Yet Another Change of Plans

We said goodbye to my sister and brother-in-law, with a plan to head back to Sedona (since it had rained the last time we drove through).  But the more we thought about it -- weekend during Spring Break -- we thought it would be very crowded, and we wanted a more serene experience.

So we decided to put that off for either our return trip (if we go south) or future RV adventure (if we are too far north on the way home).  We also need to revisit the South Rim, and those can be done together.

Instead we headed west, toward Joshua Tree National Park, and stopped at a quick boondocking spot on the way there, and enjoyed a nice sunset.

Basking in the Light, Bouse-Plomosa BLM, GPS: 33.85413 -114.03947, Bouse, AZ, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Sunset Behind Tree, House-Plomosa BLM, GPS: 33.85413 -114.03947, Bouse, AZ, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Saguaro Sunset, House-Plomosa BLM, GPS: 33.85413 -114.03947, Bouse, AZ, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Over the Hill, House-Plomosa BLM, GPS: 33.85413 -114.03947, Bouse, AZ, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Sunset Reflection, House-Plomosa BLM, GPS: 33.85413 -114.03947, Bouse, AZ, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Continuing on to California, we stopped to restock the RV, and I noticed this tire cover on the back of a jeep.  This is just how I look after not showering or shaving for 3 days, but somehow I just keep smiling.  And then onward to Joshua Tree National Park (northeast entrance).

Who Needs a Shave?, Walmart Parking Lot, Parker, CA, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Long Drive to Joshua Tree, RT 62, CA, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Kinetic Art, Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms, CA, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

It turns out the campgrounds in that section of the park were already full, or so the signs stated, as we arrived pretty late in the afternoon.  So we were advised that our best chance would be to head south to Cottonwood Campground.  Thankfully they had a few spots still available.

Found a Spot, Cottonwood Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, CA, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Lady Bug on Cactus, Cottonwood Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, CA, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Beautiful Sky, Cottonwood Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, CA, April 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

We liked it here, and ended up spending two nights in this campground.  We also had a great hike while there, which we'll cover in the next post.

Time to Chill, Cook, and Dine

After that invigorating hike, we decided to chill a bit, and the awning finally got deployed, as well as our outdoor chairs and table.  I guess the bright sun and altitude just made this a perfect location.

Carol whipped up a couple of dishes (Pasta Primavera and Thai Yellow Curry with Crispy Tofu), so we'd have multiple meals (and leftovers) that would keep us going for a while.   The Curry recipe is at the end of this post, and the Pasta recipe will be included in a later post.

Making Shade, Glen Canyon NRA, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Vegan Cookathon, Glen Canyon NRA, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Now That's Camping!, Glen Canyon NRA, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Cheers!, Glen Canyon NRA, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

The Curry recipe looks rather complicated, but it's actually pretty "easy" since it is made in just one pot.  It shows what can be done in an RV with the proper canned goods, fresh produce, and most importantly, spice selection!  These can be prepared in parallel (along with the rice).

Crispy Tofu (Vegan), makes 8 servings:

2 packages extra firm tofu, drained and pressed to remove as much water as possible

Cut into 1" x 1.5" x 1/2" thick pieces for griddle frying (on 2 flat sides)

Roll in spice mixture (1/4 cup Kirkland Organic No-Salt Spice Mix + 2 tsp curry powder)

Heat griddle and brush on a tiny bit of avocado oil to crisp up each side of tofu pieces

Thai Yellow Curry (Vegan), makes 8 servings:

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 small orange bell pepper, chopped fine

2 medium sweet onion, chopped fine

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into small pieces

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets

4 sliced carrots

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 1/2 cup golden raisins

2 15-ounce can regular coconut milk

1 15-ounce can light coconut milk

4 tsp garam masala

2 tsp cumin

1 TBS turmeric

1 TBS coriander

1 teaspoon ground sea salt

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

3 TBS fresh ginger, minced

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBS dried lemongrass

Add all ingredients in Dutch Oven. Simmer covered for 2 hours, stir every 30 mins.

Add 1-2 cans of water (optional) for desired consistency
Serve curry over brown rice, and top with Crispy Tofu

Moonset and Sunrise at Ghost Ranch

So the sun was going down, and we needed a place to stay.   Well, we weren't far from Ghost Ranch, and we knew they had some nice hiking trails, so we decided to head back (just a few miles).

We got there after the office had closed, so we just picked one of their camping spots and settled up in the morning.  Dinner tonight consisted of homemade pizza using a pizza kit from COSTCO.  The recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Leveled Up and Plugged In, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Pizza Anyone?, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

One of the reasons we went back to Ghost Ranch was we had learned about some of their hiking trails.  The one recommended by the office, when she saw my camera, was Chimney Rock Trail.  So I woke up before sunrise (as is the norm), and headed out.

