Back in 2021 I stopped at the Alamo in Salton City for a burrito and I saw a stack of West Shores News on the counter. I grabbed one and read it as I ate my lunch.
In writing it, I hoped that it might reach some Salton City residents who have seen me cruise around year after year, and let them know that I am there to mind my business and stay out of the way. The article was cut off at the very end due to an printing error, but here it is in it’s entirety.
When I got home I started corresponding with Roni Hewitt who is the editor and all around boss who puts this thing together month after month. I sent her a donation (which she desperately needs) and asked if I could write a guest column and she was happy to oblige me.
I never understood people who ride a bicycle with headphones on. Besides the danger that you distract yourself and get hit by a car or befall a similar fate, in the words of Bruce Lee, you will “miss all that heavenly glory”. Open your eyes, open your ears and take in what is around you. There is beauty in everything, no matter where you find yourself.
In early August I made my fourth trip from Chicago to Salton City to spend a few days riding a bike around town. I have biked all over the country and I have logged thousands of miles at home, but there is no place I enjoy more than Salton City in the hottest part of summer. On my last day this year, I watched the mercury climb over 120F but I still knocked out 15 miles. In those conditions, you have to ride on what I call a ‘moon patrol’. Slowly but surely, conserve your energy and keep your heart rate low. And what better place to do that kind of riding than in a huge city with open streets and plenty for the eyes to feast on!
Since I was a little kid, I have been intrigued (obsessed?) with maps and streets. I learned how the Chicago address system worked long before I could even drive, or was near old enough to explore the city on my own. Besides the beauty of the desert, Salton City offers a nearly infinite maze of streets. The complexity is mind bending – I love riding but my second favorite pastime (which I use to occupy myself the other 11 months of the year) is studying the map and determining various routes around the city. In literature, Don Quixote fancied himself a brave knight, but the giants he slayed were only windmills. I suppose I am not much different, as I imagine myself to be an explorer on the edge of humanity, exploring quiet streets alone in the oppressive heat, hiding under a palm as I check the map and plot my next turn.
Sometimes I don’t follow a route at all, and just try to get lost. Then when sufficient miles have been logged, I check the map and find my way back. The main arteries of the city are great starting points for any ride. Before my first visit, my only goal was to navigate Marina Drive (connecting with Azure Ave). I thought if I can pull this off and I never get to go back, I’ll have something to be proud of. On my last trip I did it again – but I did two laps around the city (about 17 miles). Salton Drive is a great road: well paved, beautiful scenery and one of the longest stretches in the city. Dolphin Drive isn’t as straightforward but an entertaining loop back to California Ave and eventually South Marina Drive. No week would be complete without doing at least one figure-8 around Loop Drive and one should never neglect the barren beauty of the air park. There is an ATV trail that connects the end of the frontage road in Truckhaven with Airport Ave if you don’t mind getting stuck in the sand in Arroyo Salada.
I make sure to wave to everyone I see during my rides. I usually get a wave back. I just want people to know that I am just a quiet cyclist and I don’t mean to bother anyone. I suppose I might seem a bit odd riding all alone in the hottest part of the day. If you see a guy hiding under a tree drinking water with a large brim camouflage hat on, don’t be concerned. It’s just a visitor from Chicago, on another moon patrol.
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