29th day - 11th March 2022

The morning doesn't start well. The shower is quite cold. I let the water run for 5 minutes but nothing happens. Well, then I'll just bite the bullet and treat myself to a healthy dose of cold water. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And since my final stage awaits me, I take it sportingly. I won't be sleeping in a hotel tonight.

The drive goes through Joshua Tree terrain for a while. After 15 minutes, they disappear and don't appear again during the drive. They still grow in other places, but their existence is threatened due to climate change.

I have 4 hours to return, so I don't take the highway but rather the country road towards San Diego. It goes through rocky areas to Palm Springs and Palm Desert, two cities that easily reveal the wealth of their residents. Generous villas are surrounded by green areas that can rival Wimbledon's lawn at any time. It also takes quite a while to pass through these two cities, as the traffic lights don't have a green wave. However, both places are surrounded by desert, which only gives a glimpse of their water consumption.

After Palm Desert, Route 74 leads up in numerous switchbacks, offering a fantastic view of this green oasis. I'm back at about 1000 m altitude now, but there is no more snow. It's also really warm here, even now it's well above 15° up here.

Through pine forests, it now leisurely goes on Route 371 and 79 to Temecula, a larger city between Los Angeles and San Diego. Along the entire route, I miss picnic tables that I saw on every corner in New Mexico and Arizona. Despite the always beautiful weather, there seems to be no interest in installing them here. Since I told Tom that I don't want to make any more excursions, I want to take a look at the Pacific.

The nearest beach from my car rental is Solana Beach. The closer I get, the more the traffic increases. I don't like driving in these metropolitan areas. It's not very relaxing because the drivers are also much more aggressive. And constant traffic jams are also the result. In Solana Beach, I get lost at first, which leaves me with only a few minutes. Nevertheless, I find a viewpoint that shows the Pacific in its most beautiful form on this wonderful day.

From here, it's still 20 minutes to the car return, and I definitely need that time. After refueling, I get lost again, so it takes another 15 minutes until I'm back where I started. The return is again completely relaxed, no big fuss is made here. Ignazio, who works here, tells me he is a big Liverpool fan. His father is from the Basque Country, his mother is from Wales. He has never been to either region. It's interesting how many Americans never leave their country. On the other hand, they have such a great selection of destinations in their own country that you can understand that a little.

After a good hour, I'm picked up and the drive to El Cajon takes forever. It's rush hour and you're constantly stuck in traffic. Instead of 30 minutes, it takes 90. Seeing Tom and Jen again is great. They are both such warm and friendly people. In the evening, we go to black Angus, a steakhouse nearby. After two great appetizers that we share, I regret my main course. I'm already full. Here you can really live off appetizers without starving.

Tom brings his own bread and chips. Both low in carbohydrates. That's not a problem here, but it would be a little strange for us. Since I'm really tired, I say goodbye and go to bed at 9:30 pm. It's really cozy there, and I have the most restful night since I arrived in America. What luck to have such friends. These three days here will do us good. Even if it won't be as spectacular as the rest of my trip. But I am surrounded by dear people.