california route 1 (2023) (Patreon)

This is a shot from my last road-trip up the 1 with a Renault Twingo and a classic Mercedes; this is in the redwood forests somewhere in Northern California around Avenue of the Giants. I was hoping I'd get to replicate parts of this route with the Thunderbird I've been working on twelve hours a day, but that won't get finished in time due to a medley of serious issues with parts and unexpected problems, and so I'll be flying back to Idaho tomorrow.

This does bring me to another note, which is that I'm a little tired of road-tripping in other people's cars. Since my van's transmission bit the dirt last year I haven't actually driven my own car on any of the trips I've written about. I kind of miss it. I'm still either asking to share other people's cars or sort of tagging along on their trips, and I was really looking forward to a chance in the driver's seat, choosing which way to go and what kind of pace to make. I'm glad people bring me on their trips so I can at least get out and go see new things, don't get me wrong; I just miss driving in a direction of my own whim. 

I don't know if I have a point to this. I think I was just really looking forward to road-tripping that Thunderbird anywhere I wanted to; I didn't even care if I kept the car forever (as was the plan if we could finish it), I was just really excited to spend a week or two on the road shooting photos and heading whichever way I liked. Now, despite the fact the Ford was a basket case and I shouldn't have expected it to be repairable, I'm just disappointed. 

Anyway, maybe when I get back I'll just plan to take the Camry out for a few days once I finish the brakes. There's no Idaho Route 1, but I still haven't even been to Craters of the Moon yet, and it's not even two hours away. I'm sure I could find some stuff worth seeing.