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Amie McGraham's avatar

Yup, I camped with some friends at Joshua Tree a week before the pandemic and lockdown hit and we had a blast exploring the funkiness that is Twenty-nine palms.

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Carter Ettore's avatar

Wow, Anza-Borrego looks really cool. I had to map it out. Have you been up to Twentynine Palms? It is one of those places lots of people hate because it is basically dead-zone desert nothing, but there are SO MANY cool mid-century modern house rentals there. Desert dream. Otherworldly.

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Jillian Hess's avatar

You had me at gritty! As always, fantastic notebook page, too:)

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Jenise Cook's avatar

Yes, I did know about ocotillos. When we volunteered at Kartchner Caverns State Park (Benson, AZ), we learned that fun fact. Thanks for your travel journal entry!

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Amie McGraham's avatar

And that is precisely where I learned that fun fact last year!

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Sue Clancy's avatar

Love your short stories!! They remind me of details I'd not thought of in a long time. Things like the cigarette ashtrays near fitness centers, or wellness boutiques or nutritional juice cleanse dispensers.

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Amie McGraham's avatar

*googles nutritional juice dispensers*

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Sue Clancy's avatar

Lol!! I wasn't sure what to call the shacks with windows I saw in late 1980's Oklahoma that sold "health juices" promising all the nutrition you needed for a day. Juices usually came in a styrofoam cup with a bible verse written on it about caring for the "temple" of ones body or something like that. 🙄 I'd watch people put out their cigarettes right beside the window, pick up their juice, pay for it, light up another cigarette and waddle back to their pickup and drive away in a column of black exhaust.

The concept of irony didn't seem to cover this phenomenon.

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Amie McGraham's avatar

That last line! Literally spit out my coffee

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Sue Clancy's avatar

🤣🤣🤣🤣😘😘❤💚💙

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Jason McBride's avatar

Borrego Springs sounds like a fake resort town in a sitcom. Another great story!

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Vicki Smith's avatar

Love the detail about the ashtrays and the incongruity with fitness! It's perfect!

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Amie McGraham's avatar

I live for life’s incongruities!

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Sue Clancy's avatar

I'm glad you do - and I'm so here for your insightful observations! ❤

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