Date:         Mon, 2 Sep 2002 17:52:36 -0700
Reply-To:     Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Subject:      San Diego trip report
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

...description of recent whirlwind trip down to San Diego to deliver
research flume to SDSU...

Thanks to list members offering help and or wanting to meet. Sorry that the
trip was so rushed and had no time to visit.

Tuesday August 27, that evening packed van to the gills, estimate payload
>800lbs.

Wednesday August 28, friend Stephen and I caught 8 am ferry from Vancouver
Island, arrived at US border around 10:15. No problems passing through
customs and we sped off down the I5 on a hot sunny day. Went through Seattle
in early afternoon, Portland at around rush hour (fortunately the traffic
was heavier going north). Southern WA and Northern Oregon hot (mid 30s).
Drove on through the night, alternating drivers at rest areas and gas
stations. Half moon rising at around Medford was coloured very red by smoke
from forest fires. Lost my CD deck remote control somewhere north of
Ashland. Reached Sacramento around 7am Thursday.

The great (boring) central valley lay before us. Was not as hot as Oregon,
high haze, still in the 30s though.

Van running fine, keeping speed around 60-65 mph, oil temps at 115C.

Climb out of the valley and over Tejon pass, then down into San Fernando,
fill up and switch drivers, I get to drive, down into the belly of the
beast.

 Hurtling down the freeway, through LA (around 2pm), all lanes filled with
cars, all going faster than us (>70mph), many going MUCH faster!
Traffic slows down to stop and go, we realise that we can use the HOV lane,
make our way over to the left (was it really a 6-7 lane fwy?) and get back
up to 70mph. This was the most nerve wracking part, screaming down the HOV
lane in a loaded '82 westy, traffic stopped or going very slow in the lane
immediately to your right, concrete divider on the left..what if someone
cuts in?

Get through LA in 1.5 hrs, its a big city.

On to Carlsbad/Oceanside, stop to make phone calls, arrange meeting with
Prof. at SDSU. We get to the campus at around 6pm, the 29th.

Unload flume into lab, head to prof's house for shower, then out to find
local restaurant. Struck out 2X was only around 9:45 pm but both places were
closed, ended up in bar, couple of Guinesses and a bit of relaxation.

At around 11pm Stephen and I head back up to Carlsbad to stay with friend.
Another beer, some talk, then in bed by 1 am.

Up early next morning (30th) to drive back south to SDSU, traffic ok. San
Diego  (and this may piss off any locals) is similar (smaller scale) to LA
in the volume and velocity of the traffic, very much an automobile culture.

From 9:30 am straight through to 5:30 pm we set the flume up.  Audience of
Prof., techs and various other characters that popped in and out of room all
day. The set-up went well, no leaks, everything worked, great relief!

Pack up and follow Prof. to Thai restaurant. After meal, we say our
good-byes in parking lot, I start up van, get on street, get gas, make a few
turns and badda-bing, badda-boom, we're heading north on the I5.

Back up through LA, near Longbeach there is a spectacular fireworks show,
truly surreal experience.

I drive up back over the Tejon pass (around 12:30 am, 31st) and down into
the central valley again. From the heights of the pass we get a great sight
of the lights of cars on the freeway, surprisingly busy.

Stop for gas, station filled with mini vans and all full of Hispanic
families. Everyone happy, kids playing, adults and teenagers chatting, all
looked very awake. We were not. Changed drivers and I headed into the back
of the van to sleep.

Driving at night through the valley, traffic was not light, lots of trucks,
we were switching drivers every hour or so. We get into Sacramento around 7,
head to Davis.

Park at the farmer's market, buy some goat cheese and pistachios *S*
We actually have time to walk around, go to coffee shop, relax...

Head to Stephen's friend's workshop on outskirts of Davis. He repairs
Volvos, chat for while, getting hotter now, dusty too. At 1:30 we hit the
road.

Was hot in N.Cal, measured max of 39C on my Ikea digital thermometer. Tried
a relative humidity measurement by wrapping exterior probe with a bit of wet
Kleenex and holding out of the window. Got a dry bulb (inside van) reading
of 37, and a wet bulb reading of 21. That gives a rel. hum. of around 22.

We were getting sweatier and stickier, at lake Shasta we got off hwy and
headed down to have swim (Bailey Bay). Level of lake/reservoir low so had to
clamber down steep sides and walk on lake bottom (red mud) to reach water. I
found faux tortoise shell sunglasses on lake bed.  First time I have ever
wished swimming water to be colder. But did the trick, we got back into van
cooler and refreshed.

Drove on through the evening then night. Through Portland at around 2am ,
Sept 1st,( I think, was asleep). Seattle passed me by too, but I drove from
just north of Seattle to the Anacortes ferry terminal, arriving at 7:45.

A pleasant 2 hr ferry ride through the San Juans, then docked and cleared
Can Customs in Sidney by 11 am...home!

The van ran without a hiccup the entire 3200 miles/5 days. Oil consumption
(higher than usual) was about 1 liter. Fuel consumption not calculated yet.

I couldn't be more happy with this van. It now has 207927 miles on it and
has never let me down. The gas I4 engine it has had since '94 now has about
137000 miles on it, 117000 of them pushing the van.

Its a doughty little vehicle!

Alistair


--
'82 Westy -> diesel converted to gas in '94
albell@uvic.ca
http://homepage.mac.com/alistairbell/home/