Ep. 81: Mojave National Preserve | California RV travel camping
In Episode 81 we leave Joshua Tree National Park behind, and instead boondock in the midst of the world's most dense Joshua tree forest with no one else for miles around. On Veteran's Day, and the 100-year anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended WWI, it's only fitting that we're camped right next to the Mojave Cross, aka the White Cross Memorial, which was the subject of a contentious battle over the placement of a religious symbol on public land that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Filmed: November 10-11, 2018
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CREDITS
* All music in this episode is open source and obtained from the KZread Audio Library / audiolibrary , or licensed from Soundstripe SoundStripe.com.
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Welcome to Grand Adventure, a KZread channel that focuses on RV-centric outdoor activities including not only of course camping, but also mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, skiing and more, nearly always filmed in stunning 4K.
We're based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and invite you to come along as we travel all around the western U.S. My wife Patricia and I, and our dogs Zoe and Maggie are avid boondockers, so you'll seldom find us in RV parks or even dry campgrounds. Instead, we're usually camped in some of the most remote and beautiful spots that you could ever pull a travel trailer into. And unlike most other RV channels on KZread, we're not RV dealers or full-timers -- we're weekend warriors just like you!
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Пікірлер: 71
Marc, I absolutely LOVED this video! I even enjoyed the music in the first part of it. Usually I hate the music in all videos, mostly because it is over powering. I hope the folks on View From My RV check it out. I'm certainly giving a big thumbs up! :) Jesi James :)
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much, Jesi!
All your videos are great! My husband and I are new watchers and it’s nice to see such beautiful sites. Thank you!
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much, Lori -- we're grateful to have both of you here!
Heartbreaking that the fire devastated that area
@GrandAdventure
10 ай бұрын
Yes it is! We haven't seen it since the fire, although there's a possibility we may revisit that area yet this season.
Thank you Marc for honoring the veterans in a most unique way. There was a similar situation with a cross on top of Mount Soledad in San Diego. We will hopefully be staying overnight in Mojave Desert on the way to Sedona. Love your tidbits of history along the way. Your cinematography is top notch!! Thank you!
@GrandAdventure
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks as always Ram! FYI there are some even better looking spots just due east of the Cross on Kessler Peak Road.
@laughingram7287
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Marc. We’ll be probably cutting across the Mojave on I-40 in March. Good to know when we head that way again.
@GrandAdventure
4 жыл бұрын
@@laughingram7287 perfect, as these spots are just northeast of Kelso, about halfway between I-40 and I-15.
@laughingram7287
4 жыл бұрын
We were planning on stopping overnight at Stoddard Wells Road, which is directly south of Barstow. Perhaps if we get an early enough start we can get to the area you mention while still light out. It is a bit of a drive from our home.
Good video, by the way it is Mount Whitney........... for the highest mountain in the lower 48
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Yep, William -- you nailed it!
Wowowo Amazing Video Bud
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks pal!
We know this area well as it is the route to the Marble Mountains where we did a lot of field work towards our BS in Geology in the 80s. Got in trouble for stopping at Roy's for gas and coffee! haha! I still have trilobite fossils from the Cambrian collected at the Marble Mtns.
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Sweet, Joyce! Do you have photos of those fossils? We'd love to see them!
@joycemarino9800
5 жыл бұрын
@@GrandAdventure I will happily provide pictures sometime in the future but we have just recently retired and downsized from our home in Orange County CA to a much smaller unit in Palm Desert Ca for winter living and are are still unpacking. However for anyone that might be interested fossil collecting is still possible in the Latham Shale unit of the Marble Mountains www.blm.gov/visit/marble-mountain-rock-collecting-area
I appreciate the history you give about each of the places you visit. It's one of the things that differentiate your videos. Thanks,
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you Loren! To be honest, though, as history buffs we really do that research for our own benefit -- then we simply share it in the video. We appreciate that you've noticed!
Thanks Marc!! That aerial footage was beautiful! Love your historical backgrounds also. Thanks!
