WELL, we made it home. Missed the "Hurriquake," but had plenty of adventures. All good ones. I'm starting with an over view, then, as the dust settles (and before my memory fades--which could be soon these days) I'll add more specifics on each leg of the trip in future posts.
Overall, 2600 miles in the Yellow Submarine, our DS21 Citroen wagon. Up US101 as far as Crescent City, CA, over the 199 to Grants Pass, then up the I-5 to Olympia, WA to see my Mom. At 95, she's doing well, thanks for asking.
The return trip was back to Grants Pass, OR, then staying on the I-5 to Williams, CA (I'll explain why later) and lunch with good buddy Bill and his lady, Danielle. From there to Gilroy for Garlic, then Watsonville for three days of Monterey Car Week.
Finally, HOME! Three weeks on the road, and yes, we're still speaking to one another.
Overall, the trip was spectacular! The scenery of California in particular never ceases to amaze us both. The sheer variety is mind boggling.
Coastal rolling hills, the vast Pacific Ocean, farm land as far as the eye can see, rugged mountains, and towering redwoods. What's not to like.
And friendly people (mostly) at each stop. Naturally, driving a bright yellow Citroen Wagon attracts a lot of attention, and every stop requires the answering of a LOT of questions. Hey, if you're gonna Road Trip in a Weird Beast, you gotta expect and embrace it. Marianne and I have gotten the spiel down while always keeping it friendly. Sure, we've answered the same questions a gazillion times, but it pays to be friendly.
The big highlights were mostly the expected ones. We spent a lot of time dawdling up 101 in NoCal, stopping at as many weird and wonderful Roadside Attractions as we could in the Redwoods, eating at the odd diners, and just cruisin' at 57 MPH, windows down, music on, and trying not to DIE OF THE HEAT!
That was the big issue for us. Thankfully, the aluminium radiator from the guys at Wizard Cooling kept the car at a decent temp (except on a few nasty hills). We left most mornings between 4 and 5AM (yes, Tina, those hours DO exist!) to beat the worst of it. Mostly.
Ukiah, Grants Pass, and Williams were the worst. Those places seem to get their peak highs much later in the day, so when we'd arrive at the motel, it was around noon, and hitting in the 90s. Taking a nap in the A/C room and heading for dinner meant going out into 100+ oppressive heat. We were well equipped to deal with wonderful Columbia shirts that have UV protection, lots of water to drink, and those cooling towels that you get wet, then reactivate by speading them out and snapping to corners. On the neck, they work well. A few times the climbs in the roads heated up the Auld Crate to the point where we had to turn on the heater to dissapate that last 5-6degrees of engine temp.
As a bonus, we got to stop in Portland for lunch with a former student, Vanessa. It warms my heart that some 20 years later, former students want to hang with their goofy history teacher. I guess I DID do some good.
The visit with Mom and my sister went great, good to relax there (and fix the new gas tank sender that decided to LEAK if the tank was full, meaning I only put 5 gallons in at each stop. sigh.) We even hit a small car show in Onalaska, where our old friend Pam lives. We actually got to hang out with her and hubby Joel for a whole day. Usually, all we can do is a lunch or breakfast with them. Great to properly catch up.
The drive back was mostly heat and hills, but leaving at 4AM beat the worst of it. Gilroy got us Garlic Goodies (nice alliteration, eh?) and a quick jaunt to Watsonville for 3 nights. This worked well for Monterey Car Week stuff as it's only 30 miles or so from the Action.
Our top priority was, of course, the infamous Concours d'Lemons car show. We were entered and decked out the Sub with all of our wacky Beatles Stuff. I have to say right off, that this is the BEST CAR SHOW WE'VE EVER BEEN TO! We've attended everything from morning Cars 'n' Coffees to small local shows to large shows that take up blocks, to elegant proper Concours d'Elegance. This topped them all.
First, the people, both showing and attending were wonderful. Friendly, often knowlegeable, and just plain happy to be there. It kinda freaked Marianne out a bit, people wanted selfies with her! (She, of course is FAR more worthy of photos than I) Oh, and one more thing: WE 'WON' THE 'TOP' PRIZE! YES, WORST OF SHOW!!! And the Silly String Bath that goes with the 'honor.'
Finally, the drive home was uneventful, we managed to miss the nasty storms (our kids were REALLY worried that we'd have to drive through a hurricane, but our timing was perfect) and was highlighted by a nice brunch at Bob's Well Bread in Los Alamos (where else?).
We even missed the nasty Santa Barbara Crawl and even the 210 (aka The Broken Freeway) wasn't a horror.
So, when I get that elusive Round Tuit, I'll regale you with more details of each leg of the journey, and more photos, and even some youtubery to brighten your day.
