Historic Highways
RVing America's Historic Highways: Variety in the desert
By Jerry (RiverGuy) Brown

Westbound on Interstate 8 nearing Yuma, we were following the route of old US 80 toward its original terminus in San Diego. There were only limited sections of actual 80 roadbed along here.  As they closely paralleled I-8, there seemed no point in taking the time to drive bumpy frontage roads.

Our Caloifornia travels on Old US80, I8 green

The western Sonoran Desert was vast and flat as a sandy sea; sparsely vegetated with sage and creosote brush. Rugged ranges here and there defined the horizon. This barren landscape must have been a fearsome transit for 49ers bound for gold, as well as those early US 80 motorists. A mechanical breakdown could have had serious consequences here. Telegraph Pass through the Gila Mountains marked the transition to the Colorado Desert, where Yuma was spread out below. Judging by the size and number of RV parks, the area hosts a legion of snowbirding RVers.

We stopped for fuel to defer filling at California prices as long as possible, then crossed the Colorado River and continued on, still staying with I-8.

Shortly I noticed off to the left the first of several LTVAs, Long Term Visitor Areas, that populate the I-8 corridor. At these BLM-administered lands, RVers can dry camp for extended periods at very low cost. LTVAs sometimes provide fresh water and dump facilities, making long-term camping without hookups a little easier. We were headed for Holtville Hot Spring LTVA at the edge of the Imperial Valley.

Imperial Valley iceberg lettuce, December by jkbrown

If you've never traveled southernmost California, it may come as a surprise to see the nearly barren desert suddenly transformed into lush farmlands. Below sea level,  this valley has since 1901 been irrigated by Colorado River water delivered from Yuma by the All American Canal. It's now the nation's winter salad bowl. Vast fields of iceberg and leaf lettuce, green and red cabbage and other produce stretch to the horizon.

The Hot Spring area is on the eastern edge of the valley and a few miles from the farming town of Holtville. The spring is indeed hot.  Most hours of the day you are likely to find RVers soaking off some miles in one of the small pools -- summer months excluded when it gets broiling hot. It's not a large area, but there were several dozen RVs scattered across the nearby desert sands.

Old US80 in rural Imperial County by jkbrown

We spent a few days and took a couple of soaks before moving on westward, this time on Evan Hewes Highway, which was once US 80. Veering away from the Interstate right at the spring, you are transported back in time. Unlike some places we have visited which became ghost towns after being bypassed by an Interstate, this area seems to be sustained by its farming economy. The farms are larger now, but Main Street Holtville fits the mold of small town Americana of the last century. The same can be said for Main Street El Centro just to the west, although its architecture has a distinctive south-of-the-border look with its porticoed sidewalks, offering much needed shade for pedestrians.

The Imperial Valley is only about 30 miles wide, so we were soon in the desert again, even more desolate here. This section of old 80 is nothing to write home about. The road is rough. The only landmarks are Plaster City, nothing more than a huge wallboard factory, and the nearby ORV area, a vast playground for dirt bikes and ATVs and other off-road vehicles.

Old US80 in San Diego County's back country by jkbrown

We were back on I-8 for the 2500 foot climb into the barren and boulder-strewn Jacumba Mountains, the first range in San Diego County's extensive and rugged back country. At the top, the first exit leads to a 40-mile section of road signed Old Highway 80 that winds through valleys and canyons. We passed through Jacumba, a small farm town that has seen better days, then Boulevard, Live Oak Springs and Pine Valley. The names echo the changing terrain: dry chapparal, oak groves and finally the tall pines of Cleveland National Forest. This scenic drive on good roadway is a pleasant alternative to the Interstate if you're not in a hurry. It's also a great route for a pleasure drive and picnic for day trippers.

Our destination was Lake Jennings County Park, perched high in the western San Diego Mountains near Lakeside. We enjoyed this park with its miles of trails and extensive vistas. However, we recommend some caution for the largest RVs since the access road is rather steep and narrow.  For us it was a great base for tracking 80 to its end and exploring more southern California historic highways.

Travels With Charley Join author John Steinbeck and his poodle Charley on their 1960s "RV" trip across America. This is a delightful, inspiring book that will both entertain and charm the RVer and would-be RVer.	2006 Mapquest RV & Campsites Guide & Atlas Finally, a road atlas especially for RVers. This 2006 Mapquest road atlas and campground directory is the first publication of its kind. Complete with state and Canadian province road maps, color photos and 3700 campground listings.	Guide Book to Highway 66 (1946 reproduction) Planning to get some RV kicks on Route 66? Learn about the highway as it was 50 years ago, and use it to trace what remains of the road today.