Of Boiling Radiators and the Wide, Wide, West

Got a reasonably early start from China Lake. The driving was initially fraught with concern over plunging oil pressures, so I had one eye on the road and the other on the gauges.  There is not much between China Lake and Goffs, CA.  Not much but desert heat that got worse as the day went on.  So the gauges message was not about oil pressure, on which more later.

It was almost four hours to Goffs.  Not much there.   It has a historic restored schoolhouse, which was closed when I was there.  It also has a general store, closed some time ago, and in disrepair, even relative to the condition depicted in internet pictures.  I had hoped to capture "Goffs General Store" which was emblazoned on the second story facade.  Not to be.  Here it is today.

No residents were to be seen, though some live there, or nearby I think. 

On the West edge of town, there is a railroad switch with a sign that says West Goffs.  I'd have taken a picture, but it seemed a bit silly because I could run the length of town in about a minute.  There is no Welcome to Goffs sign, an oversight of the Chamber of Commerce no doubt.

At the West edge, I did take a shot of the view to the north, which is a about the same in any direction.

The remainder of the day's driving was quite slow, because on the climb east out of the valley of the Colorado, it was 107 degrees and miles of climbing.  Having been in Stuttgart, Deiter's designers had no concept of the conditions in the American west.  I was fortunate enough to be near a truck stop when the gauges started rising rapidly and the coolant began to spew.  No damage.  An hour wait, some new anti-freeze and on the road again.  I made a couple of other stops after long climbs to allow things to cool

The wait was worth it.  End point today was Sedona, AZ.  Words can't begin.... so...