It wasn’t nearly as hot as we expected it to be, even though the sun was out and the winds had died down. Even in the middle of the day temperatures stayed around a surprisingly comfortable 82-90 degrees. It looked like Death Valley as we left Rocky Point on the western highway up the coast.
We stumbled across a rest area with some lovely desert landscaping and useful billboards explaining the volcanic origin of this desert with descriptions of flora and fauna.
Unfortunately the absence of a formal pit toilet, garbage cans or regular maintenance means the place was pretty revolting.
As so often happens in Mexico grandiose capital projects come into being with no thought of upkeep or maintenance.
Some sections of Highway 3 were freshly paved but most of it was a mix of horrendous potholes and heat rippled asphalt.
This is the main road to California so bilingual signs are the norm.
And of course the obligatory military checkpoint. We did get a cursory inspection by a young man fascinated by our RV cabinetry. All very cheerful and friendly. 
We ended up in a hotel in Los Algodones as there is nowhere secure to camp in this border town. But to get there we drove desert roads and agricultural roads alongside the Wall and finally drove into the town where Layne’s long awaited tooth implants are located.
The coastal route is barely coastal at all. We passed the Salinas Eco Center where friends have parked for the night. We had that tooth deadline but it did not look terribly appealing to me.
The Sea of Cortez was largely invisible.
We stopped and ate our tamales for lunch on a slight pull out. The breeze had picked up and the temperature was quite bearable.
Rusty has been a little restless, a sign I think he is tired of our constant driving to make miles to meet the tooth deadline. It’s a sentiment we all share but his answer was to wander off a little and sniff the air and commune with nature by himself.
I glimpsed the turquoise waters of the sea and thought of tropical places I have sailed.
It just went on and on. Thank heavens GANNET2 kept humming along and we had no drama at all.
When the tooth work is done we plan to drive across the border at Lukeville on Thursday and spend a few days visiting Arizona friends. The idea long term is to cross the US this summer wild camping along the way and be back in Mexico, possibly from Texas, October First. This time our target is Panama followed by South America.
Man proposes and god disposes as the old timers used to say.
Rocky Point preoccupations, money changing and real estate sales.
The beach at Rocky Point.
I finally got Rusty on the sand but he was on the lookout for dogs, a constant worry for him.
San Carlos waterfront out of season. We much prefer this town to Rocky Point.
San Carlos haircuts. $20 for both of us including a healthy tip.
On the beach in San Carlos for one last day of swimming before we drove to Rocky Point:
