My favorite travel day on all three of our California road trips is also the most tiring. We begin at dawn and finish close to sunset. By the time we slide into our beds, we are heavy-legged and heavy-lidded; my shoulders and neck are tense from wave after unceasing wave of weaving turns.
We left San Francisco on Tuesday, a day earlier than I planned. Our La Quinta was dark, gloomy, and felt like a prison. Ironically, it was chosen due to how it looked bright and airy with an inviting courtyard. Not only did we need to break free from the crowds of the city and all that traffic, we also needed to escape the confines of that hotel.
Our next destination was but an hour away. We stayed in Pleasant Hill at a Hyatt Place, which, while sterile and corporate, was darn cool. It was a welcome change.
After Tuesday’s visit to the John Muir house we rose before dawn on Wednesday and returned to hike Mount Wanda, the small peak Muir named after one of his daughters. We had…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Tom Ryan, Author to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.