What. A. Day.
I left Solvang this morning, after finally finding the statue of the Little Mermaid and taking a picture. So, mission accomplished, I headed down the road. In Santa Ynez I stopped at the Chumash Casino and spent an hour or so on the slots. Then, it was on the CA-101, southbound, which took me through some lovely coastal communities before dumping me into the hell that is Los Angeles.
Now, I don't want to offend anyone who lives in Los Angeles. It's a lovely city. I've enjoyed my visits there, in the distant past. But I've never driven there before today and, after today, as God as my witness, I will never drive in Los Angeles again.
It took me three hours to escape the city.
Part of it was just bad timing. I hit just as rush hour began. The 101 was gridlocked for miles, and then it was stop and start, stop and start. It was like having sex with someone with OCD.
Anywho, I finally got through the city onto I-10, which wasn't a whole lot better. I was hoping to make Indio tonight, or at least Palm Springs, but that didn't happen. Tired and hot, I pulled off the road in Calimesa and checked into a hotel.
As I type this, I've opened a bottle of wine and sucked down about half the contents. I'm not even buzzed. I think all my time in wine country has given me a greater tolerance for the grape. Either that or this $12 bottle of wine isn't as strong as I thought.
Ah well.
Tomorrow, I should reach the Salton Sea.
*fingers crossed*
More later! - MEL
I left Solvang this morning, after finally finding the statue of the Little Mermaid and taking a picture. So, mission accomplished, I headed down the road. In Santa Ynez I stopped at the Chumash Casino and spent an hour or so on the slots. Then, it was on the CA-101, southbound, which took me through some lovely coastal communities before dumping me into the hell that is Los Angeles.
Now, I don't want to offend anyone who lives in Los Angeles. It's a lovely city. I've enjoyed my visits there, in the distant past. But I've never driven there before today and, after today, as God as my witness, I will never drive in Los Angeles again.
It took me three hours to escape the city.
Part of it was just bad timing. I hit just as rush hour began. The 101 was gridlocked for miles, and then it was stop and start, stop and start. It was like having sex with someone with OCD.
Anywho, I finally got through the city onto I-10, which wasn't a whole lot better. I was hoping to make Indio tonight, or at least Palm Springs, but that didn't happen. Tired and hot, I pulled off the road in Calimesa and checked into a hotel.
As I type this, I've opened a bottle of wine and sucked down about half the contents. I'm not even buzzed. I think all my time in wine country has given me a greater tolerance for the grape. Either that or this $12 bottle of wine isn't as strong as I thought.
Ah well.
Tomorrow, I should reach the Salton Sea.
*fingers crossed*
More later! - MEL