We finally made it to Cali!!
And boy was today a crazy ride. We were so tired by the time we got to Delano (mentally and physically) that we just crashed as soon as we got up to the room. It was definitely the most beautiful and rewarding day so far though. Check out our stats and highlights below!
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STATS & HIGHLIGHTS
Total Duration: 8 h 40 mins
Miles Traveled: 629
States Traveled Through: Arizona (AZ), California (CA)
Our Favorite Part Of The Day: The green hills just past the Mojave desert
Our Least Favorite Part Of The Day: Needles, CA
Music:
The rest of John Mayer's discography
Highlights/Observations Of The Day:
We stopped at a coffee shop in Flagstaff (all of the local coffee we've gotten on this trip has been AMAZING)
Coming down from the mountain, we drove through forrest, rocky mountains (not *The* Rocky Mountains LOL), flat farmland, and then suddenly we were back into this vast, ever-changing desert landscape
We were only 1.5 hours away from the Grand Canyon but we decided to skip it and make another trip when we can really appreciate it and go hiking (It hurt knowing that we were so close, but today was already our longest day of driving and it just wouldn't have been a great experience)
We passed Bearizona (missed opportunity)
We saw SO many trains (again)
We saw freaking (dormant) volcanos!! We drove right through a volcano field in the Mojave desert
We crossed the Colorado river to enter California from Arizona
We saw our first "Speed Enforced By Aircraft" signs
We passed a little lighthouse in the desert - no water to be found anywhere (second random lighthouse of the trip)
We got In-N-Out burger and my life was forever changed
There were truck slow-lanes on the highway through the desert (SO smart)
We saw Joshua Trees for the first time (they're so silly looking)
We drove through the Tehachapi Pass and passed the Tehachapi Loop
We drove through the most incredibly lush green hills and mountains we've ever seen - farms, vineyards and orchards peppered throughout
Coming down the mountain, we were spit out into a sprawling flat valley of farmland
We saw the sunset over palm trees at the rest area we were charging at
Our hotel was across the highway from the Halo's factory
We saw a forrest fire in the distance on one of the mountains
Total Cost To Charge The Tesla:
$62.74 (5 stops)
Where We Stayed:
Delano, CA - Hyatt Place Delano. 11/10 Recommend.
Great Location - close to the highway but still secluded enough where we felt safe
The management was great
Everything was SO clean and the room was awesome
RECOMMENDATIONS
Places To Eat:
Firecreek Coffee Co. - The place had such a cool layout, the location was perfect (right in the middle of town so we grabbed it on our way out), The coffee and the pastries were delicious!
In-N-Out Burger - I didn't understand what the hype was about until I actually had it. It's a whole experience. The food was delicious and tasted fresh. The service was great, people really seemed to enjoy the work environment. They were QUICK, and there were lines every which way inside and out (reminded me of Chik Fil A but for burgers). Also, the pricing is incredibly reasonable for what you get (which I can see being a problem if you live near one).
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Today was definitely the most driving we've done the whole trip. It was a loooooonnnnnnggg day... BUT it was hands down the most beautiful drives of the trip so far. We went through so many evolutions of landscape and each were seemingly more beautiful than the last. So, we're finally in Cali, but this journey is not quite over yet. We've still got 3 days until Tyler is able to check in to his apartment so we're off to Rocklin to visit some friends! Check in soon : )
Sending love always,
J.S.