So I'm back from my trip to silicon valley. I've been working remotely for a number of years, and while there's a very Jetsons-living-in-the-future vibe to video conferencing I have to say that it was nice to meet my colleagues (most for the first time in real life). It was a whirlwind trip and I'm pretty wiped out (I'm not 30 any more, or even 40), but there were some interesting impressions from being in California. I present them here in no particular order.
My rent a car was an electric hybrid. I'd never driven one before and I have to say that if you're in an urban environment like the Bay Area, this might be a good commuter choice. It used battery power a lot, and it was disconcerting when the engine started up solely to charge the car. It's not cool like the Jeep is - no lift kit, super swamper tires, winch on the bumper, etc - but it sure got good gas mileage. Which leads me to the next impression of California.
Holy cow, is gas expensive. I paid $4.79/gal to fill up the the rental car. Hokey smokes. That's what I pay in Florida - if you add 50% to the price! The good thing was that in a 4 day trip I used less than 2 gallons (!) in the rental car. Still not as fun as the Jeep, though.
There was a lot of interest in my group about all things Florida. While they all thought that the weather in California was "what everyone wanted", more than one showed a little bit of envy when I looked up the weather back home and said "Sunny and 79°" when it was 59 and foggy in California. Glad the meeting was in December, not July ...
Lord, the traffic. I complain about Florida drivers, but holy cow. I had more than one conversation with folks out there about motorcycles. The consensus is that riding over the hills to Hall Moon Bay - good; riding anywhere on route 101 - express lane to the Emergency Room (or the morgue).
Once you get off route 101, it's a pretty area. Crazy expensive to live there, but pretty.
All in all, my impression of life there was that California is living the life of an aging Diva, getting dinners and compliments of a renowned past but still with a hint of her former beauty and much of her former wit. It wasn't a bad trip (other than four 12 hour days) but you can tell it's not 1965 any more. Or even 1995. But while the greatness that was California is gone, it's still perceptible that the greatness was in its day very great indeed.
11 comments:
Traffic? I remember traffic on 101 in the South Bay, from the days before Pestilence and lockdowns and such. Looking at a traffic map just now (OK, so it's... well, it's lunch hour there, so not exactly a slow time), the roads seem to be a lot less busy than two years ago.
There are many things I don't miss about Silicon Valley, and the traffic (at any but the oddest hours) is among them.
And, yes, outside the sprawl it's a pretty area, but there's an abundance of pretty here in East TN, too, and it's a lot closer to a place I can afford to live. And I get to learn about seasons!
Silicon Valley is to California what Key West is to Florida: Just a tiny slice of the pie.
And while you mentioned temps, you left out the god-awful humidity in FL.
Oops.
59° and foggy there still beats 79° and 75%, or worse, every day of the year in FloriNam. The humidity is close to that here today, only because it's raining. It'll be in the teens by the weekend, and sunny again, and you won't be wetter here out of the shower than you were in it.
Now if only a couple/three small meteors - say, a few thousand metric tons apiece - would just hit Sacto, Frisco, and DTLA...
rode my bike out there in '03. i can verify about the 101. suit in a suv came up beside me at 70 mph, looked me in the eye and executed an emergency lane change on me. sensing trouble i hit the brake just in time for him to miss me by a couple of inches. that's when i realized why guns are discouraged in kali.
Stationed at LAMC on the Presidio 83-85. Enjoyed it immensely . Sadly, will probably never go back.
I've visited, and it was nice, but I doubt I'll be back to big city CA; not worth the effort.
I agree with your view - aging beauty.
Outside of the intensely urban areas, lots of right thinking people and wonderful views. If you are ever out on a motorcycle there, I think Highway 49 through the Sierra Nevada foothills would be a wonderful ride.
Prefer the one that Siobhan Maher and the River City People did in the late 80's/early 90's. Definitely a better view than that 'other' girl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDI2j13AOE4
Lots of nice parts to the state but it is all dangerous because of the political control by the urban areas. Crime, deteriorating roads, random depredations by government including but not limited to COVID. Living there is just completely out of the question because the social infrastructure, especially schools have collapsed.
I grew up there, left in 1970, back on occasional visits while my patents lived, absolutely no desire to go back even for visits.
I remember driving into LA in 1990 on my way from Houston to Fairbanks. You could see the smog sitting over the city, but it made the sea of tail lights look Christmasy in a brown sort of way.
Question: did you have to plug the hybrid in at night, or did that two gallons actually take care of everything you needed?
Wheetabix, no it charged itself with the engine.
You are aghast at paying $4.79/gallon for petrol?
We in England are paying the equivalent of $7.50 per US gallon!
That hurts.
Post a Comment