Remarkably cool, and windy in Coachella Valley; it will last for a few days, then the heat arrives. Went hiking with a group of people on the hills on the eastern side of Palm Springs. Great vistas as the sun set. The clouds, not fog like I'm use to in San Francisco, drifted and clung to the hills. Made me nostalgic for the SF Bay area.

Relocated from the rain-drenched shores of the Oregon coast, to the sunny, warm and very dry climes of the Coachella Valley.  Temperatures double what I experienced in the Pacific Northwest, yet still pleasant. And, I'm adjusting. Lots of wonderful areas to explore; I have not been here in fifteen or more years.  Lots of changes...

Tucked into small canyon setting with hills, rocks and palm trees behind me.

Sunset from my bedroom window

Overlooked photos from a hike at the most northwestern point of the State of Washington...Cape Flaherty. Remote, rugged and unbelievably beautiful. And, not crowded!

Moving on...

After nearly ten months traveling in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington and British Columbia), and enduring 170 inches of rain in six of those ten months, I'm headed south to Palm Springs. Kinda, sort of...counter to the normal snowbird rotation. But, I'm anything but normal. Had some major truck engine upgrades, and it performs perfectly. If you ever need a mechanic in the Florence, Oregon, area, I have a great recommendation.

Currently, I'm in Santa Rosa, California, visiting family and friends; I depart tomorrow on my journey southward. I'll stop on Interstate 5 near the Grapevine, and the following day head on to Palm Springs. I'll have the wonderful pleasure of skirting the Los Angeles metropolitan basin using Interstate 210 to Interstate 10.  The traffic will be highly congested, with, I'm sure white knuckle moments. 

I'm scheduled to stay in Palm Springs until early December; if I make it that long. I may pull up stakes and head east to Tucson, Arizona, or Santa Fe, New Mexico. Regardless, I'm looking forward to the heat and drying out my tiny home on wheels.