02-16-2026 It's A Wrap

When I wrote about Ogilby Road last week, I knew there were other parts of this vacation I still needed to share. Who knows what I will forget if I don’t write about it?

We spent a full three weeks at Catalina this year, the longest we have ever stayed, and even so, it didn’t seem long enough. It is incredible how desert time can just slip away so gently with the rhythm of morning swims, walks with the dog, and time with friends.

Forgot to take a photo until we were working on supper cleanup

On a Saturday evening we invited Jimmy and Nickie over for supper at our site, scheduling it early enough that there would still be daylight to enjoy the outdoor table. In past years, the picnic tables haven’t been at the lower campground sites, but this time we were treated to a nice long wooden table. I have no clue whether it was because we were in an ADA site or because there were fewer campers and management spread the tables around a bit between upper and lower parks.

I did notice that Jimmy and Nickie had one of the fancy round four-seater metal tables like those at most of the upper sites. I preferred our long table, especially since I was barbecuing at one end and needed the space.

I buy fresh Copper River salmon when it’s in season in early summer and quick-freeze it. It lasts long enough that I could bring a nice filet to share. I made the easiest side dish possible, simple rice spiffed up with freshly grated zucchini. So easy, so pretty, and Jimmy ate it up.

After supper the four of us squeezed into the dining booth in our rig for a rousing game of Yahtzee, a game we forget about until someone mentions it. So easy and so much fun. The silliness gets a bit… well… silly, and we laughed a lot.

As often happens toward the end of a trip, I completely forgot to take photos of the evening except for one lonely shot when Nickie and I were already indoors cleaning up.

Two happy campers watching the Super Bowl in the privacy of our own space

On Super Bowl Sunday the park advertised a "soup and bowl" potluck, with a note to be sure to bring your "soup" and your "bowl".  I talked to Georgia, the park manager about this and she told me that they aren't allowed to say anything about having the upper clubhouse TV tuned to the Super Bowl but that was how they got around it.

Watching the Super Bowl in our own site

Neither Mo nor I are fans of the big group potluck thing, so I figured out a way to watch the live bowl on our laptop sitting comfortably in our site with our own snacks and our own conversation.  It was great fun watching the game, even though we haven't followed football much in the last few years.  Mo was a California 49ers fan for years, and during my years in Idaho, it was a big thing to support the Seahawks, even though during the 80's they were just awful.  I loved seeing them win.

Supper at Jimmy and Nickie's "home"

Before we left for what I call the “real” desert, even though Desert Hot Springs certainly qualifies, Jimmy and Nickie invited us to their place for supper and another round of Yahtzee. 

Good friends who really know how to laugh and make us laugh

We can only manage two rounds per night, so on our last evening at the park we finished out the six rounds that fill a Yahtzee pad. I have no idea who won, but it wasn’t me and it wasn’t Nickie.

Palms to Pines Scenic Byway Highway 74

On Monday Mo and I took a day for ourselves and drove into the mountains to visit the tiny community of Idyllwild. Daughter Deb spent some time practicing the proper pronunciation of Mt. San Jacinto and Mt. San Gorgonio, so I made sure to get photos of the back sides of both of those huge mountains from a different perspective.

The southwest facing slope of Mt San Jacinto on the opposite side of Palm Springs

Even though I went to church camp in Idyllwild for several summers until I was fourteen, I didn’t recognize a thing. I even tried to figure out which of the many camps in the area might have been ours, with no luck. Our tiny church in Duarte had barely a hundred members, and only three of us were old enough to attend camp. I remember at least a hundred kids in the bunkhouses, huge sing-alongs at the big firepit with old stone steps for seating. Songs like One Hundred Bottles of Beer, She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain, and There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Horse. Songs my kids barely remember and my grandkids never knew.

I have a great old photo of about 50 of us standing in front of this amazing historic building

W.C. Pearce Memorial Hall is right in the center of town, next to the park and playground area. In the 1950s, it was associated with what was then the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts.  It has been used for community gatherings, performances, and camps for decades. Our camp, which was held for several churches in the Southern California area, used this shared community-building space for meals and assemblies.

I have great memories of church camp and treasured the escape from suburban LA smog and traffic for a week in pine-scented mountain air.

Down the highway toward Banning with the southern slope of Mt San Gorgonio on the horizon

We made a loop of it, traveling south through Palm Desert, over the mountain, and down the northern slope of Mt. San Jacinto into Banning.

