Cruising the Mohave and Central Valley (AGAIN)

Our stay in Barstow last night was uneventful, one of the quietest motels we have ever been in. Even the a/c was quiet. Very nice Holiday Inn Express. We enjoyed watching Dark Shadows again, gotta love that Johnny Depp. Had a nice carbless breakfast before we left the hotel.

It was not nearly as hot crossing the Mohave today. We were on our way by 7:30 and it was still very nice out there. We saw lots of land for sale. We also passed thru a little town called Hinkley. There we saw several signs about Uranium contamination. Did not know what that was all about, but the fenced off-chained up-boarded up houses intrigued us. We've passed thru Hinkley several (or possibly even many) times and have always thought it exceedingly depressing and empty looking. Out came the smart phone and Google revealed the reason Hinkley looks so deserted and awful. Hinkley, CA is where Erin Brockovich proved contamination by the power company. Little ol' Hinkley is THAT place. It always did make me feel uneasy and now I know why. None of Hinkley is for sale, it's too contaminated. Heebie Jeebies!

We felt sorry for the town of Mohave, which has been thoroughly by-passed by the now completed highway. It wasn't much before and is probably struggling now. But the windmill farm is growing ever larger. The pass to Tehachapi is a windy, ridgey place and perfect for windmills. They, at least, are thriving.

We zipped through T. and down the mountain into the central valley and Bakersfield. Don't much care for Bakersfield, so we quickly went on our way. Every other rest area in CA is shut down for no discernible reason. And they don't tell you on the "next rest area in 38 miles" signs that the next one is closed for the forseeable. So we stopped at a lot of fast food places today. Only place around. Felt kind of bad about not buying anything but nobody can eat that much fast food. Not even us.

North of Sacramento (I-5 is finally finished thru there!) we started seeing rice paddies and they lasted until close to Redding, where the land changes to hills and live oak. There was also the occasional orchard, and around Corning, many olive trees. I can tell an olive tree, but I can't tell an almond tree from a pistachio tree. Not that you can tell an olive tree anything anyway.

We are in a LaQuinta on the south side of Redding and it seems quite nice. Ray went across the street, where we both had seen a sign that said "Hilltop Pizza". When he got there, it turned out to read "Hilltop Plaza". So no pizza for supper. Instead, he picked up Subway BMTs. Yummy!

Tomorrow night we will be home again and I don't think any of us will be sorry the trip is over. We are all 3 ready to be home. As much as we enjoyed the trip, it was all a bit of a rush with not much "down" time. We did pass some places we'd like to investigate more when we are retired and in the moho.

Tomorrow will also be a beautiful day, driving in and out of mountains and toward the cool, green Pacific Northbest. We kind of miss the trees. Sorry, Ahzee, but we do.