The move into Arizona comes early. From Blythe, the route crosses the Colorado River to Ehrenberg and leaves California behind. After that, it first stays in the broad traffic corridor toward Quartzsite: desert, fuel stops, dry washes, low hills and long sightlines along the road. Quartzsite is the clear mid-stage point, a desert town with services, wide roads and plenty of through traffic. Beyond town, the route turns onto US 60. The landscape becomes more consistent, but not empty: cacti, gravel flats, power lines, access roads to scattered properties and mountain ranges on the horizon follow the road. Via Brenda and Hope, the route keeps rising gradually before reaching Salome, a small settlement in the McMullen Valley.
