Mojave River RVing" Contd

To really explore the river and enjoy the beauty of the Mojave and the surrounding area, begin with the West Fork. From I-15, exit Main Street in Hesperia and travel 15 miles south. Here the river emerges from the timber-covered northern slope of the San Bernardino Mountains and pours into the clear water of Silver­wood Lake, a thriving recreational area for boaters and fishermen with 130 non-hookup camp sites.
Below the lake, the small stream is usu­ally dry until it meets the cold water of Deep Creek pouring down from Holcomb Valley. The confluence of these two streams is locally known as the Forks.
In 1971, the Army Corp of Engineers built a large earthen flood control dam across the Forks and in 1973, they added the 600-acre Mojave Forks Regional Park on a flat plain just above it. Set in the high desert country among tall juniper and sycamore trees, the campground has 25 full-hookup and 25 non-hookup sites for RVs and 30 for tents, four large group areas, pic­nic spots, and wooded nature and equestrian trails where a vari­ety of squirrels, rabbits, raccoons and quail can be seen. In the evenings, mule deer often browse within the park boun­daries under a mantle of stars.

Mojove River Cont'd

In the last few years, many large recre­ational areas have been built along its 147-mile length with most of them containing excellent campgrounds for recre­ational vehicles. All of these campgrounds are easily accessible from Interstate 15 be­tween San Bernardino and Baker, Cali­fornia, and are within two to three hours driving time from the Los Angeles area.

Mojave River

The Mojave River in Southern Califonia is a great RV trail to follow. It is filled with RV parks and numerous RV activities.

For hundreds of years, the Mojave River has provided home sites for early man, trade routes for Indians, mis­sionary trails for Spaniards, and explora­tion and emigrant routes for pioneer Amer­icans. It has given its waters to the thirsty desert traveler and its pastured banks to the livestock of early settlers.
Today, the Mojave River is again offering its water and shores to the modern pioneer - the RVer. The river begins high in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. It tumbles down the wrong side of the mountain, runs beneath its own river bed, rises occa­sionally to the surface and finally disap­pears forever under the desert sands.

Climbing Mt. Whitney

Climbing Mt. Whitney
As we approached the summit under an iridescent cloudless blue sky, the barren whitish-gray stone mountain seemed determined to pull us down, in the thin air at 14,495 feet my lungs grasped for oxygen, my leadened legs struggled to move, then Andy uttered "Why are we walking in slow motion." Suddenly, we were at the top of this granite pinnacle called Whitney and two miles below us lay the Owens River Valley like a miniature movie set spread out between two majestic mountain ranges, the Sierra Nevadas on the west and Inyo-Whites to the east.

Carson Valley

Today we are in the beautiful Carson Valley below the snow covered mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe . The valley this time of year is belly deep to the hundreds of cattle grazing in the pastures. The Carson River winds its way through the valley providing plenty of water for the thirsty fields. The river also provides some nice trout fishing for bank-side anglers. Across the valley near the foothills lies the little town of Genoa, the oldest town in Nevada, over 100 years old.

On the road through Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada

On the latest US dollar, the gold colored ones, is an engraving of Sacajawea, a guide for Lewis and Clark. On her back is her child, Charboneau. As we left Jordon Valley, OR, and drove above the ranch pastures and out onto the sage brush hills we passed Charboneau's burial site. He had swam the Owyhee River, caught a cold, and died at a nearby stagecoach station of pneumonia, quite a long way from Lolo Pass in the Rocky Mountains of Idaho.

Trip to Idaho

On May 31, we left Califonia to go to Caldwell, Idaho, to see my seriously ill mother. She is in an assisted living home. We drove to Lone Pine, CA, stayed over night. We took our car because I an't drive long distances especially in the motorhome due to a car accident lasst year. From there we went to Minden, NV, home of our granddaughter Vicky and family.We stayed two nights. Then we drove to Winnemucca, NV, stayed the night and drove on into Caldwell, ID, the next day. We got there June 3rd. We visited with her two days now. She is weak but in good spirits. She can't walk, but gets around in a wheelchair with some one pushing. She has a very nice room, well decorated, and her own recliner to sit in. We are staying in a Best Western Hotel not far from her. Anyone reading this, please keep her, Margaret Millspaugh, in your prayers. She is 94. Photo of my mom and dad in earlier years.