Not a nice spot for a flat tire

All was well until we had barely merged onto I-10 and heard a familiar whine followed by slap, slap, slap. Dang it. A flat tire. It was the rear tire, and we weren’t up to speed yet, so we were able to pull over quickly. I called AAA, and in about forty-five minutes a tow truck arrived. He changed the tire and even aired up our spare. Traffic was flying by at insane speeds, and he insisted we stay inside the car while he worked.

By the time we were back on the road, I was worn out. We decided to deal with the tire the next morning. Discount Tire took care of it, but I do remember when $180 would buy four tires, not just one.

Valentine Tradition

While we were in town, we took care of another very important errand. For many years now Mo and I have celebrated Valentine’s Day with a giant box of See’s Candy, no matter where we are. We knew this year we would be somewhere between Ogilby Road and Tehachapi, so we made sure to secure our See’s in plenty of time.

After our time on Ogilby Road, it was time to head north. The weather gods were predicting unprecedented snow levels, and we had no desire to cross two major passes between California and Grants Pass in a storm.

From Ogilby it was a quick run to our little park in Tehachapi, then another quick run to Lodi. It was important to arrive in Lodi early enough to visit our favorite California winery, Klinker Brick. We are members and had a wine club order to pick up. Always nice to save on shipping.

We had such a good time and laughed so much it made the hostess laugh

Our final day on the road began at 5 a.m. in pouring rain. I drove three hours from Lodi through Sacramento to Corning, where we fueled up for the last leg over the pass. By then, it was daylight and the rain had stopped and Mo took over the driving duties for the rest of the trip home. We watched the road cams and weather reports closely.

Clear and almost dry over Mt Shasta

Our timing was perfect. We crossed both Shasta and the Siskiyous on dry pavement. The hard rain didn’t begin until we were just a short distance from home. The next morning we woke to an inch or so of snow at Sunset House.

Another successful southern trip.

Next year we plan to stay longer.

I need more desert time.

A February morning in the desert

02-13-2026 Ogilby Road

The fire pit at our camp on Ogilby Road

I have a bit more to write about our last week in Desert Hot Springs. A few day trips, a few dinners with friends, a bit more to share. But in the dark this morning, the memories that fill my soul are of our time on Ogilby Road.

I need to write it, to feel it, to remember the silence of it.

As I watch the snow in the blue dawn light, I feel that silence too, but in such a different way. With the snow comes all that goes with living in beautiful Oregon. Soft wet white clouds weighing down the tree branches. Little footprints in a wavering line from the lower fence up to Mo’s workshop.

It is skunk season, and they love the dry, warm darkness beneath the oldest wooden building on the property. After calling a “critter gitter,” there are two fewer skunks wandering at night, but the tracks prove there are more out there.

Spring flowers are trying to burst through the snow in spite of the weather. Overgrown perennials, never trimmed last fall, are brown and weighted down along the sidewalk. Roses unpruned in January as usual are still tall and gangly, with rotted buds and brown leaves sagging under snow and rain. It may be silent outside, but the work that needs to be done makes a very loud noise inside my mind.

To do. To do. To do.

It is easy to feel small in the desert

Ogilby Road isn’t scenic in the postcard way. It’s not red rock cathedral or alpine lake. It’s open, spare, almost austere. “Incredibly beautifully nothing” is the only way I know to describe how it feels. Desert pavement. The tiniest flowers in the gravel. Sky that stretches from horizon to horizon.

Ogilby is the kind of horizon that doesn’t ask anything of me.

It offers almost no variables. No decisions. No noise. Just surface and sky and weather doing what it does. It is a forced silence, the quieting of the noisy mind I spent years trying to learn. I don’t find this quiet in the forests and mountains or on the wild, raucous coast.

On Ogilby, an inner stillness happens like nowhere else.
And I return to it on purpose. That’s not accidental. That’s ritual.

The fact that it rained this year felt like a small blessing. We have traveled to Ogilby many times and never before had rain. It was a soft, steady rain, gently tapping on the roof. Quiet.

Some places are scenic. Some places are stimulating. And some places are regulating. Ogilby is regulating for me.

Mattie is always a little bit overwhelmed when we first arrive on Ogilby road.

The visual simplicity of a low horizon, a muted palette, of long distances reduces input. My nervous system doesn’t have to scan for traffic, conversation, social cues, decisions. Even the ground is simple: gravel, wash, sky. Nothing to interpret. Nothing to do.

No mental lists. I am simply here.

Once she adjusts to the open space, Mattie loves the desert too

Mo and I questioned the choice to drive more than 150 miles each way just to experience the silent emptiness of Ogilby this year. We had planned to stay longer, but the predicted storms changed our plans. We knew we had to travel quickly to get home before the snow stopped us. Chains on the MoHo over Mt. Shasta and the Siskiyous are not an option.

