Escape from L.A.

 Thankfully, tiredness overcame the jetlag, and I slept in until 6:15 am this morning. It's still early, but the sleep was good in this clean and comfortable, yet oh-so-retro hotel. This morning, our plan is to take a walk to the neighbouring strip mall, where last night, we spotted a Hawaiian cafe that had a pretty awesome breakfast menu. Then we'll shop for some kitchen wares at the Salvation Army. You never know what you are going to find there.

Turns out, it's still Christmas, so even though the sign on the cafe tells us they are open at 7 am on Mondays, today they are closed. Disappointment sets in, but only momentarily. I mean, we couldn't possibly expect everybody to open right up the day after Christmas, just because we are in town! Not letting the set-back slow us down, we head to the grocery store for yogurt, granola, and some of the biggest apples I have ever seen, then to Starbucks for coffee and breakfast sandwiches. We are the only people sitting on the outdoor patio, under the heaters, sipping our coffee in the warm Californian air, while a never-ending parade of cars drive by to pick up their drinks at the take-out window. Some people walk up to collect their coffee, sporting sweaters and jackets and the occasional tuque, and we laugh quietly, because yesterday it was -8 C at home, and even THAT was comfortable enough for us! (I know what some of you are thinking: Starbucks?! The one great thing about Starbucks is that the coffee is reliably good. And in a country where we have had a lot of experience with sewage water-like drip coffee which, according to Wednesday Addams, "is for people who hate themselves and know their lives have no real meaning or purpose", we will take Starbucks over the uncertainty in a reheated coffee carafe any day.)

Journaling over breakfast

A not-to-shabby breakfast at Starbucks

The trip to the Salvation Army thrift shop was equally mediocre - we didn't find any of the treasures I was hoping to uncover hidden on its shelves, like a cast iron skillet or a microplane grater, but I did come away with a whisk.  Mario and I both picked up a couple of extra clothing items too, which, when you have a limited water supply and no desire to spend your nights doing laundry, is not such a bad thing.

We check out of the hotel and pack-mule our way to the Indie Campers rental depot. Now, I originally set our pick-up time for 2:30 pm, and this past week, got the chance to change it to 1 o'clock, which was very welcome as we would be driving out of the traffic disaster that is Los Angeles. Hotel check-out is at 11 am, so we decided to take a chance - maybe the van would be ready. Maybe they would want to check us in early so that they could go home to celebrate, too. Or maybe we would have to wait on the curb outside, until someone showed up to unlocked the doors, but we were okay with that option, too - it's not like we had anywhere else to go! Turns out, they were more than happy to welcome us in, show us the ropes to vanlife in a Winnebago Solis, accommodate our requests for more toilet tabs, or a much-needed can opener. I even noticed a shelf of what looked like found or discarded food items, and upon inquiring, manage to score quite the haul of foodstuffs from the freebie shelf. Hey, if you don't ask...things like salt and pepper and sugar, that everyone buys, but no one finishes in a weekend. I was a happy person, as we climbed onto the very tall seats in the cab, and got on our way at 12:30 pm, TWO whole hours earlier than originally planned. And believe me, those hours came in VERY handy later on!

Even at 1 pm, on December 26th, departing for LA and heading east into the desert, it is a disaster. How can there possibly be so many cars on the road, in both directions, and most with only one person in them?! The main interstate road heading out of town, the 10, has at least 2 slow-downs due to accidents, and we notice a whole managerie of police and fire vehicles on site when we pass, all for a couple of fender-benders. The amount of billboards advertising lawyers that we pass leads me to believe that even the smallest accident can be blown drastically out of proportion here. 

Traffic on the I-10

Taking a detour on an alternate route

 

From time to time, our Google Maps lady yells that there is a faster route, often saving us a minute or two. I don't bite at first, but as we drive, the time to destination doesn't seem to change, even though we are getting closer. The traffic is getting worse before we even get there now. I begin to study the roads, looking for alternate options, side roads, service roads, something that will keep us moving at the very least. I even find routes before the Google app does, and in one instance, savings us about 20 minutes while simultaneously driving us along the most gorgeous canyon road. Take that, Google.

Criss-crossing over the I-10 and its traffic	Passing through the San Timoteo Canyon

Date shakes at Hadley's = DELICIOUS!

We stop halfway for gas, and a quick lunch which we eat in the comfort of our home on wheels. It is very nice to think that no matter where we go, we always have everything we need right there with us. But at the same time, our driving time continues to increase. Last night's dinner resulted in a suggestion that we absolutely needed to visit Hadley's Fruit Orchards for their date shakes. Hadley's was establish by a family from California that began cultivating dates from palms brought over from the Middle East, and now they are known for delicious Medjool dates and other wonderful dried fruits and nuts. I did not even know this place existed, and I love dates. Sadly, the shop is more a collection of every tacky tourist souvenir ever imagined, but the date shakes are truly delicious, and alone worth the visit. I could do without the super-tall casino next door maring the rocky desert skyline, mind you. 

Thankfully, the traffic had petered out by now, having added about 50% more time to our original drive. The rest would be uphill, climbing to the towns of Yucca Valley, 29 Palms, and finally into Joshua Tree National Park and our campsite for the night. We make a stop at the ginormous Walmart in Yucca Valley to stock up the van for the next week or so, buying lots of food, paper products, blankets for the bed to keep us warm, and maybe a bottle of Champagne for New Year's Eve. Okay, Mumm Napa Brut, which I can't really call a Champagne, but it's just as delicious. We pack everything into the fridge and cupboards, and take the finally drive into the darkness of the National Park. 

There's something to be said about arriving at a destination at night. We are surrounded by the shadows of what looks like mountains all around us, but the outlines are fuzzy. In the light of the high beams, scruffy-looking shrubs go by, followed by the occasional cactus. Tomorrow's reveal of the scenery that surrounds us will be nothing short of spectacular, I imagine, but it will have to wait until daylight. We spot the stacks of the vault toilets, taking note of their location, and remarking that there are large trash contains nearby as well. Finally, the small sign of campsite 084 comes into view and we pull in for the night, happy to finally be off the road. We empty our bags and fill the cabinets with our gear, our clothes, our books. We pull down and make the bed, probably for the entirety of the trip. I try, unsuccessfully, to hang a string of Christmas lights. Turns out, the one thing that the Solis is missing is hooks to hang things, be it bags, or coats, towels or Christmas lights. It's the first thing we would rectify if this van was ours. But it's not, so instead I cook a simple chili, using spice mixes I brought from home, saving some of the veg for a mexican rice another night. Mario fights with the swivel function of the cab chairs. 

Desert stars at Joshua Tree

Finally, we make our way to bed. It's been not much more than a travel day, getting from point A to point B, but there were still so many experiences to be had, and driving is still a tiring activity. It's not long before we both fall into a deep sleep.