esrosedotblog

VACATION

We drove up to Idyllwild today. It is a mile high town. All pines and normal trees. Well, normal from a back east point of view.

A friend of ours who moved to Bisbee AZ, another interesting place, is house sitting.

So we went up the 74 which is a very windy road from Palm Desert.

Franklin went along too. He had to find his sea legs to deal with the serpentine.

He did a good job.

There was a cat in the house, so Franklin and I got to take a walk and sit outside much of the time.

It was nice.

Two dogs, two squirrels. Different friends.

It is about 15 degrees cooler up there which isn't a big deal this time of year but the sky is very blue. It is very quiet. It is a nice place to visit.

But I wouldn't want to live there.

They have a persistent threat of fire and it is tinder dry. Has been since '97. Sittin' on the edge.

The other thing is that I have had my fill of that kind of country.

Sure. It is California country and not the worn out Poconos where I grew up.

But it is all kinda' trashy in the same way.

They do have their artsy side and work hard at telling about it but, in the end, it is the boonies.

We came back the same way but the ride is totally different.

First, you can see the alpine areas a lot better because we are coming from the upper side.

This section of 74 is the most filmed piece of road in America.

If you have watched a car commercial or seen people riding in the country in a movie, they are on this road.

And then the ride down the s-curves is totally less stressful. We are like a stone falling. Easy.

The ride up is all feeling the g's of the push, the engine roar, the gear changes and all.

Down is just plain, unadorned DOWN. Down.

I like driving the entire trip in the Cherokee. Standard drive.

The way god meant us to drive.

It was a great trip. And short. We left at noon and were back at 4.

A whole other country and back in half a work day.

Labels: life