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Las Vegas, Nevada to Prunedale, California 5/16/2014

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MAY 16, 2014 (Friday)

 

Drove from Las Vegas to Prunedale (a little over 500 miles). Took about 7 hours. We stopped in Las Vegas for breakfast and Techachapi for gas.

Goodbye Grandview, it was grand!
Goodbye Grandview, it was grand!
Goodbye distant hills.
Goodbye distant hills.
Their flatbread egg white sandwich is my favorite for starting on the road.
Their flatbread egg white sandwich is my favorite for starting on the road.
Took 6.6 gallons, We figure we could make it on one tank of gas if we wanted.
Took 6.6 gallons, We figure we could make it on one tank of gas if we wanted.
Saw a great old Chevy driving out.
Saw a great old Chevy driving out.

We decided to take a little different drive and went Highway 198. It had been years since we had been that way. We remembered (in the past) the oil well equipment had been painted up like giraffes, butterflies, and all sorts of things. The equipment is so old and rusty now, it’s hard to determine what they had been painted at one time. We took off from I-5 headed west towards Coalinga. An interesting town on the west side of the sprawling central valley. An oasis in a very dry and parched drought stricken area.

Gilroy is the garlic capitol, but a fungus in the dirt has stopped farmers from growing it there. But that is where the processing plants all are, so this is a common site headed west.
Gilroy is the garlic capitol, but a fungus in the dirt has stopped farmers from growing it there. But that is where the processing plants all are, so this is a common site headed west.
If you are a steak lover, Harris Ranch is always worth a stop.
If you are a steak lover, Harris Ranch is always worth a stop.
Coalinga is a clean, neat little town.
Coalinga is a clean, neat little town.

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Fun looking museum.
Fun looking museum.
Out of town, the drought hits.
Out of town, the drought hits.

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We think there is a spring up this hillside.
We think there is a spring up this hillside.
Rough landscape along the way with life amazingly hanging on.
Rough landscape along the way with life amazingly hanging on.

We climbed the hills and crossed into Monterey County at a little town called Priest Valley. It was amazingly lush there given the landscape we passed through to get there. We noticed there were no prairie dogs. Usually, they put on a great show scurrying from hole to hole as we drive by.

Priest valley is mostly ranches. There is a bar up there. Sheriff response time to a Saturday night fight is about 2 hours.
Priest Valley is mostly ranches. There is a bar up there. Sheriff response time to a Saturday night fight is about 2 hours.

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It seamed lush after the really dry stuff.
It seamed lush after the really dry stuff.
Literally a one room school house.
Literally a one room school house.
Pretty country.
Pretty country.

 The temperatures changed dramatically as we left the high 90’s of the central valley and hit the mid 70’s of the Salinas Valley.

Ah, the cool was in sight.
Ah, the cool was in sight.
A tree captures the coastal marine layer as it flows by and causes it to rain as the moisture condenses on the leaves and falls to the ground.
A tree captures the coastal marine layer as it flows by and causes it to rain as the moisture condenses on the leaves and falls to the ground.
Looking back, some of the hills are so dry!
Looking back, some of the hills are so dry!

We got into Prunedale around 6:00 PM. It was good to get home and see the girl, we missed her. That was our long day. Hope yours was great!