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I get antsy.   Frequently.  This last weekend I got so damn antsy that on a whim I threw the saddlebags on the bike and headed in the general direction of The Salton Sea.  Proof that this was a spontaneous call, the sun was already setting:

I love oil rigs. They're so beautiful. Huntington Beach, CA

There’s a spirit to doing long, particularly solo trips that just puts me in a different state of mind.  I think it’s about as close to meditating as I ever get.  I really wanted this to be a trip to set my spirit free, so I decided to avoid highways and just grab a hotel wherever I felt like it, and if I happen across a road that is calling my name, to go down it.  After all, gotta suck that marrow out of life (Thoreau, go look it up.)

I believe the words you're looking for are "you're an idiot" Santa Rosa Truck Trail/Forest Rt 7S02, near Pinyon Pines, CA

It was all going well until I rounded the bend and ended up on the north-facing slope.  Then my dry, warm, albeit dirt road turned into a snowy icy mess.  I’ve never seen a road change conditions so quick!  It took me about 20 minutes to get the bike 10 feet.  Of course I tried, I don’t give up easily.  And on that note:  race inspired street tires are awful in the snow.

Coachella Valley Vista. Baller road.

After finally making it to The Salton Sea, I held up the night in this quaint little Motel – The Sea & Sun:

with COLOR TV!!! Desert Shores, CA

I give it 4/5 stars.  It loses a point for no wireless internet, but gains 5 since I didn’t get murdered in the middle of the night because honestly, what do you expect from a motel in a ghost town?  Was it gorgeous?  Fuck no.  Did I sleep well? Yes.  And albeit a bit divey, the bed was pretty nice, actually.   At $50/night they really could use that wireless internet.

I picked up two pretty strong wireless signals there, but when asking the clerk he was pretty adamant about there not being any wirelss [for hotel guests].  Better take your internet porn with you!  As a marginally comical side note:  There’s a Starbucks up the road about 7 miles at the local trucker stop with free WiFi.  There is also a Motel in Salton City, which is just slightly more “vibrant” than Desert Shores.  Maybe they have wireless?  It’s a little harder to find though, since Salton City is a labyrinth of unused roads.  At least Desert Shores is compact, and has a very obvious main drag.

Salton City is laid out the way you might expect a 5 year old to plan a city.  You know how they like to make curvy roads in suburbs, as if to try and pull the wool over your eyes because “look curves make it less monotonous!”  Well that’s how Salton City is laid out.  Now imagine there are about 0.2 houses per road.  That’s right, for every 5 roads, there’s one house.

Good luck finding your way.  Lucky for you, they all have street signs!  Also it’s completely flat and appears to be common practice to just drive in the direction you want to go, whether or not there is actually a road there.

Merry Christmas!

Salton City Boat Launch

It’s the “fastest body of water in the US” for boating due to it’s high salinity (No boating on the Great Salt Lake?) That’s why this boat ramp is so well maintained.

Salton City, CA

Did you notice the dead fish in the last photo?  This is one of the most foul smelling places I’ve ever been to.  At first, the highway on the ride in smelled of Parsley (which I like) and then cat urine (which I dislike).  The Salton Sea smells, predictably, like salty water and rotting fish.

Das Boot!

Salton City, CA

Once past the chain link fence, you could have a nice cookout!

After finding not much interesting at the Salton Sea (I didn’t find the famous landmarks of the trailer or car rotting into the ground, as in classic form I didn’t give myself enough time to actually explore the area) I headed out and found myself riding right into Ocotillo Wells. The SV really isn’t much of an off-road bike, but luckily a lot of the trails are pretty tame, if you’ve got any off-road experience. Certainly easier to ride than the snowy road the night before…

SV conquers Ocotillo Wells! My bike hates me.

I love the SV, but I really need something tuned more for off-road use.

Ocotillo Wells, CA

Salton Sea / Ocotillo Wells from Montezuma-Borrego Highway

After dicking around in Ocotillo Wells for a while on a bike built for something completely different, I headed out [the long way] towards Julian, CA to get me some World Famous Apple Pie!

This is the first time I've been to Julian when Mom's was open. Still no pie.

I spent about 30 seconds deciding not to get in line, about 3 minutes taking pictures of the line, and about 30 seconds getting back on the road towards Palomar Mountain.  Fucking ridiculous.  No apple pie is that good.

It's the Golden Hour! Lake Henshaw, CA

Palomar Mountain, CA

HDR (High Dynamic Range) Image of the sunset from Palomar Mountain.  You can just barely make out the Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, and the edge of Catalina Island (on the right).

Sunsets (a haiku)

Sunsets blow my mind
In person roxors my socks
Pics of ’em suck ass

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So… I’m a bit of a big deal, being a swanky photographer and all.  Interested in high resolution images?  Drop me a line and tons of cash, and they can be yours!