Arrived Alive in San Diego

After a leisurely breakfast in Yuma, we headed west on I-8, an interstate that skirts the Mexican border. Here the desert turns serious, mounding up with sand dunes and very little vegetation anywhere.

But there is a system of aqueducts to bring water through the desert from the distant mountains and deliver it to the thirsty cities on the west coast.

The route sank downward until we were actually below sea level. I know this is nothing unusual for my friends in the Netherlands, but for a Midwestern girl, it's not something that happens every day.

At least not without a wet suit.

Then we saw a sign which advised us to turn off our air conditioning so our vehicle wouldn't overheat.

They weren't kidding.

The highway started a steep climb into the Vallecinto Mountains. We went from about -53 to over 4100 ft in elevation in no time flat. The mountains are weirdly beautiful, with huge smooth boulders strewn everywhere.

I sort of expected "Gorignak" to pop out from one of the piles of smooth rocks. (For those of you who don't get that Galaxy Quest reference, go rent the movie and spend a hilarious time with someone you love!)

My DH did a wonderful job driving into the heavy traffic in San Diego. We checked into our hotel down on the waterfront and parked our van in the long term lot. Then we decided to stretch our legs and walk down to Anthony's for supper. I had a light salad with avocados, shrimp, & crab meat. There's nothing like fresh seafood when you're looking out over a lovely bay.

And today, we'll embark on the Holland America Westerdam around lunch time to start our voyage. My DH and I plan to pinch each other once we feel the deck swaying beneath our feet.

Oh! This last bit of info about our trip is for my Dad who likes to keep track of this sort of thing. The highest price we paid for gas was in Ocotillo, CA on I-8. $3.89 a gallon for regular. I know. Yikes, right?
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And now, a few more pics from our last day of driving and arriving...

Solar array in AZ (What a perfect place for it!)

Sandy CA desert

Entrance to Devil's Canyon

Rocky and barren

If you squint, you can see a tiny patch of blue ahead--the San Diego harbor!

Fountain on the Waterfront

Art Deco government building across from our hotel