WE SAW MILES AND MILES OF ARID CALIFORNIA

We saw of alot of this in the past couple days...


And plenty of this...


After viewing miles and miles of arid southern California today, we ended up here, at the Elks Lodge in Ridgecrest, California - somewhat of an oasis.

Rather than driving 300 miles from Needles to Lone Pine, we had decided to stop 75 miles short of our goal, in Ridgecrest. This is a very small city, large enough to support a couple of grocery stores - giving us the chance to stock up for our trip up scenic Hwy 395.

We were surprised by Ridgecrest; it is larger and more pleasant than we imagined. On the other hand, my expectations were extremely low! The Elks here is great - big FHU sites with 50 amp electric for only $10/night. We shopped at a large, new-ish Albertson's, visited a full service hardware store to buy a handful of various screws and bolts, fixed ourselves a great dinner (grilled giant prawns, cole slaw and corn on the cob), and are more than ready to head up Hwy 395 tomorrow.

We have changed our plans slightly. Our new schedule has 2 days in Lone Pine, 2 days in Lee Vining, and 2 days near Truckee. Last time we took this route, four years ago (?), our Verizon phone service was spotty. It may have improved by then, but don't be surprised if we are out of touch for 3 or 4 days!