Day 2 - Sacramento, CA to San Pedro, CA

Well, what should have been an easy day started out fine and then went south. Really south. What should have been a 6 1/2 hour drive turned into 13 1/2 hours of anything but fun.

But first the good stuff. Up at 5:30 and downstairs for a couple of Embassy Suites best omelettes. Headed out of town on I 5 while most traffic was coming into town. Quick stop in Stockton for the usual Starbucks. All is well.

Somewhere down around Patterson there was one of those portable highway signs flashing something about road closings. At 75 I didn't quite catch what was about to happen to us. Later a second sign said I 5 was closed at The Grapevine and to take an alternative route over to highway 101. So we stopped for gas at whatever interchange has the Anderson Split Soup restaurant and I ask a couple getting gas next to us about what was going on. Seems like a huge rainstorm blew through and a larger than life mudslide took out the highway. Highway 152 is suggested.

Ok, turns out 152 is a nice four lane highway, which eventually turns to two lane and ends at 101. Heading south again everything is still fine. We pass Camp Roberts, where Barb's dad did some time with Red Skelton during The Big One (WW II), lots of farms and even a few palm trees.

Somewhere around Goleta traffic started slowing. And it slowed and slowed until it came to a stop. Santa Barbara drifted slowly. 5 MPH became speeding. All the hundreds of trucks that travel I 5 now materialized on 101. It wasn't until somewhere around Ventura that things began to thin out a little. Somewhere along the line we pulled off to find dinner. Choice boiled down to Subway or never before tried In-N-Out Burger. We went with never before tried.

Unfortunately the delay got us right into the middle of LA rush hour. By now it was getting dark and all that could be seen were headlights and tail lights. Back down to 5 MPH. I truly don't know how people do it.

Anyway, around 8:40 we pulled into our hotel in San Pedro.

So now it's Saturday morning and I've been trying to get this post up for several hours. Our hotel for the night was not only long in the tooth but had almost non-existent WIFI. Now at Starbucks with a drink and a strong signal.

In an hour or so we will turn in the rental car and head for the Cruise Terminal.
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033° 44' North
118° 18' West

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