If you’re looking to drive from Paso Robles to Phoenix, consider a route through Solvang, Mojave National Preserve, Kelso Dunes, Lake Havasu, the Steps and KOFA National Wildlife refuge.
SOLVANG
Braid your hair and grab your wooden shoes, camera and pocketbook for a day in Solvang! Windmills, hamlets, bakeries, an organic farmers market, tourist shops and fine dining can all be found in Solvang. This is a clean downtown that’s great for walking. I recommend grabbing a pastry, some coffee and strolling through the shops before settling on a place to overeat for lunch. It was so cute that I’m not even angry that I threw down $6 for a basket of like 6 strawberries at their farmers market (well…maybe I’m still just a little perturbed).
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE
Fewer and fewer towns, fewer and fewer cars, more and more tufts of dry orange grass appear with the rise of dark blue hills in the distance and a pretty sunset on the horizon. The Mojave National Preserve isn’t that far from the bustle of Los Angeles but when you’re there it can feel apocalyptic. The quiet of the area is deafening and the minimal landscape feels as if its artist outlined the area and then got distracted from the task. We had planned to boondock (dry camp) for just one night. During that time, we passed only two other motorists and even as they approached I expected some MadMax hijinks. If you’re looking to be alone with just your thoughts, go here…but make no mistake, you will feel alone with them.
KELSO DUNES
I mentioned previously that our dog loves sand so Kelso Dunes was her idea and no, it’s not unusual that she occasionally picks the stops. These dunes are not nearly as impressive as Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park (link here) but when you’re less than a foot tall it’s difficult to tell. If you’re a person and your dog loves sand or you’re just having one of those Lawrence of Arabia moments, these dunes are easy to access from the road and also a great hiking workout.
LAKE HAVASU
In February of 2021, most towns were only partially open due to Covid. Despite this, Lake Havasu, off-season, during Covid, and on a weekday was still, as Mel B / Scary Spice would say, “off the chains” when we arrived. If you live for the party boat, head to Lake Havasu for what looked like a rip roaring good time. Watercraft of all types are welcome, the London Bridge replica is unique, and the restaurants and bars are serving what you want. We only spent an afternoon here but found the people watching from the park near the bridge, an absolute hoot!
THE STEPS
The Steps are a free camping spot about 10 miles south of Lake Havasu City and 7 miles north of Parker.
KOFA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
KOFA National Wildlife Refuge was our last stop before Phoenix to visit friends and family. We boondocked here for about 4 days. The area has plenty of dirt roads for off-road vehicles but also had some decent hiking up into Palm Canyon and around the base of this same rock structure. The only drawback is that the area is filled with barrel cactus, cholla, organ pipe cactus and tons of other dessert plants that are a dog’s mortal enemy. When we pulled into our overnight location, we noticed the neighbor removing cactus spines from their dogs’ feet. A few days later, we ran across a seemingly well behaved dog who off-leash likely went after a rabbit or chipmunk and ran its face squarely into a cholla that would require an hour’s drive to a vet to try and save the dog’s eye and ear. It was sadly, one of the worst pet accidents I’ve ever seen and I could tell the owners felt terrible.
We kept Bailey strictly on the dirt roads at all times to avoid this kind of pain so Doug and I were the only ones who enjoyed the good hikes.
All of these locations deserve more than the honk and wave we gave them, so I’m hoping we will be able to return to at least a few of them at a later date. Maybe my quick impressions of each will inspire you to check out some of these spots if you’re in the area as well.
