For the next few days I moved among the people of Southern California. The weather was always lovely (75-85 degrees) and the streets were adorned with exotic, flowering trees unlike any I’ve ever seen.
Driving was something I avoided as the traffic is congested and aggressive. The population is diverse in every regard. Rich and famous or homeless, are all on the same block. And, the food is excellent. Whatever you can imagine is available. You want Thai? No problem. You want vegan? No problem. You want Thai vegan? No problem!
It wasn’t uncommon for someone to comment that the person we just passed was a celebrity. Among the people we saw or they’ve seen around—Caitlin (Bruce) Jenner and Kendall Jenner, Ellen Degeneres, Jeff Goldblum, the guy from Mr. Robot, and various comics. I’m happy to say I didn’t embarrass myself when I saw Chris D’Elia at a cafe.
A lot of our time was spent in Santa Monica, in Western Los Angeles County. Somehow, SM feels younger and more upscale than most of L A. There’s absolutely a lot of style and a lot of money but it still has a community feel. 
Daniel starts work with Uber in a week. The Uber corporate office in Santa Monica has an amazing view of the ocean and pier but no sign or logo that might attract drivers or aspiring drivers. 
Searching for housing in Santa Monica is a tremendous challenge—even more difficult than Hollywood. It’s so limited that people rent every room, including dining rooms and garages for a lot of money. And, parking is even more scarce. Sadly, I left Cali with Daniel sleeping on the floor of his brother’s one-room apartment in Silver Lake and no solid prospects for a room. No doubt, he’ll figure it out.
I’ll be back at work in Virginia Beach tomorrow. The next adventure belongs to Daniel.
The last day of driving took us through wilderness land and the Mojave Desert. A few rest areas sell gas at more than double the price in Arizona and the signs warn of rattlesnakes. 
First stop in Los Angeles … Patrick’s apartment on Santa Monica Boulevard! We relaxed on his rooftop patio for a while before heading out to Pasadena. 
Daniel found us some cheap tickets to the Coldplay concert at the Rose Bowl Stadium. We parked at a special event parking lot then walked two miles to the stadium. It’s definitely the largest venue I’ve ever been in with a capacity of 92,542. When we entered, we were handed a wrist band to put on. It had LED lights that were controlled by the band’s tech team so 92,542 bands turned yellow when Chris Martin sang “Yellow,” and a wide array of other colors to set the tone.
Back on the road at 6:30 AM we drove out of Texas with this magnificent sunrise at our backs and New Mexico welcoming us.
The drive across I40 is straight and easy, running parallel to the iconic Route 66, so we jumped on and off the interstate whenever we wanted a break. Lunch at one of the many Mexican cantinas was delicious. Free sopapillas and honey! This must be how people feel when they come south and get free hushpuppies and cornbread. 
Shortly after lunch, we crossed into Arizona. It’s impossible to choose one state as the most beautiful but Arizona is really majestic. I so wish we had time to go hiking in Sedona. There’s something wonderful about climbing on red rocks. 
Flagstaff was delightful! Home of Northern Arizona University, it’s full of cool, coffee shops, live music, and a progressive atmosphere. 
Train tracks and Route 66 go through the middle of town giving it an eclectic mix of retro and contemporary. I’d enjoy spending a few days here before hitting the fast pace of Los Angeles but one night is all we can give it. On to California tomorrow…
Over the gate is inscribed, “We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.”
We stopped in Amarillo, Texas for the night with just 15 hours left to Los Angeles. 
About 8:00 PM a hard rain blocked visibility so we stopped for the night just short of Bristol and the TN border. Back on the road at 7:00 AM, we cruised past Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis then into Arkansas. 
It was a good day driving through Tennessee and we made up for the late start yesterday. We stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas for the night. There are 24 hours remaining (if you believe our GPS system) so that’s three solid 8-hour days. If all goes well, we’ll arrive in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon.
Adjusting to the “real world” is always a bit difficult. How can it be that a routine of repetitive interactions and activities is more real than new experiences? Perhaps it’s my desire to appreciate whatever I have at the moment, but as I write this, I think a combination of routine and adventure offers me the most fulfillment. Just as a combination of giving and receiving, work and play, old and new is better than either apart from the other.
Across the mighty Mississippi River, we entered Illinois. We stopped for lunch in Nashville, a little town of 3,148. That’s right–there’s a Nashville, Illinois as well as a Paris, Naples, Camden, Detroit, Florence, Albany, Arlington, and Topeka, Illinois…so confusing. Like most places, we enjoyed good food and good people. The owner laughed at my vegetarian diet but was happy to accommodate with mac & cheese, cole slaw and flowers. 
From Illinois we entered Indiana and drove up to branch of the Ohio River, where we came to the intersection of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. I was very impressed with the natural beauty of Kentucky. The lush green hills of Lexington with all the horse farms were especially beautiful. 
From Kentucky we entered West Virginia where we decided to stay the night. Chalk up another state capitol–Charleston, WV. This was probably our longest driving day but it went well. The weather has been consistently nice and the company is always excellent.
7/7/16 We spent the majority of the day driving through Nebraska and looking at green fields. We passed through a tiny bit of Iowa then into Missouri. As we drove further south the corn seemed to be taller but the scenery was still all green with almost no diversity except, perhaps, not so flat. 
Driving into Kansas City was exciting because it was a huge change of scenery…almost like a mirage on the horizon.
We’re quite impressed with the city. There are performing arts centers and sports arenas all over. A lot people were walking down side streets decorated with lights creating a festive atmosphere. 
It seems the Kansas City is full of all types of life–culture, business, sports, and creativity. It could be fun to stay for a couple more days but we’ll be long gone by this time tomorrow.
We spent the morning in Salt Lake City. The Mormon Temple is the focal point of downtown. The gold statue on top represents an angel heralding the return of Jesus Christ to earth.
These boots are all over the city with different artwork on each one–like the mermaids in Norfolk. 
Cheyenne is the fourth capitol we’ve been in or driven through …
Fourth of July 2016
Driving from Lake Tahoe to Salt Lake City was evidence that America still has a lot of undeveloped land. We passed mile after mile of brown hills with an occasional house and some green vegetation near a creek. The closest neighbor would be miles away. There were even no gas stations for long stretches. As soon as we got to the Utah border, we noticed the salt flats on both sides of the highway. How odd to see acres of white ground when it’s 85 degrees.
Volunteers are happy to provide tours and assistance. A young woman explained that the building in the picture below is the Tabernacle. It’s where the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs when they’re in town but they’re currently touring in Europe.
There are about 5 or 6 other buildings with various purposes. One is a memorial to Joseph Smith and another is a welcome center. A large high-rise is for management/operations.
Kathryn Byler, blog 