If you came off the 10, went down Hwy 86 and across Hwy 78, I can see that - it's pretty desolate out there! I spent a lot of years camping, four wheeling and riding dirt bikes in Ocotillo Wells and Borrego Springs/Anza-Borrego area. Did she wrinkle her nose and ask "What's that smell?!?" when you passed the Salton Sea?
surprisingly, no...then again, we spent 5yrs stationed in 29 Palms and Lake Bandini's "perfume" was ever present