What if I decided to drive home? (Part 1)
The first decision to make was, am I taking the I-5 or Highway 1? I've navigated the route up the grapevine a handful of times, although it's faster, the barren landscape drags on and on. The coast is a few hours longer, but the gorgeous terrain is what people travel from every corner of the globe to see. Plus, I could visit friends and surf along the way. With these two options in mind, the former appealed to me. So it was set. I would take a couple of days cruising down the 1, stopping here and there.
I left my house on Thursday morning at the crack of dawn. I had packed my car the night before, allowing me to leave home swiftly. I made it out of San Francisco in no time, once cars started to fill the roads I was already in Half Moon Bay. It was your typical summer day in this part of the state, grey, and damp. I was hopeful that this would change the more South I went.
As I approached Santa Cruz, it was like I was in a different world. My thermostat read 73 degrees, people were walking around in boardshorts and I even had to throw my sunglasses on. I stopped to check the surf at Steamer Lane, which wasn't really doing its thing, so I decided to keep on moving.
By Noon, I rolled into Big Sur, this is the part of the trip that makes it all worth it. Everybodys seen the pictures of this place, high cliffs and emerald water to the west, luscious trees and hillsides to the east. Being here for yourself blows all preconceived images out of the ballpark. I stopped to eat a sandwich overlooking the Pacific and wandered around for a bit. Even though I wanted to stay here for a couple days, my final destination was still three hours away, San Luis Obispo.
Just like that, I was back on the road, winding down highway 1. I couldn't believe that I was still in the same state that I had woken up that morning. Around every bend was a completely different scenery from the last.
Never once did I think about how much longer this was taking than flying. Nevertheless, I had been sitting in my car for six or so hours and was beginning to get restless.
(End of Part 1)
That's one thing I love about California, is how different the state becomes based on which part you're in. It's all the same state, but the scenery changes in many ways. Sometimes, it's not as noticeable, but other times the changes blows your mind. For instance, I've driven North into the redwoods, and I'm always stunned at how tall those trees are. I've also driven South, and I love seeing the waves crash onto the shore. I can't really say which I favor, though. I enjoy them both.
ReplyDeleteI love driving and road trips. I grew up going on a lot of road trips with my family. Now that I'm older I enjoy traveling with my friends. I definitely understand why people rather fly though. When the drive isn't scenic, like it almost always is in California, the trip can be monotonous.
ReplyDeleteI've made that drive a few times. The scenery is incredible. Sometimes the length of the trip can be grueling so I often listen to some podcasts on the way down.
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