The Desert Southwest

by Jim Smith

March 25, 26, 27, and 28, 2005

March 25, 2005
Start time = 6:30 AM
Stop Time = 4:00 PM
Miles Driven= 430
San Ramon to Mojave
Temp in San Ramon @ 6:30 = 46 Deg.
Route - 580 to 205 to 120 to 99 South 58 East out of Bakersfield into Mojave.
Tour Plan - I wanted to swing by the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, and also a quick stop in Hilmar to see the cheese factory. So much for the plan !

The   Castle Air Museum was closed till 10:00 am (and I was there at 8:00 - and no,   I wasn't going to wait 2 hours to walk around a bunch of old restored Airplanes.    And Hilmar doesn't have tours on Friday during the winter - spring months -- So the tour plan was a bust.    I did follow my GPS's directions though to the Air Museum, and wound up at the Atwater Penitentiary !!

Day 1 notes: 99 is probably more dangerous for a motorcyclist than I-5 is because of the number of trucks there are   I followed - passed - stopped for gas and repassed a convoy of what must have been 15 big rigs.   Highway 58 is really a very pretty sierra pass, albeit quite a low one at only 4400 feet.   It's heavily traveled by both trucks and autos heading into the Desert Southwest.   The highway heading East out of Bakersfield is flat and uneventful for the first 18 miles or so, but then the fun starts as the highway climbs steadily up to about 3000 feet then levels out going across a flat valley, then does the final climb up to the top of Tehachapi Pass.   The ridge line of peaks is all covered in the same windmills that are on the Altamont pass.   The downside to this ride is the wind.   The wind was very strong with gusts over 40 mph - enough to force me to keep wary hands on both grips.   Mojave is in the 3000 foot level also.   I'm looking out of my room’s window at the Mojave Airport --- When you hear that the Mojave airport is used to scrap and decommission older aircraft - well, that ain't no lie!   I can see about 10 Southwest 737's a couple of United's and others too.    Interesting.

Staying at the Mariah Country Inn and Suites Hotel - $71.00 a night - very nice room, with bar - restaurant attached, new (couple of years old) - a bit steep for the area (Motel 6 is in town, and other Motels are in the $40.00 range), but I like the safety, convenience, and quiet it offers.   Late note – the restaurant wound up being closed L .

Tomorrow - Death Valley and Las Vegas!

March 26, 2005
Start time = 7:30 AM
Stop Time = 4:00 PM
Miles Driven= 450
Mojave to Las Vegas via Death Valley
Temp in Mojave @ 7:30 = 54 Deg.
Route – CA-14 to CA-190 to North Highway to Nevada 216 to US-95
880 miles total.

Tour Plan - go Slow and take as many pictures as possible of the best Desert spring flowers   in 55 years. Enjoy the scenery.  Visit Dicks Shop.   Sleep well, as Sunday is scheduled to be a LONG day.

Breakfast at McDonald’s in Mojave.   No Lunch (no place to stop!!!)   Dinner   was at my sister’s in Las Vegas.

Notes for the Day-   Redrock state park just outside of Mojave on Ca-14   is very scenic.    Highway 14 is very straight right up to where the 190 connects.   The 190 from the West into Death Valley is AMAZING - from about 5000 ft elevation it spirals and twists its way into the valley - there were a lot of cars on this very busy weekend so traffic was a concern, but it was all fine.  I was in “Tour Mode” and was enjoying every minute of it!    Once I got into the park proper the traffic increased - temps were about 56 at elevation and warmed to the high 60's to early 70's as the elevation sunk toward sea level.   The ride on North Highway was uneventful, although the road was not in the best of repair. The 36 mile ride up to and out of the park did not require the stopping of the bike to take any pictures, however I regret not stopping to shoot a picture or two of   a couple of spots immediately outside of the park.    The road quickly straightened out and became pretty boring.   Something to note about Nv-216 is that immediately outside of the park there are warning signs indicating road work ahead,   and fines being doubled in construction zones etc….   well there was exactly zero road construction going on that I found…   and,   at the   highway end there was a sign that said “End of Construction”,   gotta wonder if that wasn’t a ploy to keep the speed on that highway down,

This was my first trip to Death Valley, so while I was expecting a desert I wasn’t expecting the park to be as busy as it was.   It was actually quite packed, as many people drove in to see the spring desert flowers – lines of cars were parked along side the road while their occupants were out in the valley with their cameras, sketch pads, and video cameras recording this annual event.   I was told that this was one of the best displays in the last 55 years as the Valley had over 6 inches of rain this past winter.  

The ride out of the park and down 95 was BORING.   Did see the cops had about 12 HD Riders pulled over and were rousting them about something.  

