This morning it was time to get serious - a trip to the dumping station. Disappointingly, everything that goes down a plughole or toilet in the RV stays there! Someone should have designed a system that drops this all onto the road as you drive, but no. Most campsites have a hole in the ground, and the vehicle comes equipped with a long hose and some different valves to pull. There is also "grey water" and "black water", both of which are equally nasty.
After a fine team effort emptying all this, and then refilling our fresh water, we followed the ranger's advice and drove to Rock Springs. This turned out to be an interesting move. The road that we'd been told was "fine for RVs" was anything but, and after much rattling, bouncing and thumping, we completed the trip at a snail's pace.
It was worth it! A hike to the top of a desert mountain showed us the surrounding landscape in all its glory, and the drive back to civilisation (on an equally unsuitable road) took us through the densest Joshua tree forest in the US. That wasn't quite enough, so we made our way south to Joshua Tree National Park for the night.
On the way we dropped by St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, in wonderfully named Twentynine Palms, for their Christmas Eve service. They were somewhat surprised when two Brits and three Israelis showed up in an RV, but were very welcoming and we left by candelight with little gift boxes! Christmas has started.
Sunrise in the desert.
Shauli shows his expertise.
Poor Arbel, left to play on a dusty track with only an empty bottle for company.
What comes out must go back in.
Out into the desert.
This is the Rock House, quite famous apparently, which an artist built.
Shauli does the hard work of carrying Arbel.
Not much in this river.
Reaching the peak.
Hannah and Arbel keep their own counsels.
Still not the hottest desert I've ever been to.
Here's the actual spring, used through the years by Native Americans, miners, the US army, and various others.
It too was feeling the effects of the cold. But that made Shauli happy.
A Joshua tree!
A whole forest of them!!
St. Martin-in-the-Fields church. We increased the congregation considerably.