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed, it was fun putting it all together.
Another great video, thanks. Just an FYI, I will usually watch the commercial at the beginning but 21 minutes 😳
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Huh? KZread placed a 21-minute pre-roll ad? Let's hope it was skippable!
One of my favorite spots in the desert. I can happily spend a week there wandering around.
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
As we mentioned at the end of the video, this visit was far too short. You can be certain we'll be back!
We were just there near the cross. It was beautiful but kind of cold for the desert!
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
We're not at all surprised for it's all about elevation in the West, and the Mojave Cross sits at over 5,000 feet, which is unusually high for that region (for example, that's over 3,000 feet higher than Las Vegas). The nearby town of Amboy featured in the video is only about 700' elevation. It was in the low 30s in the morning even while we were camped at the Mojave Cross in mid-November. It strikes us as a great spring and fall destination.
@averagealice8877
5 жыл бұрын
Grand Adventure our thermometer said 20’s very near the cross. Wish there were a decent grocery store closer than Las Vegas or Barstow. Good food at the Mad Greek in Baker though!
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
@@averagealice8877 good to know!
Yet another place now on our growing list of beautiful places to visit! Thanks for the video, looking forward to more!
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
And we look forward to having you along! Thank you.
Your film footage is a joy to watch Marc , lovely crisp and clear makes us feel we are there with you and as always stunning scenery thanks G&Z
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you folks so very much!
My 19-year-old brother back in 1960 went Jack rabbit hunting I had a horrible horrible accident and he passed away at the age of 19th Bakersfield hospital is where he actually passed away he only hadn't done jackrabbit I was 5 years old father never got over that but they're both in heaven now praise God
@GrandAdventure
Жыл бұрын
May he rest in piece, Debbie.
Very nice tribute Marc, thank you.
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
We sincerely appreciate it, Mark!
Rolled through Kelso today and the depot was closed due to the government shutdown, arhg! Great video, as always. You do a great job of making the history around all these spots interesting. ✌️
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! Pity about the Kelso Depot, it really is a gorgeous building. Are you camping within the Preserve?
@jkneeshaw
5 жыл бұрын
@@GrandAdventure yep, I made camp off Hidden Hill Rd near the Granite Mountains. Good to be back in the desert!
🎼🎵🎶🎶I stayed in Kelso for a week,last year,enjoyed hiking and exploring around the area.Ill be back for sure😊👋
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
We wish we had a week ourselves this trip, but we ran out of time. Next time we'll get to explore the area much more in-depth, and would appreciate knowing the best of what you found!
Just catching up. Loved this film. I think the drone footage just helps capture how large the US actually is. Thanks Marc. Phil and Juliet👍😀
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you as always, folks!
Another stunning video Marc, Missed the live premiere I'll catch ya on the next one.
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
TY Brigham! Look forward to having you join us next week.
Enjoyed your video👍. Your boondock site for the last half of the video looks really nice. I suppose those were joshua tree's near your camper ?
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Eric! They were indeed Joshua trees. Our camp at Sunrise Rock is adjacent to Cima Dome, which is home to the world's most dense Joshua tree "forest".
Only 5 - 4 on the SCOTUS decision? That's so sad. My heart felt thanks to those who fought the good fight!
So the road there would be ok in a 25 ft class c?
@GrandAdventure
3 жыл бұрын
Absolutely. And it's paved state highway for all but the final 100 yards.
Once again a great video. One question if I may...you always talk about where 'we' are or where 'we' are going. Who are the we? :) Safe travels and keep up the excellent videos!
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Heh heh. "We" is yours truly (Marc), Mrs Grand Adventure and the two pups. The missus is very camera shy so you seldom see her, she's only appeared in front of the camera in Ep. 9.
@dwaynenelson7957
5 жыл бұрын
@@GrandAdventure I can understand that. Sounds like my 89 year old mother! :)
love the scenery and locations. Too bad we can't hear the sounds of nature while we're looking at it instead of that music. 😭
@GrandAdventure
3 жыл бұрын
Appreciate your feedback, Kerry. FYI I responded to your concerns in the separate post you made on the favorite California spots video.
