Road Trip

Hello Everyone:

This morning we had a a little shake, rattle and roll in Los Angeles.  A 4.4 earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley area about 6:30 a.m. and was felt throughout parts of the city.  No damage or injuries reported, just jolted nerves.  Happy St. Patrick's Day Los Angeles.  Seriously, Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my Irish fans, followers, friends and fiends out there.  I have a bottle of "Irish champagne." Guinness beer in my refrigerator.  I guess if you were sleeping off a hangover, the earthquake just added to it.  Anyway, tomorrow I'm getting together with my long lost friends from Arizona.  I can't wait.  It's been, like, forever since I've seen them and I can''t wait to meet their daughters.  They made the eight hour drive from the Phoenix area for Spring Break.  They'll be here for a few days before driving back.  They're really into these long car trips.  I rather like long car trips myself, especially when you're with other people.  You can really spend the time enjoying each others company.  If you all are so incline, you can make it a leisurely experience by stopping at different places along the route. One road trip I've always wanted to do is up the California coast.  Technically I've done it, driving from San Jose and back along the 101 Freeway but what I really want to do is drive up the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco or Mendocino.  The Coast Highway is just that, along the coast, intersecting at points with the 101.  It's a beautiful route with endless ocean views on one side and mountains and hillsides on the other.  One time I was driving home from an interview in Malibu and I was traveling along the coast.  It was a gorgeous day and on my right was the very blue Pacific Ocean; on my right, snow-capped mountains.  How amazing is that?  Anyway my dream road trip would involve stopping for overnight visits in places like Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Carmel, Santa Cruz, before reaching the final destination.  I figure if you're going to drive up the coast, do it at a leisurely pace.  Same is true for any long distance drive.  Relax and enjoy the journey.  My friends and I are getting together for lunch tomorrow.  I'll let you know all about it afterward.