me which route to avoid the snowy roads?
Thanks.
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