We arrived at Orange Grove RV Park in the late afternoon and were pleased to finally connect to water, electricity, and sewer hookups. Contrary to our experience of the last several weeks, it was 85 degrees in Bakersfield, so we changed into shorts.
Our RV site at Orange Grove was a pull through site (meaning we didn’t have to back in). The site was gravel, with a picnic table on the dirt next to the parking area. There was no grill or firepit. The site was slightly unlevel, so we had to manually adjust the jacks to level out. Oh, and the RV Park is in an orange grove. Seriously. Campers are welcome to pick as many oranges as they want! The scent of orange blossoms outdoors was constant and almost overwhelming (but not quite, it was perfectly fragrant).
Since this was a layover stop, we didn’t do much at Orange Grove. Pat took a nap and Tim caught up on writing blog entries in the afternoon. Then we ate leftover ham that we had frozen from Easter, along with some rice and green beans; watched some tv; and headed to bed to rest up for the next leg of our trip.
In the morning, we drove to our next campground in Palm Springs, California, where we would be staying at a campground called Happy Traveler RV Park. Along the way, we stopped for gas in the Mojave Desert. Again, seriously, in the desert! By the way, gas in California is expensive y’all; over $5/gallon! Tim also picked up a Subway sandwich for lunch.
We had been complaining about how unseasonably cool the weather had been at all of our most recent stops; well, we could stop complaining when we got to Palm Springs. It was 95 degrees upon our arrival in Palm Springs and was over 100 degrees for most of our stay here! RVs are not well insulated unless you are willing to pay top dollar for a fix. So, when the temperature is that hot, it is almost impossible to keep the RV cool during the day even running the air conditioning almost constantly. The inside temperature typically reached 93-95 degrees, and on the hottest day it reached 100 degrees inside the RV. Once the sun set, the temperature outside was a lot cooler and we were able to cool down the temperature in the RV with the air conditioning to a comfortable 72 degrees. 
The day we arrived at Happy Traveler and hooked up to electricity, water, and sewer, we noticed that our water pressure was very low. We spent some time trying to set our water pressure gauge to allow for more water pressure in the RV, but to no avail. We don’t know if it was only our particular site that had low water pressure or if the entire park has that issue. The low water pressure wasn’t really a problem for the kitchen faucet, the bathroom faucet, or the toilet; however, it was a significant problem for the shower, which barely had a small stream of water - not enough to wash off soap efficiently. So, we had to use the RV Park showers, which is not an issue for Pat (he likes to use them when they are well kept) but Tim finds it totally inconvenient (he doesn’t like walking outside to and from the showers and hates wearing shower sandals).
After trying, unsuccessfully, to regulate the water pressure appropriately, we walked to the nearby Pizza Hut to pick up a pizza for dinner. We also stopped at a convenience store that was around the corner to pick up a few grocery items, beer, and wine.
On our second day in Palm Springs, Pat took a Lyft to Hertz to pick up a rental car. Pat waited about 7 minutes for the Uber, it cost approximately $11, and it took about 15 minutes to get to Hertz. In the afternoon, we had appointments to get our hair cut at Palm Springs Fine Men’s Salon, which was recommended by our friend Jeffrey who is friends with the owners of the salon. Miranda was the hairdresser for both of us and did an excellent job. During Pat’s haircut, Tim drove to Walgreens to pick up a prescription refill. After both of our haircuts were complete, we drove to Walmart to restock groceries and other items.
That evening, we met our friend Jeffrey for dinner at a restaurant called The Tropicale. We all ordered cold alcoholic drinks to cool us off from the hot day and had Crispy Nori Ahi Tuna Rolls as an appetizer. Then Tim had the Crispy Boneless Southern Fried Chicken, with mashed potatoes and succotash (you can take the southerner out of the south…); and Pat had Grilled Wild Alaskan Halibut, with asparagus risotto and blue crab, celery, and chive salad (one of the specials for the evening). For dessert, Pat ordered fresh baked cookies which Tim got to sample.
We spent the evening catching up with Jeffrey, who we hadn’t seen since the last time we were in Palm Springs five years ago. Tim and Jeffrey sang together in the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus. Jeffrey was born and raised in New Jersey but fell in love with Palm Springs and moved there about a decade ago. Jeffrey’s career was in the arts while he was in New Jersey, and he continued that career after he moved to Palm Springs. Jeffrey is now fully entrenched in his newfound community in Palm Springs and is flourishing. It was great to catch up with Jeffrey and spend some time reminiscing and hearing about all that he is involved in in Palm Springs.
