Travel

By TARMO HANNULA

After departing Bakersfield on day two of our road trip to San Diego, my wife Sarah and I continued our drive south from Bakersfield into the desert.

We followed Highway 58 into the mountains and stopped for lunch in Tehachapi at Kohmen’s Country Bakery. We’ve always enjoyed passing through this small town and taking in the active railroad life. We watched a freight train that looked to be a mile long thread through the rocky passes and in and out of numerous tunnels.

Dropping down to the desert floor we caught Highway 395 to Highway 10, which took us out to Desert Hot Springs. We aimed for our favorite spot, Miracle Hot Springs Spa & Resort. Perched on a slight rise above the small town of Desert Hot Springs, the place features eight pools of natural hot spring water, each a different temperature. With the fear of Covid in the air we approached the place gingerly. There were so few people there, maybe 2-3 in each pool, it ended up feeling safe, so we plunged in. Our two nights there were well worth it, especially in the evening, stretching out in the hot pools with the massive web of stars overhead.

Our Chinese dinner at Kam Lun of orange beef and kung pao chicken was superb. And we hit pay dirt again with breakfast at the oddly named Cottage Too, a popular local watering hole. We drove out to the Long Canyon Trailhead and took in the bounty of cactus and colorful rocks on a short walk. On the internet I found Alps Village for our second dinner. The place was packed and full of excitement and we quickly learned why: Their German cuisine was amazing. Sarah said her spaetzle and Croatian white wine was divine.

The desert floor near Palm Desert.

RUGGED Vast mountains meet the desert near Palm Springs.

Bidding farewell to the resort, on day four of our journey, we drove into Palm Springs for breakfast at 4 Paws Coffee Shop. The mountain range here is stunning, with the morning light heating up the jagged stony features.

Driving south on Highway 86, we flanked the Salton Sea and stopped along the shoreline near a mobile home park. Stark and eerily quiet, this part of the globe must certainly call on a certain type of person to want to call it home. In some fashion, I admire these folks and am in awe of how they endure roasting summer days well into the 100s. The palm groves here made us feel like we drifted off course and ended up in the middle east. It’s like driving through a painting of one date farm after another.

We turned west on Highway 78 through Anza Borrego State Park and relished the bizarre display of ocotillos that were just starting to bloom. We climbed high into the Cuyamaca Mountains as rain drenched the windy highway and parched land around us. We passed through the small towns of Julian, Alpine and Lakeside before leveling off on Highway 8 west into the back door of San Diego, my former high school stomping grounds.

In the next part of this series we set up in Pacific Beach and explore San Diego before heading north to San Marcos.