To the gym that is. I am so happy to be a Black Card member of Planet Fitness. They are just about everywhere! One of my biggest concerns about this trip is making sure I get enough exercise with so much windshield time, but I seem to be making up for it this weekend.

I can’t remember the last time, or if ever, I was addressed with ‘Yo’. I met a couple of ‘dudes’ yesterday. It went something like this “Yo!” ‘Who? Me?’ “Yo man, we are heading out today and have like all this extra food. Can you take it? We’re not into waste and all that y’know?” It was healthy food – oatmeal, nuts, oranges – so I took it off their hands and got a “totally awesome man!” My retelling doesn’t do it justice, but the whole exchange cracked me up, since I am probably old enough to be a (very young) grandmother to them.

I finally got a hike in too! Recommended by another ‘dude’ neighbor as a fun hike so I thought I’d try it out. One, I used to spend a lot of time in this area for FREE, now you have to have a reservation AND it cost $20! My America the Beautiful pass came through and the $20 went down to $2. That’s a 90% savings (can we agree on the Jeff Schoonover?) Yay! Two, Turtlehead Peak turned out to be 5 miles round trip straight up hill with the incline doubling half way up. Whew! But I made it!

My campground is way in the background on the desert floor.

View from the parking lot. Tough climb.

I thought this rock looked like a wrinkly butt.

Overall, I always think the best part of a tough hike is making it to the top AND taking my boots off at the bottom!

A couple questions:

• Does anyone know why a new battery won’t provide power to the camper? I have narrowed it down to the less than 2 feet from the battery to the bottom of the trailer. I’d love to fix it since I am getting ready to move on again and won’t be in the same place for an extended time until I get to Dallas. I can take it to the shop there but that’s a couple weeks away.
• Can I wash Berkenstocks? Mine are filthy.

It’s time to leave this lovely place. My stay here has been good to me. I hope to have some fun stories for you as I travel to places I have never been and meet up with some old friends.

It’s laundry day.

Tip of the day: Don’t trust young whippersnappers when they describe something as a ‘fun little hike’. Also, if you ever do something like this, get every pass and discount card possible. They are cheap and save a bunch. I now have America the Beautiful, Good Sam, and KOA.