Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Crossing the Desert to California's East Coast

The Colorado River divides the southern part of California from Arizona. It's a long hot trek to get there. At one point it was 118 degrees. By the time we arrived at the river to spend the night, it was down to 108.  The river is large and at Parker Arizona (where we stopped) it is primarily a recreational and party area. I liked it when I was younger, but now I just think that it's too hot, there are too many drunk people, and the noise from a multitude of fast boats going up and down the "Parker Strip" is very annoying.  As many of you already know, I love the desert for not only it's beauty, but for the people and odd things you see there.  Most of the photos that follow are random scenes that I saw on this, the first leg of our road trip. The pretty stuff will be posted later.


The other side of the river is Arizona. This is where we spent the night. Don't let the water fool you, it was well over a hundred degrees.

Big sky and big desert. This is the primary scenery on the drive through the desert. Hours and hours of this view.

Nothing remarkable in this photo except the awesome clouds. The part on the left looks like a mushroom cloud to me.
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There are a few things that are clear indication that you are in the desert or on the fringes of a small town.

Abandoned pickup trucks with the beds removed.

The pickup beds (now trailers) and/or camper shells. Bonus points if you see an old camper shell attached to the pickup bed which has now been converted into a trailer. I have many more photos of this, but that collage tool is very time consuming for an ADD person like myself.  If you haven't seen these sights, you need to get out of the city for a while.

I guess because there is very little to spray paint graffiti on, people have taken to writing names and other things along miles of railroad tracks. You may have to enlarge this to see it clearly.
Another view of the pricey real estate on the other side of the river. The properties do come with nice cloud formations and a big sky.
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The next post of our roadie will revolve around our stay at Page Springs in the awesome Verde Valley near Sedona.


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28 comments:

  1. Breathtaking! You are so amazing with a camera.

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  2. Hubby and I drove up to Parker last year. It wasn't 118 degrees then, but in the 90's...Did you drive through Oatman?

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  3. These are great photos, only Pat weren't you just a little nervous that you might have been entering a nuclear testing site?!

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  4. awesome!

    i really enjoyed this lovely pictorial road trip, pat!

    the views are beautiful and your photos terrific!

    wishing you a great time!

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  5. Clarissa - Thanks so much Clarissa! I appreciate it.

    trav4adventures - I didn't have time to drive through Oatman, but maybe when we pass that way next time.

    KarenG - Thanks Karen! I wasn't worried, but I admit to doing a double take.

    Betty M - Thanks Betty! I appreciate that, because the good pics are yet to come.

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  6. Breathtaking! You are so talented with a camera.

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  7. You captured some great shots here, I especially love the mushroom cloud sky! I'm sorry for laughing a little at your now being irritated over what you once might have enjoyed - I find that too, I'm turning into an unrepentant grumpy old woman (grin)..

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  8. These are beautiful snaps...the 2nd one, mushroom clouds blew me away. I want that for my poetry book cover if I ever manage to publish one. And I hope you won't charge me too much. :D

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  9. The homes right on the water... isn't that dangerous? Sure would be here.

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  10. I really love the third photo down.

    Kay

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  11. Great photos, Pat...I'm glad I'm not the only one obsessed with odd shaped clouds :-)

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  12. Sorry if you remember it better than filled with drunks! Pictures are awesome though.

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  13. Great pictures. I want to get down to that area someday.

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  14. Beautiful shots, Pat. Keep enjoying.
    xoRobyn

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  15. Some of these reminded me of Lake Havasu City...

    and no, the Mexican Navy did not make us pay (btw)!

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  16. I can tell you I don't miss the heat. Looks like you are having a great time seeing the country. I envy you my friend...I don't get out of the city nearly enough. Those pictures are awesome, can't wait for the rest.

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  17. WAY too hot for this girl - but your photos are always interesting!

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  18. Arizona: hot. abandoned trucks. graffiti. big skies. HOT.

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  19. AWESOME! Isn't it amazing how our tastes change as we GROW in WISDOM--LOL! Your eye is Phenomenal!!!!

    Great job Pat!

    John

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  20. Despite the fact that it was sweltering hot, these pictures are amazing. Love the sky and clouds. I drove across the US back in the 70's and coming from NJ, seeing desert, mountains and wild mustang was a sight I will never forget.

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  21. I'll take the scenery and you can keep the heat. It didn't bother me much growing up when we'd pass through these areas on the way from CA to AZ, but as an "old person," or maybe just a person with fibro, it really gets to me. Love the scenery and atmosphere, though, any old time.

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  22. What beautiful pictures, I love these big clouds with excellent color and precise detail, wonderful!

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  23. Am not sure about the heat @118 degrees. But love the colors and clouds.

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  24. What a great adventure and long driving trip! The scenery is awesome though.

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  25. I have a special affinity for the desert. I find the desert aloof -- it doesn't care that I am there, so I abruptly realize that I really do have to fend for myself.

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  26. I love all of those cloud formations in the big AZ skies. Your second photo is one of the things I remember most about that area. Well that and the abandoned vehicles.

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  27. i wanna live in a trailer in the desert someday.

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  28. And that is one of the reasons I don't live in the desert. Too hot!! But the scenery sure is beautiful. :)

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