Take A Road Trip On My Own

After seeing the movie Elizabethtown, and watching Orlando Bloom go on a solo road trip, I immediately added 'take a road trip on my own' onto my list.   My friend, Cathy had accepted her first travel nursing position in San Francisco, so I quickly booked a one way ticket to visit her.  I had been dying to drive the Pacific Coast Highway since I started this list, and so I decided to take the long way back down to San Diego.   I used my AAA discount and rented a car (which can be insanely expensive if you are dropping it off in a different city from where you picked it up!), and I booked a hotel room on the beach right in the middle of my journey. 

In the movie, Kirsten Dunst had made Orlando's character a playlist of songs that matched his journey on the road.   So I brought with me my iPod and a playlist of songs for my trip, as well as my new GPS, and a map I got for free at AAA.  I started my journey early in the morning.   Being the first customer of the day, the car rental place gave me a brand new car for my trip down.  :)

 My rental down the coast...it was its first journey as well

I enjoyed jamming to my playlist as I made my way South.  I remember hearing on the news that brush fires were ravaging the coast, but their was no obvious indication of that as I headed towards Big Sur.  As I winded down the coast I started seeing smoke, and helicopters carrying water towards the fire.  After driving over an hour South, I finally saw my first sign of an upcoming road closure!  What!   A road closure in both directions on a one way road?  You gotta be kidding me!

 On my solo road trip

When I turned around I started to hear my GPS freaking out.  It kept telling me to turn back around towards the road closure.  I turned it off until I got closer to Carmel, and I was crossing my fingers I could figure out finding another way to my hotel.  I stopped at a gas station and turned my GPS on, and yet again it was telling me to go back towards the road closure.  Ughh!  Okay.  What to do, what to do?!?  Wait...I got those free maps at AAA.  I'll use that!  I open it up and even get more confused!  At this point, I am so frustrated, and I start crying!  Yes.  Pathetic tears!  I was tired.  Hungry.  I just wanted to get to my hotel room! 

 I'm the only one on the road!

So after taking a few deep breaths I decided to just suck it up, wipe my tears, and use some basic geography!  I figured I can't go North cause I don't want to go back to San Francisco, I can't go West cause that's the ocean, and I can't go South because I already tried that, so East it is!  So I went East and found the I-5 Freeway!  Yes.  I know that freeway!  I turned my GPS back on and I was finally getting legitimate directions again!  The rest of the trip was smooth sailing from that point on.

The best part of my solo road trip?  That for a big portion of the journey I felt like I was the only one on the road.   The Pacific Coast Highway is definitely a must, and taking a road trip on your own to clear your head is even more of a necessity! 

Date Accomplished:  July 1st, 2008