Now this is a real desert. ...An arid, barren, uninviting, unforgiving, you-don't-want-to-run-out-of-gas-here kind of desert, complete with tumbleweeds rolling across the road. ...Twanggg.

It must take a sense of humor to reside in these parts. This area is called "Riverside". (!!??)

Nevertheless, this is a fun drive; a good road for playing your favorite tapes as the car makes its way down the smooth pavement. (Unfortunately, I realized that the numerous small dips in the road were making me seasick as I neared the border...)

I turned in for the night at Lake Havasu, a resort town in Arizona along the Parker dam -- and apparently a haven for boaters, RVers and skateboarders. I was also told it's got really pretty sunsets, although that night, I could only get a shot from the Rotary Club Community Park (which has a big skateboarding park).