today's highlight was arriving in san ysidro, ca, the most southwestern corner of the united states, and the fourth and final destination of our anniversary trip. 
driving through los angeles and san diego, even on a saturday, was somewhat stressful for paul, but he continues to do a fine job.  not a whole lot to document in san ysidro. it's obviously a border town before entering mexico, but we did get a picture in front of the library, then also the marker just before getting back on the freeway.
paul was none to eager to be heading east - finally! and a good thing we did as the temperatures did nothing but climb! at one point the bike thermometer registered 105!! our destination for the day was el centro, ca, where we arrived about 1:30 p.m., ready to cool down and rest. * * *
a few notes from yesterdays ride, as, even though there was high traffic to endure, the sights along the way were interesting.
we were north of san francisco, i believe, when a pick-up truck loaded with furniture passed us, and we were reminded of the beverly hillbillies. the wooden rocking chair was on top, up-side-down, and the dog was near the tailgate, enjoying the breeze. only think i didn't see was granny!
we passed through the san joaquin valley, a major agricultural area of the state. it seemed one could just pick up things along the way, and end up with a complete meal at the end.
i'd mentioned earlier the assortment of crops but we also passed an almond orchard for sale, and pastures of livestock. then when we passed more olive trees, then a patch of aromatic onions, i just started imagining it all together, a fresh meal with a glass of california wine . . .
passing by the many orchards, i noticed that some had small, white pipes at the end of rows, i'm guessing as a marker of some sort. others used orange flags on a small, wooden post. but the ones i liked best were the ones that someone had planted a flowering bush for the marker.
a sign along the way shows one farmer's philosophy:
pastures, trees, irrigated crops, all is not lost if something flops.
our choice for dinner was a local italian cafe within walking distance of our motel. spinach tortellini in a light cream sauce with fresh peas, mushroom and onions was my choice, accompanied by, you guessed it, a glass of california cabernet.
today is day 31 of our trip and we will head to tempe, az, tomorrow (leaving bright and early to beat some of the heat). we'll stay a day or two with our son john, before continuing on toward arkansas.
before i forget, i want to thank all who have kept us in prayer while we're traveling. we couldn't have asked for better weather and we have been kept safe for many thousands (almost 10!) of miles.
i'll continue to give updates until reaching bella vista.
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