Mules, if you haven’t seen one in person before- which I clearly had not- are the same size as a horse but have oversized ears and slumpy heads. Not so much the regal animal that the horse is. Bred from a male donkey and a female horse, Mules are thicker in stature, yet toned more like a horse. Easily confused by the untrained eye.

An equestrian I am not, but I really like riding horses. Did I mention that mules ride nothing like horses. Yes, they gallup, trot and neigh, but their actions happen at about a third of the speed.

Anyways, all in all the 4-hour “adventure ride” turned out well. We scaled the sides of valley ravines, crossed creeks of tumbling rocks and even side-swiped a cactus or two. Quite the adventure.

Apparently, at some point last night the auxiliary battery died- causing the heat to shut off. Even after reading the owner’s manual, the cause of my glacial awakening goes unknown.

It is now nearly 1pm and I have refused to get up from bed for anything but to brush my teeth and grab a bowl of cereal. Oh, and to turn the heat back on. The radio is on Jill Fm, the “diva on the dial” playing everything from Backstreet Boys to the Moody Blues. Can’t figure out exactly what this “diva” is thinking with such a compilation.

Maybe this afternoon I’ll let the awning out, I can throw down a blanket outside, and grill some habanero and chicken bratwurst while taking in some sun. The campground we’re stay at- the O’Neill Regional Park- has horse trails, bike paths and hiking trails along the river and make for great ambiance.

I’ll also be nursing my bruised rib back to health…youch!

Until next time,

Mia

Our camp spot was partly shaded and looked over the Arroyo Trabuco (better known as Trabuco River). I couldn’t wait to eat. Note to self: Skipping breakfast before a road trip is not the best idea.

After recuperating from the bratwurst-induced food coma, we took the bikes out for a trail ride on the rocky shores of the Trabuco River. We trekked up a steep mountain filled with shoulder-high weeds and dry brush in search of a view of the entire canyon only to find ourselves at the edge of a highway.

Apparently we hadn’t travelled far enough east to avoid urban disturbances.

More tomorrow.

For the past 3 years I have spent the holiday season (usually December 27th- January 3rd) on some sort of road trip or travel and have found it to be a great time to get away from all things comfortable and see things from a different perspective upon my return.

Road trips before the new year give you time to reflect on all that has happened in the last year and mentally prepare to return home with a new perspective. This year’s holiday road trip was spent in the U.S. for once, visiting Yuma, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson, Arizona. The vast deserts and multicolored sunsets have provided me with the respite that I had been needing in order to sum up the events of 2009.

It’s also nice to get out of your element. We are, by nature, creatures of habit and by stepping away from all that is normal in our lives, we are allowed to see more clearly the things we seek to change or improve in our lives.

Now, I may be biased- seeing as there is obviously a direct connection with travel and my career- but I truly believe that  returning to your home creates a nice segue into the new year.

With only a general direction (East) and a final destination in mind (Tucson and Patagonia), I have been letting the people I meet along the way plan the next destination.

In Los Angeles, it was suggested I take the Interstate-8 out to Arizona.

Stopping at a national park for the night, just off of the 8fwy and Sunrise Highway, we pulled off at a turnout and had a beautiful view. The next morning, I met a man who was flying a remote ariplane off the side of the cliff.

I asked him if there was anything he’d recommend seeing off of the 8 freeway and he mentioned a 15 minute drive to a cliff in which the vast desert landscape could be seen for what looked like an eternity. I started to imagine pioneering these lands and having no idea what was ahead.

From there, we saw signs for a lookout tower, where I met an interesting coon-skin hat-wearing man and his pet lab-rat. He gave us our next destination. Felicity.

The Official Center of The World in Felicity, CA is the last exit before Arizona, and has an undefined total population count.

The attraction boasts miles of granite walls in which the history of the universe has been etched by artists from around the World. This documentation of significant events, people and wildlife serves to provide the future with a keen sense of our existence as we know it.

Off in the distance, I heard someone murmur “it’s so that aliens know all about us when they come.” or something to that effect. To be honest, it did seem odd that so much of this man’s money was being dedicated to this project…in the middle of nowhere.

Just after the tour, the woman pointed off to Yuma and mentioned the Territorial Prison where many Old West desperadoes were held for unruly gunfire.

So, here I am in Yuma. Met some locals last night at Red’s Birdcage- the most popular bar in town. Today, I rode my bike around the entire city and found that one day in Yuma was more than enough.

Want to help choose my next stop? Leave a comment with the destination and why it’s worth visiting!

Photos courtesy of Wil Fernandez