Long day tomorrow - Las Vegas over the Dam to Yuma and back up to Palm Springs, and The "Joshua Tree National Park".

March 27, 2005
Start time = 7:10 AM
Stop Time = 7:30 PM
Miles Driven= 456
Las Vegas to Palm Springs via Quartzite, Az.   And Joshua Tree National Park
Temp in   Las Vegas at 7:10 was 56 deg. Ranging to   81 in Southern Arizona.
Route – US-95 to   Quartzsite via Kingman and Lake Havasu,   on to   I-10 to Joshua Tree,   through Joshua Tree on park highways to CA-62 and   back to I-10 to Palm Springs.
1336 total miles.

Day three notes -  Oh my what a long day. It's now just a little after 7:30 PM, and I've learned two lessons today.   First when staying in Palm Springs, make sure you have reservations, unless you like being screwed.   The second is that very long mileage days are very difficult to accomplish in a recreational area, and / or a national park --   something over 180 miles driven today   at speeds well below freeway speeds.    Most of the scenery was gorgeous.   And of course some was boringly bad...

    I left North Las Vegas at 7:10 and headed out toward the Dam on US-95.   The Sunday morning traffic was good --   I found myself in Boulder City at 8:05 and sitting down to a good 2 egg and sausage breakfast at "Bob's" not a bad start to the day.    After breakfast I braved the route onto the Dam and all of its masses of people - it was very very busy even at 9:00 AM.   I parked the bike in lot 11, but didn't have the heart to walk all of the way back down and across - Instead I took a couple of pics and talked to another motorcyclist that was on his way back to Portland   from Kingman.   Total time spent was about 30 minutes and then I started on my way to Kingman.   Kingman is still the crossroads for the desert southwest. Trucks and cars every where.   I picked up 15 South out of Kingman and headed South till 95 branched back off again to route itself around Lake Havasu and eventually down to Quartzsite where I -10 Conviently took me to Joshua Tree National Park.   Now this is a park that just goes on forever,   and is a real desert lovers park.   Besides the Joshua Trees, which are a lot like Desert Velcro,   there is a ton of hiking and   rock climbing.   The Joshua Cactus is almost like a magnet!   All that's   needed is to barely touch one of its 'branches' for it to attach itself to clothing, leather, skin - whatever is available. These barbs are very very sharp, and difficult to remove. This is a very popular park in the Spring and the late Fall.   The southern entrance to the park off of I-10 provides many scenic stops before arriving at the visitor center. From the center out to the actual Joshua Trees is about 25 mile ride at about 35 mph, once there it's an additional 36 miles of very low speed riding to get to the west with many opportunities to stop, and view (or, if you are really ambitious, climb) some of our earth's   bones!   Leaving the park I got on Ca-62, or the 29 Palms highway to take back to I-10 and Palm Springs.   29 Palms is a fun little road -- a couple of twisties, a long straight downhill, and enough wind at the bottom to make you clench your legs tight to the gas tank, and pay attention.   Dinner on Sunday night was at a new Mexican Restaurant called Margaritas,   just around the corner from the Hampton Inn and Resort (Just off of North Palm Canyon Drive), on   W. Via Escuela.   The place was a little pricey (Of course what place in Palm Springs isn't?),    but the food was good and the service was attentive.

Tomorrow Palm Springs to Home.

March 28, 2005
Start time = 6:30 AM
Stop Time = 4:30 PM
Miles Driven= 572
Palm Springs to San Ramon
Temps were in mid 50’s all day.
Route was originally going to be freeway all the way home - changed my mind at the last minute because I didn't want to ride through any part of the LA Basin during rush hour traffic.   Instead I left Palm Springs and went back up 29 Palms Highway to pick up Ca-247 to Victorville and Apple Valley to connect with I-15 into Barstow, finally connecting with US-58 back through Mojave and over the Tehachapi pass and Bakersfield,   Then 99 to 46 to I-5 to I-580 and finally home.
Trip total of 1908.4 miles.

This route was designed to get me back as quickly as possible.   There was nothing scenic in or on any of the roads traveled that hasn't already been mentioned.   Ca-247 is notable only in that it was perhaps the windiest of all the roads I traveled on the previous days.   Left Palm Springs at 6:30 AM   and arrived in my driveway at 4:30 PM.

Final thoughts - This was a fun ride,   and I will be going back to Death Valley probably next spring,   if for no other reason than to ride 190 again.
I won't choose aggressive mileage route -days in high recreational areas (I'm convinced everyone in Arizona owns either a camper and a boat, or a RV and a boat), and someone will have to explain the reason for the city of Lake Havasu's existence.