A Weekend at Home

Just practicing, getting ready for the road. Carol and I stayed in our backyard, visiting a California historical site called Desert Mountain View Tower. For all you folks living in San Diego, or those who have traveled I-8 from El Centro, look on the westbound side of I-8 around In-Ka-Pa. The views from the top the tower were spectacular. From any level there is a 360 degree view.

In the first photo you can see the wind turbines in the distance, heading for El Centro, the second photo is the Rock Garden. For a fee of $7.50 per person you can climb to the top of the tower, and, visit the rock garden and look for rock carvings. I will give a taste, but you will have to visit to find the rest of the creatures on your own.

 

Walking the grounds there are opportunities to see rare local species of cactus, such as this, the seldom seen Metallius Scraptus Octopi. These plants are known only to grow in dry, warm climates that are sparsely populated by humanoids. If properly cultivated, they can live for hundreds of years.

One can spend anywhere between an hour to half the day, they do have picnic tables for those who would like to enjoy lunch, and listen to the quiet. We only stayed for an hour before heading out to lunch.
Another spot to check out while up there is the Jacumba Hot Springs, which I need to do some research on myself.


This weekend seem to be desert sites to see. Today we drove out to Campo for a ride on the San Diego & Arizona train, and visit the museum.

 There is a lot of history that goes with the area, from the last duty station for the Buffalo Soldiers, to a robbery gone wrong at the local mercantile. You can easily spend a day between the train museum and the store museum. The train ride is about 45 minutes, and travels almost six miles of the San Diego & Arizona Railway within a mile of the international border. The original rail line ran south of the border and back again to Campo. People were looking for a quicker way back east.

The ride passes through ranches that are still operating, and a 300 acre chicken ranch that has not been in operation for about 15 years.

 

We rode in coach class in a metal car with a cement floor. The back of the seats reversible, depending which way one would like to sit during travel. They also had a luggage car hooked up so that one could take picture during the train ride. The final stop on the train ride was at the display building which contained several cars and a locomotive. 

 

This is one of many locomotives on display outside, waiting for renovation. Walking inside the display building one can view a car that was probably more for someone that had money. The train car also had a small kitchen and dining area.

 

Choose a stateroom to stay in while your traveling east.

 

The toilet and sink were private to each room, the shower on the other hand was shared between rooms. You want mail, this is how it used to get around. Qualified personnel would sort mail for distribution.

 These men and women traveled with the train, and had a special way of pigeon holing mail to go out for distribution at each whistle stop.

We didn't get to the store museum this trip, another day, another lunch. Speaking of lunch, we stopped at the Cafe B. We kept it simple by having western bacon cheese burgers. Carol had a peanut butter milk shake. From lunch we came home, and a nap.