BIG CITY TRAFFIC MADNESS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LANDS US ON INTERSTATE FIFTEEN NORTH THEN SOUTH

This is my Friday Feb. 10th post and if you are reading this the ‘Open Live Writer/Picasa problem must be solved:))

For the first time in a long time we were able to sleep with our windows open Thursday night and how nice to feel a soft desert night’s breeze fluffing in on me.  Our new neighbor’s have been respectively quiet and as long as that continues and nobody else shows up we will stay where we are for the time being.  The big moving panic has thankfully subsided.

MORNING’S SUNRISE DUSTS THE DESET FLOOR

Had the Jeep’s wheels rolling by 7:45 a.m. and a short 15 minutes later we swung ourselves around Borrego Spring’s Christmas Circle heading west up main street.  Minutes later we began the ascent of the San Ysidro mountains up Montezuma’s grade.   We had us a mission this morning and it had to do with Temecula California 66 miles to the west and about two thirds of the way to the Pacific coast.

HEADING WEST THROUGH BORREGO SPRINGS TO BEGIN OUR CLIMB UP THE SIDE OF THE SAN YSIDRO MOUNTAINS

A nice sun and cloud morning for a drive as we topped Montezuma’s Grade motoring ourselves along highway S22 through sleepy Ranchita to San Felipe Road and finally the T intersection at highway 79.  A right turn took us through Warner Springs where we remembered traveling through before in search of the Great Stone Eagle.  Oh how nice to see valleys and fields of green grass and grazing cattle.  Once out of Warner Springs we were finally on a stretch of road we had never been on before.  I expected there to be traffic on this road but was pleasantly surprised to almost have the whole two lane highway to ourselves.

What a nice change of pace to see a totally different landscape with grass and trees dominating the scenery.  Highway 79 is a typical winding road for these mountainous regions with lots of hills, grades and tight curves to keep a driver on his or her toes.

THIS IS VERY TYPICAL OF OUR MORNING’S DRIVE

STOPPED INTO THE OAK GROVE CAMPGROUND FOR A LEG STRETCH

PROBABLY A BUSY PLACE IN THE SUMMER

QUICK STOP AT AN OLD STAGECOACH STOP

Along the way we knew of an Escapees RV Club place called Jojoba Hills. (pronounced HoHoba)  We first heard of Jojoba Hills nearly 10 years ago from Butch a friend of ours originally from Riverside California.  He said someday when his traveling days were over there was only one Park he would be interested in and that was a place called Jojoba Hills.  Friday morning we took ourselves for a drive through Jojoba.  A couple RV Bloggers on my sidebar live here and we were able to locate their places and drive by.  It was way too early to be showing up and knocking on someone’s door unannounced so we just kind of tippy-toed by with a little smile and a wave.

LOCKED MAIN GATE AT THIS 55+ PARK

THIS IS ONE OF THE NICEST RV PARK RESORTS WE HAVE EVER SEEN….VERY IMPRESSIVE WITH ALL IT’S LOVELY DESERT LANDSCAPING AND SCENIC MOUNTAIN VIEWS

AM ONLY INCLUDING A FEW OF THE PHOTOS I TOOK HERE TODAY AND WILL ADD THE OTHERS IN ANOTHER POST

JUDY ‘THE BIRDLADY OF BLOGLAND’ LIVES HERE…..TRAVELS WITH EMMA

JUDY SITS UP HIGH AND HAS A GREAT VIEW

WE RECOGNIZED THIS WHITE JEEP AND ALPHA MOTORHOME RIGHT AWAY…..MERIKAY'S DREAM

A WAVE TO MERIKAY AND CRAIG

THEY CAME TO VISIT US IN BAYFIELD A COUPLE SUMMERS AGO

JOJOBA HILLS IS SOOOOOO NICELY LANDSCAPED

Just up the road we saw a bunch of familiar looking works of art.  It was the home of famed metal sculptor Ricardo Breceda who is the man responsible for all the amazing sculptures in and around Borrego Springs.

 

I WILL INCLUDE MORE OF RICARDO BRECEDA’S WORKS IN A LATER POST

Temecula was only another dozen miles up the road and traffic began picking up as we approached the east end of the city.  I had scouted out a ‘Best Buy’ store location on Google Earth beforehand so knew exactly where I was going.  Good thing as the two lane highway quickly turned into a 6 lane highway with lots of manic California 4 wheelers on it.

TEMECULA STRAIGHT AHEAD

We had spotted a certain computer on sale in the Best Buy weekly flyer and wanted to have a hands on look at it.  We arrived at the store just as they were opening at 10.  A nice young fellow answered all our questions.  Well, answered all of  Kelly’s questions that is.  The only question I was able to ask the techie smart guy was where the washroom was.  We waffled back and forth trying to make a decision and by golly we did a make decision.  We decided we had better go have us a burger and coffee and talk things over.

