It was awfully windy last night – between the coyotes howling and wind rocking the RV neither of us slept well.

We haven’t yet ventured down into the southern portion of the park, so today’s the day. The winds continue gusting, making our helmets bob around on the motorcycle ride. We top off gas and head south. It’s beautiful country, much fewer people around. We pass only a handful of vehicles on the way and a couple of campsites. At least part of it is cooler, whether due to elevation or protection from the mountains I’m not sure, and is also much greener. We pass through that and return to the brown desert yet again.

Halfway through our gas tank we find a bluff overlooking the valley for lunch. We seem to have the place to ourselves, with only a couple of vehicles passing along the road. We sit within the rock garden that someone has created. After eating, I rebuild the cairnes that have fallen over.

We decide to press on, past the boundaries of the park. Either way we go, we’re looking for a gas station. We pass a border check point, through a windmill farm, and then in Ocotillo we find one under I-8. The lady next to us has a new vehicle and asks us to look at her vehicle. It’s new, and the tank is capless. She wanted to make sure she wasn’t missing something.

Back on the road, we decide to head back up to Julian for another coffee. It’s cool at the higher elevation and I’m chilled when we arrive. We walk around town to explore our options and settle on Mom’s Bakery. The pies smell delicious.

After finishing our coffees we head back home, prepare supper, and spend the evening reading before bed.