Santa Barbara to Irvine, California
We went to the same place as yesterday for coffee and breakfast. And again, it was a good experience. White table cloths, sunlight, good coffee and a nice bagel.
Then we had another brief walk about town and we were off on this first day of 2012 for our drive down to Irvine, California and my son, Dan’s, place.
Brilliant day. A layer of fog lay far out on the sea and the several oil drilling platforms that lay far off the coast were visible as were the Channel Islands that rose through the distant fog banks. On our right, were the mountains along whose tops we drove yesteday.
At the Rincon Beach area, we stopped off Highway 101 and explored the costal road and looked out at the scenery with the binoculars. Hundreds of RV’s seemed to be parked along the highway in every size and shape. The weather was around 75F or 24C and very nice.
It was a smooth drive with the roads wide open and we moved along at 70 mph or about 110 kph. At Thousand Oaks, I told Colette we we entering the Los Angeles megaplex and that from here until we were deep into Orange County, it would be nothing but continuous city. And, it was so until we began the see the open hills still awaiting development as we neared Irvine in Orange County.
Someplace after Thousand Oaks, there was an accident on the freeway and it turned into a crawl for about 20 minutes until we passed the crash site. It wasn’t too bad and it gave us time to reflect on the many bumper stickers people put on their cars and trucks to lets others know who they are and what their beliefs are.
Fish symbols, fish symbols that say “Darwin” in side. Fish symbols saying “Darwin” inside eating regular fish symbols and regular fish symbols eating fish symbols with “Darwin” inside. Yow, it’s a lot to keep track of.
Down through the Los Angeles basin all long on the 5 Freeway we zipped along as the mega-city slipped by on both sides. Palos Verdes far off on the right reminded us that we’d left the city originally via that path passing through San Pedro and around the sea side of Palos Verde’s rise and up through the beach cities north of it; Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, etc.
Then we crossed through my home town, Long Beach, which we’d explored in some detail earlier. Then further south until we entered Orange County.
Orange County; a long stretch of cities, one after the other, each with stories and memories for me spread over most of my lifetime. Watching their names go by was like listened to a form of music.
We passed Irvine and continued on since Dan and his family were, themselves, out on a mini-vacation and not returning until later in the afternoon.
I wanted to show Colette an absolutely fabulous Mexican restaurant in Capistrano Beach named “Olamende’s”. (www.originalolamendis.com). It did not disappoint us.
Good food and what a huge collection of Mexican doo-dads hung from every wall and ceiling. We simply got up and shot photos in all directions; oblivious to whether we looked like tourists or not.
After that adventure, we continued down the coast road to San Clemente and parked and walked out on the pier and then admired the sunset and watched the Amtrak Surf-rider Train go by.
After that, we went to Dan’s place and saw my beautiful family. Hugs were passed around. Dan, Ann, Cody and sweet little Eden. Mmmmm. What a nice place to settle into for a few days until our flight back to the Shaky Island.
dennis