Well, we hit the road again. We packed up the van after a couple of fun filled, walking filled days in San Francisco. I had forgotten how much fun you can have in that city. The road out of the city was just down the road from our hotel. Thankfully, this road led us directly to US 1.
We drove US 1 back in April. It was the first highway we drove up and the first beautiful scenery we encountered. The road was just as beautiful as we remembered but this time there was a lot more traffic. For the time we were on the 1 we were stuck behind slow poke after slow poke.
One thing we hadn’t counted on was the fact that everyone would be making their way back to LA. Well, everyone was. And we found this out in its full force when we reached Santa Barbara. The traffic had been flowing smoothly and then stopped. We didn’t go above 5 mph for about 1 and ½ hours. And this began 120 miles (170-ish kilometres) from the city…
Thankfully, I had been looking for a way around this, so we turned off and made our way up towards Ojai. This area is just beautiful and is full of fruit trees. We then made our way towards Interstate 5 and the hope of better traffic. But, the traffic was just as bad. We are talking about 4 lanes that was barely moving. Thankfully, after it turned to 5 lanes of traffic the backlog cleared up.
The I5 led us directly back to our old stomping ground, Downey. We made our way back down Lakewood Blvd and back to the hotel we had stayed in 3 months previously. The Indian couple who had looked after us originally and who had agreed to hold our mail, greeted us again. They recognised us straight away. They gave a room just next to our old room and gave it to us at the same rate.
After unloading the van, we made our way back up to Chilli’s restaurant. We were really hoping that the kitchen was still open, it was 9pm after all. Thankfully, the kitchen was still open and even more, the same waitress who had waited on us 3 months prior, was still there and even more so, remembered us and even what we had ordered those first times.
We enjoyed a delicious filling meal and said farewell to our waitress. On arriving back at the hotel we started the painful process of packing our bags. We have accumulated quite a bit of ‘stuff’.
Repacking took a couple hours and we went to bed late. Just as well, because we hope to be tired enough to sleep on the flight tomorrow night.
Goodbye Sacky – 6 July 2010
This morning was all about tying up loose ends. Firstly we went and washed our laundry at the local Laundromat (exciting stuff, eh?).
Then while Pia did some research, I went out to try and sell the van. Tough job, as it turned out. No matter how reliable it’s been, it’s a bit rough looking and it’s a 17-year old, obsolete model. I checked and since we began the trip, the book-price for that model, for a private sale has dropped from $1600 to $1000. We really wanted to get $500 if we could but after running all around town and talking to about 15 dealers, I had to settle for $300. Better than nothing, though. And I sold it to the only guy who wasn’t going to part it out. Soon Sacky will be going south of the border. Having seen most of the US and parts of Canada, she will be starting her new life in Mexico. Cool.
Cash in hand, we took a cab to the airport and checked in at 5:15. Our flight’s 10:30. We used some of the van’s sale money to upgrade our tickets for more leg room. After last time, we learned our lesson.
So we are writing this from a restaurant at the LA airport. We are having Calamari and wine and beer for a late lunch. And soon we will be boarding our flight. Tomorrow will find us beginning a whole new journey, as we land in Moscow and find a motel and a van over there. Always wanted to see Russia…
Okay. Kidding. But this isn’t our last instalment. Stay tuned and we will have more when we return home…
The final Mark and Pia snap, this time with Sacky in the background. We love that little van and hope she has a wonderful life in Mexico. 
5 July 2010, misty and missly, just as it was when we first drove up this road. But just as beautiful.
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