Drive to San Diego

We got up early and were checked out and on the road before 6am. Thirty minutes later, Josie says she left her DS (handheld game gadget, parental sanity device) at the room. So, a little before 7am, we're back on the road again, this time with Josie's DS, too. :)

Wildflowers were a nice treat during this trip - we got to see a lot of different kinds (field of pink in the picture below was near out lodge).

I also tried to get a picture of a fire-cleared area, since fire is a crucial component for Sequoia success. Sequoias are sun-loving, so fires help clear out competitors so they can grow better. Plus, fire returns nutrients to the soil. It took us about 60 years to figure out the importance of fire for Sequoias and other conifers.

Before we got all the way out of the mountains, Bill had to pee, so he pulled off the road. The pictures below are Bill with full bladder (walking away), Bill with empty bladder, and Bill dancing outside the car so that we will unlock it. ;)

We saw a stunt plane doing loops north of Bakersfield. Cool.

Traffic in LA sucks. And we were going through on a Saturday. I can't imagine how bad it must be during the week and, especially, rush hour. No amount of money could tempt me. I'll keep my 321 straight shot between the house and MC, everyday.

We drove by Six Flags California, it didn't look like anything was going. ? Maybe they couldn't compete with Disney Land?

In LA, Mitch found his dream car (see huge yellow limo truck below).

Did I mention that LA traffic is horrible? Sam found the best way to get through it.

Our 7-hr drive was a 10-hr odyssey. We are checked in at the Dana at Mission Bay. The marina is just outside our room windows. This is going to be a nice way to cap off an already amazing eduvacation. :)