On the road to Cima.

I set the GPS for my hotel in Palm Springs, California. There was a lot of traffic on the interstate south to Los Angeles. But my GPS had other plans for me. Off the interstate and on to a smaller county road. But before that, I passed something I really liked. A solar powerplant. Using thousands of small mirrors, they heat up water in a tower and use this to generate electricity. I love it.

Solar power plants outside of Las Vegas

As I started on the road off the interstate, it became clear that this was the road less traveled. And then the GPS told me to get off this road and onto one that looked like it hadn't been maintained since the fifties. And then another turn off even this road. It was clear that I was really on the outback roads of the US now. I looked at the fuel gauge. I had enough fuel. I had enough water. No worries. I headed out on the rumble road. It was really bad, with potholes and cracks all over. And the temperature was in the 40's. I smiled. I turned off the aircon just to get the real feel of the desert I was crossing into. The Mojave. No cell coverage. No fuel stations. No watering holes. No nothing. I was smiling so wide I was worried I might get earwax in my mouth. THIS is what I like.

The heat was incredible. Without the aircon, I was soaking in minutes. I played chicken with the GPS on who would give in first to the heat. Who won? A little hint : Electronics don't sweat...

109 F = 43 C

I stopped in a small place called Cima. It seemed to have been a train stop and a place for a drink. But it seemed to have been abandoned for years. I decided to take a selfie there. Love such places in the middle of nowhere.

I guess a cold drink is out of the question?

After this, the road really went into the desert. It was brutally hot, and I needed to put the aircon back on. The GPS was flashing that it was overheating. I managed to cool it down. I guess I would have been able to get out of the desert without it, it just would have taken longer.
After an hour, I came to a small town called Amboy. I found that it was on the original Route 66. Good to know for later.

Diner in Amboy, on Route 66.

And now the number of cars increased. And they were racing on the roads. Probably didn't expect any cops to be around these parts. They couldn't be more wrong. One car raced past me. They must have been going at least 30 km/h above the speed limit. A bit later, I saw the unmistakable looks of a highway patrol car turning around on the road ahead. A few minutes later, I saw the patrol car with flashing lights. Parked in front of it, was the car that raced by. I couldn't help but feel nothing for them.
I closed in on Palm Springs, and drove through some desert towns. Complete with flying saucers on front lawns. I don't know how people can live out in these places. Far from anything. In scorching heat. And incredible dry. But whatever works for you.

Before entering Palm Springs, I drove through some of the most beautiful sights I know in a modern world. A forest of windmills. Generating energy from a renewable source. The temperature dropped as I drove into Palm Springs. Only 40 degrees... So almost bearable.

Nearing Palm Springs

I checked in to my hotel and got into the cool air of the room. I drank almost 2 litres of water during the evening in an attempt to rehydrate myself. Was it worth it? Definitely. This was one of my best driving days. Looking forward to trying out driving on Route 66 back to Chicago.