RVing during the Pandemic

An RV trip is a great way to get away during the pandemic. It helps avoid contact, as you can cook, eat and stay in the RV itself.

Also, this is the first time we did and RV trip, so there was an equal dose of excitement, and apprehension.

Trip summary:

Starting point: San Jose, CA 

Destination - Phoenix, AZ

Day 1 - Drive to Joshua Tree:

Being a typical Indian family, our idea of an RV trip is  - pack enough food for 5 meals, snacks, tea, everything to be made on the fly in the RV. The plan was to start at 6.30, but being true to Indian standard time, we got going by 8.30am.

The first task in the RV as we hit highway 101, was making breakfast. Breakfast on day 1 was a fruit smoothie. 

The first problem started as soon as the smoothie prep started - we forgot the knife needed to cut the fruit.

After some searching, we settled on using a butter knife to cut the fruit. The hacked up cutting did not hinder the smoothie, and with breakfast out of the way, task 2 was tea. This is one of the beauties of an RV trip that you can make Indian masala tea on a road trip. 

The RV drive itself was going well, as the initial apprehensions that come with handling a vehicle the size of a 30ft RV were a thing of the past.

Out first stop on the trip was to be at Joshua Tree. It was a reasonable mid point on the drive to Phoenix, had some points of interest, and had some good Airbnb's to rest up.

The drive along the Bay area highway 101started well. The cold morning gave way to a pleasant afternoon as the sun warmed the day. The lush green hills dotted by grazing cattle made for soothing views. 

After around 4 hours of driving, we stopped at an RV Park in Lost Hills.

The park was great - the facilities clean, hook ups for water, 30A electric line, and waste disposal. 

This was a good chance to grab some lunch too - Lunch was parathas with a side of pickle and yogurt. 

Joshua tree national park - Near Barker Dam

Post lunch, we started off again as we drove up I-5 towards Joshua Tree. This part of the drive is the most boring as the initial enthusiasm of the morning wore down.

But, with good conversations, and some lively music, the troop moved onward. Tea was in order in the afternoon, again made on the RV stove. 

Finally, at around 6.30 we touched down at Joshua Tree. 

Dinner prep was next on the agenda - this was a semolina upma(an Indian dish). gain, an easy to make dish, that is quite filling too. 

After dinner, and some lively discussions ranging from the Indian cricket team to world politics, we called it a day.

Day 2  - Joshua Tree to Phoenix

Day 2 started with a run around Joshua Tree National Park. The run was refreshing and afforded some breathtaking views of the desert landscape. 

The run was followed by a quick breakfast, and back on the road. The plan was to drive through the Joshua Tree national park, and stop at some points of interest along the way. 

First problem was some traffic at the Park entrance. After navigating this minor inconvenience, we were back to cruising through the Park. The park affords some rather picturesque desert landscape, dotted by the namesake Joshua Trees and naturally carved rock. The rocks come is shapes like bells and skulls and whatever form your imagination affords. 

The Barker Dam is supposed to be a beautiful spot. But, as the parking as full, and we were pressed for time, we decided to skip the spot. Instead, we stopped at a parking lot nearby for lunch close to the Barker Dam parking lot. 
We stopped next to an imposing rock, one of the many formations in the park.

Joshua Tree National Park

Post lunch, we drove past Skull rock, and passed 

the hidden nature trail. We had to do a drive by for these spots with the consolation of being back to do a thorough visit of these spots.

We exited Joshua Tree National park at TwentyNine Palms.

Thirsty Car, no Fuel

Here is where we figured out how thirsty the RV are. We had a quarter of a gas tank, when we realized the next gas station was about 120 miles away. The other option was going back 30 miles, getting gas and then moving on. After some debate, we decided to go back, refuel and move on. It proved to be the smart choice, otherwise we would have relied on fumes getting us to the next gas station.

Having stretched out itinerary by 30 minutes, we lumbered on towards Phoenix. 

As evening approached, there were some breathtaking colors in the dusk sky. Finally, we crossed the state border and got into Arizona!!

From this point on we drove non stop till we reached our final destination on Arizona







Day 3 - In Phoenix

Day 3 was a stay at Phoenix, as we relaxed, stretch our legs, and recovered from the rigors of the RV trip. The day was spent lounging, and eating home cooked meals interspersed with bouts of lazing around. One task to be done was picking up a  12 seater Ford transit to be used for local sight seeing over the next couple of days.

The evening was again a melee of family meetup, and a dinner feast topped off day 3.

Day 4  - Sedona

Final Words

The trip was our first RV experience, and with the COVID pandemic punctuating 2020, it was the perfect time to do the RV trip with flying coming with its risks. RVs are  a great way to spend time on the road with family, and with great company comes a great RV trip!!!