Palms to Pines Scenic Highway

Nov 10/2018  Weather 82, low 59  Nice day for a ride.    About 10 miles down the Coachella Valley from where we are camped in Indio is Palm Desert.  You can start the scenic drive by taking hwy 74 up into the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains.  This 67 mile route will take you from the desert to mountain tops and back down to the valley.  The variety of ecosystems in the Lower Sonoran region will surprise you.  Dry cactus and palms to conifers up at 5000 feet.  You will come across Mountain Center where there are several horse ranches too.   

Starting up the San Jacinto Mountains

At the top of the first pass you have a great stop to look down on the ribbon of twisted highway

Saturday had all the bikers, and car clubs out.  We saw several McClaren's, Porsche's Ferrari's ...  zzzzzoom, zzzzzzooming by.   We kinda of caught them out go by!  And Harley's and crotch rockets.  It was that kind of day.

there goes another one, hey Rosey is that you in the mirror?

saw this slower ride in Idyllwild

Take the 243 hwy into Idyllwild, and feel transformed into a totally different eco system.  You will see so many hikers in this area.  It is part of the infamous Pacific Crest Trail; that was made even more popular from Cheryl Strayed who wrote the best seller Wild; From Lost to Found on the PCT.  And the movie with Reese Witherspoons.

 quaint little town of Idyllwild

Our lunch stop was at an Alpine feel village called Idyllwild.  It is very popular for hiking & biking.  Also popular with those going for a ride for the day to escape the heat.  The elevation is about 5400 feet, a mile high so if it is 80+ in the Valley, it is a crisp 60 up here.   A good hearty lunch and walk around town and back on the bike to descend back down to the Valley.

on our way back, the sky was perfectly clear blue