Day 11: Homeward Bound

This morning we felt a bit bittersweet, knowing that our journey was coming to an end but also eager to be in our own bed and relax without having to prepare for another day on the road. We left Palm Springs around 7:45am and it was already 75 degrees outside. Heading south (yeah, I know, wrong direction to get home) we took the Pines to Palms highway up into the mountains. Kitty saw a bighorn sheep on one of the slopes above the section of road we were on, but fortunately it didn't wander out into anyone's path. We gained a lot of elevation in a short amount of time and were looking out over the valley where we'd previously been from thousands of feet up. Heading further into the mountains, we finally arrived at the Paradise Valley Cafe for breakfast. There was an elderly man playing music on the patio, so we decided to take in the ambiance while we ate. For our last breakfast on the road, it was a nice change of pace.

After we were stuffed from breakfast, we continued along on highway 74 and then turned onto 243 which took us through Idyllwild and eventually Banning. While 74 had been great, 243 became really bumpy about halfway to Banning. I would hesitate to recommend it to a fellow rider unless it gets repaved - it was pretty uncomfortable. As we were coming down the mountain to Banning, we could see the haze and smog in the distance and were not looking forward to the slog through the inland empire and greater Los Angeles highways. At Redlands, we turned onto the 210 freeway which would take us closer to the mountains. Even though we were only a few miles from the foothills of those mountains, we couldn't make them out clearly because the air was so thick. When we stopped for fuel and I removed my helmet, Kitty said that I had a couple of dark spots on my forehead where my helmet's vents had funneled grime onto my skin. Gee, I bet that was doing wonders for my lungs too.

We eventually made it through the morass of freeways and found ourselves on the familiar highway 101 leading us back home. As we passed through Ventura, we saw the Pacific Ocean again which we hadn't seen for more than 10 days. Normally, we see it every day when commuting to work and it was a welcome sight. The cool ocean breeze made for a pleasant ride compared to the dry, sweltering heat from the days prior. In Santa Barbara, we turned onto highway 217 and headed to Goleta Beach to take a breather before finishing the trip. We reflected on how far we'd gone in just 11 days; 3137.8 miles on two wheels. Next time, I think we'll have more stops where we spend 2 days at a given location so that we don't feel quite as rushed. Lessons learned.

We're looking forward to the next adventure.