Head West, further West

After my trip to Indiana, I connected with Tracy in Phoenix and we headed to California. She had a week long optometry conference in Fullerton. While she was in class, I did some mountain biking and found out what traffic is all about. On our way out we camped and biked at Joshua Tree National Park. Then we traveled down and around the Salton Sea and stopped to visit Salvation Mountain in Niland. You may remember this unique place from the movie "Into the Wild". You have seen this movie by now, right?

I understand why so many people want to live in California. It has just about everything you can think of: different kinds of deserts, beaches, lakes, rivers, mountains, prime farmland, and amazing trees. The traffic though, wow!

In front of General Patton

Camping in J-Tree

On top of Mt. Ryan

Salvation Mountain

Tracy with Leonard Knight, the architect of Salvation Mountain. He talked with us for about 30 minutes, and he kept reiterating that his message was a simple universal one that says, "God is love and he loves everyone, period!"
Isn't that the truth? Why try to add to it or tweak it? God loves you.
Leonard has been living out there in his truck, which is also colorfully painted, for about 20 years getting his message across to thousands.

After the conference we took the Catalina Express out to Catalina Island where my cousin Karl is in charge of the hyperbaric chamber for USC. We biked, snorkeled, and as always learned a ton from Karl. I think he is a genius.