We made the decision to delay heading up towards either the Grand Canyon of Zion National Park as the weather was still fairly inclement. We have discovered about ourselves as we travel about in the Grolar Bear that we are rather demanding of the weather. We really have a very small window for temperature that we consider most comfortable. It is gets into the 80’s we start feeling too hot and if it gets much below the 60’s – at least if there’s wind – it starts to seem to cold. We are apparently spoiled San Diegans. The wind does seem to have been chasing us around though. It won’t quite relent. Malachi the Wonder Beast is not more a fan of it than we are. He really likes his tent, but when the wind comes out and starts rustling it he objects.
Zack Attack had been researching 4×4 trails and camping sites when he came across something called the Desert Bar near Parker Arizona, about an hour from where were at in Craggy Wash. It’s only reachable via a 4×4 road several miles back from the main road. It seems to be an Arizona Desert Iconic place. It’s only open on the weekends during the day (and not during summer – too hot.) We went down the road towards the Desert Bar on Friday night and camped about halfway back. It’s all BLM land back there. It seems to a big area for rock crawlers and also for shooting. After some misadventure and nearly getting the camper stuck at the end of a dead in trail that went up a steep hill with no good way to turn around we founded a lovely little spot to camp in that had clearly been camped in before as there were fire rings. It overlooked a small gulley that had clearly seen plenty of shooting. Shot guns shells littered the ground, pops of red color, amongst the rest of the rocky landscape.
On Saturday after hiking around a bit and getting surprised by the site of a Big Horn Sheep traipsing by our camp in the morning, we headed out to the Desert Bar expecting to see something small and quaint with about 20 people there. When we got there the place was a sprawling series of covered patio areas packed with more like hundreds. The band from Los Angeles was belting out covers on the outdoor stage. The whole place is a series of seating areas at different levels covering for shade, but open to the desert on all sides. Near the top of the property, closet to the parking there is a church like structure that is the first thing you can see on the drive in. When you get near it you realize it is only a face of a building, but it has served its purpose, to lure you to this desert church. We had beers and a cheap and basic turkey burger which we enjoyed along with the band and the shade and general people watching. Malachi the wonder beast sprawled in the middle of the aisle where we sat and was the recipient of many a pet.
