3rd Annual Airhead Pre Turkey Rally

[Blues Traveler]

Did 3 seperate weekends of camping in the month of November and I needed to decide which one to write about. This is the 1st time I attended the Airheads weekend at the Salton Sea.

Held at Meca State Beach we had 4 campsites on the beach at the south end of the park. Gary ( don't recall his last name) had hosted this event for the last 3 years. Gary cooked and served a GREAT meal of taco's with all the fix'ins. For breakfast, corizo and eggs. The price for all this was whatever you thought was placed in a tip jar located on one of the picnic tables.

Its a 3 day 2 night event but because of work (work alway's seems to getin the way these day's) we only did Saturday and Sunday. Got an early start and had breakfast in Hemet. From there we took the 74 up through the mountains continued up and over the top where its better know as the Pines to Palms hwy.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--3.jpg

Radar detector came in handy more than once that morning.:D

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--2.jpg

As we came over the top we made a stop at the overlook to strip off a layer of clothing as the temps suddenly went up.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--9.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--1.jpg

The view from the top is pretty awsome. Below you can see the city of Palm Desert. To the right, not pictured is the Salton Sea off in the distance.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223-080.jpg

The 74 down to the desert floor is a nice ride with big switchback and big sweeping turns.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--10.jpg

We arive in Mecca and start unloading and setting up.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--8.jpg

Right on the water. Does it get any better than this?

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--7.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--6.jpg

More people come rolling in. The weather could not have been better. Average temps. were in the mid 70's.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--5.jpg

And the parking filled up at our end of the park.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--14.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--15.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--20.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--18.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--16.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--4.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--12.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--24.jpg

The sunset over the sea and the view was just awsome.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--17.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--13.jpg

The sunrise was also very cool.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--21.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--22.jpg

As alway's the weekend comes to an end. We packed up and headed home. We desided to hit the 10 and slab it as far as Banning.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223-081.jpg

There we headed up the mountain on the 371 through Idylwild were we stopped and had a nice lunch.

This trip will probably be my best remembered trip for the year. The weather and atmosphere at the Salton Sea could not have been better.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d59/ownst1100/AirheadsSaltonSeaweekend11-2223--26.jpg


The Salton Sea when caught at the right time is the most peacefull place I know and the timming could not have been better.

[Trailace]

Thanks for the report.

How many riders show up looks like a lot.

[bigTom]

Nice write up, Keith. I think I only did one in November, also one you were on:) Glad you chose to write this one up.

I just happen to know right where this is. It's what the Highway 74 overlook used to look like.

[Blues Traveler]

How many riders show up looks like a lot.

I didn't count the bikes but I did take a quick count on how many tents we had onthe beach and I counted 20. And there were still a couple of people who pulled there bikes up on trailers behind there motorhomes. Alway's a good turnout with the Airheads . And they're are a bunch who stay up rather late into the night.

[Blues Traveler]

Nice write up, Keith. I think I only did one in November, also one you were on:) Glad you chose to write this one up.

I just happen to know right where this is. It's what the Highway 74 overlook used to look like.

I remember those day's. The overlook is alot bigger now. Lots of brick work. Too bad some of the grafiti taggers have already found it. :mad:

[Mellow]

Nice, thanks Keith!

[George]

Hey, Keith, how did the chow compare to SeaSTOC?

[Ironheadziggy76]

Keith, great trip report as always! I envy you folks on the west coast, I'm looking out the window at snow on the ground.

[George]

Keith, great trip report as always! I envy you folks on the west coast, I'm looking out the window at snow on the ground.

Ziggy, here's a pic of my front yard taken this morning at 8. Over 3 inches now and still coming down. So much for desert living.
1517

Cajon Pass on I-15, east of LA, has been closed the last two nights, snow is falling down to 3000 feet from the west coast all the way across CA, AZ, NM, UT, NV, and CO. And it ain't done yet. My AZ Tag over at ST-Owners is off limits til late spring, as it looks right now.

It's snowing in Vegas as we speak, Palomar is nearly impassable, and I ain't gonna get a bike out of the garage for a few days. Might get the quad out just so I can make some tracks.

[Blues Traveler]

Hey, Keith, how did the chow compare to SeaSTOC?

Gary did a fine job of feeding us at Meca. But the Chicken and Carne Asada taco's cooked up with all the fixin's by Fred and Terry is hard to beat. So my vote has to go with the ST group.

[Black and Blue]

Nice trip report and pictures, as usual!
But man, I've got to get out more...when did they start re-watering the Salton Sea drainage?
I thought it was a goner with San Diego & Mexico taking all the lake drainage.
Nice to know its going strong (from your pictures)...it is probably a major fly way stop for migrating birds...as well as a historic stop for "snowbirds".
I remember my grandparents camping there.