Updated 5/4/04
It has been 4 years now since the Mojave Phone Booth was stolen from us, and it still grates on my mind occasionally, although I have moved on to other desert-related hobbies such as Mine Exploring. The desert is an austere, breathtaking, fun and wonderful place but it will never be the same for me again without a phone in the middle of nowhere, ringing, ringing, ringing....
It's probably futile at this point, but the petition is still online and it has over 120 signatures!! Go to
petitiononline.com & let Fran Mainella, NPS Director, know we won't let the Booth fade away without a fight!
The desert toy chest is expanding with our family. We now have an Isuzu Trooper, a 30' motorhome, a classic Glasspar boat, two three-wheelers and a two-wheeler! When the kids get a little bigger it will be fun fun fun!
9/24/01: The Friends of the Mojave Phone Booth extend our condolences to the many people affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11. We wish we could go out to the Booth and talk to people around the world about it, but (thanks a lot, Mary) that privilege has been ripped from us. It has been a terrible time and it would have been so helpful to so many people to be able to call the Mojave Phone Booth and get some uplifting from a stranger in the middle of the desert. We hope that the government is as successful in its campaign to wipe out terrorism as it was in its campaign to villify, then obliterate our beloved, peace-promoting desert icon.
December, 2000: Links page added!
October, 2000: We made a pilgrimage to the site of the
former Mojave Phone Booth. It was a moving experience which I share Also: Now that the cat is
out of the bag here is a map
I made a month or two before the removal showing how to get to the Booth
site. Visit the site yourself and see what "natural resources damage" was caused by the Booth! I assure you, the only damage you will see has been caused by cattle and NPS/Pac Bell spoilsports.
MOJAVE PHONE BOOTH ADVENTURES
Anyone who has been around me
the last few years knows I'm one of the biggest fans of the late Mojave
Phone Booth, and one of the most outspoken about its big-government-precipitated demise. We visited
the famous booth on the 1st weekend of October, 1999. We had such a blast! We
even went back and saw it again! Unfortunately going back (to a phone,
anyway) is no longer an option, but the memories will last a lifetime.
We did visit the site several months after the Booth's demise and I created
a Booth Post
Script page to share our experience and some of my thoughts on the twisted logic behind its removal. Some things have changed, the most notable being (according to Charlie Wilcox) the cows being gone, but I am leaving the Post Script page as-is to convey the frustration I have had with the whole situation.
I have a few trip reports to other places on my 4x4 Adventures page. I haven't updated it in some time, and I apologize for the picture quality (screen capture from video is all I have from those trips) but I will be posting more interesting stuff as time permits.
If you ever have enjoyed telephone
systems for more than just their communication value you may enjoy my page
of Telephone Exchange
Nostalgia. Based on the reception it's gotten I assume not many care
about telephone nostalgia, but the page is staying put for the time being.
If any of you who were fortunate
enough to work in telephony in the "good old days" have any stories or
info to contribute, please E-mail
me.
If you like to tour hydroelectric
plants you might like my Parker
Dam Page. I have toured Hoover and Davis dams but neither has the charm
that Parker has. It's sad that they have closed the self-guided tour (the
government sure LOVES closing stuff, don't they?), but at least you can
see it in pictures on my page.
I have always been fascinated with mines out in the desert and the serpentine passageways and treasures awaiting the adventurous, but until 2003 knew no experienced people to explore them with. (Mines are very dangerous places and should never be explored alone, but when you go with the right people it can be a fantastic adventure.) The group I finally found is the California Mine Explorers. They go out to a mine about once every two months and Dezrat knows some awesome places. Everything from safe for the kiddies to unbelievable mines that require the use of ropes to get to other levels. Grab a flashlight and come out to the dez for some "dark time!"
Nikola
Tesla: Mr. Tesla is probably the most underrated person in history,
and I urge writers of history texts and creators of new electric companies
to give him some recognition. Contrary to popular belief, Tesla, NOT Thomas
Edison, gave us every aspect of our modern polyphase AC electrical
power system, and the U.S. Supreme Court post-humously vindicated him over
Marconi in 1943 as the first to develop what we now call "radio".
I am going to create a Web page dedicated to him in the near future - stand
by!
I have been playing around
with video capture. If you want to see the start of my "family scrapbook"click
here.
E-mail
me!
Since this is my first foray into Web building I am open to any comments
or suggestions.
Please sign the DesTrip guestbook!
LINKS! For the time being my links are specifically about the Mojave Phone Booth, but as time permits I will expand this section.
Accessed
Finally: Please join the
Mojave
Booth club on Yahoo! We would love your
input.
OTHER 4x4 ADVENTURES
OTHER TELEPHONE STUFF
PARKER DAM VIRTUAL TOUR
MINE EXPLORING
TESLA, A MAN OUT OF TIME
RESUME
Current as of 11/19/02
I am in the job market and now have my MCSE and CCNA. Here is my updated
resume.
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