22nd March, 2016: North Algodones Dunes Wilderness area.
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| Headed to Blythe the long way! |
After leaving the Salton Sea, we followed CA-111 and joined the CA-78 to Blythe, CA where our good friends Mike and Penny have a park model "winter home"
What is amazing is how diverse the scenery is, changing at times from mile to mile. This is benefit to the irrigation systems which are everywhere you see the colour green!
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| Along CA-111 your choice: Salton Sea Marina or Prison? Hmm.... |
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| As you drive south on CA-111 the scenery, once again, changes from desert to irrigated fields Those white structures in the background are hay storage! |
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| Those hay storage stacks! They are everywhere. |
Driving east along CA-87 we could sense a foul smell in the air, then as we drove on that smell became more pungent and offensive! We realized what was causing this scent as we rounded a slow curve and saw hundreds, more likely thousands head of cattle who were penned in a large feed lot.
Maybe this is the humanely raised beef that the Canadian Restaurant chain
"Earls Kitchen and Bar" decided to source it's beef from when it decided to controversially change from Canadian Alberta Beef to US Beef Suppliers?
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| The smell hit us first! This is a huge feed lot adjacent to CA-87 |
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| Ingenious use of space, use solar panels in the feed lot. Additional shade for those cows! |
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| The scenery changes once again to desert. There is a huge "Bombing Range" We saw attack helicopters flying in the distance |
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| As we headed east getting closer to North Algodones Dunes Wilderness area the desert turned into true sand dunes! |
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| This is a view point rest area we stopped at. |
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| Must be that drifting sand we were warned about! |
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| Desert Break Time |
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| There were 7 of these dune buggies playing in the sand. Notice how the sand is thrown up by the large paddle rear tires. |
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| While we were at the rest stop watching, another vehicle stopped and they chatted with the Buggy drivers. .This buggy took out some people for a ride on the dunes! |
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| I liked these shapes and colours! |
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| We left the rest stop, heading east when the desert opened up. There were great shadows enhancing the desert shapes! |
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| More of those sculptured designs! |
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| There are a lot of people who RV and play in the desert Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area |
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| Then the scenery changes again to mountain ranges! |
We came across a huge mining operation heading east on CA-87. The NewGold Mine started operation in 1986 and then re-started in 2008 and reports 1.7 Million ounces of gold reserves.
The mine is surrounded by miles and miles of razor wire topped chain linked fencing!
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| A huge mining operation is adjacent to CA-87 Newgold Mesquite Mine |
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| Miles of razor topped fencing! |
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| This bulldozer was pushing the tailings and grooming one of the slopes. |
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| We have seen these inspection stations along numerous California Highways They are run by the US Customs and Border Protection We were told they are checking for illegal migrant workers? |
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| We were amazed how clear the sky in the desert |
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| But we were told about the wind/sand storms This one was in the distance west of Blythe. |
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| We have mentioned the irrigation systems in California Most are fed from the Colorado River System Colorado River Water Users Association |
The Colorado River, which has been named America's most endangered river, runs for approximately 1,450 miles from the Rocky's to Mexico into the Gulf of California. It supplies irrigation to a huge population and agricultural base!
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| From the following website: National Geographic |
We were pleased to have taken these by-ways from Palm Springs to Blythe.
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