Las Vegas NV to Burbank CA
Miles traveled 272
Tunes for the Road by Bobby Darin and Ray Orbison
Hello! What did you do today? Me? I drove across the Mojave Desert.
We bid a sad farewell to Jen, finally reunited with Dave in Las Vegas for their trip east to their home in the Ozarks of Missouri.
Heading west, the contrast between the glitter and glitz of Las Vegas and the unrelenting bleak, arid monotone of the adjacent desert is disconcerting.
The Mojave is the driest of several deserts within the North American Desert. Combined, they lie within CA and NV, but also parts of Utah and Arizona. The Mojave is also the smallest, but it seemed endless.
I have read that its ecosystem is one of the most highly protected in the country. It seems to me that it would be fairly easy to protect something that no one has figured out how to exploit.
There is a significant palette of vegetation, but it’s not a “friendly” array. No daisies or pansies here and the names* of the plants give a clue about the message they send, ie “leave me alone.”
*Creosote bush, brittlebush, desert holly, burro bush, prickly pear cactus, spiny mendora, and a yucca commonly known as the Joshua tree (pardon me, but a sorry excuse for a “tree”).
There are no photos included herewith for several reasons. 1) I did not want to slow down, much less stop for photo ops, 2) Might as well take a photo of a concrete sidewalk, and 3) I am still having technical difficulties although there is a rumor that a certain grandniece (Phoebe!!!) might come to my rescue in that regard. One hopes.
The driving challenge of the day was prevalent side winds. With a surface area of almost 200 square feet, Lasso got pushed all over the road, which was once again two-lane blacktop for much of the way. Trying to ensure that we didn’t become a hood ornament on an oncoming Walmart semi was, yet again, a test.
We arrived safe and as sound as can be expected at the oasis that is Justine and Dave’s new home in Burbank. Lasso, Charlotte, and I settled in for a much needed vacation from our vacation.
