​All roads lead to California

I-8, I-10, I20

The iconic views and vistas that most people imagine about California are real. 
The beaches are idyllic, Hollywood is a dream and the scenic vistas are heavenly.​ - and then, there's the traffic!!

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The I-10 and the I-8 southerly route
Yuma to the Salton Sea

There are a number of Boondocking opportunities on the Airzona / California border that any self-respecting boondocking RVer should take an interest in.  From Yuma on the Arizona side, a short hop across the Colorado River will bring ardent RVers to many locations, located either on the Colorado or in the dry desert landscape that makes up much of the interior of California.

The Long Term Visitors Permit (LTVA) will cover visitors at a number of sites.  Our favorite is probably at Imperial Dam, located on the Colorado River, in California  See this Youtube video

Part of the LTVA permit includes the Holtville Hot Springs.  The location is off the I-8, heading towards the Salton Sea area.
There is a convenient camping area over the road from the actual Hot Springs where the mish mash of long term and short terms campers converge throughout the day.  However, if you do not want to pay for the six month permit, there is a vast area close to the LTVA area, where campers can set up at the start of the winter season and stay for as long as time permits.  There was no policing of the area when we were there in February 2016 and we could have stayed in a number of very nice, private camping spots for as long as we chose.

The Salton Sea

A lot of history makes the Salton Sea area an interesting place to visit.

As the name says, it is a large body of water that has existed since the formation of what is California today.  Over millions of years, the water has either disappeared or taken over vast tracts of land between the surrounding mountains.

Today, it can be considered a sad relic from the heady days when it was a thriving holiday destination for Californians who wanted a break from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and Hollywood.

There are still old buildings that remind visitors of its' wonderful past, but the overriding impression is of a part of California that is in its' last death throes.
The mineral rich water will kill off schools of fish when conditions are such that they cannot live in the water.  These fish then get carried onto the land, either by the huge flocks of birds that thrive throughout the winter on the shorelines, or the changing water levels will wash them onto the shore, where they will slowly rot and their leftover skeletons will dry up and become part of the beach that visitors walk on.
Needless to stay the smell can be bad, but mostly in the hot summer months.  In the winter, when we visit the area, we only see the stunning sunsets on the powder blue colored water.  We also love the magnificent bird life that can be observed from all points of the Salton Sea.  
There are a few State Parks in the area.  Mostly, they are strips of land with views of the coastline where paying campers can use the toilet facilities and the picnic tables that the State provides.  We have stayed at most of them and really enjoyed the sunsets from each location.  Most RVers appear to prefer quick overnight stops here, but we prefer to chill out for four or five days.
A great free camping area that we came across is the NILAND BOAT RAMP, on the southern end of the lake, near the infamous Slab City. it's a bit run-down and smelly, but, if the wind is blowing in the right direction and it's not too hot, it is a viable option for true boondockers who do not want to pay for an overnight stay.

Salton City has quite a nice campground and there used to be a free campsite next to it, but the future of that property was up in the air when we were there early 2016.  
The ARCO gas station at the crossroads into Salton City has a very convenient dump facility that can cater to six vehicles at a time.  They provide free water and a free dump, so, needless to say, they are very busy at weekends when the road warriors come out of the desert and need to empty their tanks.  Best to go there during the week.

Joshua Tree National Park images

El Mirage - San Bernadino
This is a great area for ATV and flying enthusiasts alike.  There is nothing like camping in the middle of a large, dried up lake with so much room to maneuver, you could feel quite alone, despite the distant evidence of very fast cars rushing around the perimiter, or the distant buzzing of groups of ATVers enjoyuinbg a weekend of fun.  We like to head for the paramotor flying area, where all kinds of people gather to enjoy the safest, most open area for flying that any self respecting pilot could ask for.  Campers are advised to park on the perimeter of the lake, but this still give us the opportunity to lay out our flying rig very close to the trailer to either fly in the morning when there is minimal wind, or to practice our kite handling abilities when the wind comes up later in the morning.  In the afternoon, it is time for the land-sailors to take to the (dry) lake and whoosh around to their hearts content.
There is a small fee to pay, but with this fee there are vault toilet facilities, maintained trails for ATVs and a head office where the rangers can be found.

