The Fountain of Youth

I was hoping for a third trip to the beach but, after a day of chores (people chores that is) we were packed and on the road again. I fell asleep as soon as we hit the freeway and stayed that way until our lunch stop along the road to Palm Springs. Riding in a vehicle is so relaxing; I can never stay awake for long.

Fountain of Youth entrance

We made a short stop along a body of water called the Salton Sea and I thought for sure we’d camp there. The water was calm and on such a hot day I could imagine myself wading out until my paws left the bottom, letting the water come up and over my back, cooling me off. I was shaken from my daydream by Nollind restarting the engine. We were driving toward the exit. What? T was reading from a piece of paper the camp host had given her and commenting about the dog unfriendliness of California State Parks. We’ve stayed in them before and are always limited to walking around the campsite, which isn’t much of a walk, or on roads where it isn’t safe. Fine by me then, let’s go find some unrestricted desert trails for walking!

Not sure how anyone pulled a trailer with one of these.

Fountain of Youth RV Park was just up the road and on a hillside overlooking the Salton Sea, far from the boundaries of the state park. It looked pretty deluxe as we drove in—not our usual kind of rustic, desert camping location—with palm trees and cactus lining the long entrance, a gate where they checked your pass before you could come in, and people driving around in tiny cars. It seemed friendly though, everyone waving and smiling as we drove by. I hung my head out the window, wishing I was able to wave back. At the top of the park there was a large area that looked much more like home—the dry camping area. It was a little more crowded than we’re used to but it had the same easy feel of our boondocking sites.

Sweet shade.

It was hot the whole time we were there so we dogs spent quite a bit of time lying in the shade of the trailer. T and Nollind went swimming in one of the resort’s pools every afternoon but, as usual, I wasn’t allowed to go. I probably would have appreciated that pool more than all of the humans put together and yet I was excluded. If dogs ran the world…

On the plus side, there were no restrictions on where we could walk and there were miles of trails just outside the park fence. We were even allowed to walk all over the resort, on a leash of course, and "most" everyone was very friendly toward dogs. We did our desert walks in the morning to avoid the heat of the day and usually had a nice stroll around the resort later in the evening. At camp I had to be tied because, well, I’d run out to meet this Rottie who was walking by on a leash—but he told me to come over to him! I swear! What was I supposed to say to a dog that big? But anyway, I was kept on my tether after that. That Rottie is probably still laughing.

Fountain of Youth campsite.

We stayed at Fountain of Youth for a week and I think T and Nollind did seem a little younger by the time we left—but, in my opinion, it was more the R&R than any magical waters.