Barstow, Boulder City, and...... he's back!

 We've driven through Barstow, CA a few times before and never had any reason to stop.    This time, however, I found a couple nearby places that I wanted to check out so....that's what we did.

lovely, old Joshua Tree

Once again, we packed lunch and set off into the desert.   Our destination was Rainbow Basin Natural Area.    Driving through miles and miles of nothingness led us to a beautiful, one-way dirt road into an area filled with fantastic rock formations.

It wasn't a long road, or a particularly difficult one, but wild colors and shapes greeted us at every turn.

do you see the Jeep?

The other spot I wanted to explore was just a few miles from our site at the Calico/Barstow KOA.     Calico is an interesting ghost town (on Ghost Town Rd) that we'll visit next time.    We drove past it a few miles and turned off on Doran trail, a dirt track into the desert.  We were looking for Kramer Arch.   I saw pictures of a Jeep driving through it and I wanted Rocky to have that experience.....

The scenery at the beginning of this trail was really interesting and colorful.   The hills above made me think of melting ice cream scoops.... milk chocolate, butterscotch, raspberry and pistachio.

The path turned away and into more narrow and rounded formations.   I don't think it was really made for Jeeps though because there were extremely narrow sections where Dave had to get out and make a decision whether to continue or not.

After a couple of really tight, tire pinchers we decided to turn around.   I really didn't know if the Kramer Arch was ahead, or if we'd taken a wrong turn and neither of us wanted to get Rocky stuck in between two steep walls of stone.

It's a great thing we did turn around....a really great thing, because on our way out we discovered the Doran Double Arches hidden in the melting ice cream scoops!

Driving through them was probably more for side by sides, or dirt bikes, but Dave carefully guided Rocky through!

Satisfied with our quick Barstow stay, we set off for the last stop before getting home - Boulder City, NV.

Well, it didn't turn out to be our last stop.    We had a big surprise that necessitated a few more days drives.

Our first stop there is always (whenever possible) dinner at the delicious China Bistro.    It never disappoints.      On our way back to Beluga, John gave us a little driving tour of some very decorated neighborhoods.

If this guy didn't scare me enough as he looked in through the Jeep's window, the next guy really did!     We got out and walked past the huge display and as we approached him, he turned his head slowly and looked down, right at me!   Oh my....

The next day, Pam and John took us out to lunch at the Goodsprings Ghost town's Pioneer Saloon.

 Cool old building with pressed tin walls and ceilings and a mixture of interesting patrons.   

Dave douses his Sloppy Weiner with pepper.....at least he didn't order the Slap your A ss Burger....

John and I had to have one of their artistic milkshakes for dessert, of course.

Once full, we drove around the streets of Goodsprings, taking pictures of some of the neat old rusty cars in almost every yard.

To complete our quirky desert tour, we stopped at Ugo Rondinone's huge art installation called Seven Magic Mountains.  

  These colorful stacked boulders rise almost 25 feet above the flat desert.  They almost seem to glow in the sunlight.

count seven?

Friday morning Dave and I set out on the exciting and final adventure of this year's trip.     We left Beluga in Boulder City and drove the Jeep west about 280 miles to Valencia, California.     

inside were four puppies and....guess who?

We went to Valencia to meet the Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy truck which was bringing our sweet Taos back to us!  

Taos had passed all his tests and requirements to be a Guide Dog, with "flying colors" they said, but he just couldn't settle there.    That's all I know right now but I'm trying to find out what "couldn't settle" means exactly.     No matter, we're all so very excited to see each other again!  

I tried to add the video I took of him getting off the truck and seeing Dave again, but....it won't load.    Sigh.     Needless to say, he recognized him, wiggled and squirmed in joy.      He jumped right into the Jeep and went to sleep, just like no time had passed.

We spent the night at a hotel in nearby Santa Clarita and then headed back to Boulder City.

 

 We've raised a lot of dogs to be Guides, and not all of them make it through.    We know that, it's a hard and very serious job.   A rock forms in my stomach each time we hand a beloved dog back to the Guide Dog school.    It finally dissolves when the dog is either placed with their new, visually impaired person - or they come back home.     Empty stomach today!!!!!!!