It was perfect. We drove only a few miles south of the intersection of Highway 78 and Ogilby Road before finding our place. Perfectly level. A low berm separates us from the pavement. Not a soul in sight for miles.

We found the desert fairy duster in this gentle wash

When the morning rains cleared on our second day, we found Calliandra eriophylla, desert fairy duster. The pink powder-puff “flowers”, actually masses of long stamens, looked like little desert fireworks. Even though it is a fairly common desert plant, I had never seen one before.

Desert Fairy Duster

Walking quietly with the dog in the open landscape, we found tiny treasures.

Blooming in the gravel were several plants of Eremalche rotundifolia, desert five-spot.

Tucked between the rocks we found Phacelia distans, wild heliotrope. The toe of Mo’s boot shows just how small it is.

Another tiny wonder was Monoptilon bellioides, Mojave Desert star.

Desert sunflowers lit up the open spaces with their brilliance

Mo built a fire each evening and we cooked and ate our meal as we watched the sunset.

Sunset was long and slow and filled our time after supper with brilliant color.

I need this place to remember what it is to be quiet when the busyness of everyday life returns.

The light of our fire reflecting on the MoHo

02-05-2026 A Beautiful Week with Friends and Flowers

Early morning view of Mt San Jacinto and Gorgonio Pass from Catalina Spa

Our life at Catalina Spa and RV Resort settles into the kind of routine that we love so much when spending time in the California desert. We wake early almost every morning and are often in the pool by 5:30 AM, but occasionally as late as 6. 

The lower pool before dawn.  We never went to the upper pool

After a long hot shower in the roomy bathrooms we return home by way of the short path between our rig and the pool and shower house.

Mattie loves leash free walks in the open desert

We wake Mattie for her early morning walk. Sometimes I go with Mo and Mattie and sometimes I stay at home and make breakfast in time for their return. I love the desert at this time of day with the early morning shadows on the surrounding mountains and the rosy pink glow of the rising sun on Mt. San Jacinto.

Sometimes there are a few dogs in the open space where we walk on the north side of the park. Most of the time, however, Mattie can run off leash to her heart’s content, running back to Mo quickly at the command, reinforced by the tiny treats she has learned to carry in her pocket when she is out walking.

The park is only half full this year. The biggest reason is that the Canadians aren’t here as they have been in past years. The park is feeling the pinch and there are a few indications that funds are short. There aren’t as many park functions as in past years, but that doesn’t bother us at all. We have never been much for attending social gatherings. 

Music in the pavilion on Friday afternoons 

Our main social life in the park is the Friday afternoon music in the nearby pavilion and our morning conversations with Mike in the pool. Mike and his wife Shannon return every year for about three months from their home in Prince George, BC. Mike is usually our only companion in the pool by 6 AM and he is a kind and gentle conversationalist. Shannon is the main vocal performer that provides the Friday afternoon entertainment.  Dave on the right with the red guitar plays exceptionally well, and you can barely see James on the keyboard on the left who is excellent.

Our friends Nickie and Jimmy from Nevada City, California, arrived at the park on the last day of January and plan to stay for a month. We look forward to spending time with them now and then while we share this desert space. They are easy friends to be around.

Mo's flautas were the best

A few days after they arrived the four of us decided to try out the newish Mexican restaurant in Desert Hot Springs that Jeanne and Alan were so excited about. Mo and I no longer have any need or desire to drive to Palm Springs or anywhere else in the Coachella Valley for superb Mexican food. I think it was one of the better meals we have eaten out on any of our visits. Not only was the food superb, the presentation was lovely and interesting. Each dish had a different type of artistic plate and the sides were done perfectly. I had birria tacos for the first time and I am totally hooked. I hope I can find some as good in Grants Pass.

Sue's birria tacos with fantastic dipping broth

Nickie really was happy with her enchiladas

On another day Mo and I traveled to Cathedral City to enjoy another desert tradition that we love. The Mary Pickford Theater It’s Da Place is movie-going at its best. Giant screens, 12 movies to choose from, great sound, huge recliners with lots of space between seats, and beer, wine, and pizza served in the lobby to enjoy with your movie. 

Lovely theater

We saw "Song Sung Blue" and I was in happy tears throughout the entire movie. The music moved me so much. I had forgotten how much I loved Neil Diamond’s music back in the early 70s. Somehow it just slipped away and the movie brought it all back. It was a wonderful movie.

We mentioned to Nickie and Jimmy that we were planning to do a day trip to Anza-Borrego State Park. They were tickled about the chance to share that time with us and asked if we minded if they went along. Separate cars, of course. Our Tracker is our rolling garage for traveling and they have a Smart Car, so two people per vehicle is all anyone can manage.