Early Horse Gets the Grass, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Full Moon before Sunrise, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Chimney Rock Comes into View, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Sunrise on Chimney Rock, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

I knew this would be a scenic hike, but I figured I would probably just get a good view, like above.  But the further I hiked, the higher I got, and pretty soon I was standing on that mesa you see just to the right of Chimney Rock in the picture above.

Mind the Gap!, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Steve's Shameless Selfie, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So Close You Can Almost Touch It, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

This was an amazing place, and I was all alone, just soaking up the sun and the scenery.  Let the record show, there are still places left in this country where you can kill yourself buy getting too close to the edge, or stepping back while taking a photo ;-)   Somehow I thought we had become too protective as a nation -- maybe back East, but not out here, that's for sure.  It was quite exhilarating.

If you have the bandwidth, here's a short 50 second iPhone video to give another view of where I was standing.

And here is Carol's vegan recipe for pizza.  We try to keep a pizza kit on hand because it makes for a pretty quick and easy dinner, when we pull in late for the night:

Crispy Vegan Pizza Recipe

Pick up an Organic Molinaro's Pizza Kit from COSTCO (less than $8 for four pizzas).  It comes with stone baked pizza crusts and individual packets of tomato sauce.

Add your choice of veggies, but Carol usually includes:  thin slices of sweet onions, sweet peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, asparagus, black olives, zucchini, banana peppers.  Shake on dry sweet basil, italian spice and crushed red pepper.  Finally, we add Daiya mozzarella-style cheese (non-dairy) on top.

Bake on a pre-heated pizza stone (if available) at 420 degrees for about 12 minutes.  Let it set for 5 minutes and cut.  This makes a thin, somewhat crunchy pizza, which also reheats well in the microwave if we don't finish off the whole thing in one sitting.  For the RV, we also use parchment paper under the pizza to make cleanup even easier.

Mate with a nice salad (we make up a large tupperware bowl full we keep in a cooler and have this with most meals), a glass of wine, and some candles.  How's that for 20 minutes preparation?

Brantley Lake State Park

After a nice day at the caverns, we found a nice state park not too far away.  It had been a while since we've had electric and water, and we were due to refill and flush our tanks.  Steve also had a few minor Lazy Daze projects, so we stayed here two days.

Here's our first "D'oh" moment on this adventure.  As we were checking out the campsite, we both got out of the cab and closed the doors ... only to find ourselves somehow locked out, with both sets of our keys still inside.  After the panic subsided, Steve was able to open the dinette window that had not been locked, slide open the screen, and now just needed to figure out how to climb in without impaling himself on the door holder.  Fortunately, another camper nearby had a step stool, and we were back inside!  Let's just say that other provisions have been made to prevent this issue from happening when we are alone in the boonies.

Steve on Trail, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Flower Shadows, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Colorful Silhouette, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

And we had another great meal -- this time home-made veggie burgers (see the recipe below, they are one of Carol's specialties), grilled asparagus, and more salad.  Oh yeah, and some more wine!

Carol's Inside Cooking, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Veggie Burgers and Salad with Grilled Asparagus, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

"Crispy" Scott Jurek's Lentil-Mushroom Burgers. (These are an adaptation of his recipe, and perfected to make them stay together so they can be grilled or whatever, hence the "Crispy" prefix.)

1 cup dried green lentils (2 1⁄4 cups cooked)
2 1⁄4 cups water
2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1⁄4 cups finely chopped onion
3⁄4 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 cups quick cooking oats
1⁄2 cup ground flax seed (flax seed meal)
3 cups finely chopped mushrooms
1 1⁄2 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup potato starch (or corn starch)

In a small pot, bring the lentils, water, parsley, 1 garlic clove, and 1⁄4 cup of the onion to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 35 to 40 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the lentils are soft.

While the lentils are cooking, combine chopped walnuts, quick cooking oats, and flax seed in a bowl. Add the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and paprika and mix well.

Sauté the remaining onion, remaining garlic, the mushrooms, and greens in the oil for 8 to 10 minutes, then set aside. Remove the lentils from the heat, add the vinegar and mustard, and mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon to a coarse mixture.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the lentils, sautéed veggies, and oat mixtures, and mix well. Cool in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes or more.

Using your hands, form burger patties to your desired size and place on parchment paper. Bake on 350 degrees (20 mins on first side; 15 minutes on flip side). Serve immediately, or freeze for later in plastic bags -- they keep very well. Thaw and griddle before serving.

Makes a dozen 4-inch diameter burgers -- yummy and healthy!