Road Trip Spring 2025 in our 2020 Freedom Elite 28FE RV. Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Yosemite

Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Yosemite

April 4 through April 14

Our second big road trip in our 2020 Freedom Elite 28FE RV – Our Spring 2025 journey begins, as it always does, in Sonoma County California heading south this time to Santa Barbara, then east to Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, and Yosemite. Then we head west back home. The trip will be 1559 miles in 12 days.

April 4: Day 1

It’s Sunday morning and I feel like I can finally take a breath. Getting ready for big trips is always stressful. I often question why on Earth a person who is afraid of riding in cars would ever think it’s a good idea to buy an RV and travel around with her family. I’ll tell you why.. because it’s fun. I make no sense, but lets move on to the trip.

We had planned to leave around 1:30 Friday. Which of course means 2:15. We always set an time and then are late by an hour or so. I spent the whole morning loading food, double checking that I packed all the essential items, and making sure the garden was set up for automatic watering. I also cleaned the house pretty thoroughly so we could come home to a clean house. Fresh towels and bedding, clean kitchen, and dust free baseboards. I get a little crazy before a trip and for some reason the baseboards had to be spotless. I think it’s the nerves of riding in a car.

The kids arrived home from school around 1:45. We finished up the last of the To Do items, loaded up the family and were ready to leave by 2:15. Hubby in the drivers seat, my oldest riding shotgun, my youngest settled at the dinette already watching funny YouTube videos, and me on the couch right behind the drivers seat. I like to sit in the back so I don’t see the road and all the infinite ways we are going to get in an accident. Yet I like to be close enough so I can still yell BRAKES. Does my hubby need for me to yell breaks? No. I can’t stop myself. Leave me alone.. grrr.

We made it exactly two streets down from our house when the Check Engine light came on. Ugghhh. Just ignore. It is probably just a little glitch and will turn back off. We gotta beat Friday traffic. Our first stop is Buelton / Solvang, about 340 miles and around 7 hours.

Ew. Just ew. 7 hours of driving just sounds horrible. And it was. That Check Engine light did not turn off after a few minutes. In fact it decided to bring his friend the Wrench light. That was fun. Did it stop us? No. We continued on our trip puttering along. Sometimes it drove fine, other times the RV decided that it didn’t want to go over 55 miles per hours and it coughed and jerked a bit. Not enough to stop us, but enough to make us concerned. Hubby was bound and determined to make it to our first stop. Thankfully we did, at 10:15. An hour and a half late and now with three glowing light. We were out of gas. Whatever was going on with the engine also used up extra fuel. That tracks with us. We were so exhausted that we just did the absolute minimal set-up and went to bed. Any issues the RV has won’t be fixed in the dark at 10pm at night.

April 5: Day 2

I didn’t get out of bed until 7am, which is insane for me since I usually am up around 4:30. I made coffee and got to work on the Kindle email I put out every morning. Different from the Book Basset one most of you guys know about. Hubby woke up a few hours later. A nice quiet morning we both needed. It wasn’t long though before he was outside under the hood, elbow deep in the engine. He had a few theories and was testing each one out. I was sitting in the camp chair with the pups, Junebug and Casper. I had no idea what hubby was telling me about the engine, but I could tell he was hopeful. The sun was warm on my back and it was just a pleasant moment.

What would a trip for us be without a few trips to O’Reilly Auto Parts store? Ugh. It was .4 miles from the campground so that was cool. After he got the needed part, he was back under the hood putting everything back together. He started up the engine to test if the part worked, annnnnnd….. it didn’t. I think the Check Engine light and the Wrench light got brighter. Still halfway inside the engine hubby called a mobile RV repair guy. Not sure what magic took place, but the warning lights turned off. Hubby quickly closed the hood, and said lets get outta here and start our day.

