August 15, 1997, San Francisco, CA: I finally leave for my summer vacation in a 1992 Mazda Protege, which will see speeds of up to 121mph, but not today--it's Friday afternoon rush hour heading south.

August 15, 1997, Los Alamos, CA: Dinner stop and phone calls to the *real* Los Alamos, NM, confusing people with my stating "I'm in Los Alamos".

August 15, 1997, Ventura, CA: Ventura is really a nice place; thanks to Mike Springelmeyer the local newspaper man, I get a good feel for just how cool the place is.

August 16, 1997, near Los Angeles, CA: No, it doesn't rain in the summer in LA, except today it does. An unusually thick marine layer makes it really grey. A quick stop near LAX finds a great view of departing aircraft (including Southwest Airlines' Silver One). If I buy a place in LA, I want one of the places on Waterview Drive with the view of both the ocean and the runways at LAX. There are only two such houses which qualify.

August 16, 1997, RSM, CA: RSM is short and easy for Rancho Santa Margarita. Don't name your town with such long names, please. A great lunch with friends Vito and Karen Kowalchuk at Peppino's with a great variety of breads with stuff in them (kind of like pigs in blankets, but *much* better.)

August 16, 1997, San Diego, CA: I touch the ocean, symbolically marking the start of the drive to the desert. It's cool and mild. Within a couple hours driving east on I-8 it's over 100 degrees. (I think.)

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