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I was on vacation in California (San Jose/Santa Clara), and just got back Sunday night. That explains why I've been away for a while. I had a wonderful time, visiting Berkeley, San Francisco, a couple state and national parks (including the Muir Woods) and some sites around San Jose. While those are wonderful experiences, I figured that I should comment on things that you guys might be more interested in. I'm going to chronicle some of my experiences with the various types of transportation I took on this trip.

Planes

This was my first ever time flying. My parents weren't big on travel and I really had no good excuse for taking a big trip previously. Beyond a few first timer "what the h*** am I doing?" moments including setting off a metal detector because I forgot to take make phone out of my pocket, things went smoothly. Since I was traveling with someone who had a disability (lung problems), we got to preboard every flight.

Beyond a few freaky points of turbulence around Salt Lake City, the flights themselves went smoothly as well. Of course, the more experienced flyers in my party said that it was "nothing" and it probably was, but to someone who's never experienced that before, it gives you pause.

The only true snafu was on our second flight of the return trip (yay, two layovers). As the plane was pulling into the gate at the Minneapolis airport, the pilot overshot the gate door by 18 inches, and we spent an extra 20-30 minutes waiting to get towed into place. This wasn't so bad, except for the fact that our next flight was about an hour after we first landed, and the Minneapolis airport is rather large, so we didn't have a lot of time to begin with, and it was ticking away. Thankfully , we got to ride an electric cart to the next gate, and made it just in time for pre-boarding.

In all, I was just impressed with how smoothly things went. There are the horror stories of the security checkpoints and delayed flights, because things going correctly rarely make good news or stories ("This just in, everything's A-OK"). Every single one of my flights was on time. Given the enormity of the task at hand, I'm surprised that airlines run as well as they do. Overall, it was a positive experience. I don't plan on jet-setting that often, though.

Trains (and buses)

The Bay Area has some pretty decent public transportation. I didn't ride on BART, but I did ride Caltrain and the San Francisco Muni. In all, it was about $13 per day for transportation (total of ~$26 for the two days we went to SF). I'd consider that well worth it for not having to find or pay for parking in SF.

In all, it was about like every other public transportation you'd likely take. Not much was noteworthy, except that the scale is far greater than Madison, and that one of the train announcers decided to have a little fun with us on one of our return trips (he hammed up his stop announcements to our great appreciation).

Oh, and light rail for commuting needs to be more prevalent.

Automobiles

We rented a Mazda CX-9 for our trip (not my choice). It was useful for our luggage and also for hauling around our travel wheelchair. I was one of 2 drivers (yay being 25), and for the trip we averaged about 21-22 MPG (and ~80 PMPG overall), certainly beating the new EPA and being just about at old EPA. It was a 6-speed manumatic, and it was able to keep pretty decent load at low RPMs and high speed. It seems like a decent hypermiling vehicle, but I felt out of my own skin, being in a different car (and class of car) and in a different location, so I didn't do too well.

I heard some horror stories about California drivers, and the guy we were visiting gave me a little primer on some of the quirks (u-turns are legal, and blinkers are rarely used). I tried doing some basic hypermiling, but DWB was hard since the car coasted almost too well, and I'm not terribly comfortable with FAS'ing. Still, even though I went consistently 5-10 MPH below the speed limit, other drivers were very courteous. They gave me plenty of room behind me and didn't really cut me off. I saw plenty of stupid moves in other places and lanes more to the left, but not really around me.

Also, I took to some mountain driving when goin up to a state park. That was a bit freaky, what with the no guardrails in some places. I tried to drive smoothly and efficiently but there's little you can do when you're making a huge climb on the way up and having to ride the brakes on the way down.

I was so glad when I got back to Madison and got into my Prius. I felt comfortable on the road again.

And me...

There was a lot of walking involved, especially around the state parks...and San Francisco. There are some wicked hills, and we had to push a friend around in a wheelchair. Sometimes it took 3 of us to get up those hills and still it was tiring. We averaged about 4-5 miles per day on our hike and SF days. It was quite a workout.

Oh, and we played games of "spot the hybrids" during our trip. The Bay area has a lot of them, and more than a few hybrid taxis. :D

My first flight was a trip by myself during the 1981 PATCO strike. Management was doing the flight controls, and we sat on the hot August tarmac for 2 hours, me in a 3 piece suit heading for my first big interview. Couldn't decide how much of the sweat was heat and how much was nerves.

Anyway, nice write-up.

I remember my first trip the California.
it's odd to see things I had only seen on TV, like palm trees. lol

I also remember my kids first trip to California, it was about the same for them.
:ip:
Kid- "Dad what are those trees doing here?"
Me - "they grow here"

Not many Palm trees in Minnesota.
:Banane49:

Hey PDK,

Thanks for the glowing report on CA. I am a sixth generation Texan by birth, but I have lived in CA for the last 28 years, and we continually joke about how hard it would be to leave "the Garden of Eden" and how we could never afford to move back if we left!

Andrew,

Now you know how I can get away with my high mpg FAS on the freeways. :)

Larry

Hi Pete:

___It sounds like you had a great time, saw some of America’s best and did so while enjoying practically a different culture. That being California ;)

___I cannot remember a time when I did not enjoy either San Francisco or LA and the surrounding cities. Some of the best FE comes from CA in that moving wave of traffic and DWL in the right lane while many complain its impossible because of this or that... The temps are almost always great as well. Ok, maybe LA and San Diego are a little hot in summer but San Francisco is absolutely fantastic. To bad the San Francisco areas real estate (Next to the coast, not over the mountains) is so darn high even after the deflation experienced in the past year and a half.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Ha - Larry! :D

Pete - I like the Planes, Trains and Automobiles concept. Sounds like a great trip!

