Joe's Roadtrip

Location: Santa Clarita, CA

Miles Driven: ~370

Total Miles: 12,626

Despite the 90 degree heat, I woke up fairly comfortable in the car and had a good night of rest.  Hit the road before 7AM and made my way southwest towards San Diego, first destination of the West Coast.  I had never been to southern California before, and the landscape was pretty interesting.

The swing in temperature from inland as I got more towards the coast was pretty dramatic.  By the time I was on the outskirts of San Diego, the temperature had dropped to 70 degrees.  I made my way towards the downtown area, then west towards the beaches.  And the trip’s first views of the Pacific Ocean….

Hmm, looks probably a bit more dismal than the Pacific Ocean we all think about in our heads.  It was a cloudy day near the water, and a bit chilly. I didn’t need a jacket, but the water was freezing.  Don’t know how people were swimming/surfing.

I walked along the beach for a while, and made my way to that long pier.

a view from the pier

At the end of the pier

Well, it wasn’t the bluest Pacific I had seen years ago off the coast of North, but still pretty cool to be out on this side of the U.S.  Strange to think it wasn’t that long ago I was on the shores of the East Coast.

So I made my way back to the car and decided to push north towards the Los Angeles area.  It wasn’t a bad drive – less than 3 hours, I think – and I headed towards Manhattan Beach.  There, my well-traveled friend John (and former host in Georgia), recommended I hit up an Italian restaurant called Mama D’s and order their chicken penne with pink sauce.  He described this dish eloquently to me – “if you put it on your forehead, your tongue will beat its brains out.”

A great dish. Thanks John

After that filling meal, I headed towards the beach area to hang out.  Now if San Diego was slightly cooler than inland California, Manhattan Beach was downright chilly.  I could’ve used a jacket.  But the sun was out, fortunately.

Manhattan Beach

After hanging out for a bit, I left the beach, got back in the car, and made my way north to Santa Clarita where a friend was staying.

Taylor and me

Taylor just moved out here from Georgia for work, and was set up with temporary living at a hotel.  Taylor made me feel right at home and said I could take advantage of the place as long as I wanted.  Great to laugh again with a good friend.  He may have attended Georgia Tech, but he’s an all right dude.  Thanks buddy.

On Tuesday I’ll make my way further north towards the San Francisco area, and drive up famous Highway 1 along the coast.  Every time I read an article about “Best drives in the U.S.”, the CA Coast is always mentioned.  Can’t wait.

joe