Taking a Drive

I love to take a drive.  I don't mind the everyday driving to get to work or drop the kids off at school or run errands.  But what I'm talking about is getting in the car, with no particular place to go or people to see, and driving for driving's sake.  "Taking a drive" is the equivalent of really enjoying a meal.  Most of the time I shove food in my pie hole while I'm reading or typing or doing everyday driving.  But sometimes, usually on a date with my wife, I will enjoy a meal.  I'll eat more slowly.  I'll savor the texture and taste of each bite.  I might even look at it and smell it before it goes into my mouth.  Novel idea, I know.  When you apply that to driving, it makes for a whole different experience.

I typically "take a drive" first thing on Mondays or late at night.  If I have time, I'll drive from Long Beach to San Pedro.  That's probably my favorite drive.  I'll take Ocean Boulevard West across the smaller, lesser-known Gerald Desmond Bridge, and then it's the larger, greater-known Vincent Thomas Bridge.  The one that makes you feel like you're in San Francisco, if only for a minute.  South on Gaffey Street, all the way to Point Fermin Park.  Take a right (just before the park) on Paseo Del Mar and head toward Rancho Palos Verdes.  It's a beautiful drive.  You can take in the ocean, pass through downtown, appreciate the port, visit another city, and be home in about an hour and a half.  I mention this because I love to take a drive and you talk about what you love. 

By the way, there are about a bizillion (it's a number) coffee shops on this particular route.  Which leads me to my next post, "For Coffee's Sake."  More on that later.  I gotta drive the kids to school.