La-la Land

Well, I've finally made it to the West Coast.

I know, I know ... aren't I supposed to be going South rather than West?

When you look at maps, main route from Phoenix to LA is the Interstate highway, I-10

But, there must be an old route, right? Before Eisenhower started the Interstate project to rebuild the US economy.

So I looked for, and found the old road out of Buckeye, Arizona. I was looking forward to a somewhat leisurely ride on the 7-1/2 hours route that the GPS had mapped out for me.
However, the road was simply awful.
It was was not just bad. It wasn't even like they stop maintaining it after they built the Interstate.
It's more like they ripped the asphalt right off the road and put on the I-10.

I couldn't for the life of me imagine why the road was in such a state. And more importantly, I couldn't imagine staying on it for another 500 miles.

I guess the fates do listen to my pleas every once in a while. After just one mile of that washboard foolishness, we came to a road closed sign.

At the edge of the road you could see where single, and dual-track off-road vehicles had picked their way around the barricade.

I'll pass this time.

I turned around an found my way back onto Interstate 10.

Did I mention I HATE riding on the freeways?

The next 2 hours reminded me of just why I have that opinion. Trucks, trucks, motorhomes, and more trucks.

After the next rest stop I reset the GPS to take the local roads.

A few U-turns, another ride through a road-closed/active construction site and voila -- I find myself on Highway 62. Finally, I'm Goin' back to Cali!

The road is nice, lots of twistie bits, as well as some desolate landscapes that look like they were imported from Mars.

I do feel a bit cheated though. In the final 100 mile stretch to LA, I am again directed back onto the I-10.
The sun's setting now, and the traffic is getting heavy. I don't really want my first bike trip through LA to drop me into middle of an infamous Los Angeles rush hour.

So, I put aside my misgivings, and get on the Interstate again.
This time I am greeted to one of the most fantastic man-made sights I have ever seen -- the San Gorgonio Pass windmill farm.

I'm at the top of a long valley looking south. The sun's beginning to set to my right, but before me is spread out over 3,218 giant wind turbines.

The sight is phenomenal. They've all lined up like so many rows in a farmers field.




The towers are all gleaming in the reflected light of the setting sun. The blades are spinning, and all are faced into to same direction. From this distance, they look like so many unbowed, white sunflowers.

I sweep my head from side to side to take in the vastness of the wind farm. It stretches farther than I can see. The magnificence of the sight lasts about 3 seconds.

Then a violent blast from my right side pushes me over the white line of the highway.

Where there are windmills, there be winds. A mighty wind farm inevitably means mighty winds :(

The next 30 minutes is just one of sheer terror riding my usually lovely bike, which in situation like this takes on the ergonomics of a sailboat.

Not good. But what can I do? This valley is the way into LA.

One day I'll be back this way, and able to truly appreciate the view...

For today, simply surviving that experience is quite enough for me. Thank you very much.


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In LA I'm hanging with Skira!