Red Rock Redux, Trains and Arizona

​“All at once the desert was everywhere, and I was overcome with a feeling of relief. Sand, rocks, hills—the whole landscape was tinted the same shade of orange as the sky.” 
― Jasmin Darznik, Song of a Captive Bird

Few places I know would merit a return in the same season but Red Rock Canyon State Park in California certainly does.  My camping family/friends, Marty and Steve and I had decided, after last year, to go to Death Valley again this year, but after a storm last Fall, our favorite campground was closed.  I suggested  Red Rock as an alternative and so...we went.

The only problem?  It was too damn cold.  Steve and I have had 3 frigid camping trips - Calaveras Big Trees, Death Valley and now Red Rock.  One morning it was 21F (and the furnace quit working of course) and it never got over 50.  We also had to contend with sleet and rain one night. We still hiked a bit and the evenings inside the trailer were filled with drunken and loud singing and musical and political arguments (we had no neighbors- thankfully).  

These two guys, from my perspective, are about the two best camping buddies a guy could have.  They're fun and funny and smart, love the outdoors,  and are forgiving of my quirks.  Who could ask for more? The photo above is from our short walk at Fossil Falls off Highway 395 north of Red Rock.  The photos below are my black and whites from the trip and I'm enjoying moving more to that medium lately.  

The following photos were taken in the tiny old mining town of Randsburg. Fascinating place.  The road and railroad photos above were taken on our drive there. My favorite photos these days, if you couldn't tell, are  typically roads, sage, train tracks and desert sky.  This is the West of my memories and my dreams.

The following images are from Red Rock Canyon State Park itself. I still can't believe I lived so many years of my life not even knowing about this Mojave gem which is just a couple hours north of LA. 

We drove up Highway 395 after a late winter snow and visited Fossil Falls on the recommendation from, of all people, my dentist.  It's a fascinating place from a geological and scenery perspectives and it didn't disappoint.  Thanks Doc Evans!

After a cold week at Red Rock I went home for a few days and prepared to venture to Arizona for Dodger Spring Training as well as visiting Homolovi State Park in the Hopi lands.   I knew it had to be hotter there and I was ready for shorts, t-shirts and sandals weather. Oh how wrong I was! Ha!

One  of the great gifts of social media is finding cool people that you share common interests with - in the last year I was able to meet a fellow rail-fan  (train fanatic) and Southwest lover, Liz Kylin on Twitter.  When she read I was going to visit Homolovi  she offered to show me around a bit and have lunch at "The Turquoise Room" in the La Posada Hotel in Winslow, AZ (maybe my favorite Southwest restaurant).  

It's 525 miles to Homolovi from El Rancho Hubbardo and when I arrived I was exhausted from dragging my trailer around and avoiding the ubiquitous tractor trailers.  I got my gear set up, ate some pea soup, watched a movie on my iPad and turned in very early.   I awoke and was ridiculously cold.  I keep an indoor/outdoor thermometer in the trailer and turned on the light to see the temperature which was a  stupidly frigid 14F.  Oh, man.  So much for shorts and sandals!  The next morning I checked in with the Ranger and told him it was 14F. He replied,  "14? No, sir, it was 9F last night".  Oh, OK, I stood miserably corrected.

The day did begin to warm a bit and Liz arrived at 10:00 AM and proceeded to show me the ruins in the Park.  Although partly cloudy, it was getting warmer and I was grateful. 

After a lovely walk and drive in the Park we made the short jaunt to Winslow and ate lunch.  The La Posada is the home of an old "Harvey House" and the trains run just outside the back door. Liz was somehow able to determine that there was a freight headed our way and so we scurried out to her car and drove to a bridge overlooking the tracks and Interstate 40. Sure enough...here came our train.  We even got the whistle! 

Liz told me there was one more place that she had to show me...the Little Painted Desert.  It was just north of Homolovi and - wow - what a place. Liz was quite the tour guide!  I can't thank her enough. 

After an extraordinary day Liz headed back to Flagstaff and I got ready to move south to Phoenix and my beloved Dodgers and some warm weather!  My next blog post will be for baseball lovers and features the redoubtable R. Scott Jones and some photos of the Boys in Blue.  Until then...