So far, I have driven through forests, mountains, deserts, and one dust storm after another... After more than 1800 miles of solo driving, I am finally in California! To get you caught up so far...

For those that have never been to Arizona and are wandering what 115 F dry heat feels like, go turn your oven to that and stick your head inside...and stay there for a few days. There are some really awesome things to do and see, but after a day my body was seriously drying out. I never thought I would miss Houston weather but humidity does have it's perks. At least it cools off at night; here, it gets to 95F around 1 or 2 am.

After getting my bearings in Phoenix, I braved the heat and headed to the local botanical gardens... Really pretty desert plants, very nice and natural-feeling displays but I was no match for long term heat exposure. Later that night was a monthly event called First Friday where local artists show off their latest inspirations on Roosevelt Row. Huge crowds, good music and great food for several downtown blocks and you get the idea. There was one panoramic piece of trees with a cardinal flying through...would have taken it if not for the price, next time!

The next day was a mix of local coffee houses, the MIM and the Hole in the Rock with Angie. The Musical Instrument Museum showcases everything from all corners of the world past and present but unlike most museums, you can listen to the music as you roam. Headphone sets with admission sync automatically to the exhibits you walk up to so it's a one of a kind deal...very cool indeed.

I mentioned above something about the extreme dry heat; I wound up at a beauty salon this afternoon on a qest for a moisturizer that would keep me from shedding my skin like a snake. Water has been by my side everywhere I go but the dry skin is painfully itchy (I gotta get out of here soon) everywhere...back of my neck, inbetween my fingers, I'm completely parched in this desert. Thank goodness for Ulta, their variety of high-end products, and sampling policy; that sales clerk saved my skin. Off to hang with Angie!

After a home cooked meal, we headed out to attempt getting some sunset shots from the Hole in the Rock, one of the red colored hills around here with, you guessed it, a hole right through it. We did not beat the sun, but I still got some nice photos and a good time of just hanging out later. We also found the perfect shot glass to sum it all up...there is a small cactus inside with a skeleton resting against it. Outside reads "Arizona...It's a dry heat." Perfect...I can hardly wait to put that glass to good use.

Sunday morning, I tracked down my former pastor, Tom, and gave a surprise visit at his church in Mesa before hitting the road for San Diego. The look on his face as I made a beeline during the brief meet-n-greet said it all; yeah, I was really doing this.

Despite the podcasts, due to a lack of sleep I was starting to doze on the highway and needed to stop so I took the beaten trails to the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site, a 25 mile detour. There I myself alone in the desert and wandering around looking at petroglyphs with a limited water supply. I know some of you would want to slap me for doing that but the alternative is risking falling asleep at the wheel in broad daylight while going 75 mph.

I must say I was very glad I got to stay for so long with this family; they became a family away from home last week. It's amazing the strains traveling can put on a person when it looks so easy. So it goes without saying that gracious hosts really are a blessing and not just in a financial sense. Feeling at home wherever you are makes each trip that much more enjoyable. Now if only they would sign up on CS as a hosting family...