Well, it's not a big deal to you, maybe
-- but it's the first time I've had more than a 3-day weekend's vacation in over
10 years, and it's the only time I've taken off by myself in as long. No
kids and family, no obligations, not even an itinerary.
Goal: Deliver a gray 1990 Buick Regal to my
sister Julie in Olympia, Washington. So from San Diego to Washington state, I
took seven days off, hit the road, and saw some beautiful stuff.
The ol' Buick easily cruised at 100 mph...
Carmel Pipe Shop, Carmel, California
Carmel was a must-see. I spent a lot of time there
during my army training at nearby Ft. Ord. The Carmel Pipe Shop
is a personal tradition: I buy a new pipe each time I visit it.
Carmel Pipe Shop
Ft. Ord, California
My barracks when I was training at Ft. Ord, California.
The entire army base has been abandoned and is now
officially the California State University, Monterey Bay --
although it sure still looks like an army base.
Santa Cruz hotel room
Room 226, Travelodge Riviera.
Proof I traveled light:
Handspring Visor with folding Stowaway keyboard for notes,
Olympus digital camera, Motorola StarTAC cell phone with email
capability, Total Recall digital voice recorder Springboard module
for the Visor, Archos Jukebox 6000 6-gigabyte
mini-hard disk MP3 player with 500+ songs,
and a bottle of cheap Scotch.
Monterey Harbor
Eel River, Northern California
Spent
the night at Redwoods
River Resort outside Leggett, CA, on Hwy 101;
stayed in Rm. 5 in building nestled in Redwoods. On March 21, 2001,
after hiking down the steep trail from my hotel room to commune with
the unspeakably beautiful Redwoods and the pristine rushing river,
I dropped my Motorola StarTAC cell phone into the river
exactly where this picture was taken. No more cell phone or
email till I replaced the phone in Olympia, Washington. Bummer.
Elk in Oregon
On
March 21, 2001, I stayed in Port Orford, Oregon, in the Sea Crest Motel with a
view of beautiful coastline. Had dinner at Spaghetti West, where I had gourmet
grilled halibut, vegetable soup, fresh bread with baked garlic pieces, an Oregon
microbrew beer, and a glass of Chardonnay.
Spent half an hour watching these elk: I know I'll never see anything like this
again.
Oregon Coast
Drove many miles along US 101 with this majesty only yards from my left
shoulder.
