In search of the continuous road trip
“Excuse me,” the guy asked Lisa, “how do we procure a campsite?” That’s what this hipster said — “procure.” He and his significant other had just parked at the campsite next to ours inside Death Valley’s Emigrant Campground. They were on what sounded like their …
We’re back in Death Valley and it feels both like we’ve never left and like it’s our first visit. The great thing about being able to return to the same place for the third time is that we can pick up where we left off …
Oh, Death Valley, how I love thee! Let me count the ways… You’re silent. I don’t mean quiet – I mean silent. As soon as I’m a mile away from a road, the only thing making noise is me. Maybe there’s a little wind, or …
Fine, fine — the wine is great. The weather is wonderful. It’s close to the ocean, mountains, and San Luis Obispo. Paso Robles is perfect in every way. Whatever, Lisa. Let’s get this straight — the only criteria that matters is the one wrapped in …
Zinfandel (red, not white, as I’ve told many a server) is one of my very favorite wines. Zin is the extrovert of the wine varietals. It doesn’t hold anything back — it’s right there, in your face, giving you everything it’s got. As an introvert, …
First, we didn’t like Dodge City. It just wasn’t touristy enough. There was no old-timey bar, no real downtown, just a comical re-creation of fakeness off the main drag, a drag still used for moving cattle, from, unfortunately, just outside of town where we found …
“The food is worth the wait!” we overhear the hostess promise another round of patrons. “But, we’re going to be late for our tour at the Hearst Castle!” the patroness indignantly exclaims. The hostess puts a sign up near the chalkboard menu — the restaurant …
I was poisoned in Carmel, poisoned by the rancid toxicity of the town, by the streets lined with greed and parkways of envy, by the righteousness of success and arrogance brought by riches. It made me retch for days. Petulant retirees roamed the boutique-lined boulevards. …
We are visiting the Henry Miller Memorial Library. There is not a crumb of dirt anywhere, nor a chair misplaced. There is free coffee available (donation suggested), free WiFi (satellite, so no big downloads, please), and a friendly cat roaming the patio. Lisa and I …
I shouldn’t have looked over the edge. A few miles back, we had passed a sign recommending that trailers and RVs were not advised on the next sixty miles of Route 1 past San Simeon. Seemed like an overreaction at the time. Then we were …
Southern California is home to two great cities and both have great city parks. The crown jewel of San Diego is Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Zoo. The gem of LA is Griffith Park, home to the Hollywood sign and the LA Observatory. …
It has occurred to me that I use the P-word too much. That’s P as in Paradise, of course. Give me clear skies, temps between 65 and 95 (I’m flexible), nice vistas, good trails, and few humans, and I’m in paradise. That’s why I’m trying …