Earlier I wrote about my very first solo road trip in January 1995. Hard to believe that was almost 22 years ago, half my lifetime really. At that point, my parents' marriage was almost 2 months from ending. Having a car in college freed me to be a bit more social...or alone to think, which was necessary form time to time.
In mid-March, the marriage was over and thus began a long period of adjustment for me, about 3 years worth.Well, I had to get home at some point, and Spring Break in April was the time to do it.
The trip did not start out solo, as I'd offered to drop two guys from the dorms at the Oakland Airport. We set off pretty early on 101, then grabbed I 580. Almost immediately we were on the San Rafael-Richmond Bridge, a long but unimpressive span across the northern bay. After that we passed through Richmond, El Cerrito, and Emeryville before hitting Oakland...all 3 towns suffering from urban blight As the northernmost part of the 880 freeway had not been rebuilt form the 1989 earthquake, we had to take 980 to 880. I got to the airport by about 7am, traffic was still fairly light then. Afterward, finally alone, I continued down 880 all the way through the South Bay urban blight cities...they really all look the same. Early morning rush hour caused a few slow areas, but it flowed well overall.
In San Jose, I returned to 101. The scenery got less urban and more country. All around were yellow-brown hills with a few green patches for 40 miles. At last I went through some woodsy curves after Gilroy (home of garlic and it smells like it!) and was in Monterey County. By this time I was pretty hungry so I stopped at an IHOP around 10am for some Swedish crepes and eggs.
The landscape in Monterey County around 101 was still yellow-brown hills for the most part, hitting small towns every 15-20 miles. After getting into San Luis Obispo County, the landscape turned pretty hilly for many miles, going through the towns of Atascadero, Paso Robles, and San Luis Obispo, then a great view of the ocean at Pismo Beach. 101 then turned inland again as it entered Santa Barbara County. Shortly after Buellton, 101 took a huge curve to the east at Gaviota Pass, offering a great view of the Pacific Ocean for dozens of miles. 101 passed through the picturesque towns of Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpenteria before entering Ventura County to pass through blighted Ventura and Oxnard. In one of those towns I grabbed some lunch but for the life of me, I cannot remember where!
Entering Los Angeles County, 101 passed through the beautiful Agoura Hills before entering the San Fernando Valley. Soon, I was entering motion picture land. 101 turned southeast onto the Hollywood Freeway, but I stayed on the current freeway which was now CA 134 through Glendale and then Pasadena before the freeway became I 210...and also became a bit more congested as it traveled through the San Gabriel Valley through ugly town after town. Twenty miles east, the freeway ended on CA 66, former home of U.S. 66 in its glory days. I now had to contend with lights, but it was a small price to pay to be on a classic road. I went through Sam Dimas, Laverne, and Claremont before entering San Bernardino County to pass through Upland and Rancho Cucamonga. At one point, I stopped at a McDonald's just because it strove for a classic building design. The food, however, was far from classic.
Finally, I hit I 15 south and took the congested rush hour freeway back to San Diego via Norco, Corona, Lake Elsinore, Temecula, and Escondido. I was tired, it was almost 7pm. It was a strange visit home, particularly because I now had 2 homes: my Dad's house and Mom's new apartment. Both were still getting used to their new lives, having their happy moments as well as tough ones. I think my mom, despite a lower income than my dad, had things slightly easier. For one thing, at that point she and her sister Terry were close and lived close to one another so there was a support system. Mom was also a better cook, and she lived near some pretty decent restaurants by San Diego State.
Almost 22 years later, I remember this trip fondly for the scenery, music on the radio, and self-reflection.
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