Photos From the Drive to Scottsdale

SUMMARY: Photos from Tuesday's trip.

	Partway down I-5, we approached a suspicious-looking, unmarked convoy of trucks, each with an assortment of cabinets, tanks, hoses, and similar paraphernalia. Terrorists?
	Figured out that they're a firefighting team from Washington state, on their way to fight the nasty fires still burning from north of L.A. to San Diego.
	Some of the mountains visible (barely) off I-210 through the north side of Los Angeles. Fires are (or were) burning north of here near Lake Arrowhead; we suspected some of the haze was smoke.
	On I-210, traffic ranged from heavy to nearly stopped--except in the limited-access carpool lane, where we zipped along and were grateful for the opportunity.
	After the intersection with 57--the usual/traditional cut-over to I-10 to get to Phoenix--the freeway became CA-210, a long stretch of freeway just built in the last couple of years; the last big stretch just opened in july. The pavement was smooth, the landscaping new, the concrete work interesting rather than plain.
	...and, furthermore, the freeway became abruptly nearly empty. Traffic moved faster in the regular lanes than in the carpool lane.
	All along there, we marveled (if that's the word one chooses to use) at the miles and miles of nearly identical, nearly new, closely packed housing, all built on what is essentially desert.
	And amidst all this desert starkness, in the distance we saw this Thing from a couple of miles away... a cleverly disguised cell phone tower. Hey--guys--this is a desert--not a conifer in sight, let alone any other kinds of tall trees. Clever disguise, huh?
	In case you've become confused by the profusion of L.A. freeways--here you are.
	Some burned areas just off CA-210. Don't know whether this was part of the recent fires, or from earlier in the season.
	Windmill farms going through San Gregorio pass. Some on the left side of the freeway.
	Many many many many windmills, fading into a white blur in the distance.
	"Palm Springs" evokes such an image of an luxurious oasis, doesn't it?
	Here's what the world looks like in the Palm Springs area (before people start messing with irrigation...using Northern California's water...and crud...)
	Nobody does sunsets like the desert does. And the mountains are so starkly stunning, too.
	More sunset. At this time of day, the desert scrub glowed like gilded fairytale gardens.
	We stopped at a rest area just short of Blythe at sunset. The sky grew more beautiful by the moment.
	My van, Nancy, & her dogs at the rest area with really amazing sky colors behind them.
	Our traveling companions.
	Dang cheap snapshot camera; I didn't get a single good shot of Mr. Tarantula in the parking lot. But here he is. Good-sized, too, probably 4" across toe to toe.