Journey Of A Lifetime (long)

[snopercod]

You landed on a beach! Whoa!

[BillL]

Originally Posted by Vlad

San Francisco night was short but relaxing.

My daughter lives just under your fuel cap in this picture.

You have not only seen America, THEY have seen YOU.

Keep it coming Vlad - Great show.

[PerfTech]

...You should have stopped! We would have put you up for the night, bought you dinner and provided brilliant conversation. Also we could have let you
look at the worlds fastest RV-9A. Oh well, maybe next time. We sure have enjoyed this thread and seeing your trip and all the adventures.
Thank you again! Allan..

[Vlad]

I booked two days at the hotel can't beat the promotional price of $59+tax. Where else in California you can stay for that money? Plus they will be opening a restaurant in the lobby tonight. I need to heat up a bit. Several days ago I didn't have enough clothes in Alaska to keep myself warm and now temperature barely passed balmy three digits. The vicinities near El Centro NAF are well worth exploring.

Topped off with very affordable gas I took off. Initially thought of landing at Calexico International for a haircut.





It didn't work out and I traced border fence westbound for about 30 NM. Our southern neighbors have some interesting infrastructure there.





Then the fence transformed into a wall. Jacumba!








L78 is an airport right by the Great Wall Of Jacumba.





As soon as I landed and deplaned a border patrol SUV passed by. I waved. Then walked toward the wall. Pretty impressive engineering.








Patrolman returned in 10 minutes. I waved.





I didn't wait for him to come third time. Finished a bottle of water, jumped in the cockpit and engine started on twentieth blade. Vapor lock. I gained some altitude and tracked an abandoned railroad. Few in the world were that dangerous. Do you see the derailed cars at the Carrizo Gorge?





Very impressive trestle.

[Vlad]

Abandoned rail road tunnel.





I wandered around Borrego Valley trying to find a landing strip within a walking distance to some source of moisture. Aqua Caliente Springs? Pretty place but far from a habitat. I will be baked before I walk to the closest shack. How about Ocotillo L90?




Two runways claimed to be decent dirt on both let's see.





Kind of soft and rough I will leave it for tailwheel guys to brag. Out!





Salton Sea KSAS was just for the logbook there is nothing on the field. The elevation is minus 84 feet. Sort of like mini Death Valley and it felt like a little inferno.







If I shut down the engine here it would probably take the whole day to cool it off for restart.





I definitely need a snack and a beverage. Around Salton Sea I go toward Chiriaco L77. I've been there three years ago and I know that place.





It's a truck stop and a gas station with a well stocked food mart.

[Vlad]

With belly full of fast food I am on a prowl. Squeezed between restricted areas and MOAs I can't go much higher.



It's getting warmer and warmer. 102F.





How about a touch and go on a dry lake bed? It looks smooth from couple hundred feet but not so in the flare.





Calipatria State Prison. The prison where electrified fence kills escaping inmates instantly. That's what Wikipedia says...





An active rail road.





Sand Hill Navy Aux Field. It's not active and there is a good read about it http://members.tripod.com/airfields_...A_ElCentro.htm did I mention it's hot?





Enough heat for today I finally warmed up.

[Vlad]

Extreme aerial tourism is coming to an end. Time to land and have some liquified matter.





Am I taking somebody's spot? There are at least six ones like this some are greasier then the others.





It took me 5 minutes to secure my airplane and another 5 minutes to run to the pool via beer fridge. Cold beer, warm pool... I am surely missing something here... "Wish Upon a Pike" and a mighty roar came





An armada of V22s Ospreys flew in to refuel. Two, four then another one... six!!
These are quick suckers two fuel trucks were working hard with one on standby.





Man that was epic. Sitting by the pool with a cold beer watching and listening to the roar of turbines, with smell of burnt jet fuel and a cloud of dust!! Indescribable feelings of thoughtless youth! Thank YOU you know who you are for recommending a place like this. I owe you big time!





In couple hours I went to the restaurant I was hungry as a marathon runner. Ordered steak. And drink. Then more. The restaurant was surprisingly empty. When I asked for a bill the waitress said everything has been taken care of and she didn't disclose by whom. Have a good night. Tomorrow's route was already plotted.

[Infidel]

This is the point of the trip I've been waiting for. The mysterious west! Kudos Vlad, Kudos!

[pitts flyer]

The Carrizo Gorge Railway is not "abandoned", it is just out of service. Abandonment connotes a legal action and approval by the Federal Surface Transportation Board, which is not the case and has not happened with that railroad. It possibly, though one could speculate on the probability, could be placed back in service some day.

[NYTOM]

After seeing a lot of interesting objects and places that Vlad has shown us I sometimes research to get more info. There is now a plan in the works to rebuild that "Desert Railroad" which was part of the old San Diego and Airzona RR line and will run trains from San Diago thru Mexico and back into the Imperial valley of California. A search of U-tube will show a trip through the tunnels and over the trestle. Even some close ups of those wrecked rail cars. I must admit I have learned a lot of very interesting info about the USA through Vlads adventures.