Day 4: California Bound

Today included a brutal eight-hour drive from the Grand Canyon across endless desert to Palmdale, CA, northeast of L.A. The only thing southwestern and southeastern California have in common is an abundance of sunshine; other than that, they couldn't be more different. The coast has water, palm trees, mild temperatures, and millions of people...eastern California has dirt, shrubs, insane heat, and miles of emptiness. We were able to squeeze in a few miles of hiking at Devil's Punch Bowl before darkness set in at the end of the day. The views were as spectacular as the pine cones were large...