Summer 2010 Westward Journey Part VI: Finally to California

The last day of my odyssey to the West Coast began with a tasty and cheap breakfast at the somewhat ominously named “Roadkill Café”. Located right next door to my overnight accommodations in Seligman this café was well decked out with Route 66 memorabilia. A number of other guests seemed to be at various stages of their 2,000 mile journey following what remains of this famous highway linking Los Angeles and Chicago. As the Wikitravel website notes: Route 66 is one of the essential icons of America, both for Americans and for people abroad. It represents a multitude of ideas: freedom, migration West, and the loneliness of the American heartland. Given this I felt slightly odd eating the breakfast special of egg on a English muffin – it seemed way too British for a Route 66 roadside restaurant.

I now headed west on Interstate 40 which for large portions was laid on top of the old Route 66.

I was making good time with a 70 mph speed limit as I dashed through the dry desert landscape before reaching the city of Kingman. I noted a disproportionately large number of aircraft parked at the airport. I later learned that the dry desert environment is perfect for storing aircraft passenger and freight that are surplus to needs.

It appears as though Kingman airport has served this role for more than 60 years. At the end of World War II some 10,000 aircraft were flown here for scraping and salvage.

Surplus World War II planes stored at Kingman Airlfied - 1946.

Onward passing the massive Arizona Proving Ground – this vehicle test facility was built by the Ford Motor Company in 1955 on the grounds of an old Army Airfield. In 2007 the facility was bought for $35 million by Chrysler. All sorts of testing is done on new cars here, including on a 5 mile banked racetrack that was visible as I drove on westwards.  Then I saw a most curious sign on the outskirts of Lake Havasu City.

This part of Arizona close to the border with California was essentially a deserted desert until the 1938 construction of the Parker Dam on the Colorado River. This dam is known as the deepest dam in the world. Seventy-three percent of the dam's structural height of 320 feet is below the original river bed; only about 85 feet of the dam's structural height is visible. Lake Havasu City was established in 1964 by Robert P. McCulloch (of McCulloch chainsaws) as a planned community. McCulloch had purchased 3,500 acres (14 km²) of property on the east side of Lake Havasu. In 1968, McCulloch was searching for a unique attraction to help promote and drawn attention for his city and saw that London Bridge in England was for sale. By the early 1960s it was apparent that the 1831 built London Bridge was gradually sinking into the River Thames and the City of London decided that a new bridge would need to be built. Rather than demolish the existing bridge, they decided to auction the historic landmark. When casting his bid for the bridge, McCulloch doubled the estimated cost of dismantling the structure, which was US$1.2 million, bringing the price to US$2.4 million. He then added on US$60,000, a thousand dollars for each year of his age at the time he estimated the bridge would be raised in Arizona. His gesture earned him the winning bid, although there was very little competition. It took three years to complete the project. The structure was dismantled block by block, with each section marked and numbered. The more than 10,000 granite pieces were shipped through the Panama Canal, to Long Beach, California. From Long Beach, they were trucked inland 300 miles (500 km). The bridge was reassembled by matching the numbered stones and filling in the area under the bridge with mounds of desert sand to support each arch as it was reconstructed. The $7 million reconstruction project was officially opened on October 10, 1971, with a gala celebration and dignitaries such as the Lord Mayor of London. With the purchase of the bridge, McCulloch accelerated his development campaign, increasing the number of free flights into the city. The free flights to Lake Havasu lasted until 1978, and reportedly they totaled 2,702 flights, bringing in 37,000 prospective buyers. Today the population is almost 60,000. And reportedly, the London Bridge is the second most visited attraction in Arizona behind the Grand Canyon (although honestly I find this a little hard to believe).



I now bid farewell to Arizona and hello to California as I crossed the Colorado River and then immediately began crossing the Mojave Desert.




The Mojave occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States. It was named after the Mohave tribe of Native Americans.

