Wednesday, July 21, 2004
(being the reverse journey to this one)
Somehow the giant empty spaces of the Mojave seemed only slightly deadly this time, as we drove back from Los Angeles to Santa Fe. Here are some pics from the two-day trip, and the thought remains – why the hell would you want to leave in Needles, California or Ludlow, Arizona? 
At one point when we stopped to get petrol (my brain said ‘gas’ first there, which is a little worrying), the temperature was 116F in the shade. And we were about a day’s drive in all directions from an espresso machine.
Arriving in the high desert of Santa Fe was a great relief – it’s still hot here (high 80s today), but much more green than you might expect. Monsoon afternoon rains mean all the trees and bushes are in bloom, and adventurous types even have some grass.
The mountains make a great backdrop to the town, and there’s a beauty in the small scale glimpses of a corner of adobe against the blue sky, and in the larger brushstrokes of an afternoon storm rolling in.