Buckeye AZ to Hemet CA

Half a work day and then FUN!! I left the crappy overpriced hotel (and only one around) by 7am and had a cool ride for a couple hours, then stopped for coffee in Blyte CA. The temp stayed around 50-60 but it was very sunny. The iPod kept playin the same several songs over and over and I think "Shuffle" must be Check for "Harry Chapin" because I must have heard the "Taxi" song 4 times. Harry and Sue, just get over it and get together. At first I felt sorry for you two, but after hearing it that many times it just seems petty! Jeeze.
The temperature got up to 80 or so by the end of the day so extremely pleasant. You notice a difference as soon as you cross into California in the "public wealth" of CA vs AZ. Everything seems better kept, roads are better, gas stations tidier, cars are cleaner, just seems better somehow? Maybe Calif is doing something better, but you see a difference as soon as you cross the border. I took another break in Indio and then another to take some pictures of the turbines in San Gorgonio pass.

There are turbines of every vintage here. I can remember when the little ones were the big ones and driving through the pass on I10 is very cool. Some real old ones were in various states of repair but 90% were turning and making power.
I finally had enough "work" getting here and now it was time to play. I saw a really crooked road that went through the San Jacinto State park, and it did not disappoint. The road was in good shape and nary a straight piece for 25 miles or so keeping me in 2nd, 3rd and sometimes 4th gear. I forgot how to use the brakes since I have been travelling across the desert the last 2 days. I pulled into a town called Idyllwild, which is an oasis unto itself. All kinds of places to eat, sleep, shop and drink all stuffed in this one little isolated town. Gotta bring Deb back here. I texted here and she said it was a trail town for the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail).

Then down the other side that was just as twisty and smooth as coming up. I started below 3000 ft and climbed to 6200 ft, then down below 2000 ft on the other side. A  tiny bit of traffic so basically had it all to myself.
The plan was to go go south at Mountain Center, but some how I went west instead so I ended up in Hemet, which is a good sized town. It was too early to stop so I figured I'd keep heading west and ended up hitting Rt 215 and rush hour was beginning to build. I went south and got off at Rt79 which took me back east and into the mountains, but I got stuck in rush hour traffic briefly in Temecula. Drivers are very good here by the way and not as aggressive as back east. I broke through the traffic and ended up back in Hemet, got a motel and then walked to a Mexican cantina for supper. It was so nice that I walked around Hemet and enjoyed the sunset and warm air. Now that I have had a taste of the mountains, I do not want to go back across the desert to ABQ. So play day tomorrow!!