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| Hemet-Twentynine Palms-Parker-Salome, CA | |
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| | Hemet-Twentynine Palms-Parker-Salome, CA | | | |
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Hemet-Twentynine Palms-Parker-Salome, CA
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| Scenic Drive | 405.70 Miles |
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| | Scenic Drive | 405.70 Miles | 9 Hrs 30 Mns | | 42.71 mph |
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| no partners | | Since I-8 and I-10 were out, and I did not want to repeat CA-78 so soon, I decided we would return to Phoenix by driving up CA-79, through Hemet, to Beaumont, then east on I-10 to Desert Hot Springs, then north and east on CA-62 through Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms (I feel sorry for the Marines who have to entertain themselves in that town), scattered ranches and meth labs, 35 miles of absolutely nothing, 56 miles of slightly less nothing to Parker, then south on AZ-95 and AZ-72 to Salome, then down Salome Rd to I-10, and home.
It was an interesting drive. The whole stretch from Twentynine Palms to Parker, particularly the "Empty Quarter" between Old Dale, CA, and CA-177, were beautiful in a surface of the moon way. (When I say there was nothing in that 35 miles, I am not joking: Not a single building, and another vehicle only every 10 minutes or so http://youtu.be/ZAoGn7PjvzE .) West bound leaving-Lake Havasu traffic picked up east of the CA-62 / CA-177 intersection.
Lunch was in Parker, where I had a Banana Beer. (And food.) Seriously, it was excellent. You could smell and taste the bananas, but it was not overwhelming.
Highlights were the mill ruins at Old Dale, which I actually passed by before turning back, the sign pole at Iron Mountain next to the scary sign (I half expected black helicopters to chase me down the road), and the shoe fence at Rice. But mostly the beauty of the desert.  |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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