Starvin'? Try Arvin

Our friends John and Lisa proposed another road trip in our trusty brown camper van, and who are we to refuse?

After all, it was on the van's maiden voyage to  Utah four years ago with John and Lisa, that we experienced the concluding drama of Ben's open heart surgery in St. George.  After a  week of sleeping, eating, and traveling in a van, 4 adults find out if they are travel compatible.  

Appears we are.

Given the approach of winter in the Sierras, we decide to avoid extremely cold nights and settle on a trip to Death Valley.  We are  Death Valley newbies.

We depart SLO fully loaded with meals, wine, and the makings for gin and tonics.  Our route east takes us through SLO County's own arid eastern flank on Highway 166.  We cruise through miles of orange orchards and dusty raisin grape farms to our favored stopover in the little Mexican oasis of Arvin.

Vallarta Market looks unassuming from the parking lot, but enter it's doors and be transported to Old Mexico. 

Tortillas are produced in-store and come in vivid colors and flavors.  

Where else will you find strawberry and pineapple flavored masa?

Vallarta Market has a full Mexican deli with choices from posole to goat stew. Drink choices include spinach punch and Horchata.

We have to indulge!  Though our fridge in fully stocked, we can't pass up a container of salsa fresca.  We leave Vallarta stuffed.

We then head up over Tehachapi Pass and the rolling golden hills, studded with granite.  In 90 minutes or so we reach our first destination - Red Rock Canyon State Park.

  About 50 campsites spread out before us.  3 were  taken.  After trying to level the van in one site, we opt to move to a  brand new level site, with a concrete pad, designated for the disabled.  

We hope not to get in trouble. 

The sun sets quickly over the wind-swept and fluted cliffs that yawn over our site.  We hike up to a nearby ridge top to enjoy the sun make its second setting.

Wood scavenged from adjoining sites give a cozy fire by which to sip our gin and tonics.  Stars appear with the narrowest sliver of a moon.  We retreat to the van for a soup supper and a few rounds of Spades.  Men win, but there will be other nights.