7 Sep (Our 16th Wedding Anniversary)
We have spent almost every one of our anniversaries camping.
Today’s high temperature at the campground was forecasted to be 107F. Not high by our standards, but we decided a change of scenery was appropriate for celebration.
We are camped in the Mojave Desert. At just under 50,000 square miles it isn’t the largest desert in North America. In total area is ranks only 9th largest. It is, however, the driest desert in North America with an annual rainfall of less than two inches per year. The Mojave is also a rain shadow desert; meaning was created by mountain ranges that prevent precipitation for reaching the area. In our case, the Sierra Nevada and the Spring Mountains created the desert we are camping in. Rain shadow deserts usually mean there is a large mountain range near by – for us that means the Spring Mountains, with its topographically prominent peak Mt. Charleston at 11,916 feet elevation, is only an hour’s drive from our campground.
So we decided to celebrate our 16th anniversary in the mountains.
It was a delightful drive and afternoon. At over 7,500 feet near Cathedral Rock we enjoyed ponderosa pines, white fir, and aspens. The weather was clear and a balmy 75F. Best of all we found a large restaurant, the Mount Charleston Lodge, which allows dogs inside!
So Joyce, Corky and I enjoyed a leisurely anniversary lunch on their huge patio, and we even were able to order Corky something from the “Dog Menu.”
The Fourth Day After the Day After –>