You're not kidding when you said it was remote. I brought the area up on Google Maps and there sure is a lot of nothing! First I heard of Amboy. The history you give sure adds to the context of the video. I picked up a Roku streaming stick yesterday evening and while going through the features last night, I came across the KZread channel. A light went off in my tiny brain that you probably just downloaded a new video so I brought it up. That is the first time I have watched a KZread video on a full size flat screen TV. The quality of your video was superb! It was like watching a National Geographic special. I could not have picked a better video. Your investment in quality equipment and also your photography and editing skills sure shows. I had to log on to KZread in order to activate the channel on the Roku stick. I believe I used my Google account. Interesting your channel did not show me as subscribed, so I subscribed again. Maybe you got a 2 of 1 out of it! On to next week and Utah ....
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Bruce! Did you get the Streaming Stick+ on a 4K TV? It really looks best in 4K on a big screen. We're but fans of Roku as we've got a 4K Roku TV in the living room, a Roku 3 in the bedroom and two Roku TVs in the RV. As for KZread, it's possible you signed into your Google account but picked the wrong KZread account if you have multiple. For example, I have two personal KZread accounts and Grand Adventure, all tied to one Google account.
@bruceh3786
5 жыл бұрын
Hey Marc .... Good guess. I picked up the Roku Streaming Stick +. I just have a five year old 42 inch LED TV so it is not 4K but I will be getting one eventually so now I am prepared The Plus should have better WiFi range and some other advantages. It is only $10 bucks more so why not. I bet your videos do look even better on a nice large 4K TV. You must like the Roku platform with all of those devices. I knew there was free media out there but I was surprised there is so much. I am considering a Hulu subscription and then start to cut the cord as is now the trend. You nailed it on the two KZread accounts under the one Google account. I am not sure how the second one got created. I happened to see it a while back. The Roku KZread channel is connected to the one that was not subscribed to your channel. I think I will just delete it as there is little activity attached to it.
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
@@bruceh3786 for cutting the cord, I've been really impressed with KZread TV. It has every cable channel I'd want, plus locals for $40/month. And best of all, you can share that with up to five other Google accounts if you want to split the bill with friends (down to $6.67 per person per month). Each user gets their own dedicated unlimited cloud DVR. The interface is clean and dead simple, integrated across all connected devices (and there's a Roku app for it). I've used it because a buddy has it and is grandfathered in at $30/month, and he just added my account so that I could play with the service without charging me. If we didn't need satellite in the RV I would've ditched DISH in our sticks-and-bricks ages ago in favor of KZread TV. Boondocking, though, I've got to be careful how much mobile data I'm munching through, and video consumes a huge amount, plus I'm something of a news junkie. I've seldom got usable WiFi available while traveling. So we've just stuck with DISH in the RV.
