It was with regret, and some doubt about whether I am being too cautious, that I abandoned the border and headed east this morning. I had spent some time yesterday considering what I wanted to do and see on the way back and came to the conclusion that my favorite National Parks were the obvious choice. When I knew I was going to retire I initially planned to move to the desert southwest so I could visit these parks frequently and here was an unexpected opportunity to do just that.

Zion National Park in Utah is first on the list and so I drove across California’s Central Valley, the southern end of the Sierra Nevada and part of the Mojave Desert to get to Barstow.

The Central Valley is one of the largest and most important agricultural areas of the state and, despite the severe drought, food production has been spared the sort of water-use restrictions that the rest of the state’s industries and residents have to endure. Not only did I see miles of well watered crops but also many roadside signs advocating the restriction exemptions for agriculture.  All of these referred to the need to grow the essentials but it was obvious that the vineyards were also getting plenty of water. I don’t mind as long as there is enough for the local breweries.

An unanticipated problem with a cross-country return, particularly at altitude, is that I don’t have a jacket with me (I had a light jacket but managed to leave it in the UK). When I arrived at Barstow I was going to visit a nearby ghost town called Calico but it was cold, windy and rainy so, instead, I went shopping for a warm jacket. No such thing seems to exist in this desert town so, if it’s not too cold tomorrow morning, I will visit Calico and then try getting a jacket while passing through Las Vegas.

No photos from today but the video has some scenic bits and, along with the map, can be found here.