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When I was a kid we always loved New Year’s Eve—staying up till midnight to bang pots and pans. It was a challenge and an adventure. It was also my parent’s anniversary. Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Daniel and I managed to pick up a small tent trailer, you know, one of those pop up trailer campers? An old one, really cheap. I don’t have pictures because it’s being stored at Daniel’s work right now. It’s really basic and small, just a place to sleep—it sleeps 6. It has a sink and a little gas stove and an ice box fridge. Not sure we’ll use the sink. But I am so excited about it. Now I can go on road trips that are too far for day trips. Like the Salton Sea!

Which is where we’re going this week. I cannot wait! I’m taking somewhere around 7 cameras. Ha!

If you don’t know what the Salton Sea is, it’s a lake out in the desert. Yes, a lake, out in the desert. It was basically created by a huge man-made environmental disaster in the early 1900s. The Colorado River flooded and breached a dike in the Imperial Valley and started dumping water into the Salton Sea. The entire river almost got redirected through there. The surface of the sea right now is about 220 feet below sea level.

People built homes and motels and stuff around the lake eventually, like in the 50s/60s, and then in the 70s some hurricanes came through (yep) and flooded the area. The lake is a salt water lake, and I think after the storms, the salt content rose and caused a lot of fish to die. It stinks out there in the summer.

Now the area is full of urban decay—old abandoned buildings and vehicles. I can’t wait to get out there and take pictures.

Last night we went to the beach for a bonfire and roasted hot dogs. Spur of the moment thing. Here are a few pictures. (Mostly of Cat, the boys didn’t want their pictures taken.)