Convenient Travels

One of the things that makes living in any given place unique are the other places you can reach from it. For example, when I lived in Ann Arbor I went to Traverse City a couple of times - once just to hang out, once for a snowshoe race. Rob and I decided that we would take advantage of out location and our time off to drink all the beer we could handle in Northern California and Oregon. We took a cheap commuter flight to Oakland, rented a car, and took off. We hit tons of breweries including: Russian River, Third Street Aleworks, Lagunitas, Mendocino, Bear Republic, Anderson Valley, Mt. Shasta Brewing, Sierra Nevada, Deschutes, Bend Brewing, Full Sail, Lucky Lab, Roots, Pelican Brewing, Rogue, and North Coast (over the course of seven days - don't worry). We took several tours and learned a lot about brewing. At the end of the trip, we took the Coast Starlight train back down the coast to L.A. The train was an entertaining way to travel - we had lunch in the dining car, played cards in the observation car, went to a wine tasting in the fancy schmancy parlor car. All in all, it was a relaxing day.


The day after we returned from our trip, I flew to St. Louis to judge a debate tournament at my alma mater. A lot of people who were on the team with me were there, and it was amazing to see them and catch up. Last night I returned to L.A. - via Orange County. That's right. My old debate coach, when filling out the form to request that the university make my travel arrangements didn't notice that the box that says "include surrounding airports" was checked. So, I ended up flying into Orange County at 10:00 at night. I was pretty bummed, since traveling between John Wayne Airport and Los Angeles at that time of night ranges from impossible to really expensive, but it worked out all right. A friend who was supposed to pick me up asked his girlfriend to do it instead - and she works in Orange County and lives in L.A. My observations on the John Wayne Airport: rich folk in Orange County clearly got tired of dealing with LAX and decided to build a fancy airport to welcome them home to their Escalades and McMansions. The people watching while I waited for my ride was fantastic. The people on the Real Housewives of Orange County are not making that stuff up.

Today I am recovering - tomorrow I will go running. When I get a little more endurance, I am hoping to plan a run from Santa Monica to Venice and back on the trail by the beach. That sounds like the exact kind of thing I should take advantage of and enjoy here in L.A.