Solvang – The first official stop of our trip was Solvang. Oh my gosh! SO CUTE! “known for its Danish-style architecture and many wineries.” Yes please. Well, not the wineries for us. We live in Sonoma County and we have plenty of wineries. First stop was food. I am not a foodie, but without a doubt The peasants FEAST on Atterdag Road was absolutely amazing. Fresh, delicious, and beautiful atmosphere. I could have sat there all day enjoy the view of the Danish buildings and horse drawn carriages walking by.

After filling our bellies with amazing food we decided to visit a few museums around town. Amazingly they had quite a number of them all within just a few minutes walk of each other. The first museum we visited was Elverhøj Museum of History and Art.

It’s a super small museum, but well worth the $5 entry fee. It only took us a few minutes and we really enjoyed traveling back in time to see what a Danish American home was like.

Now I wish I took more pictures. I was enjoying the museum and time with my family so much I didn’t bother to take out my phone for pictures. I don’t think pictures would do Solvang justice anyway. It’s a place you have to experience. One could easily spend all day walking through the quaint streets, visiting art galleries, museums, and of course pastry shops. So many delicious pastry shops.

4:30pm came fast and it was time to head home. The first days drive hit us all pretty hard and we didn’t want to burn out too quickly. Plus.. I so badly wanted to visit the Ostrich Farm!

Ostrichland USA! My gosh ostrich are HUGE! A small entrance fee of $7 each and $1 for a bowl of feed for the dinosaurs with feathers. The sign on the fence says to hold on tight to the bowl when you go to feed the Emus and Ostrich. They like to grab the bowls and throw them. By the looks of the many bowls scattered all around the other side of the fence, I think there are a lot of people who don’t read the sign. We made the mistake of using up all of our feed at the first fence. I had no idea there was a full other field around the corner.

After a fun visit with the dinosaurs we headed back to Flying Flags RV Resort and Campground. It was time to relax and enjoy a drink at the outdoor Fireside Lounge while listening to live music. A perfect way to wind down and take a break before the next big leg of our journey. If you are looking for a destination RV resort I highly suggest Flying Flags. We could very easily have spent a week enjoying all they have to offer. Perfect for couples, families or even very large groups.

April 6: Day 3

Packing up this morning I didn’t ask or say anything, but I really hoped the Check Engine light and wrench lights were still gone when we turned the engine on.

Hubby turned on the ignition and….. YES! No lights. FANTASTIC. Now just need to wash our hands and get going on the road. Whish whoosh.. putter putter. No water? Correct. Now the water pump is broken. Seriously?? Deep breath.

Originally our plan was to make our way to Joshua Tree down HWY 101 to the 5 with a slight detour up the 5 to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. But the broken water-pump in the motor home that serves the sinks and bathroom, needed to be addressed. Especially since we were going to the dessert. The water-pump meant instead of heading north on the 5 we needed to head south on HWY 5 to Camping World where we knew for sure they had the part. Not a big deal really. We called the poppy reserve hotline, and there weren’t any blooms at the time worth visiting.

After a few hours of driving we reached Camping World. Hubby did another test on the water-pump to be sure it was broken. DRAT! It works fine now. Really? Seriously? It’s not like we have never had a camper before. This is our third one. We have experience and knowledge. I think the universe is having a bit of fun with us. Please stop it Universe.

So now that the pump wasn’t an issue it was time for lunch. Cheese, crackers, and a selection of meats hit the spot perfectly. We were soon back on the road.

We arrived at our campsite in Joshua Tree around 5:15. It’s a very simple campground, but absolutely perfect for people who are just here to visit the park. We were greeted by the owner as soon as we arrived and he made sure we had everything we needed. After set-up was done we quickly made dinner and gobbled it down. We wanted to make it into the park in time to see the sunset at Keys View. It was one of the places where pets were allowed. After so many hours of driving I really wanted the pups to stretch their legs a bit. We went into the park’s west entrance and made our way through in our Honda Element that we tow behind the motor-home. I love driving through the park’s winding roads with amazing boulders and of course Joshua trees. It’s like being on a completely different planet.

We made it to Keys View just in time for the sunset.

