California Bound

So I’m off to the Best Coast for a little vacation. I’m headed to San Francisco, sailing on the bay, hiking Yosemite, driving down the coast to Los Angeles, out to Vegas, Hoover Dam, hiking the Grand Canyon in a day, things of this nature.

I’ll be hanging out in San Francisco from Wednesday lunchtime (ping me if you want to grab some coffee). The only real TODO (other than various non-touristy errands) is Alcatraz. Although I’ve been to San Francisco countless times – I truly love that town on oh so so so many levels – I’ve never been to The Rock. Thus I shall endeavor to hunt down Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage and the odd madman or two. My friend Alison is arriving on Friday afternoon (I’ve known her for half of my life, ever since I went to college the first time – her pet name for me was always “schoolboy”, which I also was at the time). We’ll head up to the redwoods, and then hook up with Sven on Saturday to see the KFOG fireworks. Linda will be there in San Francisco at some point over the weekend, too.

Sunday’s rough plan is to ensure that we have our Red Ford Mustang, and then head to Yosemite at some crazy hour (read: have breakfast somewhere near the park), do some hiking, then drive back to San Francisco and begin the long drive down California State Highway 1 (known in part, and therefore to locals, as the “Pacific Coast Highway”) towards Los Angeles. We’ll stay somewhere along the route on Sunday night, and then spend Monday finishing that drive, and then head out to Vegas. Monday night will probably involve some alcohol. But not too much as to be useless on Tuesday, as I’ve a reservation 6 hours away at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on Tuesday night.

Wednesday, I’ll leave the lodge around 5am, hit the South Rim trail head, and solo hike down to the river at the base of the Canyon. Then, I’m planning to hike back up to the top all within the day, and stay somewhere between the Canyon and Vegas. I’ll do the 6 hour drive back to Vegas early on Thursday, then pick up my friend Alison and drive back to the West Rim via Hoover Dam so we can do some touristic things, and see that glass skywalk (the one where you’re not allowed to even wear shoes, have cameras, or look at them slightly the wrong way). I’ve no specific plan for Thursday night and Friday…yet (if I get bored, there’s always Mojave). I expect to drop Alison at LAX at some point in the evening, or the afternoon, or whenever. She’s headed to Cambridge before me.

Saturday, I’m likely headed out to Ventura for some surfing with my favorite little local surfing school that I went to a few times last year…oh, and some alone time on that damned beach. Saturday night, I’m headed back to Los Angeles, flying back to Boston in time to arrive on the redeye early on Sunday morning. I’ll grab some sleep, then I’m driving Alison down to New York (actually, we’ll probably park in Connecticut and take the MTA train into the city), dropping her off with some friends, and maybe hanging out for a few hours in Central Park. I like the idea of lying under a tree for hours.

I wish I could say I’m going to be happy, even on vacation, but the reality is that I can only try my best. I’ll be on the Best Coast, and with some of my best friends, but of course, all along, my thoughts are likely to turn to Karin. It’s really cruel and usual punishment to think about her so damned much, but that’s life. I don’t think she ever truly understood just how highly I thought of her. All the damn time.

Jon.

Tags:

2 Responses to “California Bound”

  1. “Wednesday, I’ll leave the lodge around 5am, hit the South Rim trail head, and solo hike down to the river at the base of the Canyon. Then, I’m planning to hike back up to the top all within the day”

    Nice knowing you.

  2. Jon Masters says:

    Yup, it was nice knowing me too. I made it though :)

Leave a Reply