Crossing the Colorado

Today was a day of many firsts for me. Truly this trip has been one of many firsts, but today we crossed the Colorado river and entered California. I have wanted to go to California for quite some time, and today that dream finally became a reality. I was like a small child on his birthday when we crossed the river from Arizona. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a clear shot of the Welcome to California sign, but a truck was obstructing my view.


We entered the Mojave desert, and saw the huge Metropolis of Needles, CA. As we crossed the desert, we noticed the real lack of civilization. (Needles was the last real city for quite some time.) There were signs here and there, but everything seemed to be designed to push people from one end of the desert to the other. It is odd to be in a location completely bereft of people (except for those traveling along the road as well); it is almost spiritual.

It also makes rest areas very interesting. People pushing, shoving, fighting over the two or three stalls that somehow pass for a rest area bathroom. It's quite a sight. They are also like little oases against the harsh environs of the Mojave. Palm trees sprout up around little hacienda styled shanties with attached gas stations. To complete the picture, crows dance and caw at each other whilst watching the humans run inside to wait in line for a poor excuse for a hot dog from Dairy Queen. Desert rest areas are an experience in themselves.




Before we could traverse the desert, we had to stop for an agricultural inspection. Apparently, they were afraid that we were sneaking some form of non-Californian contraband into the state. Cara had to open the U-haul, which of course had shifted during the drive, and then she could not get it closed. I was called out to assist, but I couldn't get the door to close either. The lady that was inspecting our vehicle saw that a line of traffic was forming behind us, and asked us to move off to the side of the road. So, we moved the car and the U-haul off to the side and adjusted the contents in the heat of the day - in the Mojave Desert.

My question is: Could they have a worse place for an inspection site? Maybe their next place will be Death Valley or some tar pits somewhere. And... do you know what they were confiscating? I had the pleasure of seeing their confiscation table - there was a zip-loc bag with three apples, an orange, and some other kind of fruit. How dare someone try to have a healthy snack on the Interstate en route to California? - obviously a heathen. What makes California produce so much better than the rest of the world? And what makes them think that somehow apples are going to cause some sort of problem? Last time I checked - there was not a black market price on Red Delicious, Granny Smith, or Gala. Macintosh maybe...

About an hour into the Mojave, well after our inspection, the car began making a horrible noise. This noise was so loud that I had to stop reading aloud, because I couldn't compete. I had been reading aloud from David Sedaris's When You Are Engulfed in Flames (Amazing, FYI). The car was louder than me, and that's hard to do. We began to worry that the car was going to die, and that we'd be stuck in the middle of the Mojave. We'd have to call for help, and wait for hours - with a cat and a house plant - for someone to come and pick us up, and tow the car (which is already towing a U-haul) like some cartoon land-train to LA. Every hill became even more of a challenge for the car and for Cara - the car strained to pull the U-haul, and Cara prayed the car would keep going. For over three hours we listened to the car drone on and on, in silence - the CD player tried to compete, but even it was truly a lost cause. I put in Bjork hoping her wailing would blend with the car and create a new musical sound, but no such luck. Thankfully, we made it to Huntington Beach safely. The car and Cara pulled through.

Once here, we had dinner with Cara's brother, his wife, and two of their friends. We ate at a place called Fred's, a kitsch-tastic Mexican Cantina with airbrushed cherubs on the ceiling and celebrities on the walls. It was delicious. At the next table, however, was a middle-aged woman with a group of teenage and pre-teenage girls. From what I gathered from the little bit of their conversation I overheard - the woman was not the ideal chaperone. It was more like leaving your kids with Janice Dickinson than a legitimate babysitter, and again I wondered what is happening with the world to make situations like this okay?

Anyway, enjoy these photos of the Mojave and near San Bernardino.