California trip diary: Day 2

For Day Two, we decided to drive along Highway 1 and experience the famed California coast-line. I remembered seeing it in movies like Basic Instinct and Pacific Heights and was excited to really be there.

The highway is mostly narrow and not always along the coast. Sometimes, you can't see the water, as resorts and restaurants spring up and block your view. It was thrilling to be riding along the world's largest ocean that stretches from the Americas to Australia and Asia.

Where there is something that humans would love, commercialisation can't be far behind. This coast / highway is lined with numerous houses at several places. Though it's a pretty sight in some ways, you don't feel happy when you imagine how the place would be without them. Another aspect that irritated me was that some portions of the beaches were private and completely out of bounds for everyone else except the owners. Hollywood stars and billionaires would flaunt residences in these towns, I guess.

There was some decent sun during the San Diego leg of this trip. People were out, surfing in the water or shooting hoops or even playing beach volleyball.

I got adventurous during the end of this drive and we drove upto Long Beach. That's near Los Angeles, the next stop of our trip. Misty conditions made the drive unpleasant and we also got lost there briefly.

As we drove back, we stopped at South Coast Plaza in Orange County. The mall was decked up for Christmas and was buzzing with activity. We were tired and in no real mood to look around. Still, we crossed the 'bridge' and dined at Bangkok Four.

Overall, we got a better taste of the San Diego area and California as compared to Day One.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 & 4 | Day 5 [Updated: 3 April 2006]