THE HISTORIC PLANK ROAD ACROSS THE SAND DUNES

TODAY WAS AN ADVENTURE. WE ROSE REALLY AND IT WAS COOL AND WINDY. HEADED WEST ON I-8 ABOUT 10 MILES TO FIND THE OLD GHOST TOWN OF TUMCO.  IT WAS A FORMER MINING TOWN. AFTER SEVERAL PASS-BYS WE FINALLY SPOTTED IT. IT WAS QUITE A HIKE AND THERE DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE MUCH TO SEE SO WE JUST USED BINOCULARS. WE COULD SEE THE REMNANTS OF AN OLD MINE AND SOME SORT OF OLD TANKS. WE DID COME ACROSS A VERY SMALL DESERT CEMETERY WITH JUST PILES OF ROCKS AND SMALL WOODEN CROSSES. I WOUNDER WHO WOULD WANT TO BE BURIED HERE? THE LATEST ONE WAS 2001.

NEXT IT WAS ON UP THE ROAD TO SEE THE OLD PLANK HIGHWAY BUILT IN 1912.  THE SAND DUNES ARE SO DENSE THAT THE EARLY CARS COULD NOT TRAVEL OVER THEM. 8 MILES OF PLANK ROAD WAS MADE FOR THE EARLY MODEL A AND MODEL T CARS TO DRIVE OVER. AS THE SAND WOULD SHIFT THEN THEY USED MULES AND WAGONS TO REPOSITION THE PLANKS,. THIS IS THE LAST REMAINING SECTION OF ROAD.  IN THE DISTANCE YOU CAN SEE THE LARGE METAL FENCE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT OUR BORDER AND THE BORDER PATROL.

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 QUITE A FEAT TO BUILD THIS ROAD AND THEN TO TRY TO DRIVE ON IT. THE WIND BLOWS CONSTANTLY.

THERE WERE LOTS OF MOTOR HOMES PARKED ON THE DUNES AND PEOPLE RIDING THEIR ATVS ALL OVER.

                                                                                             

 BORDER PATROL