Wednesday
Leaving Denver:
Beware of hand sanitizer— and “some lotions.” The glycerine in them can transfer to your camera bag. If you’re random screened it’ll show up as bomb making components and lead to a public “pat down” which is a lot more like being felt up. My friend’s dignity is not worth your illusory sense of security.
Arriving San Diego:
In and Out Burger Animal Fries mmmmmm. Also, northern San Diego can only be navigated with long U-Turns and surprise freeway trips. Good news– when we actually needed to take those freeways the next day, we knew right where they were, well mostly.
Thursday
La Jolla:
Best two egg breakfast and service ever, at Harry’s coffee shop. First beach, playing in the waves and soaked by 9 am :). Critter count begins—a million pelicans, a bunch of sea gulls, some kind of hawk, a ground squirrel, and one lone seal. 
Getting into the one cave accessible from land may or may not be worth the 4 bucks and 145 steps each way. Really it depends on how much you like caves, but we got some good pics.
According to a local tour guide the waves were unusually high for this time of year. We watched ‘em crash all the way up the coast.
On the Road:
Surfers. Surfers changing in and out of wet suits on the side of the road. I love California. Except for the silver cars which are everywhere and, apparently, go 10 miles an hour slower than every other color.
Also, if you’re ever looking for the 5 and find Camp Pendelton instead. You do not count as “Thru traffic” as a nice man with a gun will explain before telling you to make a U-Turn.
Huntington Beach:
Beach volley ball, surfers, waves, and second soaking of the day.
Tried the “famous” Cheese Sticks , which turned out to be cold shredded Colby nachos with a sauce that was nice but needed some heat.
On the Road:
100.3 playing 2000 songs alphabetically. Finishing the H’s.
Venice Beach:
As funky cool as I remember from when I was a kid. There are three intermingling streams of people—tourists, invading hipsters, and the people who belong to the beach itself.
LA:
To skip or go. Decide to go. Long crosstown traffic has us wishing we’d headed north instead of east after Venice beach.
Friday
LA (still):
The city redeems itself with a foggy early morning drive through Forest Lawn cemetery and a trip up to Griffith Observatory.
Now, were on our way out of the city headed north on the 101. The radio has made it into the I’s, and we are ready to get back to the coast:).
Shullamuth Ballinger 