The Mummy, the Tart, and the Mystery Station
Well, it was a long ride last night from Phoenix to Yuma, but I was happy to be back on the road. We reached Yuma late in the evening and after consulting the Woodall's Campground Directory 
found a place to park for the night.
I awoke this morning at the Riverfront RV Park in Yuma, Arizona. Turns out I was in a prime spot. The park is located right on the Colorado River. So not only was it a beautiful spot to take the boys for a walk, but it also provided a great location for filming. Near this spot was once a ferry that would have provided safe passage over the river for the stagecoach. So the videoing continues!
As I was preparing to leave, the owner of the park came over to share some information. She had noticed the RV (how could you not) and wanted to tell me about some ruins she was sure had once been a stop on the Butterfield Route. It's always great to talk to folks about the Butterfield Route, and it's nice to not have to do the talking from time to time. And let's face it, much of the information I've gained during this trip has been through all the great people I've met along the way.
When it's a random meeting like this it is particularly exciting...
I thanked her for the tip and headed over the Colorado River crossing for the first time in 25 days back into California on my way to Warner Springs. Reaching California was probably not as exciting for me as it was for Mr. Ormsby. After all, he had never been and was probably anxious to arrive after such a rough and weary trip. I, on the other hand, while feeling somewhat weary, was none-the-less sad to see the trip coming to an end. I could keep going and going and going.
I followed the directions given by the RV park owner and headed to see her ruins. She was right. There were definitely some adobe ruins where she said they would be in the little town of Winterhaven. However, I'm not sure they are Butterfield related. Ormsby doesn't mention one in this spot and it seems much too close to Yuma. After all, the spots were usually separated by 12 miles or more and this was only a couple of miles from where the Yuma spot would be.
I got out to look and they were very cool. Most of the walls were crumbled like so many of the other existing spots. So you never know — this could very well have been a stage stop.
From Winterhaven the journey took me through some very cool sand dunes several hours outside of San Diego. They are amazing, towering high above the desert like a scene from The Mummy . Looking out at the sand and the ATVs with their shadow dust clouds, I understood why the Butterfield Route at this point dipped for a time into Mexico. The terrain would just have been too much for the strongest horses and most skilled driver.
In a few miles the landscape made another dramatic shift: I had finally reached the Anza-Borrego Desert. With the mountains in the distance and the rock-strewn desert alive with all sorts of brush and the ever-present Ocotillo , the desert canvas was full of textures and color.
Soon I was at the Vallecito Station . Vallecito was built originally for the San Antonio to San Diego Mail Line and was then used for the Butterfield. There is a building here, but it is a reconstruction done in the 1930s. Still, it is one of the few places to see what an actual station looked like.
After Vallecito I made my way to Box Canyon. It was here that the stagecoach passed through the arduous mountains of San Diego County. It was also here that Ormsby described as one of the most beautiful stretches of the entire route.
As the day was waning — and because I had made plans to meet with Allan Peterson of the San Diego Wells Fargo History Museum and his wife Janet — I took a quick hike into the canyon. What an awesome site! It is very beautiful as Ormsby said. But the juxtaposition of standing on the Butterfield Road with the old Mormon Battalion Road to my right and the modern highway to my left reminded me of the scene at the Guadalupe Mountains that had inspired me the week before.
From Box Canyon I was on my way to meet up with Allan and Janet for dinner. However, being so closed to the town of Julian , I couldn't resist stopping for a famous Julian Apple Pie. I love these pies!! The town of Julian is such a special place nestled in the mountains just outside of San Diego. Walking down the main street is like stepping back in time. The pies made at nearly a dozen shops with the apples grown in Julian are to die for.
However, when I turned the corner on to the main street, I suddenly realized that it was Sunday. The town was filled to the brim with tourists, many with the same goal as I. As I drove down the street, I saw the lines at the pie shops — many stretching around buildings.
With not much time to spare, I remembered that there was a great little shop on one of the side streets and decided to give it a shot. The shop is called Candied Apple Pastry Company . Unfortunately, like most of the shops this late on a Sunday, they were out of apple pie. In fact, they were out of all pies! But, the nice lady behind the counter told me that the lavender pear tart was really good, so I decided to go with that.
Boy, was she right! It was amazing.
After loading up with tarts and a few other goodies, I headed to Borrego Springs to have dinner. We decided on The Red Octotillo at the Palms Hotel . The groovy 1960s architecture is really something to see. The food was great and the conversation was even better. It was nice to catch up on what had been happening in San Diego since I'd left nearly a month ago. I was also happy to share my experiences so far with Allan and Janet.
It was getting late and the day had been a long one. So after the great meal and conversation I headed back to the RV for a good night's sleep.
Next stop, L.A.
