We have just a week of this desert trip left and want to get back to Wiley’s Well where we had such a good time two years ago, so it is time to hitch ’em up and head ’em out.
We go west on I-8 through Yuma and cross what’s left of the Colorado River and we’re in California. And we just gained an hour. We go north on Ogilvy Road, County Hwy S34 past the American Girl and Tumco mines in the Cargo Muchacho mountains where we spent an entire day two years ago. Further north, winding some now, the road heads to Blythe. Several miles south of Blythe we see the turnoff for Milpitas Wash Road and I tentatively suggest that we try it again, in the daylight this time. For our in-the-dark trip up that road, you can check out my blog post for February 1, 2013. Larry is still not terribly excited at the prospect and I wisely don’t say any more.
When we pass the Bradshaw Trail we know we are almost to Blythe. On into town we go. We already know where the bank is, the supermarket, the laundromat, and the park with free water. We stock up on food, gas, diesel, and water then drive west about 20 miles on I-10. The rest stop at our exit is open now, after being closed two years ago and the solar power plant appears to be completed, so maybe we’ll be able to go north from here to do some exploring.
But for now we have to go south, down three miles of good paved, high-speed road till suddenly the good road goes to the right to the state prison and our road goes straight for another six miles. The road is wide, it is graded from time to time, but receives enough traffic that it is badly washboarded. The speed limit is 15 mph but with the trailer, we crawl along at walking speed. At long last, we come to Wiley’s Well Long Term Visitor Area, where you can dry-camp for 6 months for $180 or 2 weeks for $40. Considering that full hookups now often cost $40 a night, we can put up with a little inconvenience for the beauty, the quiet, and the dozen or so other campers here.
We get just enough cell signal that we can check Facebook and email but can’t send anything out. Not to worry…when we tire of being cut off, we’ll drive into Blythe, visit a fast food restaurant, and take our time getting caught up with free wifi.
For now, we’re just happy to be back at one of the most peaceful places we’ve been.
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