I've lived in San Francisco for nearly fourteen years but my family still lives in Southern California where I grew up. I'd driven up and down the state for years, mostly in rental cars. I'd never done it in an '02. But with the need for a vacation, the desire for a road trip and a newly rebuilt engine the time was right. I started my trip on a RAINY Thursday, May 28 th I was driving on I-280 at around 9 am but by the traffic conditions it felt more like 7 am or any serious rush hour time. Nasty, wet, drizzling rain, not a lot of fun. The reason I mention the rain is because we just don't really get rain at this time of year. In fact it is usually dry until November. But this was no ordinary year this was the year of El Nino. ...with the need for a vacation, the desire for a road trip and a newly rebuilt engine the time was right After getting through Cuppertino, with a bow to Infinite Loop Drive and a tip of the hat to the '02 Princess I made my way through San Jose where the traffic cleared on Hwy. 101. "Cool, Now I can pick up the pace and cruise," or so I thought. The rain backed off a bit but no luck for me because as soon as I increased my speed I heard an odd buzzing sound. As began to look for an exit I heard a sound from the floor BOOM! I looked in my rear view to see something bouncing behind me. I found the nearest call box and coasted to a stop. I made a call and waited. Fortunately for me I had: a thermos of coffee, a good book to read, a AAA Mileage Plus 100 miles free towing card. I was stuck in Morgan Hill and had my sorry tail hauled back to SF. It was the guibo. I was glad that 100 mile limit of my towing coverage still covered me where I broke down. I was also glad that I left a day early so I didn't really loose any time. There was one other blessing, the guibo went on a weekday, a day my mechanic was open. There was room for my car to come in and get repaired. My mechanic got the '2' back to me by the middle of the afternoon. I was good to go. The author in San Diego. The next morning I was on the Bay Bridge by 6 am. This time I thought, "I'll dispense with the scenic route and go for the quick one." I-5 goes right up the middle of California, it can be hot and boring with not much to look at but it is direct. After going through Altamont Pass with the windmills all around and passed the infamous speedway (where the Rolling Stones hired a certain motorcycle gang as security back around the time my car was built) just ahead, I cruised passed the big rigs and merged onto I-5 from the 580. I was on my way. I like to leave early on road trips like this because when I arrive at my destination there is still a good part of the day left. If you must travel I-5, I've found that the most beautiful time of day is early to mid-morning. In the Summer, the hills of California turn brown. From a distance the dried brush gives the appearance of a soft tan blanket covering the hillside. Later in the day it contrasts with the blue sky in such a way that is almost sublime. But in the morning, the hills reflect the soft colors of sunrise giving the hills a pink-orange hue with turquoise and teal colored skies. Incredible! It was such a morning as I made my way down the highway. By the look of the hills it was obvious that the coast was getting a lot more El Nino than the San Juaquin valley. Throughout the entire valley, my little car performed like a champ. Driving along I was keeping up with the big boys in their brand new Detroit steel and cruising at 75-80. At one point I passed someone at a speed I don't wish to publicly record. Yet others still passed me. I was after all driving a 30 year old car and put limits on how hard I'd push it. Throughout the entire valley, my little car performed like a champ. Driving along I was keeping up with the big boys in their brand new Detroit steel and cruising at 75-80. Later in the trip the '2' zipped up the Grapevine like nothing less than a sure footed mountain goat. The Grapevine, for those not familiar is a pass up a mountain between Bakersfield and LA that takes you close to 2000 ft. in just a few miles. This sucker is steep and there is water posted every .25 mile or so for overheating engines. About 12-15 years ago the artist Christo planted big yellow umbrellas through the pass. It must have been a real sight to see. Unfortunately the high winds through the area caused one umbrella to fly onto the highway causing a fatality. Art can be dangerous. I reached Orange County in record time (my own record). I made an eight hour trip in about six to six and a half hours. I had enough time to take nap, have some lunch and wash my car before my parents got home from work. I had the whole evening to relax and see my folks. After a few days I left Orange County and drove to San Diego. The drive South was beautiful. On the way down I stopped at a rest stop near Camp Pendleton with ocean views and a couple of 2002 admirers. In San Diego, there was no rain, no rain at all. Just beautiful clouds. I mostly hung out, visited with my brother and looked around the city. I was able to make a visit out to La Jolla Independent and talked to Sean. I bought a new lens for my interior light. Despite the beautiful weather and easy parking in San Diego, I still prefer living in San Francisco. So after about a week long get away, I headed North, back to the Bay. I was very surprised at the ease at which (my car) took that trip. The drive to SF was thankfully uneventful and gorgeous, wonderful cloud formations in the valley all the way up North. As I drove home I sang as loud as I could to my favorite tapes. I passed tourists on their great American road trip vacation. I was passed in turn by other less patient travelers making their way North. The trip to San Francisco from San Diego took only around 8 hours. Not bad considering I hit traffic coming out of San Diego. My car was bought almost 31 years ago in October 1968. I was very surprised at the ease at which it took that trip. Having the new engine relieved a lot of my stress about breaking down but after the incident with my guibo I remained cautious throughout my drive. Although I didn't drive across the U.S. like some other more daring 02 owners I know, I still had a fantastic time and a hell of a lot of fun driving my old car 1200 or so miles. In fact I'm doing it again this year. So look for me. I'm the one in the metalic blue '69 2002 with hubcaps. JPC