Anza Borrego is an easy day trip from Catalina Spa

The trip south to Borrego Springs is easy. Maybe an hour and a half traveling east along the infamous Dillon Road that bisects Desert Hot Springs and then south on Highway 86 along the western shore of the Salton Sea. (I say infamous because no one seems to know who "Dillon" was). The Sea is full of water this year and is lovely from a distance. We had no need to get closer. The beaches are muddy and the smell isn’t great. No matter, we were heading uphill toward the Santa Rosa Mountains to the west and the largest state park in California.

The visitor center is nestled softly into the surrounding landscape

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California, stretching across more than 600,000 acres of badlands, canyons, palm oases, and desert mountains. Named for Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word “borrego,” meaning bighorn sheep, the park is best known for its dramatic spring wildflower blooms and the elusive desert bighorn sheep that roam the rocky slopes. In good bloom years the desert floor can erupt into sweeping carpets of color that draw visitors from all over the state.

Standing on the roof of the visitor center

Our first destination was the beautiful visitor center. We have visited here often in the past so didn’t spend much time with the well-done exhibits. We also didn’t walk the lovely interpretive desert paths because it was too warm to leave Mattie in the car and she isn’t allowed on any of the trails in the park. Our main purpose for visiting the center was to ask for information about where the spring blooms are most prolific. The first attendant gave us a map with several locations marked, but the second person came over to tell us that she knew of a place where our dog could run and play in the desert without a leash. Perfect!

Nickie and Jimmy also wanted the chance to see Coyote Canyon, another area well known for amazing blooms along the four-wheel-drive route. The attendant made sure that Nickie and Jimmy knew they couldn’t attempt the Coyote Canyon road in their Smart Car. We decided that with a bit of juggling of our gear into their car, the four of us could fit into the Tracker for the drive up the canyon.

Sue in the dunes at the Big Springs preserve

But first we split up for some separate adventures, the two of them choosing to hike the Palm Canyon Trail while Mo and I took Mattie to her very own desert wildflower heaven. Dogs aren’t allowed on the Palm Canyon Trail because it is disruptive to the wild mountain sheep that live there. I was not about to hike that three-mile round trip of rough rocky ground. Smooth and level is now my style!

Sand verbena and dune primrose 

Up close look at the dune primrose

The Big Springs County Landfill is not far east of Borrego Springs with a nice big parking area and not a soul in sight. Mattie was in heaven and so were we. The desert sand verbena was in full bloom as far as we could see, interspersed by the big clouds of white dune primrose blossoms and punctuated by the bright golden yellow of desert sunflowers. It was thrilling to have the entire area to ourselves.

sand verbena and dune primrose brightened by the desert sunflower

We then drove north toward Henderson Canyon Road where the dune primrose and sand verbena were in bloom for as far as the eye could see on both sides of the road. Cars were parked along the highway on both sides of the road with people kneeling in the sand taking photos of the flowers. It was spectacular.

Not a bad place to wait for Nickie and Jimmy to arrive

Mo and I drove to the entrance to Coyote Canyon and waited a bit for Nickie and Jimmy to arrive after their somewhat hot and rough hike. We emptied the back seat of our car into theirs and the two of them piled in for the trip up the sandy, rutted road that leads into Coyote Canyon.

This was in 2011 when we made it through Second Crossing in the Tracker

There are several creek crossings on the route and when Mo and I traveled this road back in 2011 we made it up to Third Crossing before we had to park the car and get out and walk. This time, Second Crossing stopped us. I got out and attempted to walk across the creek with my sticks to check it out. The water came up to my knees, as long as I was standing on a big boulder, but on either side of the boulders were deep ruts where I never found the bottom.

We weren't so lucky this year with much more water in the creek

We decided that Second Crossing was a “no,” and parked and walked around a bit enjoying the view. It was great fun watching the Jeeps pull up to the crossing, guys getting out to tell the drivers where to go and then watching the Jeeps hit the boulders and the deep gullies under water as they bounced across the creek. Most of the time the water covered the tailpipes and the back bumpers of the Jeeps as the drivers gunned through the water and up the other side.

Lots of blooming brittlebush in Coyote Canyon

We then watched some dirt bikers attempt the crossing and when that didn’t work they went around until one of them got fully and deeply stuck. I was very happy to be an observer and not a driver in any of these situations.

Not sure if and when this guy got out of this spot

I think everyone had fun on our trip into Coyote Canyon, including Mattie

It was a great day for the four of us and I took way too many pictures of the flowers.