Leaving in a jet plane.

As per my habit, I really didn't start packing for the 6.5 week trip until just about the evening before I left. The front room was in complete disarray as I tried to categorize everything I needed while then continuously taking out extra stuff to get as light as possible. After Kristen dropped me off, I hit a fairly long security line, but was able to get through after about 30 minutes with time to spare. I was so tired that I was asleep even before the plane's safety briefing and didn't wake up until nearly over Texas.

After landing, I picked up my one-day rental car and did a little driving around. I passed by the Santa Monica Pier and drove the Pacific Coast Highway around Malibu. While RV's can definitely be a comfortable way to travel, I'm not so convinced that they are appropriate for some of the more hilly entrances to some locations when driving around California. I picked up a NPS stamp for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area at the main office before they closed for the day and headed a bit further north. along the way I pulled over to change the tire for some lady who didn't seem to know the difference between a jack handle and lug wrench.

The coastal road was quite beautiful and I was able to get out in several places and get some decent pictures. I even came across a photo shoot along the roadway with a model stretching out over some old-time car on the side of the road. After getting a quick bite to eat and a beer, I headed into LA to meet up with my friend Lisa (Sponge) since she was graciously allowing me to crash at her place for the evening. I was too tired to really go out, so was just stayed in and chatted a while before I finally crashed.