Visiting Twentynine Palms, CA

As a little girl, I remember my oldest brother Jerry stationed at the Marine Corps Base in Twentynine Palms, California and wondered where the heck it was.  Well, Dave and I found it!  We packed up this morning and left Congress, Arizona and drove mostly back roads to get here, 254 miles.  Only about 56 miles were spent on Interstate 10, westbound, the rest weaving west and south then north then west again on state routes.  Very desolate areas we drove through.

Nice sculpture along the road

Barren, desolate 

Crossed over the Colorado River and into California

No problem with the RV until we stopped right before getting to the campground and there was such a deep curb to go over with the RV and car hitched up, we bottomed out and bent the wiring harness that hooks up to the back end of the RV and it talks to the car (lights, brakes).   It's bent and Dave can't get it undone.  We got an RV mobile repair name and called and tomorrow, hopefully, he'll come by and see what can be done.  Dave wants to move it up on top of the bumper, why it was installed so low to the ground does not make sense.

Hello California

The road along Joshua Tree National Park

Snow on the mountains near San Bernadino - happened 2 days ago

While we are here at 29 Palms we will visit Joshua Tree National Park.  The entrance is right near the town (we are 2 miles north of the town and right at the entrance to the Marine Corps Base) so it will be easy to go in and out. How long we will stay will depend on the RV repair guy's job and if parts need to be gotten, etc.

The history of the town is interesting - it's relatively new (1987 it was incorporated) but it encompasses more area (53.75 miles) than San Francisco.  Historically, it was first explored in 1855 by a Colonel Henry Washington, was a favorite camping/resting spot for travelers due to a spring they called Mara, and was first known as Palm Springs (not to be confused with the 'other' Palm Springs just over the mountain). After World War 1 the area became a beneficial environment for those soldiers returning from the war with effects of mustard gas and tuberculosis.  The environment here is clean dry air, moderate elevation, and accessible to large cities (Los Angeles is 3 hour drive from here).  Veterans brought their families here and settled and the rest is history.

From 1942 through 1945, (during World War II), the now: "Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center", was a naval auxiliary air station. After the war its future was uncertain. Then, on August 20, 1949, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Headquarters issued Post Order 343 creating the Marine Corps Training Center, Twentynine Palms.  It is also one of the largest military training bases in the nation.  No, we cannot visit the base.  Darn.