Road to California; Day 5; Arrival

Kingman, AZ was only about 40 minutes from the border of California. We crossed the Colorado river and entered into the very hot and sunny California sun.

The border patrol confiscated my two oranges. I had placed one behind my front seat within grabbing distance for a morning snack. Apparently the oranges did not pass the inspection's high standards.

Today I was very glad that friend A was here. The Mojave desert was intimidating with the call boxes placed every few miles, the endless scrub land with little ugly cacti, and the sun that beat down through the windows. Even through frequent sunblock was applied (spf 70), I now have pink arms, cheeks, and neck. I was not expecting to be fearful during this drive, but the combination of forces and the knowledge that a friend of mine had broken down on the same stretch of highway worried me. We made it through without incident. The desert gave way to brown dried hills with Dr. Suess-like trees. I believe they are the famed Josua Trees.



On the hilltops were armies of windmills. The windfarms were a bit scary to look at- I think it was the size and sheer number, combined with the fact that they lined every surrounding hill around us at times.



The general rule for the trip has been: keep the tank at least half full, always have water, and keep an eye on where we are. I think these rules have helped keep us safe.

We made no interesting stops on the way (other than border patrol) and arrived at the Pacific ocean at 5:45pm today. A and I parked in the closest beach access and skipped down to the water. Fog was rolling in from the ocean-during our drive we had wondered if it was fog or smoke from a local fire. The water was frigid, and the wind was chilling. We took some quick pictures and proceeded to the Best Western in San Simeon, CA.

Best Western was a pleasant surprise. We had jumped from Holiday Inn to Holiday Inn Express all the way across the United States, but there wasn't one along this stretch of highway. Best Western had an ocean front location, restaurant next door, parking right outside the room (better to watch my car full of belongings). Furthermore, they lit fire pits 20 minutes prior to sunset.

A and I ate at the restaurant and headed to a fire pit to watch the sunset. The fire fought back the chill and the fog cleared enough to enjoy a soft glowy sunset. We laughed at the family sharing our fire pit as they attempted s'mores for the first time. I demonstrated some roasting marshmellow tricks for the teenager who was obviously hanging out with his mom and aunts.



Day is done. Gone the sun. Goal is reached. I'm in California and I've now seen the Pacific ocean.