Escaping from LA
Even driving early on a Sunday morning escaping LA requires patience. I’m convinced that this town has two types of traffic, heavy and heavier.
Finally got clear of all the traffic once I
made it to the I-10 heading for Palm Springs.
Coming into Palm Springs I’m always in awe
of the massive wind turbine farms that stretch down the valley mile upon mile upon mile.
If you ever get to this part of the world, a word to the wise. The reason there are wind farms here is that there is nearly always a very strong wind blowing. I forgot this and as I stepped out of my car the door was nearly ripped out of my hand by the force of the wind. Just managed to hold on and no damage was done.
Because there is scant vegetation growing here, from inside of a vehicle, you don’t get an indication how strong the wind is blowing until you step out. Small children and anyone under 100 pounds would be well advised to stay in the vehicle, or at the very least, make sure they are carrying your heavy camera bag.
If you ever get to this part of the world, a word to the wise. The reason there are wind farms here is that there is nearly always a very strong wind blowing. I forgot this and as I stepped out of my car the door was nearly ripped out of my hand by the force of the wind. Just managed to hold on and no damage was done.
Because there is scant vegetation growing here, from inside of a vehicle, you don’t get an indication how strong the wind is blowing until you step out. Small children and anyone under 100 pounds would be well advised to stay in the vehicle, or at the very least, make sure they are carrying your heavy camera bag.
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| Wind Turbines Palm Springs, CA |
For all its beauty the desert is one
inhospitable place. Not sure why anyone
would want to set up an “Airstream” trailer as a permanent home here. But then, to each their own.
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| Airstream against the mountain. It's that tiny silver spec at the frames bottom. |
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| This is rock falling country, why would anyone camp here? |
Normally I wouldn’t have stopped in Palm
Springs but I have a friend there, Gary Dorothy. Gary is a very creative photographer
who owns and operates “Imageville”. All
the work for sale in Imageville is shot and printed by Gary. If you are ever passing through the Palm Springs area
take a moment to drop to see Gary. His
shop is located in the centre of town surrounded by great watering holes. His work will inspire you. Tell him I sent you and he'll charge you aw additional 15% ;-). On second thought don't mention my name.
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| Gary Dorothy |
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| Imageville |
After departing Palm Sprints and just before leaving I-10 exiting onto Hwy 60 I
stopped in Blythe, CA, to fuel up and grab a coffee. Now I knew it had to be hot outside because my car's temperature gauge read 115F but quite frankly I wasn’t prepared for just how
hot it actually was in the sun. The
best way to describe it is “searing
heat”. I now understand why you wouldn’t last
long if your car brakes down in the desert.
I also now know why so many vehicles paint jobs look like they have been blistered right off of the metal. Between high temperatures and high UV levels, this part of the country doesn't favour humans or for that matter much else.
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| 115 Degrees F |
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| Blistering paint |
I was pleasantly surprised finding such an abundance
of ghost building along Hwy 60. Also came across an old pioneer cemetery on a road call Ghost Town Road.
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| Ghost building |
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| Where did all the people go? |
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| Just had to find out what lay up this road |
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| Wonder whatever happened to the horses that once hitched here |
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| Pioneer Cemetery, check their spelling |
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| Pioneer Grave |
To reach Prescott requires a slow and
winding climb up into the Weaver and then the Bradshaw Mountains. Much of the road cannot be travelled
beyond 25mph and takes the better part of an hour. Then, of course, one has to stop to take
pictures and this adds a tad to the travel time.
One tends to forget that this here is gun packing country.
When I was checking into my Prescott motel, in front of me was a 5ft 2in bald guy wearing a "wife beater" shirt, camouflage shorts and flip-flops. Now, in this part of the country, this is a fairly common sight. What I hadn’t seen before was strapped to his waist was a Glock 9mm along with two extra clips. This guy had enough ammunition to start his own war. His wife was waiting outside with the meanest looking giant Boxer I’d ever seen wearing a studded collar (I swear it had what looked like the remains of a small animal hangout out of its mouth) and she was wearing a "husband beater" shirt. I guess that packing while on vacation makes a 5ft 2in "good old boy" feel more comfortable, not to mention the hound.
I had seconds thoughts about asking them to pose for a pic.
Remember folks, "don’t leave home without it”. Is American Express referring to their credit card? I guess that depends upon in which part of the country their ad plays in.
When I was checking into my Prescott motel, in front of me was a 5ft 2in bald guy wearing a "wife beater" shirt, camouflage shorts and flip-flops. Now, in this part of the country, this is a fairly common sight. What I hadn’t seen before was strapped to his waist was a Glock 9mm along with two extra clips. This guy had enough ammunition to start his own war. His wife was waiting outside with the meanest looking giant Boxer I’d ever seen wearing a studded collar (I swear it had what looked like the remains of a small animal hangout out of its mouth) and she was wearing a "husband beater" shirt. I guess that packing while on vacation makes a 5ft 2in "good old boy" feel more comfortable, not to mention the hound.
I had seconds thoughts about asking them to pose for a pic.
Remember folks, "don’t leave home without it”. Is American Express referring to their credit card? I guess that depends upon in which part of the country their ad plays in.
More to come…
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