4CT Tour - Day Five - Tuesday, June 10th. 08

Tour Day: Five
Day/Date: Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
Time Started: 3:23 AM PDST
Time Ended: 1:45 PM PCDST
Starting Location: Tuson, AZ
Ending Location: San Bernadino, CA
Total Miles Today: 577
Cumulative Miles: 4379
Low Temp: 65F - Alpine, CA
High Temp: 100F - Imperial Valley, CA
Highest Gas Price: $4.49 San Ysidro, CA
Lowest Gas Price: $3.99 Yuma, AZ
States: CA (11)

Sunrise in the Desert
(Photo taken just east of Yuma, AZ)

I left Tucson, AZ early and continued west, watching a glorious sunrise in the desert! The farther I went the more desolate the desert became. I stopped for breakfast 218 miles later at Yuma, AZ. The temperture was in the low seventies for the majority of the ride to Yuma.

Even in the desert, people plant and take care of flowers.

After I left Yuma the desert took on a much more forboding tone until, at one point, there was little other than sand dunes. I found it interesting how I-10 hugs the Mexican border for a long way. The Border Patrol had set up checkpoints in several locations along I-10 complete with drug sniffing dogs.

It was not long though, before I entered the Imperial Valley, one of the many food basket areas of California. Here crops were plentiful, green and irragated with water from the Colorado River. The elevation is -0, and the temperture quickly sored to 100F just before I headed up the mountians that stand between the valley and the coast. By the time I reached the highest elevation, 4130 ft, the temps had dropped to 65F degrees. This is an area known for high winds but once again, I was fortunate to encounter only moderate winds.

It was another 60 miles to a fog covered San Diego and the temps only rose to 66F. It is hard to believe I could actually be cold thirty minutes after suffereing 100F temps!

Traffic was not light, but nothing to complain about. I quickly made my way south to San Ysidro, where I picked up the required proof to claim the corner. After mailing my letter I decided I needed to make as much mileage northward as possible to avoid the evening rush hour, or if I waited until tomorrow morning, an even worse morning rush hour.

After riding I-15 and 215, I finally called it quits in San Bernadino, CA where I found a Super 8 that fits my needs perfectly. All in all, not a bad day. I did take note of how close yesterdays and todays mileage was.

I have had several comments about how lucky my planning has been. Truth told, I have been planning this trip for nearly two years, in one form or another. I can not take much of the credit because I have had a lot of help routing and planning around the big cities from online forum members who live in those areas. So far all the advice has been spot on! I just hope I am fortunate enough to have this luck continue! (Knock on wood!)

The 2nd "Corner"

The actual southwestern most spot in the US is in a small San Ysidro City Park called Border Field.

Tomorrow I plan to head west, once again, until I reach the Pacific. I plan to take my time and ride up the coast following Big Sur.

I want to thank everyone for the comments and well wishes. I really enjoy reading them at the end of a long day!

To view my entire trip map page "Click Here"

To view the 24 hour SPOT map "Click Here"

Happiness is not a state to arrive at but a manner of traveling. ~Margaret Lee Runbeck~