Nov 30

Desert Gypsies in 1950

Cool Story of a Couple Desert Gypsies from the May 1959 Desert Magazine.  This wonderful magazine disappeared in the 1980’s, but once in a while you can find a few old issues in used bookshops. I also found an internet archive that you can download old issues for free, check out this great site: Desert Magazine Archives. If you like to camp out and have some desert fun, this is a great resource. Although some of the places in the deserts of the southwest are now off limits because of a Federal government land grab, there’s still a lot of places to go.  The old Desert Magazine is also packed with articles on lost gold mines and places to pan gold.  Don’t forget that until the early 1970’s gold prices were fixed at $35 per once, and now gold is over $1,750.  Working hard to get a little “color” is a lot more profitable now.

Some of our greatest authors also loved the desert, a good example is Erle Stanley Gardner the great mystery writer.  Mr. Gardner loved the desert and often went on long expeditions, even down to the Mexican bad lands.  He also wrote some riveting books on “Hunting Lost Mines by Helicopter”, and books on exploring Baha, Califonrnia.  There was actually a Gardner museum up in Ventura at one time, but the web site seems to be down, maybe the museum is gone.  For a while it was in an old library bus, packed with Gardner memorabilia, and the bus would show up at schools and downtown Ventura during festivals.

Here’s a fan site that lists all of Gardner’s books on his gypsy travels: Erle Stanley Gardner Bibliography. You can see all the cool books he wrote on desert camping and exploration.  I have read many of them and they are all great.  Gardner really made a production out of his gypsy travels.  He usually had his “cast of characters”, old friends, who traveled with him.  He also brought his secretary and dictated some stories while enjoying the desert.  Might as well turn that sand into some coin while you are at it!

Desert Gypsies 1.pdf

Desert Gypsies 2.pdf

Desert Gypsies 3.pdf

Desert Gypsies 4.pdf

Desert Gypsies 5.pdf