Finally on the Road...

I finally woke up from my nap, trying to rid a headache I've been having all day long, I feel a bit better and continue on my quest to leave town. A slow process, might as well finish the book-keeping, last paper-work and I still had to write this darn proposal to the Great Mother Conference to do work-study instead of paying full tuition. April 1st is the dead-line for that too. Finished it, e-mail that to Tim, the convener responsible for all the work-study-people.
Next, all the camping-gear as in tent sleeping-stuff and the kitchen, bike-stuff, clothing, and other stuff I could, should and will need on my travels. Prepare for any weather, hiking, swimming, biking, cold, hot, dancing, hanging-out. How many books will I read??? Any chinese lessons??? The darnest thing is the Palm Pilot that is not syncing with my computer to transfer picture and MP-3m files, everything else seems to wrk fine. Jessica and Flint started to cook and invite me to join them for another last meal, a feast with pasta and vegetable-sauce. It is already too late to leave, and so might as well enjoy my time here at good old Burnett Street. Hanging out with Jessica & Flint, go to bed early, call my mom to tell her that for the next three month I'll be reachable only through the cell-phone and read more of Anthony's life in the kitchen.
In the morning things look real good, I almost have all my stuff ready, just pile it into the car, organize the different boxes inside the car and clean-up my place. Then Stuart offered to make a breakfast for us all and so we all enjoyed a delicious french breakfast with each having a poached egg on top of a piece of toasted french-bread, garnished with asparagus and a sauce hollandaise, to drink a fresh squeezed orange-juice, now that's worth staying for.

Breakfast a la Stuart...


At 11 o'clock I finally sit in my car, wishing farewell to the crew at home, Scooby out in the yard, and off I go.

The farewell-crew and I...

From Part 1: Berkeley, CA to Lafayette, LA

The odometer shows 282017 miles, this will be point zero of my trip. First is to gas-up, the tank is empty and so is the spare tank I will carry along. Then stop by at Tom's house to drop-off invoices from the supply-houses I bought, stuff for for his house on his credit-card and also to pick-up the check he has written for me, unfortunately he is on a job-site in Atherton and so I don't get to see him, but thank you Tom, I can use the money. Over the hill to Hwy 13 to Hwy 24 through the Caldecot Tunnel to I-680 to I-80 towards Sacramento. Beautiful weather, blue sky and warm. For now anyway!!!

Gas-up and then driving east on 24, with Mount Diablo in the background...


After Sacramento I can see the change coming, clouds are piled over the Sierra's and that's where I'm heading right now. After 131 miles I pas through Auburn, still warm, 72°F but the sky is spotted with fat clouds. Driving still on Interstate 80 higher into the mountains, shortly before the exit to the Nyack Station the alarm goes off to tell me that it is 3 o'clock. The altitude is about 4660 ft, snow is on the side of the highway, not much and what's left looks more like dirt than snow, but looking past the roadway I can see a pretty good cover of this white stuff. Vladimir is up in his house on Lake Tahoe and he said that there is still plenty of snow to ski on... maybe I should go and pay a visit!!!

Driving into the Sierra's on Interstate 80