We rolled out from the rock garden in the desert about 9:30am yesterday. The desert was already heating up. Our route took us west on I-8 to El Centro, where we turned north on CA111. We followed CA111 to Brawley, then continued on CA86 in a northwesterly direction.
This route took us along the west side of the Salton Sea. The current iteration of the Salton Sea was formed by accident in an area of the desert directly over the San Andreas Fault called the Salton Sink. The sea is believed to have formed and drained many times over thousands of years. In 1905, engineers from the California Development Company built irrigation canals from the Colorado River. In an effort to reduce silt built up, a cut was made in the bank of the Colorado River, increasing flow to the canals. The canals flooded out of control and the Salton Sink, which is a basin only five feet higher than the lowest point in Death Valley, began filling with water. Water flowed into the basin for two years, forming the Salton Sea. The surface of the Salton Sea is 234 feet below sea level.
The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California. It’s fed by the New, Whitewater and Alamo Rivers. The water in it is saline and the salt content is greater than that of the Pacific Ocean, but not as high as the Great Salt Lake. Due to changes in water rights under the Quantification Settlement Agreement of 2003, the water level in the Salton Sea is expected to decrease.
As we drove along the west side of the lake, the wind was coming from the east. The large body of water cooled the air significantly and travel with the front windows open was comfortable.
Salton Sea viewed from Donna’s passenger side window
As we cruised along CA86, traffic was confined to one lane at one point and I saw brake lights ahead. It was a Border Patrol check station. We saw one car pulled aside into the vehicle search area, but we were waved straight through without stopping.
Border Patrol check station
We stopped for lunch in Mecca on the north side of the Salton Sea, then continued on to I-10 near Indio. We could see snow on the San Gabriel mountains in the Big Bear area. The drive west on I-10 is a deceptively steep climb to Banning. It was hot out, but our coolant temperature never exceeded 195 degrees.
We turned south at Beaumont and took CA79 to Hemet where we found the Golden Village Palms RV Resort. The sites here include a paved parking space, a concrete patio pad and a gravel RV lot. It sounds spacious, but in reality it’s quite tight. Donna directed me while I backed the cargo trailer into the paved parking spot. I dropped the trailer, then maneuvered the coach into the gravel area that’s bordered by shrubs. It was barely wide enough to put the slides out.
By the time I cleaned the bugs off the windshield and installed the front window shades, it was 4pm and time to kick back with a cold one. Our site faces north, putting the door and awning side on the east, providing afternoon shade. We grilled salmon for dinner and dined al fresco. It was a pleasant evening to sit outdoors.
Palms in the sunset at the RV park
I’m getting to the blog late today because I spent the morning on the pickleball courts. There are some really good players here. I started with a group that was playing at a higher level than me at first. Then I joined a group of players that were closer to my level of play. It was fun and I spent all morning at it.
I think I’ll go out and explore the area this afternoon on the scooter.