In The Desert,One Must Find Water

My search for a water supply like many other boondockers,leads me to a favorite spot for many of us.And that is the Interstate Rest Area, 10 miles west of here at the eastern edge of the Algodones,(means cotton in Spanish)Sand Dunes.Pic above shows the Rest Area looking east from Greys Well Rd.The water supposedly comes from a deep well in the dunes and is quite good.
I don't know if its from the Greys Well or not,but that well was dug not far from here to supply the small community building the "Plank Road"back in 1916.We will get to the Plank Rd shortly.


Here are two other boondockers filling their tanks with water.(Both from B.C. also)

A view of the sand dunes from the rest area,which is situated between the east/west lanes of the interstate.

Now I must search out the old "Plank Road"that I have been reading about.

I head west on a parallel (to the interstate) road called Greys Well Rd, passing a "Border Protection Agency"mobile outpost with floodlights.

A few miles further and I come across the remnants of the old plank road.

PLANK ROAD....Small surviving remnants of the unique "floating" wooden road built across the dunes in 1916.The plank road was used for 10 years before being replaced by a paved highway in 1926.

This is a replica of what it used to look like in the pic above.

And as an added piece of information,not far from here in a remote area of the dunes,was the spot that they constructed and filmed the space craft for the Star-Wars movie,"Return of the Jedi."

Here is a back-side view showing the construction.Of course its long gone now but a little info for you sci-fi fans. BOY! internet research is sure fun.I found quite a bit of interesting info about the Algodones Sand Dunes and Imperial Dunes Recreation area.