“USA 🇺🇸 ~California Calico Ghost Town and NOT Happy Campers”

• February 22, 2023
• By Pen
• 2 Comments

We had big plans to go to Calico Ghost town again, and especially since this last weekend was “California Days” with lots of extra activities there. BUT, as luck would have it, our shower broke in The Whale, so unfortunately we had to cancel our rental car, since the shower has to be fixed by professionals, who have to take off panels in the bedroom to get to the plumbing, inside the wall.
Cha Ching 💰 Cha Ching 💰

These professionals are in Hesperia, which is the direction to our house at the Beach City. We had a service call last night with a technician who came out. We want a mobile repair, if it’s not too steep. We got our mobile repair scheduled, but the storm is causing them to push us off till today, or tomorrow. Another RV repair place, closer, in Barstow did not survive the covid era, so we have one option at this time.

This is when living in a traveling home becomes challenging, because we LIVE in it.

This plumbing issue is the first real issue we’ve had with our beautiful home on wheels, so we are adjusting our dreams accordingly, as life happens, and it doesn’t matter where you are, or what you are living in. Honestly, IF it had to happen, I’m glad it did, now, instead of later, when we are in Alaska and Canada for the Spring, Summer and Fall.

So, here we are, hanging out in Barstow at the campground, letting the chips fall where they may….. AND the chips, are in fact, falling HARD!

When we camped in Tiny the Trailer, before we got The Whale, we used the campground shower house and we can do it again.
In the mean time, we have a nice bunch of campers around us, and we find them very interesting with all their “toy hauler” RVs and dune buggies, and they think we are very interesting, because they love our Class A that does not haul toys, and we have no “toys,” and not even a “toad” vehicle 🤣

SAD FACE 😢 
Just yesterday, we learned our VW WONT be done by the time we leave Barstow. We were originally told six months to get the rebuilt engine, the rag top done right, refurbished seats, new carpet, air conditioner installed, tow bar added, new door panels, and new rubber seals on windows.  which would make it a November possession date. Now, it’s been nine months and the guys said it won’t be ready till summer!
To say this is a set back, is an understatement. One would think we bought a junk VW, but we did not. The guy must make these upgrades a hobby and admits he takes about two years to complete each project! THAT would have been good information to know up front, instead of the six months we were told. Getting parts has NEVER been an issue, either. Applying labor time has been the issue. There were weeks on end, where she just sat. 😤
So, we told the guy… see ya at the end of September, then, when we come back through, heading to Mexico.

In March, we drive up North to Oregon, still without a vehicle. Once in Oregon, we will car shop for one…hoping to find one with a tow package, so I’m not back driving a separately again.
I priced out a rental car for just our two months in Alaska this summer (not including the two months driving and back through Canada) and that quote was for $7,000!

You may remember when Daryl’s mom’s car broke down on us whilst we were in Indiana, in 2021. We looked into a rental to drive back to California, then, for less than a month and that cost was quoted at $18,000. SERIOUSLY. I Can’t make this stuff up! That was when we bought Rusty the Dodge and after, we bought Tiny the trailer, and had a really fun year.

WEATHER
Like the rest of the USA, we are currently experiencing the winter storm at this time. We are grateful not to be driving anything right now, as the wind has been fierce all day yesterday; and all night, with gusts up to 80 MPH. This morning we were so grateful to wake up to zero trees and power poles blown over. We rocked all day and night long, and the winds continues through tomorrow. It is super noisy and feels very ominous inside a RV. but we are good. Next, comes major rain, tomorrow, and we hear flooding is likely.               The good news is, so far, our departure day on March 2nd looks sunny!

We are hoping and praying our lending Bank comes through for us by next week, with our request of sending an electronic copy of our Whales title, for our state-to-state title change, (Arizona purchase) so DMV Barstow will give us our California license plates, before we leave!

Ending on a Good Note

Enjoy 

Calico Ghost Town 

We loved a visit to this very cool Old Ghost Town a few years back, even if we didn’t get to go back again on this visit. If you ever get a chance to visit, I hope you do! Enjoy our photos by clicking the link for my photo website; no writing, just pics: “Pics By Pen” 

https://picsbypen.smugmug.com/Places/North-AmericaLife/United-States/CaliforniaLife/DesertLife/Calico-Ghost-Town/

Calico is an old West mining town which has been around since 1881 and was abandoned in the mid-1890s after silver lost its value. The town that once gave miners a good living, lost its hustle and became a “ghost town.”

Walter Knott purchased Calico in the 1950’s architecturally restoring all but the five original buildings to look as they did in the 1880’s.

Calico received State Historical Landmark 782 and in 2005 was proclaimed by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California’s Silver Rush Ghost Town.

Today, Calico is part of the San Bernardino County Regional Parks system, which is visited by people from across the country and from all over the world. Along with its history and attractions, Calico Ghost Town has shops, restaurants and offers camping, hiking and off-roading.