Another OHV area closed

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Today is Saturday, my trusty 4-wheeling jeep has been sitting in the garage for a while, and it looks like I finally have time to take it for a spin. If it rides nice, maybe I?ll even go and do some light wheeling. Who knows...?

First thing is maintenance check: everything is in order, just add some CO2 to the tires from the big bottle, and I am good to go. I put the key in the ignition, turn it, and the jeep stats as if I just shut it down 15 minutes ago instead of weeks and weeks.

That?s nice ? lets take it out of the garage, attach the new CB antenna instead of the one lost in the last battle with an antenna hungry rock in Jonson Valley. The jeep?s motor is sounding anxious to get on the road, and so am I. Today, I will be riding in comfort ? I got earplugs.

Let?s go. I drive local roads for a bit, then get on freeway, and head out of town on Interstate 8. The jeep is rolling nicely, negotiating traffic with no problems. I make just a quick stop to fill up with gasoline, and I am ready for my next adventure. Well, not like a big huge adventure, just a one day excursion, but I do like make things interesting.

So, what do I want to do? I want to go wheeling. It is not a good idea to go wheeling alone, but I am a bad boy, so I decide to head to the closest legal place I know of to go off-road ? the Corral Canyon Open ORV Area. I take my time getting there, and stop at interesting places along the road, and also go to explore where some of the dirt off-shoot roads go. I don?t find anything of particular notice this time, but in general I like the process of looking even more than the actual fact of finding something. So, all is good.

And here I am, at the entrance to the vehicle recreation area. But, stop, what?s going on here? A bunch of signs? Forest service signs? Darn it ? the area is closed. No four-wheeling for me today? I drive away. Then stop, and come back to the entrance, wishing that maybe, somehow, while I was gone for less than a minute the signs have magically disappeared? They haven?t. Corral Canyon is closed. And I didn?t learn about it from an online forum or the Blue Ribbon Magazine, I just drove to it and received a metaphorical slap in the face.

Oh well. It is a beautiful Saturday, so let?s see how I can salvage it. The road past the vehicle area looks inviting, and I haven?t been that way before, so I decide to keep on driving. I make a mental note that the road is going south, and south is where Mexico is, and Mexico is close, and my plans today do not include venturing into Mexico. No problem, I?ll just keep my eyes peeled for something that looks like an international border and try not to cross it.

While thinking about borders I rolled into a little town ? Campo. Oh cool, I heard they had a railroad museum here. I pull out my roads and recreation atlas and, yes, there it is, the Railroad Museum is listed, but seemingly, according to the atlas no roads lead to the railroad museum, except the railroad. Maybe I will get to do some off-roading after all, forging my way through the brush on the way to the museum (unlikely), or drive on tracks like a little choo-choo locomotive. But, anyway, I pick a road that according to the atlas is closer to the museum and go.

After making a turn I see a high mill building, surrounded by chain fence. There is a gate, and a sign that says, ?Open.? Oh cool, let?s go check it out. In case I?ll need to mill or crush something, I?ll know where.

As I drive past the fence I realize that there is something very unusual about the mill; I am not a mill expert, but do all mills have heaps of old trucks all around? Looks more like a museum? Stop. This is a museum. This is not the railroad museum, this is something else, but how come I?ve never heard of it? This requires investigation. I park my jeep and walk to the front of the building where somebody is working on an expedition wagon with a kangaroo sign on the back.

I say ? Hello, did you drive this thing all the way from Australia?

? No not from Australia.
? What about the sign? ? I enquire.
? There is my sign. ? The fellow points to the flagpole with three flags on it, the Old Glory, the California flag, and a German flag.
? You mean the flag?
? Yes, the flag. Do you know what flag that is?
? It?s German flag. ? I answer.

Oh well, I guess we have plenty of German guys with Kangaroos running around in Sothern California. This one seems to be as friendly as all the others I know, and he quickly tells me about the place and some of the things they got. We walk inside, and a lady joins on the conversation. I learn that I am in the Motor Transport Museum. It is a non-profit organization; and oh so many amazing things they have.

How about this for example: they have a four wheel drive, dual steer vehicle from? 1917.

They have old trucks, and busses, and excavators, and elevators, and pumps, and motors, all kinds of equipment, and, lots, and lots, and lots of it. The place is unbelievable.

I will be coming back there with my camera. And you should come with me. You got to visit that museum.

It is time for me to go home, and time for me to wrap up this story. I make a quick stop at the Gaskilll Stone Store Museum on the way out of Campo, and take the Highway 94 to home to San Diego.

In case you wonder, I haven?t gotten to the railroad museum today, nor did I have a chance to engage four-wheel-drive on my jeep, but I think I did ok.