We hung around and explored the area a bit, and took way too many pictures. We hopped in the car and continued to drive through the park towards the North entrance. The pups had had enough exploring and fell fast asleep in our laps.

April 7: Day 4

9am and its already 70 degrees outside. I’m updating you guys while hubby and the boys are making breakfast. Today we are going into Joshua Tree to get a full day of exploring in. We are hoping to visit Wall Street Stamp Mill, Barker Trail, Hidden Valley Trail, and Arch Rock. Wow.. I better pack a lunch.

The plans I had made fort the day were completely thrown out the window. Not in a bad way. Don’t worry.

First stop was Keys View. A beautiful drive through the park, up a bit of a hill, to an amazing view. A great first stop in the park. I will just post the pictures. There are plenty of ways for me to say pretty pretty pretty, but pictures are much better. Apparently we could see Mexico from that spot. Cool. This is also one of the spots that has amazing views of sunset. It was our first stop around 11, so no sunset for us.

Next stop was Barker Dam Trail / Wall Street Stamp Mill. Here you had a choice. You could either take the moderate 2.5 hour hike to the Wall Street Mill, or you could take the easy 1 hour trail to Barker Dam. Yaaa.. easy for us thank you. It was already getting hot by noon and we didn’t need a challenge. This part of my post is going to be hard. I literally took over 200 pictures. It was only a mile long hike, yet somehow I managed to take enough pictures for a 20 mile hike. Not only could I not stop taking pictures, but we also managed to get lost on the short hike. I was kinda worried for a second, but after a few wrong turns we were able to get back to the parking lot. OH MY GOSH! You seriously can’t take us anywhere. There are literally arrows on the path directing you where to go. What made us think the path suddenly turned into a climb over boulders? Not to mention that we had been surrounded by people the whole time, and then suddenly there was no one around. Yet onward we went in the wrong direction. UGH. Still a pretty hike. Just a word of advice for those taking the trip to Joshua Tree. FOLLOW THE ARROWS!

After that gorgeous hike we enjoy the car ride through the park. Ya. We got lazy. Plus it was turning into a pretty hot day. Now it’s back to the campsite for dinner!

April 8: Day 5 Breakfast in Joshua Tree. We were cooking dinner last night at the campsite here in Joshua Tree and my youngest baby basset says to me, “It feels like we have been on the road for a week. It’s only been four days.” Not exactly sure how I feel about that statement. Kinda true though. We left Friday afternoon and the 8 hour drive was pretty long and brutal. On trips like this in the mornings we hit the ground running either to our destinations, or we are on the road for hours at a time. RV’ing like we do is not the easiest. Beside things breaking and Hubby having to spend time and energy fixing them, the fun stuff like exploring takes a lot out of you as well. A good kind of tired though. I’m still having fun. I asked the boys if they want to plan another trip and they are all for it. I’ll keep doing it while I can.

My first mistake was thinking I was making plans. I should actually just call them suggestions. This morning while we were enjoying breakfast in Joshua Tree, we were discussing the next few days of our trip. The weather is a lot hotter than we were expecting it to be. We knew we would not have full hook ups in Death Valley, but with the cool weather that wouldn’t be a problem. Mother Nature had other plans for us. With it being in the 90’s and no AC, we all would have been miserable. On top of that the park also doesn’t allow dogs, so our plans to leave them in the RV are out the window. We decided to cancel the campsite in Death Valley National Park, and extend from one night to two nights the campground that is an hour from Death Valley. It was supposed to be a stop to spend the day relaxing and doing laundry. While we were making all these plans though we discovered that our next route to Yosemite was still closed for Winter. WHAT?? So one place we are cooked out and the next we are frozen out. Well… that’s interesting.

Hubby canceled the camping reservations on the East side of Yosemite and we headed to Shoshone. We had two nights to figure the rest of the trip out. The drive was just over four hours. Hot and tired we pulled in, hooked up the RV, popped out the chairs on the lawn and relaxed. Our plan was to take the 1 hour drive to Death Valley early the next day. Thankfully the wonderful guy at the Shoshone RV Park that checked us in told us about the Death Valley National Park entrance that was only 10 minutes down the road. WHAT??? SHWEET! We needed good news like that. He said it is about an hour drive to Badwater Basin, but it’s such a nice drive and you avoid all the crowds at the front gate. From there all the spots we wanted to visit were just a few minutes from each other.

