The REAL day ELEVEN, and a FRESH START

Welcome to day 11. I'm about a week behind, but things have been crazy busy at work. We know how that goes, right?
So we're in Santa Monica, CA, on the famous pier. Let's HEAD EAST!!!!!
This route is going to take us along some 'unofficial' roads, and perhaps a ferry or two. Not quite sure yet. The distance we're looking to cover is roughly 2,276 miles, so keep those walking feet moving!!!
Now, let's see what interesting places we come across in our first two days.

We head back into San Bernardino, but then turn slightly southeast toward Palm Springs!! Of note:

• "When the United States entered World War II, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley were important in the war effort. The original airfield near Palm Springs became a staging area for the Air Corps Ferrying Command 21st Ferrying Group in November 1941 and a new airfield was built ½ mile from the old site. The new airfield, designated Palm Springs Army Airfield, was completed in early 1942. Personnel from the Air Transport Command 560th Army Air Forces Base Unit stayed at the La Paz Guest Ranch and training was conducted at the airfield by the 72nd and 73rd Ferrying Squadrons. Later training was provided by the IV Fighter Command 459th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron. Eight months before Pearl Harbor Day, the El Mirador Hotel was fully booked and adding new facilities. After the war started, the U.S. government bought the hotel from owner Warren Phinney for $750,000 and converted it into the Torney General Hospital, with Italian prisoners of war serving as kitchen help and orderlies in 1944 and 1945. Through the war it was staffed with 1,500 personnel and treated some 19,000 patients. General Patton's Desert Training Center encompassed the entire region, with its headquarters in Camp Young at the Chiriaco Summit and an equipment depot maintained by the 66th Ordnance in present-day Palm Desert." (source)

East of Palm Springs is pretty much low desert. Move along, not much to see here. See?

Are we there yet??? Nope.  KEEP WALKING....We cross into Arizona at Blythe, a bit more fertile than we've seen for the past hundred miles or more thanks to the Colorado River.

Mt. Lemmon, AZ

We're headed directly for Phoenix (a name which i ALWAYS need to look up in order to spell), but we'll turn southeast before we get there. The place is one big, hot, flat parking lot with a few mountains sprinkled in to make it an adventure. We traveled quite a ways across the desert to get here but we'll continue a bit more until we reach Tucson. I used to live there (1991-1993), and would move back someday. The southern most ski area in the US is located just north of Tucson in the Catalina Mountains. 

Also in Tucson is Sabino Canyon, a WONDERFUL place to hike, play, eat, and try not to be eaten.

try not to get eaten

Of note is the Military Aircraft Boneyard. When I lived there, one of the areas wasn't fenced off and we would ride our mountain bikes around among the planes for hours and hours.

Get some rest. But first, some FOOOOOD.