Road Trippin’
with Steve McCarthy
Makin’ Lemonade
You know the old saying, right? Given lemons, one should make lemonade. Turn a sour experience into a delightful one. That clearly goes with Road Trips. Even when you’re the one who created the lemons in the first place.
One problem with retirement, calendars and clocks lose their meaning. Mostly, that’s a good thing. Sometimes? not so much. We thought the annual Rat Fink Reunion would be a lot of fun. The Blue Meanie is the sporty car version of a Rat Rod. At least that’s what I’ve been told. I’m not sure if it was meant to be a compliment. Probably not. So, off we went. To Acton and the KOA campground. Yeah, in SO many ways, the Rat Fink crowd are pretty campy.
This meant of course, Angeles Crest, the Angeles Forest Hwy, then Aliso Canyon. Now, most people don’t do Aliso Canyon. If you don’t, you are missing a real gem. Nice fast sweepers and some tight bits to keep you honest. At 7AMish, it’s pretty neat. Too early for the crotch rockets or the Chippies.
We zipped right along, and just before eight, hit the KOA on Sand Canyon. Nobody there. “You here for the car show? It was yesterday!” OK, so date reading isn’t my current forte. The good part was that the previous day, it POURED RAIN there. Serious gully washing, flash flood inducing tropical downpour. For most of the day! And did I mention the lightening? The lightening that made them leave early? So, all in all, a good mistake to have made.
That left what to do for the rest of the day. Luckily, I remembered that the annual Central Coast British Car Club meet was happening. In Oxnard. Hell, we were halfway there, so...
We had a delightful time, people ooohed and ahhhhed over the Blue Meanie and about 2 PM, we decided to head home.
“Can we stay on the Coast on the way home?” asked Marianne.
So, we trundled along Hwy 1. Through Malibu. On a warm Sunday. In August. DAMN I’m glad I installed the 6 vane water pump and the aluminium radiator! Got a bit warm in a couple of places. Enough to remind me of why I REALLY hate anything west of the 405. Posers in Lambos and Ferraris and even a Veyron, morons who don’t understand that entering an intersection when there’s no room on the other side is not just Illegal, but Immoral. Still, we got a nice tan out of it and made it home about 45 minuted before the next thunderstorm hit Monrovia. So, all in all, not a bad day!
From the UA 8 in La Canada:
1. Turn right onto Foothill Blvd 0.3 mi
2. turn left onto Angeles Crest Hwy 9.5 mi
3. Turn left onto Angeles Forest Hwy 17.5 mi
4. Turn left onto Aliso Canyon Rd 7.3 mi
5. Turn left onto Soledad Canyon Rd
Destination will be on the right 7.8 mi
1 h 7 min (43.1 mi)
6. Head northwest on Soledad Canyon Rd 7.3 mi
7. Turn left to merge onto CA-14 S toward Los Angeles 10.5 mi
Use the 2nd from the right lane to take exit 1A for I-5 S
toward Golden State Fwy/Los Angeles 351 ft
Use the right lane to keep right at the fork and
continue toward San Fernando Rd. 0.5 mi
Keep right to continue on Exit 161B,
follow signs for Balboa Boulevard/San Fernado Road 0.5 mi
11. Turn right onto San Fernando Rd 0.5 mi
12. Turn right onto Balboa Rd 0.1 mi
13. Slight right onto Balboa Blvd 2.9 mi
14. Turn right onto the State Route 118 W ramp 0.2 mi
15. Merge onto CA-118 W 21.8 mi
Take exit 18B for CA-23 N/CA-118 W/Los Angeles Ave 0.2 mi
17. Keep right at the fork and merge onto Los Angeles Ave
Continue to follow CA-118 W/E Los Angeles Ave 7.7 mi
14. Turn left onto CA-34 W 4.9 mi
15. Turn right onto CA-34 W/Pleasant Valley Rd 0.4 mi
16. Turn left onto CA-34 W/E 5th St
Continue to follow E 5th St 10.7 mi
17. Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto S Victoria Ave 1.5 mi
18. Turn right onto W Channel Islands Blvd 0.5 mi
19, Use the left lane to turn left onto
W Channel Islands Blvd/S Harbor Blvd 453 ft
20. Slight left onto S Harbor Blvd 0.9 mi
3900 S Harbor Blvd
Oxnard, CA 93035
OR
you could go to the glorious Mullin Museum in Oxnard!
Mullin Automotive Museum
1421 Emerson Ave
Oxnard, CA 93033
From 5th St. (CA 34)
Turn left on S. Rose Ave.
then Right on Emerson
It will be on the right.
21. Head northwest on S Harbor Blvd toward Bluefin Cir 0.9 mi
22. Slight right onto W Channel Islands Blvd 4.1 mi
23, Use the left lane to take the California 1 S ramp 0.1 mi
24. Merge onto CA-1 S/S Oxnard Blvd
Continue to follow CA-1 S
with Steve McCarthy
Makin’ Lemonade
You know the old saying, right? Given lemons, one should make lemonade. Turn a sour experience into a delightful one. That clearly goes with Road Trips. Even when you’re the one who created the lemons in the first place.
