This past weekend we did a road trip to the Napa wine country to share a Super Bowl/birthday party with family and friends. In other words, we drove from SoCal to Northern California and back along the historic El Camino Real - US 101. I post to share several insights therefrom.
First, the obvious: a diesel pickup is much more responsive when driven without a small one bedroom apartment with en suite bath attached to the hitch. Our one ton F-350 tows the trailer without difficulty, to be sure, but is no hot rod with all that living area in tow. With no trailer the truck keeps up with the traffic and accelerates as rapidly as a car.
Second, a Western truism of which I was once again reminded. Namely, that this is dry land country - not desert but not lush and green either. Driving north we noticed the hillsides looked somewhat less green than expected (note to non-Californians: CA is green in winter, not in summer, just backwards from most of the country. Winter is when CA gets rain, almost never in summer.).
Three days later - driving south - everything was once again magically green. This is a phenomenon seen all over the West. The north sides of hills and mountains are green and even forested; the south sides of those same hills and mountains are perhaps grassy - much more bare than the north. Driving south you see green north slopes, driving north you see the barren south slopes.
Third, we watched the game in the company of a bunch of ultimately disappointed 49ers fans. I had no interest in which team won, only in a close game. I was not disappointed, the winner was in doubt until the last minute.
I have no allegiance to either SF or Baltimore, I don't like either city. Actually, there are very few large cities I like, offhand I can't think of one. My permanent address is seven miles outside a town of 250 people in the state with the second lowest population density, I guess you'd conclude I'm not a city person.
