Day Two: In the Books
You would be hard pressed to find two areas more contrasted than the Algodones Dunes and the Del Mar beaches. I find it even harder to wrap my head around the fact that both can be visited within mere hours each other, and even still, I may have been able to stumble upon an area that may somehow been even more interesting.
After going 37 hours straight the day before and ending it with margaritas, today started early enough at 5:30 am. I really wanted to backtrack up I-8 to get drone footage I missed on the previous day while sprinting to finish the 18 hour drive from San Antonio to San Diego. Today ended up being far more productive and enlightening than I even thought it would be.
– Interstate 8 – The drive to California from the east can be very long and monotonous, as your passing primarily desert in Arizona. This all ends within an hour of the coast as flat desert geography transforms into more interesting hills and mountains. My early goal was to get out and drone some of these areas in the morning, before too many vehicles were passing on the highway. I got some really nice pictures, which I’ll have uploaded once I can get home and debrief a bit.
– Algodones Sand Dunes – This was by far one of the most other worldly landscapes I’ve ever seen. Driving along the interstate along the Arizona-California gives sort of a glimpse, but actually going to North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area truly delivers a unique experience. There isn’t anything that compares to being able to get out of the car and walking onto another planet of giant hills of sand. That may sound a bit tongue-in-cheek, but there’s a reason why films such as Star Wars and Stargate have used this area for filming. The one regret I have was that I wasn’t able to rent an ATV or dirt bike and explore a bit more. Rentals are typically done by the day, and require group transportation to and from the dunes.
– Salvation Mountain – Created by a resident named Leonard Knight, Salvation Mountain is a hill that was used as a canvas for an expression of faith. The vibrant colors make it stand out in comparison to the bland desert and local town that surround it. It was hard to believe that one person was able to create such a large and intricate monument. It’s now maintained by a broader group, but it was humbling to see what one person’s faith inspired them to create.
– The Salton Sea – Probably one of the more interesting things I’ve seen in my lifetime and something definitely worth knowing the story behind. Leaving Salvation Mountain, I decided to stop and check out the large body of water nearby and found a place called Bombay Beach. To my surprise, the area was totally dilapidated despite being a state recreation area. When I got to the beach, the smell was so horrible I wasn’t able to stand being within 200 feet of the waters edge. I was literally the only person on the entire shore. Long story short, the Salton Sea was created on accident in the early 1900’s, became a HUGE tourist destination as a lake in the desert, and eventually became inhospitable to marine life due to the washoff of pesticides from nearby farms (as well as the increasing salinity of the water.) The area now smells of rot, most beach areas were closed and the area was ultimately abandoned except for a few nearby residents. I can’t help but think that stories such as this one will become increasingly more common in the near future.
Tonight I decided to stay in Encinitas, which has a strip of stores and restaurants that reminds me a bit of The Strand in Galveston. In fact, this post was written at the Roxy Bar. Tomorrow I’ll be off to Los Angeles via I-5, which should offer some great views.