@bruceh3786
5 жыл бұрын
That is a good deal you have for KZread TV. I checked it out but surprisingly, it is missing a few of the premium channels, some of which I like. I took some time putting together a spread sheet comparing a bunch of the plans and Hulu with the $8 add on package is the best match for me and then a one step up Direct TV Now comes in as a close second. I am doing the free trial for both Hulu and Direct right now. Hulu is less expensive at $48 vs $55 for Direct and it has a lot more on demand programming available. However is has a terrible interface. The good news is they are coming out with a new version this spring to be much more like a cable box. One thing to be aware of on these services for an RV is the regional programming restrictions. I tested using both a home cable router and a Verizon mobile jetpack. The Jetpack has an IP address in an area other than my home area I used for setting up my accounts. Hulu will not let me see any programming with the Jetpack because it says I am out of my home area. It does show an option to change the home area to wherever the IP address is at but that can only be done 4 times a year. I also read some forum posts about having to log on from your home area every month but I am not clear about that. Hulu worked fine when going though the home cable router. Direct TV Now did allow me to view most of the programming through the Jetpack but some channels did not display on the guide and clicking on a local channel brought up a message saying the programing could not be viewed because I was out of the home area. There was no option to click on to change the home area. I guess one would have to call customer support. Hopefully they would handle it like Dish does when moving around with an RV and update the location. Verizon now offers a true unlimited prepaid network monitored data only plan for the mobile Jetpack. I picked up a 7730L for around $70 on eBay and it works great. (Make sure it has the battery, battery cover, cable and fast charger.) The plan is no contract, prepaid $70 monthly or $65 on auto pay. Network monitoring means you have the lowest priority if the tower is busy. I have not had an issue with that but I did see one review where a person had a very low speed at peak time. It all depends where you are at and the time. I have had zero pauses due to the connect speed while testing the streaming options. The fastest Speedtest I got on the jetpack was 101 Mbps on the iPhone 7+ I got for the drone! Most of the time as I move around town is 7 to 30 Mbps. You might consider that and then switch your phone to Total Wireless for $25 a month unlimited text and voice 100% on the Verizon system. You then purchase a $10 Add On Data card for 5 GB that does not expire at the end of the month. You can use your phone for data through the mobile jet pack or the 5GB data Add On if away from the Jetpack. You can add another 5GB of data whenever it is needed. The only negative on Total Wireless for me is overseas phone support. Fortunately, I only have had one issue where they messed up my data balance. Finally, consider going with KZread TV for the home and then switch your Dish account to the RV plan so you only pay for a month if you are in a place where you have no decent cell service and can not stream with the Roku and KZread via the jetpack. Verizon has said previously that mobile jetpacks are not good resident options but that my be because past plans were throttled after so much data use. I am thinking it can be a good for both home and mobile, depending on how much data demand is used at home. It supports 15 devices. The only issue still unresolved for me is the non local IP address issue with the Jetpack. It could be a big deal with Hulu but not so much with Direct. I am not sure what happens with KZread TV or the others. What is great about all the streaming plans and the data plan is they are prepay no contract so it easy to skip a month or make changes for different circumstances.
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
@@bruceh3786 excellent, excellent feedback! Thanks for sharing your experiment thus far -- let us know what else you discover.
Wow, fuel sure is expensive there!
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
It is, but given that it's the only gas station for many miles in any direction, with very little drive-by traffic I can't fault them too much for that. Also it's California, so it was about $1.50 more than anywhere else in the state at the time.
Is camping there first come? Are there fees and who do you pay?
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
We were boondocking, Don, although there are two $12/night campgrounds within the Preserve that are first come, first served. In our case it was just find a spot, no fees, although the Park Service does recommend particular areas to look at. All details are here: www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/camping.htm
great video again...I watched this one because in winter of 1983 I did a bike tour of the entire mohave desert for 3 months..and I remember going down to the old restored train station area. Just before you get there coming from the north there was a weird abandoned "campground" and I see on google satelite that it is still there. I camped there one nite with one very old desert rat named Obie O'brian, he was in a broken down trailer with his dog eating beanies out of a can over an open fire. I always wondered what happened to him...maybe he is still there! Anyhoo, if you use the Avenza app (www.avenzamaps.com ), they have a FREE geo-referenced pdf map of the Mohave National Preserve: www.avenzamaps.com/maps/62975
@GrandAdventure
5 жыл бұрын
Excellent comment, Greg! Cool story, and thanks for the Avenza Map reference! Avenza is great for Forest Service MVUMs, too.
I remember the hype about the cross removal. What a crapload. While I'm neither religious nor particularly fond of military idolization I just don't see any reason whatsoever not to have a cross for someone in the middle of nowhere. If this country is really about religious freedom and separation of church and government, how come the current president can do runs for religious organisations while people get all revved up over a cross on a hill? Just shaking my head here. If anything call it a landmark and move on.
@GrandAdventure
4 жыл бұрын
That "landmark" perspective was pretty much the argument that was made in this instance, Uwe. The land swap with the VFW made it a non-issue.