Through the desert
August 15th, 2011
11:15 a.m. — Finally leave my hotel in Indio, CA. Sunny. Temperature: 98 degrees.
12:00 p.m. — Driving around Joshua Tree National Park. Beautiful. Sunny.
2:30 p.m. — Reach Amboy, CA on the way to Las Vegas, NV. Very hot. Brilliantly blue sky. Comfortable 72 degrees in Sam, but 112 degrees outside.
3:00 p.m. — Notice dark clouds on the horizon over the Mojave Desert. Lots of lightning in the distance.
3:30 p.m. — In torrential downpour in the middle of the Mojave National Preserve. Water on road. Lightning all around me. Very strong winds. 68 degrees.
4:00 p.m. — Reach Baker, CA, having seen exactly zero other cars on the road since leaving Kelso, CA 34 miles earlier. 98 degrees.
5:30 p.m. — Las Vegas!
When my wife and I were in Joshua Tree, we saw a kid get one of those cactus balls caught on his foot. There were signs everywhere telling people not to even go near them, but sure enough, this kid starts poking at a loose ball. Moments later he’s howling in pain as the ball attaches to his foot and dances around his foot as he tries to shake it off.
@Matthew Kato Well, there’s nothing like learning through experience!