Yes I said a four wheel drive weekend in the desert. You’ve asked for it. We are doing it this year.
Location: Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation area. www.ohv.parks.ca.gov/ocotillowells
Attending from the factory in Woodland
Stan Kennedy
Jason Villabos, American RV - Los Angeles dealer.
Bring your off-road toys: ATV’s, Motorcycles, Razors, Jeeps and Samurais
Ocotillo Wells has many trails suitable for your truck and camper. Many of us like to tow our toy to a remote location in the desert than "base camp". Using the smaller vehicle to explore in.
If you have been considering the idea, but not sure its for you - Rent One !!
Quad Stop is just across highway 78 from the park:
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We are keeping it “Simple and Easy” for everyone. If you’ve been there before you know the camping is free. The problem with hosting a desert rally - there is no place to plug in Stan’s coffee pots !!!
Well, Ocotillo SVRA has changed all that with a place they call the “Main Street Event Center” click on the link and review the first two pages of the “Blow Sand Reader” - http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/pages/25010/files/blowsand-reader-jan-feb_2014.pdf
Main Street Event Center Amenities
· Cement picnic tables with large shade Ramadas
· Central fire pit for bonfires
· One large and two smaller barbecues with serving tables
· Night lighting and electrical outlets
· Adjacent Building with showers, restrooms, and dish washing sink
· Perimeter fencing with lockable gates
· Room to park 50 – 75 campers and trailers
Directions to get there:
First the map of the General area: http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1219
Coming from the north…Interstate 15 has less weekend traffic than I-5. Highway 76 from I-15 east, is a two lane narrow, twisty road that goes by at least one casino. I advise avoiding that road after 10 pm because of the drunks. (There has been several head-on collisions in that area). Highway 78 is wider, goes through Escondido and two small towns (Ramona and Santa Isabel) with slower speeds.
Towing an Off-road Toy
When you review the map you will note that highway 78 runs up a mountain through 1875 gold rush town “Julian”, (site of the 2015 Rally). If your pulling a trailer or flat towing a vehicle you will want to turn left at “Santa Isabel” onto Highway 79 and bypass Julian and the very narrow, steep, "Banner pass grade road" (down the mountain).
Santa Isabel features a grocery store, restaurant and famous pie shop. Pick up a pie or two for the pot luck - yummmmm!
Proceed about 8 miles or so on Highway 79 toward Warner Springs and Temecula. Turn right on “San Felipe Road (“S2”) towards “Borrego Springs”. Just before the turn-off is a "electrical transfer station" on your right, which makes “S2” easier to find at night.
DON’T take the Borrego Springs turn to the left (about 3 miles south of the intersection)…Stay on “S2”. This is a wide fairly straight road with gentle curves that is excellent for vehicles pulling trailers. After about 16 miles, “S2” intersects with Highway 78. (Scissors Crossing). Turn left East). Proceed 20 miles to “Ocotillo SVRA Discovery Center” which will be on your left.
Time from Santa Isabel cross-roads to Scissors crossing - 30 minutes
The address of the Ocotillo Wells SVRA “Discovery Center”:
5172 Highway 78, Borrego Springs, CA 92004. Phone 760-767-5393.
At the Discovery Center you can pick up free Visitors Guide, brochure on Main Street facility, and a colored map showing the areas to ride your ATV’s, motorcycles, 4x4 Jeeps and trucks. Or if you call they will mail them to you.
The “Main Street Event Facility” is one mile east of the Discovery Center also on Highway 78. Turn left on Main Street. The “Event facility” is about 500 yards on your left. Look for the “Four Wheel Camper Banner”.
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The weekend
Four Wheel has decided to reserve the Center ($400) for the weekend and provide it to you for FREE.
No plans needed, no pre-sign up hassles , wander in an out as you please.
Though If you want a Rally shirt…Then you will have to email Sonam at the factory in Woodland sonam@fourwh.com and give her your shirt size and number in your party so Stan will know how much food to buy.
Four Wheel will provide snacks, appetizers, soft drinks, beer, and wine to supplement what we bring.
There will be potlucks both Friday night and Saturday. Bring your favorite dish to share. Just bring enough for the number of people in your group.
This is a break for Stan so he won’t be cooking breakfast and lunch…though if you know Stan…he may surprise us and bring his grill and do it anyway.
Itinerary
Friday
Pick a place to camp and set up…Lots of room to do that…surrounding the facility.
No Registration table – pick up your shirt (If you reserved it from Sonam) from your FWC volunteer owner-Ambassador – RC Pilot Jim. He will be the old guy with the clip board, in back of the sandwhich board “Registration-sign” surrounded by shirt boxes sitting in the shade of a Ramada “sippin a brew”.
Bring a chair and hang out or go explore.
4pm – 5 pm cocktails
5pm – 7 pm Potluck
7pm to when-ever Fire pit
Saturday
6:00 am to 4 PM – Free time to explore the park. Bring hats and Lots of water.
"Rich&Kim" have volunteered to be Trail Masters' for a Tour from about 10:00 am to about 2:30 pm as follows:
"...very easy trip over to pumpkin patch, possibly over to Gas dome, and if the group is up to it, we can drive over to Military wash, Military wash is where G.Patton had a firing range. Not necessarily in that order, but the general idea. We know the area pretty good so we can plan a trip around the group. I would like to make it clear, it will be easy, and any one can go without any damage or fear of getting stuck. We will take dirt roads and washes. If anyone has questions or suggestions, contact me at 949-289-0099
Rich"
Meet at the "Event Center" at 9:45 am
Thanks Rich and Kim
4pm – 5 pm cocktails
5pm – 7 pm Potluck
7pm to when-ever Fire-pit
Sunday
Enjoy your day – See you in April at "Sugarloaf"
Not too recent "SoCal Rally" Created by Bill Harr. Not too recent because everyone is having so much fun that we forget to take pictures.
(After bouncing around for a few days, RC Pilot Jim is going over to “Aqua Caliente” and soak in the hot springs.)
Unfortunately Jim has commitments on Monday the 13th so no hot spring soaking for him. You folks go. and enjoy the waters. Click on "Aqua Caliente" for details. Pictures
Winter is coming.....See you out there
Edited by RC Pilot Jim, 05 November 2017 - 09:22 PM.
