Monday Jan 22, 2023 - Old Fogey Hot Springs to La Jolla CA

Grey and sprinkly this morning so glad we brought the towels and swim trunks in last night. All of those towels and wet bathing suits were somewhat dry this morning and the van was nicely humidified, something new for us desert rats. All of the aging hippies were still here and a few were in the hot springs already this morning.

Last night the camp host was in the hot springs and we asked about fees. The sign said $40 for a 14 day pass and $180 for a 6 month pass. Since we were only here for one night there was no charge. He said the reason the hot spring existed is that  the power company drilled to see if the water was hot enough for geothermal (which it wasn’t), so there was a drilled hole and a couple of tanks ready to go. The power company did find hotter water a mile away and we could see the towers this morning in the distance. I think this is a mecca for nomads who have a place for the winter. And Holtville is near enough for supplies. Hippy dippy for sure.

We drove through Holtville and could see that big ag is king. Deb read that Holtville is the “carrot capital of the world”,  and for the next couple of hours all you can see are bright green fields from horizon to horizon. Our goal this morning was to find an IHOP pancake place. We have not been in one so we need to check the box. Our goals are meager…

We stopped at the El Centro IHOP and had a couple of pancakes, a couple eggs, bacon and an endless pot of so-so coffee for $12 each. #lifegoals.

After the “Elevation Sea Level” sign we started to climb. We climbed to 4000 ft over the next 45 minutes and descended 4000 feet in about the same time until we hit the sprawl of the San Diego area. And it rained, then poured, then poured some more. It poured all the way to La Jolla where we will stay a couple of nights with our Vermont friends Beth and Joe. They’re here for a month to warm up and visit their son Tom who works in the San Diego area.

It stopped raining about when we arrived here midday, but the streets were still full of water. They received 2-3 inches of rain in a day. We had a few hours break in the weather so we did a walking/driving tour of La Jolla. Nice big public beaches and playgrounds. Joe says the houses start at a few million dollars anywhere near the beach. After the tour, Beth and Joe made a delicious chicken marsala dinner and we played Wordle (the board game) until bed.