LONG BEACH TO ANNAPOLIS, AND BACK!: Day 1, 8 hours, 504 miles

 We departed Long Beach at around 9:30am, a little later than expected. The weather was excellent but quite warm. Already 83F.

Traffic was light - not real delays until we hit Las Vegas.

 The first major transition was onto Interstate 15 as it wove up into the Cajon Pass. The pass is a miles-long gouge through the San Bernardino Mountains, carved by the infamous San Andreas Fault.

It is here that the North American and Pacific tectonic plates are locked together, storing energy for a future megaquake that is predicted for the region.

 Safely past the fault, we stopped for a brief time at Peggy Sue's Diner, just north of Barstow. It's a quaint little place and well worth the stop.

 The aptly named Devil's Playground.

This is an area of the Mojave Desert which takes few prisoners and is as stark and forbidding as the name suggests.

As long as you don't leave the interstate you'll be fine.

 Entering Nevada. Our first state border.

 The Las Vegas Strip. Southern end.

Typically this would be our final stop, but needs we must push on. It's probably the first time since college when I haven't stopped for even a single night.

 The vast and empty esert north of Las Vegas, nearing the Arizona border.

 We stopped for leg-stretching next to the Virgin River, in the Virgin River Canyon.

The rain from a wet season is wtill in runoff, and the river was a dark and swirling brown shade as it tumbled down the canyon.

Final stop. We're in Beaver, Utah. It's a very small town with a long history, including as the birthplace for Butch Cassidy.

Even on a Saturday night, the streets rolled up around 7pm, and we went back to the room to rest for tomorrow's drive to Denver. Another 8 hour sint, through the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

Hoping the weather holds.