For old memories sake, I took Pacific Coast Highway (mostly) south from the Pier first to Long Beach, where I first lived after college beginning in June 1965. From there I followed PCH down to Dana Point along the coast and then took the recommended wonderful cycle ride up California Highway 74 into the mountains (going East) and back into the desert.
There are thousands of these wind turbines along I-10 near the turn off for 29 Palms. The wind in the pass was incredible, high mph and gusty. Not a fun ride.
Bullhead City CA:
Maybe. But you cannot retake the class called “life.”
Now returning to old Route 66 heading East from Oatman and onto Sitgreaves Pass to pick up the story from my trip West some five days earlier. Below is where the ceremony I witnessed previously took place. I wasn’t sure at first if it was a wedding, or club / gang initiation, or a memorial service of some kind.
It had been a memorial service for the passing of a beloved cyclist. They put some of his cremated remains in that field area near Wadsworth in the above picture and his son and daughter spread the rest of his remains across old Highway 66, some of which is visible in the pictures below.
In the below video explaining this further I misspoke in reference to the Pass. It’s Sitgreaves (not Seligman, which is several towns further East).
With the family’s permission, I was the first person to drive over the ashes the week prior. Now with the traffic that had passed, the ashes have begun to be scattered, and embedded into the roadway, which had been the preference of the deceased and his family. Standing there is a more than vivid reminder of our time being short, and our status finite: Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” Amen. That family has been in my prayers ever since I witnessed that ceremony.
A serious cold front descended on AZ and NM such that the morning temperatures were right at freezing (here showing 33 F). That caused a change in travel plans, staying south of the beautiful Colorado mountains at Durango, Salida, Buena Vista, and Fairplay. Still, by the time I had to head north on I-25 into Colorado it was in the low 40s F, with high winds and even some pelting rain.
Colorado official rest stops now include pot tours (see the bottom right brochures). This can’t be a good thing.
Final odo of the trip was 3200 miles, and total on the bike as shown 4052 miles.
Very cold and happy to get Wadsworth ‘home.’
Wadsworth will be waiting here for mountain meadows in springtime calling.