(February 7)

Day 44 - Salome AZ to Blythe CA

The Sweet Smell of Barn

 

 

 The view of the cafe where I had breakfast from the door of my hotel room. I like convenient breakfasts.

For the first time EVER, I found a food establishment that featured both Subway AND Dairy Queen under the same roof. Food Paradise isn't lost, but found alive and well in Quartzsite Arizona.

The view down the descent on I-10 into Blythe. Not for the faint of heart.

If you zoom in you can see what is written on the sign to the right of the picture.

Before I saw this sign I was considering just riding in the right lane and taking my chances vs. the HUNDREDS of RVs and 18 wheelers that passed me as I rode along I-10. I'm so glad the government's warning to use ONLY the shoulder saved me from a certain...and grisly...death.

Seriously, who thinks this stuff up?

The mighty Colorado River. Not yet the trickle it will become by the time it hits the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the massive canals which water nearly the entirety of Southern California later on down the course of the river.

My final border crossing...yoohoo!

 

If you can zoom in, you can see a few RVs camped out in the desert. My stepfather Ray told me this practice is called "boondocking." The RVers park for free out in the desert and then go into town only when they need to replenish propane, flush their septic tanks, etc.. From what I could see, Quartzsite Arizona is the World Capital of boondocking.

 

These days, 60 miles seems like a merry little jaunt. With only 1000 feet of climbing and mostly downhill, even a brutal headwind that sprang up over the last 20 miles or so couldn't dent my speedy trip to Blythe.

 

Yeah, you heard me...California! I've made to the state which contains San Diego. And, as I informed T. Logan Russell on Facebook, I am now staring to smell the barn. Now, the fat lady isn't singing quite yet. I have a camping stop in the remote wilderness area of Glamis tomorrow night after another 60 mile day. And then another day riding down the heart of California's great Imperial Valley to El Centro before I can even think about tackling the massive climb to get up and over into San Diego County.

 

But let's face it....I rode my bike to California :)

 

And while it is just over a week until I actually board the train home, I'm beginning to start thinking about a very strange thought: not riding every day. Not being a bike tourer. Just as I'm really starting to get the hang of this bike touring business, I've got a week left. And, right now, as much as I want to get back home, I'm not sure whether that is a good or bad thing.