This past week we have been on a Camping Adventure to the desert, those capital letters are there for a reason...you will find out more soon and yes I will talk some about food, specifically camping food.
Did you know that the presence of joshua trees like the one in the photo above, define the Mojave desert as a land mass ??
Anyway, we started our trip at Carrizo Plains National Monument, it is known for it's great wildflower displays and great wildlife. Due to the lack of rain this year, there were no flowers. We did see pronghorn antelope on our drive in and we camped under a tree of great horned owls, who serenaded us all night.
Joshua Tree National Park was our first night of real desert camping.
We ended up it this rather barren RV park, it did have flush toilets, a cute little pond and a gorgeous sunset.
We spent a lovely day exploring Joshua Tree. There were some very big rocks.
And some very beautiful blooming cactus.
That afternoon we headed to Anza Borrego desert. We had not made plans to camp there until the next day so decided to treat ourselves to a night at the Borrego Springs Resort. It was quite a treat !! The swimming pool felt great after all that hot desert hiking. We enjoyed dinner on the patio of their restaurant and hot showers are always welcome on an extended camping trip ;-)
We met Genna the next day in the park. Hanging out with her always means lots of cool reptiles.
Don't try this at home ( or anywhere else), Genna is a trained professional with a permit to touch these critters !!
Just as the joshua tree defines the Mojave, the tall flowering ocotillo define the Colorado desert land mass.
As we settled into our camp in the heat of the day, a park ranger came by to warn us of an impending sandstorm, and a high wind advisory. She told us there would be hurricane force winds gusting to 80 to 90 mph. We have NEVER had a ranger warn us about weather, EVER, in all our years of camping. She did say we should be fine, as our campground was in a protected valley and we were planning to sleep in our camper ( Genna sleeps in her car).
We decided on an early dinner, then some night exploring. The wind was beginning to pick up as we went to bed. We could hear it blowing that night in the trees and camper shook some, but not like the rock and roll we got at Joshua Tree.
The next morning it was worse...
Trying to heat water for tea and coffee was a challenge. Wind blows the propane flame around, slowing down the whole process, even with windbreaks around the cook stove.
We did finally make warm drinks for everyone, but it was so windy and gritty we ended up squeezing into the camper to drink them.
How would we ever cook breakfast under these conditions ?? As the chief chef, I came up with the perfect plan...going out to a restaurant !!
Luckily the town of Borrego Springs is inside the park and was not too far to drive...when we could see the road.
We found a mall with a classic coffee shop.
With classic coffee shop fare: Bob delighted in his biscuits and gravy, so did Genna.
After breakfast we drove to the other campground and possible hiking. Haha...the wind WAS gusting up to 80 to 90 mph and it hurt to get out of the car. We saw a whole group campground that had been recently abandon, with tents, cooler, clothing and other equipment blown about.
We were supposed to stay at Anza Borrego another night, time for plan B. Drive east and north was our thought, head to the Upper Kern River, east of Bakersfield.
We were surprised that even highway 10 was tricky and slow to drive. Due to the sandstorm, our drive was taking longer that we expected. I was looking for someplace to stay along the way in our camping guide when I came across Red Rock Canyon State Park. I had never heard of this place but our guide gave it an 8 out of 10 for scenic rating. It is on highway 14 just north of the town of Mojave.
What a gem !!
The campsites are right next to amazing rock formations. It was still windy as you can see from my clothing, the campfire and wind break around my stove. Yes, I was trying to cook dinner. Luckily I had some soup I had made and froze before the trip.
This leads me to some camping food tips:
- Plan simple meal. For breakfast: hot cereals, cold cereals, yogurt & fruit. For lunch, simple picnic fare: crackers, cheese, hummus, nut butters, sardines, fresh veggies, dried fruit, nuts. For dinner: soups, stews, pasta dishes. While I love to cook, even when I am camping, the weather can change that. Making complex meals and keeping all the components hot can be a challenge. Sometime just getting water to boil can take a looong time !!
- Cook and bake before you leave on your trip, freeze the food so it will last longer in your cooler. Just having to reheat food is a lot easier than actually cooking it. You never know when the wind will pick up. I make soups, muffins, coffee cake, baked chicken, pasta sauces...
- Do any vegetable prep you can ahead of time. It was quite a challenge to wash and clean lettuce in a windy makeshift kitchen. I loved having already cooked beets and asparagus to add to lunch or dinner.
- Don't forget condiments, they can add a dimension to simple ingredients and meals. I always bring fresh garlic, onions, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano and basil, powdered cinnamon and little packets of soy sauce, hot sauce, mustard, catsup and relish.
- Food always tastes better with a great view !!
We loved Red Rock Canyon. We did some hiking at Red Cliff across the road from the campground. We saw a raven in her cliffside nest, as well as lots of lizards, and great rock formations.
A flip of a coin ( I kid you not) made the decision for us to head on to Kern River for two nights in one place.
Fairview campground is run by the US Forest Service, it sits right along the Upper Kern River. In summer it must be mobbed with people trying to beat the Bakersfield heat. In the spring it is quiet, peaceful and mostly deserted. It was the perfect place to spend my birthday.
On the way home, the long way as we decided to avoid highway 5, we finally saw the fields of wildflowers we were hoping for.
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