Pete, did you notice that Californians also pretend to have large seasonal weather changes, and complain about the brutally ice-cold frigid weather when it gets below 80 degrees in Winter--which by popular definition is anytime between October and May--, and the extremely depressing weather when there are more than 2 clouds in the sky, and the hellish dog-days of summer when it is above 65 in August, and the oppressive sunshine when it is *not* overcast in August? And that one is usually forced to sweat in any public building in winter due to the 80 degree thermostat setting and be forced to wear more than a t-shirt and shorts in summer in 60 degree buildings?

Maybe, I'm exaggerating a bit, but that aspect of California culture causes my blood to boil every day.

@Wayne: San Francisco has the best weather in California, AFAIK, but then again, I prefer a bit more rain and 10-15 degree cooler temps, meaning Seattle fits the bill.

I think I live in the wrong part of California.

I think I live in the wrong part of California.

Not sure that there is a "right" part of CA. Maybe Eureka?

Also, I took to some mountain driving when goin up to a state park. That was a bit freaky, what with the no guardrails in some places. I tried to drive smoothly and efficiently but there's little you can do when you're making a huge climb on the way up and having to ride the brakes on the way down.

I was so glad when I got back to Madison and got into my Prius. I felt comfortable on the road again.


Even in 1st you had to use brakes to control speed?:eek: Exactly which state park was this?

I've been up to Sequoia Natl Park, and it was definitely that way. 10 miles or so of switchbacks and 4000+ ft elevation change.

Pete, did you notice that Californians also pretend to have large seasonal weather changes, and complain about the brutally ice-cold frigid weather when it gets below 80 degrees in Winter--which by popular definition is anytime between October and May--, and the extremely depressing weather when there are more than 2 clouds in the sky, and the hellish dog-days of summer when it is above 65 in August, and the oppressive sunshine when it is *not* overcast in August? And that one is usually forced to sweat in any public building in winter due to the 80 degree thermostat setting and be forced to wear more than a t-shirt and shorts in summer in 60 degree buildings?

Maybe, I'm exaggerating a bit, but that aspect of California culture causes my blood to boil every day.


Didn't really notice that, though the people I interacted with were largely Wisconsin natives. There were a couple crappy rainy days and a couple days where Madison actually had higher temps, and evidently the rainy season can be a bit harsh, but it's nothing compared to here.

Even in 1st you had to use brakes to control speed?:eek: Exactly which state park was this?

Castle Rock. It was a 2000-3000 ft difference in height between the park and the highway.

Pete, did you notice that Californians also pretend to have large seasonal weather changes, and complain about the brutally ice-cold frigid weather when it gets below 80 degrees in Winter--which by popular definition is anytime between October and May--, and the extremely depressing weather when there are more than 2 clouds in the sky, and the hellish dog-days of summer when it is above 65 in August, and the oppressive sunshine when it is *not* overcast in August? .....

Maybe, I'm exaggerating a bit, but that aspect of California culture causes my blood to boil every day.
......


My Brother-In-Law (life-long resident of SF Bay Area) visited at Illinois at Xmas time a year and a half ago. He was shocked when I showed up at my Mom's house for Xmas eve dinner after I worked outside in the snow all day sampling wells. He thought it was crazy. Temps were in the 10s and 20s F so, to me, it was fine if you dressed for it--perfect for building an appetite for a big dinner.

Brother-In-Law--"So you would be able to do the Oregon Trail, you know, like the Donner Party."

Me--"Well, I think I would bring more food.":)

Apparently for Californians that story is more about cold and snow than starvation and cannibalism.

My statistics teacher told the class something along the lines about it doesn't matter how cold it is as long as there is no wind.

And it got to be 30 degrees up here (and that's a cakewalk compared to the rest of the U.S. but cold for me) so from what you describe, San Diego sounds a bit more desirable; heard they got a good biotechnology program as well.

My statistics teacher told the class something along the lines about it doesn't matter how cold t is as long as there is no wind.

.....

Wind matters some, but probably not as much as the "wind chill" numbers would make you think because sensible people don't expose much skin when it's cold.

I'm a rarity - a native Californian who lived 15 years in snow country, 4 years in the Arizona desert, and 2 years in SE Georgia. Coastal California weather is the best in the country, bar none.

Not sure that there is a "right" part of CA. Maybe Eureka?

Nice write up! However, I happen to believe I live in the best part of CA - two hours north of Eureka!! We have beautiful redwoods, the Smith River and empty beaches (and virtually no traffic). Nothing I can complain about :).

The 1% tax increase?

The 1% tax increase?

I'm not sure if this was a response to me but I'll respond anyway, hehe. Well, seeing as how I've lived here all my life, I can't complain of a 1% tax increase since I don't know anything different. However, I do live 30 miles from Oregon and often take advantage of the 0% tax they have on everything (unless you live there). So yah, still not much to complain about. :)

Supposedly, it's supposed to take effect today.

The only reason I know is Honda sent my sister a letter about leasing the new Insight or the Honda Civic Hybrid and they specifically said "beat the 1% sales tax increase on April 1st".

Nice write up! However, I happen to believe I live in the best part of CA - two hours north of Eureka!! We have beautiful redwoods, the Smith River and empty beaches (and virtually no traffic). Nothing I can complain about :).

The beaches are empty up there because the water almost has ice in it. hahahaa.

The beaches are empty up there because the water almost has ice in it. hahahaa.

Sounds beautiful to me. ;) Surprisingly, today San Diego has decent weather for this time of year. 58/43 degrees and Mostly Cloudy. :)