Travel Notes

We recently returned from a road trip to Southern California, where we celebrated a grandchild’s first birthday and had some great time with family. However, no road trip would be complete without a few notes on what we found.

Believe it when they they tell you the weather in Southern California, and San Diego in particular, is close to heavenly. Temperatures and humidity were just right, and the only caution might be against over-exposure to the sun. If you forget to bring sunglasses and a hat, though, the sun will remind you.

Believe it, too, when they say the traffic in the Los Angeles basin is awful. If you can avoid rush hour it is only heavy, but during rush hour it goes beyond heavy to some level close to insane. I have heard it described as the daily clashing of the cars, and that may not be overkill. Of course, part of the problem is that rush hour seems to cover most daylight hours. I wonder what the traffic is like between 9:00 pm and daybreak. Oh, wait! That is when Caltrans closes off lanes for maintenance work!

Speaking of driving, we noticed that most drivers know how to refuel their cars, and some of them know how to charge their electric vehicles. Few seem to know anything about turn signals, though.

And speaking of electric vehicles, we are apprehensive about government’s attempts to wean us away from the internal combustion engine. As noted in previous posts, the technology and power supplies are not yet available to make electric vehicles a practical option for long road trips to visit family. Even more so to safely visit, say, a remote national park. Better enjoy those road trips and family time while we can!

One more thought: we often hear that I-5 from the Bay Area to Southern California as one of the most boring drives in the country. Not so! A trip down I-5 takes you past some of the most productive agricultural land in the world. Apricot, almonds, pistachios, oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, onions, and other crops spread out on both sides of the highway, and one can only marvel at the size of the farming operations. And at God’s grace for making the land so productive.