TEMECULA TRAFFIC WAS BIZARRE WITH SO MANY DRIVERS SPEEDING THROUGH YELLOW LIGHTS

We had seen a Carl's Jr near the Best Buy store so headed on over there for a western burger.  The coffee we got from a coffee shop near by.  Now normally we are pretty good at making decisions but not so much today it seemed.  Finished up our grub and went back to Best Buy.  I stayed in the Jeep with Pheebs with the A/C on.  Yes it was that hot!!  Kelly had a few more questions for the fella and had they had the particular model of laptop we were interested in stock she thinks she might have bought it.  The Best Buy fella said there was another Best Buy store that did have the computer and it was about 3 miles further west. 

HERE’S THE BAYFIELD BUMS SITTING ON A CURB OUTSIDE CARL JUNIORS TODAY EATING THEIR LUNCH

After several false starts to head east back home we finally decided to turn around and go back to find the other Best Buy store.  Huge mistake!!!!  It was shades of Sarasota Florida all over again as we dashed from traffic light to traffic light.  Green light, grip the steering wheel, close your eyes and shove the gas pedal through the floorboards.   He who reaches the next traffic light first and is still alive wins.  We never saw so many people running yellow lights with one truck roaring right past us running a red.  It was totally insanely nuts.  And then it got worse.

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We could see a freeway ahead of us crossing overhead running north and south.  We knew that to be I-15 and intended to pass under it in our Best Buy store search.  That didn’t happen and before we knew it we were whisked up a two lane ramp right onto I-15 heading north at warp speed.  Awwwww Nuts!!!!  Now lucky for me I have a lot of heavy traffic experience from years ago and although I will go miles out of my way to avoid the damn stuff I can still mix it up with the best of them if I have to and today I had to.  Next exit we were off then on again heading back south to where we had mistakenly got on.  Exited the freeway there and whipped around a corner into a parking lot to ask somebody where the heck Best Buy was.  We were told it was back up I-15 north and that right there was the absolute end of our Best Buy search.  Time to get the hell out of town…… fast!!!!!

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Grabbed highway 79 heading east, dusted off a couple dozen locals and we were gone like a herd of turtles in a cloud of heifer dust.  What a huge relief it was to see Temecula quickly disappearing in the rear few.  A convoy of Temeculites tried to keep up to us all the way to the highway 371 turn off south of Jojoba Hills but we lost them when we headed straight through towards Warner Springs and they all headed north on highway 371.  Not much traffic from this point on and we were both so relieved about that.  How nice to be in the peaceful countryside once again enjoying the scenery.  How people can live in big cities and maintain their sanity is beyond me.  Never was a question years ago when I was one of them but soooooooooo glad to be out of all that big city chaos now.

SO NICE TO BE BACK IN THE SANITY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE

A quick stop in Santa Ysabel at the Julian Pie Company netted us 3 more jugs of soft apple cider.  Boy oh boy do we ever love that stuff.  Headed on down the road to Julian where Kelly picked up a few grocery items at Jack’s Market.  We were soon tumbling our way down the east side of the Vulcan Mountains towards the desert floor far below.  More sharp curves on this mountain road than a box of spilled noodles.

STOPPED AT THE JULIAN PIE COMPANY FOR A FEW MORE JUGS OF CIDER

JULIAN CALIFORNIA’S MAIN INTERSECTION

PHEEBS WAITS PATIENTLY FOR KELLY TO COME BACK OUT OF JACK’S MARKENT WITH SOME GOODIES

We were soon into more sharp curvy roads as we threaded our way through the Pinyon Mountains east of Scissors Crossing between Blair Canyon and the Borrego Valley.  We were finally back to our rig sometime around 2 California time. 

PICKING OUR WAY THROUGH THE PINION MOUNTAINS

Our day trip had lasted 7 hours.  Tired??  Ya darn right we were.  I’m beginning to think the only way we will ever get to see the Pacific coast will be on a bus……………..

At the time of publishing this late tonight we are yet again under the onslaught of big gusting Borrego winds trying their best to launch us into orbit again!!!!

DESPITE TONIGHT’S BLUSTERY CLOUD COVER I DID MANAGE ONE PHOTO OF THE FULL MOON

GROANER’S CORNER:))  A cowboy walks into a bar and orders a whisky. When the bartender delivers the drink, the cowboy asks, "Where is everybody?"  The bartender replies, "They've gone to the hanging."  "Hanging? Who are they hanging?"  "Brown Paper Pete," the bartender replied.  "What kind of a name is that?" the cowboy asked.  "Well," says the bartender. "He wears a brown paper hat, brown paper shirt, brown paper trousers and brown paper shoes."
"How bizarre," said the cowboy. "What are they hanging him for?"  "Rustling," said the bartender.