We spent our Thanksgiving in the "New" Mojave Preserve.  This new park is located between interstate 40, interstate 10 and Needles.  It is a remote area, but has much to offer such as sand dunes (Kelso Dunes), mountains with pine trees and caves (Mitchell Caverns).  We enjoyed the long weekend with friends including Tom and Julie Greninger, Steve and Toni Greninger, Steve and Cynthia Surber and Dave and Patti Belski. 

And especially Jeff and Linda Barnes, who fed us a great chili dinner, when our refrigerator broke!

Honest, it was an oversight   ...............  ............... .............. .......

We started off with a stop to the visitors center at the new Mojave Preserve to gather maps and information for our Thanksgiving weekend.
		From the overlook you can see the valley floor below.
It seems that you can never get Tom past a windmill.		Sandy, Julie, Tom and Kevin stop briefly to hike to the top of a peak.

This view was a pleasant surprise, as the sun rose over the motorhomes, and lit the mountains in the distance.

The "Rigs".

The "Old School House" museum, in Goff, California.

An old tractor. Do you think the rear wheels got sufficient traction?
		Hard core biker group.
Another expansive vista. Notice the pine tree located in the center of this desert area!
		This is all that is left of Cima.  A small store and post office. It has 42 mail boxes, with many people coming from 40 to 72 miles to pick up their mail.

	A famous desert painter use to live in this rock house, which was abandon in the seventies. There were old wine bottles and books still sitting untouched, on the shelves inside.
	We knew a train was coming, so we placed many coins on the track. As it turned out, he came around the corner riding on the far track.

In the photo below, you can see the coins on the track.  As it turned out, a train was also coming in the opposite direction, and the train in the picture below, stopped short of the coins, waiting for the oncoming train to pass.

These pictures were taken in the Kelso Dunes.  We were told that the story behind the old used mining equipment was as follows: California state senators were aware that this area was to become a preserve.  They purchase the equipment, started mining, then, when the park was initiated, sold the operation to the state, for a hefty profit!

The "Mitchell Caverns"

This is the same visitors center, which has been in operation since the 1930's.
Interesting formations. According to the guide, Mr. Mitchell broke some of the formations off, to present to famous guests of the caverns.
The "Curtain" formation.

Heading Homeward!

We always avoid the freeway, when possible.  

We took the old "Route 66" to Amboy.

	A quick lunch in Historic Amboy. It is a "Twilight Zone" kind of place.
	Wouldn't this be a nice motorhome for South American adventures. The owners were heading south to Baja California for a few months.  Those lucky Canadians!

That's All Folks..........

Until next time, Adios!