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Here you will find random bits of me

Sunday, March 30, 2008

road trip: b&n modified roadster --- part 2

we did get to bed a little earlier saturday night than on the previous night, but we were still pretty ragged when we awoke on sunday for our next stretch of the trip.

neither of us yet ready for breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and headed east toward anza borrego state park. by the time we reached ramona, we were ready for something to eat. we found a grocery store with a starbucks and, while mee sook shopped for mobile breakfast food items, i ordered coffee for me and tea for her. it was at this time that i realized that i did not have my visa card with me.

i had used it earlier, back in san marcos, when i walked across the street to get coffee at that starbucks, but it was not in my bundle of ids and other essentials.

back to san marcos!

i got a key to our room before housekeeping entered and, there it was, sitting on top of the entertainment center.

well, that put us back about an hour. but, at least i got my card back!

on our way to anza borrego we passed several cars topped with snow that were coming in our direction. later, when we arrived in mojave to spend the night, the news would have several stories about the snow in san diego county.

it had been years since i had been to anza borrego and didn’t remember too much about the trip i took with my grandmother and great-aunt jo-jo back when i was about 15. so, i had no idea where we were to go to see the wildflower bloom, which was supposed to be just falling off of peak from a few days earlier.

the original plan was to hookup with one of my geocaching friends, fossillady, who lives there and works for the california state park system. but, since we were so late getting there, having had to turn around to go back and get my visa card, there was no time to visit with her and get the bird’s-eye-low-down (a firesign theatre reference) on where to look. so, i just trusted my judgment and instincts.

i drove north out of borrego springs until i noticed about a dozen cars parked on the side of the road.

this must be the place. or, at least, one of the places!

and it was!

we were a little too early for the cacti to be in full bloom, although we did see a couple of beaver tail cacti and one cholla sporting flowers, but the desert floor was alive with orange, yellow, purple and white flowers. not being a horticulturalist, i cannot tell you what they were except: beautiful!

we made two huge loops through the desert, stopped for a few minutes in a shallow wash for a motabreak and to get close to some of the little belly-flowers and headed back to the car.

as we drove toward the salton sea, we came upon another group of cars; this time about 50 of them parked along the road. i think this was what is called henderson canyon.

again, we were treated with orange and purple and, this time, a type of primrose (i only know this because we get an evening primrose in northern nevada that smells lovely when they open at night).

another quick loop into the des and we were back on the road again!

we worked our way around the western shore of the salton sea and over to i-10 and drove up to san bernardino before heading east on i-15, over cajon pass and onto the mojave desert; my old stomping grounds and friend!

it was full-on dark by the time we reached our hotel room in the town of mojave.

slumber came quickly that night. unfortunately, even though we slept-in a little later than we had the two previous mornings, so did morning!

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