February 19 & 20, 2005…

Elizabeth and I were invited to the desert home of Marvin and Aletha Patchen, authors of ‘Baja Adventures…’ and ‘Baja Outpost’.

Their 1981 ‘Adventures’ book was always a favorite and inspired me on my Baja adventures!

Based on log book entries from guests at their Baja desert cabin, ‘Baja Outpost’ was published by Sunbelt in 2003.

Aletha and Marvin on February 19, 2005

The Anza-Borrego Desert was blooming with higher than normal rainfall, this year!

Elizabeth is enjoying the smell of the flowers…

Big thunderclouds to the east provided a light-show Saturday evening.

Hollywood & Vine… As a gag, soldiers stationed in the desert placed the famous street sign out here some 50 years ago… the tradition is maintained by locals.

Beautiful landscape as viewed from the Hollywood & Vine sign, along Vallecito Creek.

This is ‘Palm Spring’ which provided water to thirsty travelers in years long past.

Here’s Marvin & Aletha’s ‘pet’ boojum tree, in the center of one of their home’s planters.

Marvin raced the Baja 500 and 1000… his helmet continues to be of use!

On Sunday, Mavin took Elizabeth and I on a hike near Mountain Palm Springs.

Here’s Elizabeth and I on the trail. Let me take a moment here to say what a great feast we had the previous night, thanks to the Patchen’s.

Water trickles down from the oasis of palms.

Marvin calls this place ‘Holey Rock Canyon’ for good reason.

Many interesting rocks here!

At a second oasis was this small geoglyph… a design on the ground using stones.

In the desert community of Canebrake, the residents find interesting ways to entertain themselves. Here (for example) is the local ‘yacht club’!

Bob has some interesting creations at his yacht club.

This is a ‘way-out’ out house…

Tequila plants grow easily in the desert, but the exotic elixer is savored by humans…

One of mankinds uses for tequila is to make a margarita. Here is an early form of the blender… many, many margarita samples needed to be consumed before this prototype blender was perfected.

Marvin taking us between docks at the Canebrake Yacht Club. Thanks for a fun weekend Marvin and Aletha! http://vivabaja.com/