The next day, we visited our fourth national park: Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua Trees, found mostly in the Mojave Desert, are spread throughout the park. Many birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects depend on the Joshua tree for food and shelter. Within the park there are six distinct mountain ranges: the Little San Bernardino Mountains in the southwestern part; the Cottonwood, Hexie, and Pinto Mountains in the center; and the Eagle and Coxcomb Mountains in the eastern part. Much of the park lies at elevations above 4,000 feet. Between the park’s mountain ranges, there are valleys such as Hidden Valley, Queen Valley, Lost Horse Valley, and Pleasant Valley. Each of these valleys contains unique formations of boulders and plant life.
We entered the park at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center entrance at the northwest section of the park (there are also entrances at the northeast and the southeast). It was about a 50-minute drive (35 miles) from the RV Park to the visitor center entrance. We got our passbooks stamped and bought a few souvenirs at the visitor center.
Then we drove into the park; taking a route that would travel southeast and eventually exit through the Cottonwood Visitor Center on the southeast and back to I-10; about a 2.5-hour drive without stopping, but we stopped several times to take pictures. We were in awe of how the boulders in the valley were stacked on top of each other (how did this creation occur?). We were also awed by the dense clusters of Joshua Trees that give the park its name. We were lucky enough to be visiting the park during peak bloom season for the flowers in the park. 
We eventually arrived at the Hidden Valley picnic area and trail head. We ate the sandwiches we brought with us, then walked the 1.7-mile Hidden Valley Trail, which took about an hour.
Afterward, we drove to the “Keys View,” which gave us an extraordinary view of San Bernardino Mountains and other mountain ranges, the Mojave Desert, the Coachella Valley (the Coachella Festival ended just days before we arrived in Palm Springs), and a large part of the national park. We spent almost the entire day in the national park and felt lucky to be there on a beautiful day. 
When we got back to the Happy Traveler RV Park, Tim did some laundry and then packed for a trip he was taking to Minneapolis the next day for an in-person meeting of the Board of GALA Choruses. The next morning, Pat drove Tim to Palm Springs International Airport for his flight to Minneapolis and returned the rental car. This was the first time we have been apart overnight since we began full-time RV traveling. Tim was gone from Thursday morning until Sunday evening. During this time, Pat did a lot of chores around the RV, including transferring all the items to the outdoor fridge and defrosting the (indoor) refrigerator. Pat also spent a lot of time at the pool trying to keep cool, since these were the hottest days that we (well, Pat) experienced in Palm Springs (Tim had rainy days in Minneapolis with highs in the 50s and lows in the upper 30s).
On Sunday evening, Tim took an Uber home from the airport, and we had a nice reunion. We didn’t stay up long though because the next morning we were leaving early to get to our next destination, which was approximately a 4.5-hour drive away.
Review of Orange Grove RV Park
Orange Grove RV Park in Bakersfield, California, has approximately 177 full hookup RV sites (a few have just water and electric hookups). As mentioned previously, the RV park is located in an orange grove, and campers can pick as many oranges as they want.
Amenities include a pool, gym, laundry room, bathroom/shower facility, clubhouse, horseshoe pit, recreation room, and a “barn” for large events. The RV Park also has a small store with camping supplies, cold drinks, and snacks. Uniquely, Orange Grove RV Park has an RV and car wash. Since we only stayed overnight, we didn’t take advantage of any of these amenities.
Nearby attractions include the Kern County Museum (about oil drilling in the area) and the Kern River Golf Course. You can also fish, waterski, and boat in nearby Lake Ming. Valley Plaza Mall is about a 15-minute drive from the RV Park.
Orange Grove RV Park is definitely unique but isn’t really located close to any major attractions. So, we can’t see ourselves going to Orange Grove again unless we need a one-night stay someplace in the area again.
Review of Happy Traveler RV Park
Happy Traveler RV Park in Palm Springs, California, is located at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains and offers spectacular views of the mountains that are literally less than a mile drive away. The RV Park is also within walking distance (approximately 15 minutes) of downtown Palm Springs, which includes restaurants, bars, shops, and historic landmarks.
Happy Traveler has approximately 130 RV sites with full hookups. The maximum RV length allowed is 40 feet. Amenities include a pool, restroom/showers, a laundry room, shuffleboard, billiard tables, and a clubhouse.
We were at Happy Traveler for 7 days and really enjoyed the RV Park (except for the heat, which wasn’t the park’s fault) and the low water pressure. We loved the beautiful views, and that downtown was within walking distance. It was also fairly quiet at the RV Park. We would definitely consider staying there again when we are in Palm Springs.
What an interesting meeting with the lady from Germany. I would have loved to be there to hear the full story.
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