April 9: Day 6

After a quick breakfast of bacon and eggs we were back in the Honda Element and headed towards Death Valley National Park.

First Stop: Badwater Basin: I really liked this spot. It was easy to get to and a simple walk down to the salty floor. After a few cool pictures we were back in the car to our next stop

Next Stop: Natural Bridge Canyon. I just want to say. WE WERE LIED TO! All the videos I watched of people at The Natural Bridge Canyon made it look like it was a flat hike. Look at my pictures. That looks flat. It was anything but flat. The beginning looks like a slight incline. It was steep. The pictures lie lie lie. Thank golly we were there in the morning when the path was shaded. Was it worth the hike? ABSOLUTELY!

The Devils Golf Course: This was a fun little stop. A few quick pictures and a few poke pokes at the salt, and we were on our way again.

The Artist Palette. This was a fun drive. We stopped at the first turnout and the hike was… well look at my poor hubby.

We are not hikers. It’s actually not as bad as hubby makes it look, but after The Natural Bridge and with the heat, it was getting kinda rough for us. Sooo… the view wasn’t as spectacular as the influencers make it seem. In the middle of the day it was cool, but not magical. I really think it something that needs to be seen at sunset or sunrise. Not sure which. With that said, the 9 mile drive through the Artists Palette was FANTASTIC! With fun dips and turns through amazing landscapes it is an absolute must.

This is the view from the second stop on the 9 mile drive. Nice, but you only needed a few minutes to appreciate it. The blue sections were very cool.

Our final stop was the 12 Mule Trail. This was a fun dirt road to drive. The kind of road a kid would design for his toy truck. I pulled over and let my oldest drive the one way road. I have never seen a bigger smile on that guy’s face.

We contemplated doing that fun driving trail again, but it was time to get back to our pups. Thankfully the RV AC was working great for them and they were glad to see us. Time for a few loads of laundry and to plan the next few days. Hubby found two places for us to camp that have full hook ups. We are planning on taking two nights to get to our fin…. I was going to say Final Destination, but yaaaaa no way. We are planning on driving two days to Yosemite.

April 10: Day 7

We woke up nice and early this morning. It’s going to be a weird kinda day. We are breaking up the drive to Yosemite over two days, but knowing hubby he will change the plans. That seems to be the way on these RV trips. Make plans, but be flexible.

On the way out of Death Valley we stopped at Zabriske Point. With fresh legs this morning the short hike was much easier. The pictures below are the absolute definition of “Not doing it justice”. You are gonna have to trust me when I tell you the view was incredible. It was a little frightening for me. I am not a fan of vast views, and this was the ultimate in vastness. Ick.. but also WOW!

What would be a trip to Death valley without getting a few pictures with the giant thermometer outside the Death Valley Visitors Center. It kept flipping from 99 degrees and 100 degrees. Hubby made me keep taking pictures until it said 100… just for effect. HA

Now back in the RV for the long trek to Mojave for our first stop on the way to Yosemite. With the two site seeing stops that morning in Death Valley and the 4 hour drive to Mojave, it was a long day. We found our spot for the night, set up the RV, and went to Denny’s for dinner.

April 11: Day 8

No time to fiddle about. We packed the RV up quick and headed out. Our plan was to drive for just a few hours, stop for the night, and rest. But when we were just about half way to Yosemite from our last stop, it was only noon. Hubby made the call, since he was doing all the driving by this point, to just keep going all the way to Yosemite.