​Los Angeles, Malibu, Hollywood and Santa Monica
We love the wild oceanfront views from almost every corner of Malibu.  It doesn't matter where you drive, there is almost always a beautiful ocean view or views of the magnificent millionaire homes dotted all along the coastal drive.  Someone described the view from central Malibu to us as a Millionaire view, just because of the numerous millionaires who have decided to make this coastline their own playground.
​We were a little leery of driving too far in this area, especially not onto the heavily trafficked freeways that everyone drives on to get to Hollywood or Los Angeles.
We also like to use public transportation in most big cities that we visit;  just for the challenge of figuring out the maps and routes that take commuters to their workplace or home every day.
So, we were glad that we took a bus to get us into the city of Los Angeles and Hollywood.  It was a complicated route, but we were glad we chose this form of transport rather than driving into the city ourselves.  Not only would the parking fees be exorbitant, but the chances of getting snarled up in a big traffic jam are very high on any day that visitors and locals alike choose to travel in this metropolis. 
It was a long drive into the hub of Hollywood, where we spent most of our time at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theater, where we saw the famouse hand and footprints from past movie stars who have made their mark in concrete for posterity.  Look for John Wayne, Lucille Ball and many other actors who lived in Hollywood in its' heyday.
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Joshua Tree National Park
Entrance fee:  $20 per vehicle
Senior Access Pass and America the Beautiful Pass are honored.
Take our advice and head towards this fantastic destination. The south entrance is conveniently located off the I-10.   ​
If you are a true boondocker, you will be happy to find that less than a mile off the highway, before you reach the southern entrance to the park, you will notice a number of free primitive camping areas.  We have found this stop very convenient for an overnight stop, even if we are not going to visit the park.  
Also of note it the convenient dump station on the south side of the park at the Cottonwood Campsite. The campground is not big-rig friendly, but the dump is an easy in and out.

Fabulous free camping on the south side of Joshua Tree National Park

  Visiting Joshua Tree National Park
Traveling from the I-10, through the south entrance to the park, there is a visitors center five miles in from the gate where visitors can stop and get information on the park and GET A MAP.  I have highlighted GET A MAP, because there are specific routes that visitors should take when they reach the north end of the park.
However, still staying in the south end of the park, a worthwhile detour is to the Lost Palms Oasis, where visitors can walk through a forest of old palm trees as well as view a large cottonwood tree in the dried out river bed.

Note:  There is a campground a short drive from the Cottonwood Visitor Center, but, on inspection, we found that it was not a good option for larger RVs.  If you are thinking of staying the night at this campsite, make inquiries about the availability of campsites, because there is a lot of traffic to the park on weekends, but also, make sure that your RV can fit into the small slots.  We chose not to stay here in our 25 foot trailer.  
On the way to the campground, there is a RV DUMP facility along with a fresh water faucet. This will prove useful to those who have chosen to camp in the free camping area already mentioned.
Heading north in the park, there are a few interesting stops and some campgrounds to visit, but, the most important aspect I can mention here is that when you come to a cross-road where you can turn left to Jumbo Rocks and Joshua Tree, or turn right to 29 Palms, be sure to take the LEFT turn, which will take you along a very scenic road where you will begin to see large tracts of land covered in very old Joshua Tree plantations along with fantastic rock formations that make you think twice about how these rocks came to be here in a basically desert landscape.
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LOST PALMS OASIS

Box Canyon, Mecca, California
This is an interesting stop to make when driving between Joshua Tree National Park and the Salton Sea.  
Look out for the signs to Box Canyon in the direction of a dirt road.  The signage will state that the roads are recommend for 4 wheel drive vehicles only,, but when we were on the road in December 2015, it was quite fine for our truck and trailer to take the five mile (plus minus) road towards the canyon.  On the way to the Canyon, you will see some pullouts that look like they could easily be used as a good boondocking spots.  However, we chose to drive directly to the Canyon parking lot, where we found a suitable overnight camping location right beside the parking area.  There may be some tent campers overnighting with you, so bear in mind that considering there are no restroom facilities, you could encounter some rather unpleasant 'droppings' in the bushes around the area.  
Despit the horrors of the restroom issues, we loved being here just because of the easy walk into the canyon and also along the dry river bed, both of which are towered over by steep cliffs.  This stop is a photographers dream, especially when the shadows move behind the cliffs and the sunset or sunrise changes the color of the sky.  
The canyon is very isolated, especially when the other campers have left and you are left on your own with no cell signal and no television reception.  We didn't mind the isolation for a couple of nights, but it does get a little eerie after a few days.  Also bear in mind that you would be camping on a dry river bed, which is susceptible to flash flooding, so make sure you know the current weather conditions before going into the canyon.