Del Mar, California. Right next to the Torrey Pines Natural Preserve.
After spending the last to Christmases in Houston with my family, Jenn thought it would be a good idea to visit her family out in San Diego. Sometime before Thanksgiving, I got the idea to drive the Z out there... Haven't had a good road trip in a while... there are some great roads in and around San Diego... and the best part was not telling Jenn about it. She thought I was flying out there.
The trip started on Dec 21st in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC at 5:45 am eastern time. I had to work that day, but only the one leg that got me to Memphis, TN just before 8 am central. Off the gate in MEM around 9:20 by 11 am I'm on the ground in Dallas and headed to my apartment. Change out the suitcase, get out of the pilot suit into something more comfortable, pack the car, post a silly message on here and I'm out the door at 1:01. Gas the car, double check the tire pressures, grab some food, and by 1:45 pm I'm finally headed out to California. Chasing the sun.
 The plan was to get to El Paso ( long shot ) or maybe Fort Hancock or even Van Horn on I-10. But when the sun went down, that 5:45 am wake up call on reduced rest ( we got to the hotel after 10pm the night before) reared it's ugly head and around 7 pm I realized I was about done for the day. At 7:30 I pull off the freeway in Pecos, Tx... only 424 miles on the odometer and 940 to go. On Monday the alarm goes off at 7 am. After checking out, a quick breakfast, checking out and gassing up the car... back on the road at 7:45. The last pic taken in TX. The gift of Shiner Bock in El Paso.
 The drive that day is nice an uneventful. With speed limits in west Texas at 80... 70 - 75 everywhere else... the miles are flying by and I'm making good time. The plan was to spend the night in Arizona somewhere and surprise everyone Tuesday morning when I show up. When I went through Tucson mid afternoon... I knew I was going to finish the trip that day. This sign was posted numerous times in NM and AZ.
 I had called Jennifer on one of the gas stops and told her that I was driving to Houston that day... I would be in late and wanted her by her parents phone around 8 so I could call her. Her parents live on the hills behind Mount Soledad and cell phone coverage there is spotty at best. At 7:30 pm I pull into her parents driveway. No one seems to notice. I walk to the front door and call the house. Seems Jennifer is asleep with a 102 degree fever?!?!?! So much for that surprise... Since they didn't hear me drive up... I ask if she won't put Jenn on the phone, could she at least open the front door and let me in..? Much surprise and confusion... Jenn wakes... is surprised and happy that I flew in early... My remarks of "I drove" are pretty much ignored until they open the front door and see the Z.... even more surprise and confusion, and even shock that I had made the drive alone and in a day and a half. Mission accomplished. The next day was spent resting and trying to avoid Jenn with her 102 degree fever. Her dad and I head to the beach for a quick drive and some pics that did not come out thanks to me being a n00b. That night Jenn is feeling better and the fever is almost gone. On the 24th I was finally able to get some alone time for a drive to the beach. I headed out to Del Mar and the beach near the Torrey Pines Natural Reserve. 
On the drive back to her parents house, there is a section on La Jolla Blvd in between Birk Rock and La Jolla that has these beautiful Italian Pines on the side on road. 
Remember that 102 degree fever of Jenn's...? Well I got it the afternoon of the 24th. An early gift from Jenn that lasted until the night of the 25th. So much for spending time with the family... I pretty much stay away from everyone and spend the day on the laptop. What a bummer. Christmas Day at Jenn's Family house
 
On the 26th her family had some friends over that day. Some time during that visit it was mentioned that the a couple of them had just gotten over a severe head cold the day before. Great. So like a bad movie... on the morning of the 27th... Jenn and I wake up with a nasty head cold. Give me a break!
On the 28th cabin fever has set in. I once again set out for a drive just to get away from my self imposed isolation. I head over to Mount Soledad, which is just down the street from her parents house. Looking northwest
 The cross at the top of the memorial
 Looking north
 Looking south towards downtown San Diego
 After a drive up the PCH I stopped somewhere around Carlsbad for a couple of pics. 
The next couple of days are spend getting ready to drive back. Jenn's planning on flying back New Years Day so I plan on driving out the 31st so we get back on the same day. Figuring I have not much time left and still feeling down with this cold that just won't let go... One more short drive... Alone again as Jenn is still feeling poor and is resting for that plane ride back to Texas.
This time I drive south towards Point Loma and the Cabrillo National Monument. Unfortunately, I never make it in to see the Cabrillo Park... the line to get in is over a dozen cars long and after not moving for 20 mins I'm out of patience. I get out of line and try to find a spot to take some pics with San Diego in the background. Damn haze...Damn fence... 
Well... Jenn asks me to stay another day... so I do. Ok... I'll leave New Years Day... Wake up News Year Day... the cold from hell is gone! The weather is good and I'm ready for the drive. Never mind the fact that with the fever and head cold from hell that I didn't get to see DaveN, rojoloco, or any of the other SoCal Z crew. Never mind that fact that I drove the Z out so that Jenn and I could head out together for a day trip or maybe head east to the mountains and the great roads east of San Diego. It was time to go home... Until... To add insult to injury... make a so-so trip even worse... About an hour after waking up my body decided that it wanted to experience a nice stomach type flu bug! What a crock?!?!?! News Years day I was sick as a dog. The 2nd I slept. The 3rd was semi normal and eating very small amounts of food. I woke up on the 4th and decided that I had to leave. I felt better... cabin fever was setting in again... and I didn't want anything else to happen health wise. California hates me for some reason and I wanted to go home. So at 10am on the 4th of January I headed east. The trip home was as uneventful as the trip out there. After spending the night in Los Cruces, NM... I pulled into the driveway the night of the 5th about 9:30 pm... a little over 3300 miles round trip. Can't wait to do it again.
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Tu's drive to San Diego. - 