The Mojave Desert receives less than 10 inches (254 mm) of rain a year and is generally between 3,000 and 6,000 feet (1,000 and 2,000 m) in elevation. The Mojave is a desert of temperature extremes with winter months bring temperatures dipping to below 20F (-7C) on valley floors, and below 0F (-18C) at higher elevations. Storms moving from the Pacific Northwest can bring rain and snow across the region - more often, the rain shadow created by the Sierra Nevada mountain range bring only clouds and wind. In longer periods between storm systems, winter temperatures in valleys can approach 80F (27C). Summer weather is dominated by heat — temperatures on valley floors can soar above 120F (49C) and above 130F (54C) at the lowest elevations. The Mojave Desert's boundaries are generally defined by the presence of Yucca brevifolia (Joshua trees); considered an indicator species for this desert. The sight of these curious looking plants provided a form of entertainment on the long, hot two hour drive from the town of Needles and the eastern edge of the desert to Barstow on the western edge.

Joshua Trees in the Mojave Desert.

Some interesting sites around Barston including a huge solar power plant with acres of solar panels arranged on the desert.  Also a huge military base that turned out to be a Logistic Supply Base for the Marine Corps. Leaving the Interstate at Barstow I now followed California Highway 58 heading due west passing through the town of Boron which is home to a massive (the worlds largest) open bit mine for the mineral boron.  

 The massive processing boron plant at Boron.

Shortly thereafter it was onwards to pass Edwards Air Force Base where I saw the runways which because of there over three mile length are used for landings of the Space Shuttle.  The base is also home to a rocket engine test facility for the US Air Force and I was amazed to see the launch towers strung out along a ridge.

The Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate a rocket engine test facility on and around Leuhman Ridge on Edwards Air Force Base

The highway skirted the town of Mojave where again the airport was home to a massive mothballed fleet of planes. It is incredible to see mile after mile of planes parked wing-tip to wing-tip just in storage. Then I was surprised to see the road begin to climb quite steeply up and over Techachapi Pass (3,793 feet / 1,156 meters) at the southwest end of the Tehachapi Mountains which link Southern to Central California.  Across the top of this pass was an enormous wind farm with rows of windmills across the ridges - an impressive site.  The 5,000 wind turbines of Tehachapi are owned by a dozen separate power companies.

Wind farm on Tehachapi Mountains.

As the road carried on over the Tehachapi Mountains I saw a train climbing up over the hills using the famous Tehachapi Loop.  I carried on and entered a completely different environment with the heavily irrigated fields of the San Joaquin Valley.  If it were not for massive irrigation this would be a relatively dry valley.

Historian Kevin Starr has referred to the San Joaquin Valley as "the most productive unnatural environment on Earth." By some estimates, 12.8% of the United States' agricultural production (as measured by dollar value) comes from California, and the majority of that is in the San Joaquin Valley. The major crops are table grapes, wine grapes, raisins, cotton, nuts (especially almonds and pistachios), citrus, and vegetables.

Into  Bakersfield on a very hot afternoon where I bought one last final tank of gas to take me towards the conclusion of my journey.  North for a few miles up Highway 99 before turning west again through the towns of Wasco and Lost Hills.  A huge oilfield near Lost Hills which is part of the Kern River Oilfield (the fifth largest in the US). 

The Lost Hills oilfield.

My zigzag route continued as I followed Highway 33 passing a couple of massive prisons.  The isolation and vastness of the San Joaquin Valley, as well the need for local jobs, have led the state to build numerous prisons in the area.  At Coalinga I turned to follow CA Highway 198 which was a wonderful highway.  By the way, the name Coaling comes form the days of steam trains when the Southern Pacific Railroad kept a large store of coal fuel here and referred to the place as Coaling Station A.  The small town developed with the word 'station' dropped to form the name Coalinga.

Following Highway 198 into the hills from Coalinga.

Over the crest of the pass and into Monterey County and into Priest Valley and onwards through dry but very scenic farming country.

 Priest Valley.

I reached the US 101 Highway just south of King City and turned north for one final hour of driving.  I could sense the imminent arrival of the ocean long before I could actually see it.  I skirted Monterey and then into the beautiful little town of Pacific Grove which will be my home for the summer.   I met Jane and we headed for dinner at a restuarant overlooking the ocean.

Sunset at journeys end - Pacific Grove.

It was a fantastic journey.  A total of 2,552 miles over six days to travel from Minneapolis to Pacific Grove.  The more I see of this incredibly diverse nation the more I realize there is to see.   Each and every National Park is truly a national treasure.  The iconic landscapes are just that - iconic.  The mile-after-mile of driving across the vastness is as interesting as the uniqueness of each village, town, and city.  And the people met bring each place to life.  I feel privileged to call America home and to have the opportunity to explore and experience this amazing country.