Cactus, Cactus, Cactus, Arizona

Because Bill is a science fiction enthusiast, he wanted
to stay at the Best Western Space Age Lodge
in Gila Bend, AZ.

The lobby and restaurant were decorated in
a space exploration decor.

The central plaza in Ajo, AZ. It had two Spanish churches,
central fountain and numerous stores.

Here is the west colonnade of shops.

Further south from Ajo is Organ Pipe Cactus
National Monument.

This kind of cactus is abundant in Mexico and in
this national monument.

They are called organ pipe cactus because
of the way they cluster around the root stem.
They do resemble the trumpets en chamade
found in Spanish cathedrals.

One mile from Mexico on Route 85.

Here is part of the fence built to restrict
illegal immigrants and curtail drug
trafficking. We were stopped twice by
the border patrol and given a quick once over.
We saw more than a dozen police stops and
at least one looked very serious.

Bill offered to take me over the border
but I declined. This was as far as we got.
Can you see the Mexican flag?

On our way to Tucson we saw a dust devil.
It is a very small tornado that is
caused when the ground is super heated.

Saguaro National Park is located about 20 miles
west of Tucson, AZ.

Here is a saguaro in bloom.

A single, stately saguaro, probably several hundred years old.

A large, fairly dense stand of saguaros.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

We started the day in Joshua Tree National Park.
(Yes, that funny thing you see is my camera strap - oops!)

A Joshua tree and me.

A cluster of Joshua trees with an interesting
rock formation behind.

It was 78 degrees in this part of the park and extremely dry.
In the background a cooling mountain peak teases us.

From a high vantage point we viewed the
San Andreas fault as it slowly splits the valley.
You can see it in the middle of the picture from
left to right. It appears as a small valley.

The fruit of the Joshua tree.

As we moved from the high Mojave Desert to the
lower and hotter Colorado Desert we passed
through a transition zone. The cholla is a cactus
found here.

A close up of a cholla that appears soft and fuzzy,
but beware! Its spines are painful and difficult
to remove. They can even puncture sneakers.

Another cactus in the transition zone is the
ocotillo. I was pleased to see this one in bloom.

This is the Colorado Desert on Interstate 10.
We hit 100 degrees here.

My first look at a saguaro cactus. Bill promises
me I will see many more over the next two days.

Yucca Valley, California

Before we left our hotel in Oxnard, we had to take
a few appreciative photos of the gardens.
This is a large aloe about five feet in diameter.

Blooming calla lilies.

Birds of Paradise. These are also found in Hawaii.

The sun reflecting on a calm Pacific Ocean
north of Malibu.

Palm trees at Malibu.

View of densely populated Malibu.

When they run out of ocean front, they build on
the side of hills which are often unstable.

The main organ at the Crystal Cathedral, Garden
Grove, CA. This instrument has more than
16,000 pipes.

Here you see one of two trumpeteria. Pictured
here is the north division containing 183 trumpets.

The balcony organ that is in the back of the church.

There were at least a dozen sculptures of people
from the Bible. This is the Prodigal Son Returns.

The campus of the Crystal Cathedral has five major
buildings and abundant statuary, gardens and water
features. I found the banana trees particularly interesting.

One last look at the cathedral and the carillon tower.

Back into the desert we go on the way to Yucca Valley,
just north of Palm Springs.

Oxnard, California

The ride along Route 1 held many surprises.
It is called the coastal road, but for most of
400 miles we drove, we found it quite diverse.
You can see here the different crops being grown.

Horses and cattle grazing on land that
was reminiscent of Montana and Wyoming.

In Morro Bay between the Channel Islands
and the mainland, we counted more that a dozen
oil platforms. They were pumping oil.

The court yard of where we are staying in Oxnard.

Prime real estate along the beach in Oxnard.

This is a popular beach because it is more than
200 feet wide and the sand is not coarse
like beaches further north.

We thought of the Manasquan Inlet when we
saw the Channel Islands Inlet.
Can you see the kayak?

There are more than a thousand boats
docked at the marinas.

Pacific Coast Highway, California

Good morning from the California coast.
Bill is standing at cliff's edge south of Pacifica.

We think these are poppies.
We have seen them in a half a dozen different
colors and all over the place.

Lighthouse Point.

We were surprised to see farming right up to
the ocean's edge in some areas. This is a field of lettuce.

Approaching the Big Sur region, we experienced
higher cliffs and dramatic seascapes.

Here is one of several arch bridges that span
over large creeks. In the center you can see
an arch sculpted by wave action.

I love the shimmering water below.

Bill likes the shimmering and swirling waters.

A view of crashing waves as seen from a shear
cliff several hundred feet high. We found three
locations where the roadway had slipped
into the ocean.

I was surprised to see such a thick forest that
crept down the valleys to the ocean. Variety
is the most important feature of California.

Can you find three houses? The state of
California has several interesting laws for
the Big Sur region. No billboard is permitted on
the coastal highway. Homes should be secluded
so as not to interfere with the natural beauty of
the region. Only about a thousand homes have
been built at a cost exceeding $2 million each.