LA Road Trip Day 7 - Christmas Eve, with a Very Wise Man

Yesterday morning, room service with tiny little condiments. This morning, instant tapwater coffee and leftover French toast. And, if you're gonna have instant tapwater coffee, get the Spanish Espresso.

8:30 - Up! And searching for AA Batteries. Forgot what being in a crack community is like - motel had brilliant façade setup, just two rooms down from me. Only slightly exposed by the massive amount of NO TRESPASSING - NO LOITERING - NO SMOKING signs around the barred steel door they put in between the two 'rooms'… You could tell by the smell and the pole-thin androgynous person maniacally sweeping what was being made, and the piles and piles of bags inside the door attested.

8:40 - 10:40 - Salvation Mountain! Leonard wasn't here when I pulled up, but showed up soon afterwards. I almost didn't stop (as I'm shy…) but would have kicked myself if I'd have driven on… Drove around the Slabs a bit, too, spotted some of Rocket Bob's old vehicles. Did not locate East Jesus.

10:45 - Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. Not a selling point…

So, how does Leonard manage to be such a pure strong light in the middle of the desolation? Maybe it takes that contrast to inspire the need - or the true giving of the spirit.

11:30 - Crop dusters in this area (AZ) - still crazy. Turns, UNDER high tension power lines…

11:55 - White truck with diagonal green stripes and that wall is absolutely ridiculous.

The same people who complain would complain more if their winter produce either got more expensive, or disappeared, and don't put the two concepts together at all.

2:30 - Yuma! Coyote Ridge! I used to live here…

3:10 - Passed inspection. Yes, I always get stopped.

3:22 - 294,000 miles - happy birthday yet again, little pickup!

4:15 - Cartoon cactus country.

7:05 - In-N-Out - before I lose any chance of eating at one on this trip…

8:15 - World's Largest Cow Skull! Amando AZ.

DID YOU KNOW - the highway signs South of Tucson are all in metric?

9:50 - THE THING?!? And backing up is fun to do…

10:50 - New Mexico

NAP