California

I hadn't set foot in the Golden State for a long time, but when I stepped up to the coffee counter at the San Diego Pilot store near Chula Vista, I immediately got the feeling nothing had changed. There were about 8 different gourmet coffees from around the world with about 14 different kinds of flavored creams and double shot coffee enhancers. In addition, there were about 4 different expresso selections. So much for Maxwell House house blend! I had to rummage to find regular cream. There seemed to be a pleasant aroma around the store. Wait a minute, I thought this was a truck stop. My favorite was among the coffee choices and I opted for the Sumatra which is a blend of African beans with a bold stand and strong aromatic attribute. This was certainly a place for a coffee scientist. I enquired about the WIFI connection and a Pilot associate said it was in the adjoining Wendy's. I asked the Wendy's folks about it and they said the Pilot people would know about it. I sensed a California "airhead" thing going on here and decided not to fight it and get a USA Today instead. Once outside, I felt that cool California coastal breeze and warm sunshine. I yearned to adorn a blond wig and talk like Spicolli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I could picture myself on the beach in a PT Cruiser with wood panels and a surfboard on top with Endless Summer playing on the stereo. San Diego just might be the most weather perfect city in America.

Monday came and time to drop off the load on the edge of the Mexican border. I spoke with some of the warehouse workers in Spanish and gathered that most of them lived across the border and walked to work in the morning. One poor fellow looked like he had a few "dents" in his head with scars and a part of his ear bitten off...probably from being beat silly. It must be a rough life on the Mexican side these days. Probably no one is going across for vinyl upholstering anymore.

With midday arrived, time to head to head north to Los Angeles and get ready for another load. Travelling up I-5 was pleasant and it was interesting to see the Marines doing maneuvers off the side of the highway at Camp Pendleton. There were a number of communities along the way that looked like a prime place to be near the Pacific. The air quality seemed to decline, the closer I got to LA. Smog seemed to obscure the mountains and the view became dimmer.

There aren't a whole lot of places to put a truck down for the night in greater LA, so I had to travel to the north side in Ontario, CA and park it in a TA, Travel Centers of America. This one is massive. There are two centers on either side of I-10 to accommodate trucks coming in and out from all over the country. When I walked in, I was immediately reminded of the scene right out of the movie Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger when he arrived on Mars. There was every type, shape and kind of human being you can imagine in this place. I walked around in what seemed like a carnival atmosphere and wandered into the TV room where a mini uprising was developing over programming. It was Monday night and the NFL fans were at odds with the wrestling fans. A fellow shouted "..it's Monday night and un-American NOT to be watching football" I kind of wanted to see the Dolphins-Colts match up myself, so I found a TA associate an inquired about a remote or changing the channel. He gave me a blank stare and shrugged his shoulders. Several others exhibited similar ambivalence. A group of football fans were at the TV display in the electronics section trying to figure how to change the channel behind a locked glass panel of TVs with wrestling on. They couldn't even come up with a key to that either! I slinked away and decided on a taco at the Bell. I never saw such disrespect to rest facilities as I saw here. What a zoo. Where's the Keeper!

For a no idle state, this was a dang noisy stop. There were trucks coming and going constantly all night long. Conveniently next to me was a freight rail line next to where I was parked and there were trains coming through with a loud rumble on the hour, blowing their horn! It was a wonder I got any sleep at all in this train wreck of a truck stop...no pun intended.

I woke early and decided to flee. Travelling down the 605 at 3:30am local time was crowded with morning traffic all the way to my destination at Los Alamitos near Long Beach! Los Alamitos is a tight and well manicured enclave. All the homes look well kept. At arrival, a little early, the Los Alamitos Donut Shop looked like a good choice to shake off a wacko night. It was there I met Mike Ciao and his lovely wife. With a bright smile, he asked what I would like. The display case was filled with a mile long arsenal of goodies and croissant sandwiches that made my eyes glaze over. I decided on the ham and cheese model with a cup of house blend coffee. As I bit into bakery heaven, Mike, haven seen my truck outside, quizzed me about my travels and work. He seemed genuinely interested in the details of my work. I felt like I was talking to a guy like me. I want to know everything myself. How things work. Why things are. What do the gears look like behind the closed panel. I'm not quick to accept things and move on. He wanted to know all about the towns and cities I've seen. No one on my travels had such questions. I was happy to answer them for him. It was time to go, and for a parting gift, I received a free chocolate donut. Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme come nowhere close to what this man and his wife can bake.

Still early, I was able to catch up on a little shut eye at the shipper down the street. The next stop would be Salt Lake City, Utah. This trip would take me across the High Desert of California, through Las Vegas and around Cedar City and up I-15 then into Salt Lake. Osmond Country here I come. This trip was another un-seen, un-been notch to carve on the post.