Planet California – LAX Airport, California, November 1, 2024

In the last post I was a bit harsh on California but despite all it’s bumps and warts it is one of the most diverse and beautiful places we have visited.  In the last few days, we have twisted our way down route 1, through Monterey, Carmel Heights, and Big Sur and it was spectacular.  It was a bit much with the cliffs and bridges for Ron, but he made it, and it was worth it.  We had a chance to camp and hike a bit in Big Sur and it was nice to stop for a day there.

Unfortunately, due to a land slide any farther south on route 1 and it was closed since they were rebuilding.  Even part of one of the bridges we drove over was collapsed and down to one lane.  Nothing gives you confidence like driving over a half-collapsed bridge with a large heavy vehicle!   We continued our southern move since it was starting to get cold and decided to stop in the central coast at Morro Bay for a week.  Ron needed to get some consulting done and we had an inexpensive site with full hookups right on the beach.  Certainly, this would work for a week!

Last year for Christmas we had initially planned to fly out of St. Martin but couldn’t make it that far north and ended up changing plans and leaving out of Jolly Harbor instead.  This left us with two tickets we needed to use before November 18^th.  Not wanting these tickets to go to waste we devised a plan to store the RV for a few weeks in LA and fly to…Maui!  There was a nice little Airbnb right on the beach and we missed the water.  It was too cold to swim in California without a wet suit so why not.  So, we dropped off the RV, spent the night at a hotel, and now here we sit…in LAX waiting for our flight.  I am excited since Ron has never been and it has been about 20 years since I have been here (twice).  It will be our plan for the next 3 weeks and we may rent a car depending on how walkable our new neighborhood is.  With snorkel gear in tow, I am looking forward to the warmer weather, hiking Haleakala Volcano, and snorkeling off the beach.  Hawaii here we come!