I feel as if we are on one of those crash diets. Day one: starve. Day two: eat what you want.
On Thursday, we drove almost 1000 miles and spent almost 16 hours on the road. By contrast, Friday was a veritable day of leisure.
We slept in until 7, ate breakfast, took a walk with the dog, and did not get on the road until after 9. I had not driven along the west shore of the Salton Sea. So, we did.
The Imperial Valley is an extremely interesting place. Not only for all of the produce it -- produces, but also for the wildlife along the shore of the lake. One of these days, I will need to spend some time there.
But Friday was not that day.
Instead, we took several short breaks along our drive along the California-Mexico border into Arizona. We encountered one Border Patrol "administrative" road block. We were waved right through. But a very despondent family was sitting under a tent. Apparently, their papers were not in order -- a phrase that still causes my blood to chill.
We discussed whether to stay in Gila Bend or Lukeville. The decision was rather easy. After Thursday, we were both tired. Our short jaunt from Ontario was enough to make the first available motel look inviting.
And that motel would have been inviting without the fatigue factor. We decided to stay at the Best Western in Gila Bend -- also known as The Space Age Lodge. It was the dream child of a NASA retiree. When the place changed hands, the new owners retained the decor.
To call it cheesy would not do justice to the place. It looks as if George Jetson designed it while sipping one too many vodka tonics. I especally like the rockets shooting in space pictured above each bed.
But it met our needs: to get rested for the border crossing.
After a full year of exchanging email and comments, I actually talked with 1st Mate on Friday evening. We are going to get together with Brenda and Roy for dinner on Saturday. It should be a hoot.
If we do not get lost in Guaymas. If we do, we will simply have another good tale to tell.
On Thursday, we drove almost 1000 miles and spent almost 16 hours on the road. By contrast, Friday was a veritable day of leisure.
We slept in until 7, ate breakfast, took a walk with the dog, and did not get on the road until after 9. I had not driven along the west shore of the Salton Sea. So, we did.
The Imperial Valley is an extremely interesting place. Not only for all of the produce it -- produces, but also for the wildlife along the shore of the lake. One of these days, I will need to spend some time there.
But Friday was not that day.
Instead, we took several short breaks along our drive along the California-Mexico border into Arizona. We encountered one Border Patrol "administrative" road block. We were waved right through. But a very despondent family was sitting under a tent. Apparently, their papers were not in order -- a phrase that still causes my blood to chill.
We discussed whether to stay in Gila Bend or Lukeville. The decision was rather easy. After Thursday, we were both tired. Our short jaunt from Ontario was enough to make the first available motel look inviting.
And that motel would have been inviting without the fatigue factor. We decided to stay at the Best Western in Gila Bend -- also known as The Space Age Lodge. It was the dream child of a NASA retiree. When the place changed hands, the new owners retained the decor.
To call it cheesy would not do justice to the place. It looks as if George Jetson designed it while sipping one too many vodka tonics. I especally like the rockets shooting in space pictured above each bed.
But it met our needs: to get rested for the border crossing.
After a full year of exchanging email and comments, I actually talked with 1st Mate on Friday evening. We are going to get together with Brenda and Roy for dinner on Saturday. It should be a hoot.
If we do not get lost in Guaymas. If we do, we will simply have another good tale to tell.