Thank golly I was sitting in back hiding in my phone. I hate cliffs almost as much as I hate sharks. The last part of the drive up the mountain to Yosemite was horrid. Hubby was speeding through the narrow roads doing 85 miles per hour. At least that’s how I saw it. Actually he was well under the speed limit. That’s why the drive took us about an hour and a half longer than it should have. He does that for me and I love him for it. Funny thing was the most chaos filled part of the trip was when we had arrived at the campground and were making our way to our campsite. The potholes were so crazy that when we went through them all the doors flew open in the RV and bowls, and measuring cups and spoons spilled out violently. What a noise that was! After 6.5 hours of driving it was time to rest. Thankfully we had three nights here.

April 12: Day 9

It is very strange to go from hot dessert to cold snowy mountains. This morning it was quite chilly and I had to turn the heater on right away. Everyone was slow to get out of bed, so we weren’t ready to visit Yosemite until 11am. Not our wisest decision. The line to get in wasn’t so bad. Once inside we HAD to get a picture with the sign of course.

The problem was once in the park, each of the interesting look outs were quite full. We always found a spot to park, but it was a bit crowded. I was super happy we could bring the pups in. They have been getting plenty of walks, and were tired, but I really wanted them to see some of the fun sites. yes, I know a parking lot would be a fun site for them. Humor me. So here are a few pictures from that day. I actually took about 200, but I will spare you all. Mostly it was trees, rocks, and waterfalls.

We really wanted to checkout Bridalveil Fall, but the line just to get into the parking lot was CRAZY! There was no way that day we would get a spot. Instead we drove on and picked less crowded locations and went on small hikes. The pups enjoy the hikes, but were not so crazy about the cold water hubby kept trying to get them to wade in. A whole lotta NOPE NOPE from them.

No matter where you stopped in the park, you saw amazing views.

We pretty much just drove around the loop in the valley and stop anywhere that looked interesting. Stopping at the visitors center was an absolute must. I had to get my sticker, pin and a t-shirt.

The weather was sunny and warm, so we were perfectly comfortable in t-shirts. So it was crazy when we were heading back to the campground to see snow. We had to stop for pictures of course, and maybe a snowball fight. Pups were not happy! They asked me to never bring them to snow again.

After that snowball you see in the third picture hit my hubby, it was go time. I bee lined it out of there with two pups in my arms while the snowballs were flying by. At one point I heard a huge HUMPH!!! and found hubby flat in the snow. I have no idea how he fell. There was no one around! Unfortunately that little pause to look back cost me. That solid rock of a snowball hit my arm so hard I felt it the next day. I will have to agree with the pups… Snow is icky.

April 13: Day 10

After the crowds we saw yesterday our plan was to get into the park super early. As with all plans in RV’ing, they will always change. I think we were only am hour earlier than yesterday. The only difference was we didn’t stop at any of the lookouts and went straight to Bridalveil Falls. It was still a mess to get in, but we waited in line and after 20 minutes or so found a spot to park in. It was well worth the stress of fighting the crowd in the parking lot. OH MY GOSH!!! Here is where I will bombard you with pictures. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and relax. It’s going to be a lot of pictures.

Rocks rocks rocks, tress trees trees, water water water.

After we were done there we headed back through the loop. At our last stop were encountered a group of musicians from Weimar University (I believe??) filming a video. We stopped at a place just along the river and found a whole group of young people in tuxedos. with instruments, and asked them what was the special occasion. They explained that they had just finished filming a video. We expressed that we were disappointed that we weren’t able to hear them play. The cellist stepped up. He played the most beautiful piece for us. How lucky are we??

April 14: Time to go home.

As it often does with us, we are ready to go home early. We had one more night left at Yosemite, but we felt we saw everything we wanted to see and we wanted to be home again. Hubby made a huge breakfast of eggs, toast and hash-browns. A perfect meal to get us all the way home. I hated the drive down the mountain, but watching videos of kittens and other gardeners doing their thing got me through it.

It’s always so crazy to me how the fist day of our trip feels like such a long time ago. We had been planning this trip since the last trip we went on and now it has come and gone. We had fun. The boys even had fun and are looking forward to our next trip. Utah???

Casper is ready to go home.