I get ready and head to the cafe at around 6:45 (but note I can see it, and I know the pastor is not there). Anyway, I sit inside and talk to the waitress for a while, but still no pastor. Oh well, no harm done. I order an omelet and get out of town.
An old, closed gas station and cafe in Desert Center.
This cafe has not been closed for even an hour since 1928. Sadly the woman I talked to said that this may end soon.
My home from last night.
Downtown Desert Center. This road used to be Route 60 when it existed.
Getting closer!!
The desert in the morning.
I head up the hill and stop again to eat and to buy some stuff in Chiriaco Summit.
More Desert
The George Patton museum in Chiriaco Summit
I talk to a trucker who offers me a ride to Indio. However, since I am in a town with Summit in the name, I decline, and am rewarded with an absolutely amazing ride down San Andreas Fault on Box Canyon Road. I highly recommend it to absolutely anyone who likes biking in the area. It is gorgeous and totally downhill all the way to Mecca.
The beginning of Box Canyon Road.
Box Canyon Road
More views off Box Canyon.
Yet more Box Canyon.
Entering the fault zone.
Looking behind me…
Looking ahead… at vineyards. The Salton Sea is in the background.
Wine comes from there.
Wrong turn in Oman?
In Mecca I go to another Starbucks for a few hours of WiFi. When I am done I head north on the 111 through the towns of Thermal, Coachella, Indio, and into the rich areas of town. The best part is that I have a tailwind the entire time. Once I get to places like La Quinta, Indian Wells (gorgeous), and Palm Desert it is getting dark, and I know that the police (and residents) of an area like this would not appreciate me free camping, so I begin to look around for lodging.
Someone who was next to me at a stop light yelled out if I was going to Palm Springs, but he was pulling away by the time I responded, and I never saw him again. Alas. There was not really any space which was not inhabited, so when I saw a Motel 6 in Rancho Mirage, I went to investigate. At $39.95 the price was right, so I got my first room of the trip, and immediately had my first shower of the trip. It felt good. I also managed to do laundry there (much needed), and watched a little bit of The Ultimate Fighter. It was a great day beginning to end, the best thus far on the trip.
The campsite.
Hey, your map looks much better this time!
You should keep a tally of your miles with headwinds and tailwinds and see whether your wind karma is positive or negative…
Hahaha… ha.
See tomorrow’s blog.
In real time… today has been horrendous too with the headwinds.
No bugs for once eh?
I like the idea of seeing the difference in winds, it’d be cool to see.
Enjoy palm springs!
I think that the simple way to think about it is that I will have headwinds until Portland, and then Tailwinds all the way across America (I hope).