Calexico Salvation

Greetings from Yuma, Arizona. I must say that I am thrilled to be here.

Today was a hell of a day. Up since 7am, and on the go ever since. The packing/cleaning took almost three hours more than I expected. I put my phone on vibrate last night and pretty much forgot about the phone for the day, and I greatly apologize to those of you that were trying to reach me. I was caught up and certainly didn't want to make anyone worry.

You saw the blue sky in Pacific Beach this morning, that was interrupted by periodic rain showers. I hardly noticed as I ran up and down the stairs trying to make sure I had everything and could get the keys turned in time before the rental office closed. I just made it before heading back to do some final cleaning. Throughout the day I had a couch pick-up from the same guy who bought my coffee tables. Today he was with his family, they were all up from Tijuana. Nice people.

I got some great support and kindness from my neighbors at 3723 Ingraham. I feel very lucky that I found a spot in San Diego next to such good people. There's friendly, and then there's quality. These people are quality. They offered help and good vibes and I will miss them.

Once I was finally ready to head out it was about 7. I headed out on the 8 thinking I'd stop at In 'N Out and make my way to Scottsdale, AZ. The GPS told me that over a 6 hour trip and thus it was out of the question. In 'N Out was overflowing with people and I didn't feel like getting stalled 4 miles into a three thousand mile journey. I pushed east completely unaware of where I could stop.

Disoriented, I called my road warrior friend Andrew and asked for some consultation. With the aid of the internet and rationale we figured Yuma was a good bet--about 165 miles away. Andrew really saved the day, I would have been riding blind otherwise.

The rain picked up as I moved past El Cajon. The temperature also started to drop.

Let me back up a bit: I filled up earlier today at a Von's in Pacific Beach for $3.48/gallon. But the pumps were a bit screwy so I put in $20 cash which left my tank around 3/4 full. When I left Ingraham Street the mileage on the car was 125, 617.

Okay, so now the rain is picking up and I haven't seen much life off the road so I decide to fill up. I pull off in Alpine, CA and fill up for $3.56/gallon. This was a smart move. There wasn't another gas station for 15 miles, and all of those were located behind me.

Now it started to get weird. A road sign warned of high winds. This was a permanent sign. 5 lanes dropped to 4, then 3, at which point I looked to my right and saw a snow plow. That was odd, I thought. Then a temporary sign flashed a winter weather warning for the next 26 miles. By the time we were down to two lanes, the temperature was down to 36 and the rain had turned to sleet. Then it stopped, then there was the thickest fog I have ever seen on a highway. Traffic slowed to about 30 mph, on a road with a 70mph speed limit. I could see more than 40 feet ahead. This was scary. I asked the GPS for the nearest hotel. There weren't any. There were, however, a few RV/Trailer camps. The fog cleared. But now a sign said ELEVATION 3000 FEET. The sleet was turning to slush. The other cars were disappearing. And there were almost no lights anywhere in sight. No light towers, no highway markers other than paint. Absolutely no lights coming from off of the highway. Though it was a full moon, it was little more than a highlight to the reappearance of fog. At one point I passed a huge neon casino light, but the fog was so thick that I could tell what it was until I was alongside of it and still could barely make out the words. Then the fog cleared. We were at 4000 feet. And now there were massive snow capped mountains all around. Within another mile, there was also driving snow. This was scary. I asked the GPS again for hotels. There was one 13.5 miles ahead. Bingo. Very few cars now, but all piled up in a row. 30 mph, blackness other than headlights and snow, the temperature down to 32. Within 4 miles I saw a motel sign just off of the highway. I went straight for it. There was the hotel, right next to a trailer park, and nothing else in sight. I got out of the car in my shorts, t-shirt and flip flops. No vacancies. Fuck!

I pressed on for the next town, Jacumba which was the home to the hotel I'd planned on going to. I traveled east on the old 80 highway in utter blackness. Every now and then I would see a truck, and every time it was a border control truck. I saw 7 of them dotted along the highway. I always liked looking at the GPS map in San Diego because most of the time it would show the Pacific Ocean just a mile or so off to the side. As I travelled through Jacumba the GPS map showed Mexico just a mile or so off the side. I did not like this. Finally, after 10 miles, I came into Jacumba. The hotel was the only business on the side of the road and offered FOOD/LODGING with a couple cars and another federale truck parked outside. I went right past it.

The snow had gone. The rain was intermittent. There were no hotels or towns for miles. I could see the 8 to my left and it looked better than before. I got back on. Now I was in a winding canyon and saw the following permanent road signs: DANGER: MUD SLIDES, CAUTION: FALLING ROCKS, WARNING: EXTREME WINDS NEXT 12 MILES. Holy shit! There was only one other car near me. The rain was back. I wound through the mountains. ELEVATION 3000 FEET. Okay, this is better. Still winding around, rather nervous. Temperature now 42 degrees. All along I'd been listening to a Baja California station playing a chillout session. The song on the radio now was this Julee Cruise cover of "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" ---proof that God has a sense of humor. San Diego County became Imperial County Still winding, but downward, the rain stopped as I weaved through the blue shadows of the canyon. Then, in an instant, I was out. The moon struck out from behind the shoulder of the final mountain and all the clouds were only beautiful streaks in a bright sky. At the same moment, for the first time in an hour, there were the bright lights of civilization, Calexico. ELEVATION: SEA LEVEL. I made it. I was saved.

Now driving on a flat plane, with bright lights ahead in the distance, it felt cool being by the border. For the first time all night, driving was free and easy. The temperature climbed all the way back up to 51 degrees. I was bound for Yuma. Elated.
I came upon El Centro and rejoiced at the sight of gas stations, hotels, and strip malls. But no sign offered greater promise and comfort than the beacon of In 'N Out Burger. I pulled off and settled in for my first meal of the day. It was now around 9:30pm. And after a stressful day in which my only sustenance was half a smoothie, some pb & J on naan, a snickers bar and a few bananas, this felt like some great reward. I finished my Dr. Pepper and made a reservation for the Best Western in Yuma, where I am sitting now.

I covered 169 miles, a state line, and the first time zone of the journey back East. Before I left today, Benny came by to check on me and alerted me to the beautiful, full rainbow right outside my bedroom window. Good sign.

Now, it's time to sleep. I can't wait.