Today we got up at 7:00 AM. For some reason our normal alarm didn't go off and we were 'allowed' to sleep in, heh, heh! The sun is out and the temp is in the mid 60's as we prepare for our last desert adventure.
As soon as I returned from my pool hall buddies, we had a quick lunch then loaded the kids into the car along with water, cameras, etc., and head on into the small town of Seely. Turning west on Evan Hewes we travel down a barely maintained road towards plaster city.
The first couple of miles we pass farmlands, then grazing cattle, then agricultural lands gone back to nature followed by desert. About ten miles along we come to a sign that says, "Welcome to Plaster City". Hmmmmm, looks like desert to us, no homes, no stores, no gas station just lots and lots of ocotillo cactus, mesquite and desert scrub.
A few more miles and we approach a huge factory rising out of the desert at the heart of Plaster City. A little research on our HP NetBook and we find out that USG (United States Gypsum) Corporation also owns the factory and the city. They also own and operate a large gypsum quarry located in the Fish Creek Mountains not far from where we're going. The deposit is estimated to contain over 25 million tons of gypsum. The factory in Plaster City makes sheetrock used in homes and offices worldwide. For an interesting history of the plant go to, http://railroadprototypes.com/goldexamples.htm.
One interesting fact we learned, USG owns and operates the last industrial narrow gauge railway in the United States. The 3 ft (914 mm) gauge line runs north for 20.5 miles (33 km) from the plant at Plaster City (formerly known as Maria) to the gypsum quarry. The line hauls gypsum rock from the quarry to the plant. Originally built by the Imperial Gypsum Company Railroad, just two years after completion of the line (1924), the track was sold to the Pacific Portland Cement Company. USG purchased the line in 1946 and in 1947 the first diesel engine was operated on the line. Currently the factory is served by Union Pacific and the Carrizo Gorge Railway taking the sheetrock to major distribution centers. (USG photo courtesy of Plymoth's 1957 photostream on Flickr). 
Continuing on Evan Hewes Highway we passed right down the center of the factory. Another four miles and we turned onto a graded dirt road heading north, marked by a sign labeled Painted Gorge. After driving on the graded road for approximately 5 miles, we encountered a riot of color on the surrounding landscape. The Painted Gorge, located on the eastern side of the Coyote Mountains, consists of sedimentary, metamorphic and ingenious rocks. Heat and movement over time has created fantastic shapes and colors. Orange, red, purple, and mauve mixed with brown and black found in the narrow canyon walls are the result of weathered rocks which contain copper, sulfur, and iron deposits.
We hiked around the hills for a bit taking photos and looking for a true canyon (never found one) then decided to head to Ocotillo for the Cactus Festival. We drove back past a gravel quarry, down out of the hills, past all the ORV campers and turned west again on Evan Hewes Hwy. Four miles on we came to the small community of Ocotillo where we stopped to ask directions to the festival.We drove through town, past the road to Fossil Canyon and on to the Community Park where they were just wrapping things up.
Turns out the festival is mostly a spring celebration of desert cactus with discussions of desert flora and cactus plants available for sale. Well, that's the way it goes. A day late and a dollar short, heheheh!
We drove back through town to I-8 and returned home in time to go to the appreciation dinner in the clubhouse. The dinner is hosted by the resort owners in appreciation of all the volunteer help provided by the long term residents. They roasted three whole pigs and with potato salad, beans and apple sauce fed over two hundred people. Everything was delicious and the pork was falling off the bone good!!With the day drawing to a close we spent the rest of the evening relaxing and walking the kids.
To see all our photos, click on:
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