One problem with retirement, calendars and clocks lose their meaning. Mostly, that’s a good thing. Sometimes? not so much. We thought the annual Rat Fink Reunion would be a lot of fun. The Blue Meanie is the sporty car version of a Rat Rod. At least that’s what I’ve been told. I’m not sure if it was meant to be a compliment. Probably not. So, off we went. To Acton and the KOA campground. Yeah, in SO many ways, the Rat Fink crowd are pretty campy.
This meant of course, Angeles Crest, the Angeles Forest Hwy, then Aliso Canyon. Now, most people don’t do Aliso Canyon. If you don’t, you are missing a real gem. Nice fast sweepers and some tight bits to keep you honest. At 7AMish, it’s pretty neat. Too early for the crotch rockets or the Chippies.
We zipped right along, and just before eight, hit the KOA on Sand Canyon. Nobody there. “You here for the car show? It was yesterday!” OK, so date reading isn’t my current forte. The good part was that the previous day, it POURED RAIN there. Serious gully washing, flash flood inducing tropical downpour. For most of the day! And did I mention the lightening? The lightening that made them leave early? So, all in all, a good mistake to have made.
That left what to do for the rest of the day. Luckily, I remembered that the annual Central Coast British Car Club meet was happening. In Oxnard. Hell, we were halfway there, so...
We had a delightful time, people ooohed and ahhhhed over the Blue Meanie and about 2 PM, we decided to head home.
“Can we stay on the Coast on the way home?” asked Marianne.
So, we trundled along Hwy 1. Through Malibu. On a warm Sunday. In August. DAMN I’m glad I installed the 6 vane water pump and the aluminium radiator! Got a bit warm in a couple of places. Enough to remind me of why I REALLY hate anything west of the 405. Posers in Lambos and Ferraris and even a Veyron, morons who don’t understand that entering an intersection when there’s no room on the other side is not just Illegal, but Immoral. Still, we got a nice tan out of it and made it home about 45 minuted before the next thunderstorm hit Monrovia. So, all in all, not a bad day!
From the UA 8 in La Canada:
1. Turn right onto Foothill Blvd 0.3 mi
2. turn left onto Angeles Crest Hwy 9.5 mi
3. Turn left onto Angeles Forest Hwy 17.5 mi
4. Turn left onto Aliso Canyon Rd 7.3 mi
5. Turn left onto Soledad Canyon Rd
Destination will be on the right 7.8 mi
1 h 7 min (43.1 mi)
6. Head northwest on Soledad Canyon Rd 7.3 mi
7. Turn left to merge onto CA-14 S toward Los Angeles 10.5 mi
Use the 2nd from the right lane to take exit 1A for I-5 S
toward Golden State Fwy/Los Angeles 351 ft
Use the right lane to keep right at the fork and
continue toward San Fernando Rd. 0.5 mi
Keep right to continue on Exit 161B,
follow signs for Balboa Boulevard/San Fernado Road 0.5 mi
11. Turn right onto San Fernando Rd 0.5 mi
12. Turn right onto Balboa Rd 0.1 mi
13. Slight right onto Balboa Blvd 2.9 mi
14. Turn right onto the State Route 118 W ramp 0.2 mi
15. Merge onto CA-118 W 21.8 mi
Take exit 18B for CA-23 N/CA-118 W/Los Angeles Ave 0.2 mi
17. Keep right at the fork and merge onto Los Angeles Ave
Continue to follow CA-118 W/E Los Angeles Ave 7.7 mi
14. Turn left onto CA-34 W 4.9 mi
15. Turn right onto CA-34 W/Pleasant Valley Rd 0.4 mi
16. Turn left onto CA-34 W/E 5th St
Continue to follow E 5th St 10.7 mi
17. Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto S Victoria Ave 1.5 mi
18. Turn right onto W Channel Islands Blvd 0.5 mi
19, Use the left lane to turn left onto
W Channel Islands Blvd/S Harbor Blvd 453 ft
20. Slight left onto S Harbor Blvd 0.9 mi
3900 S Harbor Blvd
Oxnard, CA 93035
OR
you could go to the glorious Mullin Museum in Oxnard!
Mullin Automotive Museum
1421 Emerson Ave
Oxnard, CA 93033
From 5th St. (CA 34)
Turn left on S. Rose Ave.
then Right on Emerson
It will be on the right.
21. Head northwest on S Harbor Blvd toward Bluefin Cir 0.9 mi
22. Slight right onto W Channel Islands Blvd 4.1 mi
23, Use the left lane to take the California 1 S ramp 0.1 mi
24. Merge onto CA-1 S/S Oxnard Blvd
Continue to follow CA-1 S
