The very Long and Winding Road!!

It has taken me 7 hours (yes, seven) to drive from Monterey to Santa Barbara but to be fair I took the coastal road all the way here and stopped quite a few times to take pictures etc.

That road must be the most windy and dangerous road anywhere in the US and A! Some of the roads just fall off the edge of cliffs and you need to pay attention cos a lot of the corners are like hair pins..... Just south of Monterey the road takes you through 'Big Sur', which is a national park full of Redwood trees but it's right on the coast so you have the Pacific on one side of the road and huge forests on the other side. I drove into one of the lodges in the forest and I'm gutted I never stayed there the night rather than Monterey 9Monterey was good but this would have been something different from a holiday inn!)...they had loads of wooden cabins and space to camp with built in the ground barbeque pits! Right next to a proper stream and surrounded by Giant Redwoods....I reckon there's Bears in there!

Anyway, I lost my car radio signal for most of the drive as it was so mountainous but I had the roof down for most of the journey and sang very loudly to myself! (I forgot to take any CD's for the car...idiot!)...whilst on that subject of singing to myself......although I'm actually liking being on my own because I cn do whatever I want when I want to it does have it's flaws...... I am talking to myself a hell of a lot, which isn't a major problem because I always talk to myself in England but I don't usually answer myself! That's what I've started to do here which is worrying........it's worrying cos I'm doing it in public!!!! Im trying to be concious of the fact that I'm doing it but every time I think about it I tell myself (out loud) to stop!! Ben, hurry up and get out here !

I've got to say that although it took so long to get to Santa Barbara, the car I've got is so easy and effortless to drive and feels like I'm driving an armchair....cruise control is the best thing ever invented. Let's be a bit dramatic now........ the views that I saw along that road were unbelivable and amazing....I've taken loads of picture and videos and I recommend anyone to do it. I did manage to get a radio signal when I got closer to Sea level and I managed to tune into KZOZ Radio station (That's K Zee O Zee "Everything that Rocks") and they played pretty much what I expected of a Californian Rock station (brought to you by K Zee O Zee)....The Stones/Led Zeppelin/Cream....basically anything British.....I think all their Radio Stations love British Rock cos noticed this when driving from San Fran to Monterey!

Talking about the best things ever invented, I've got to Santa Barbara just in time for Monday Night Football (American football that is!)....as I said before, it's my new favourite sport and I think I'm addicted to 'America's game' ...it's brilliant! ....and the Raiders are my new favourite team.....coors and bud lite are my new favourite beers, Clam Chowder is my new favourite soup and Blonde Californian birds are my new favourite women!

Oh, I met my first Tramp in Santa Barbara and he was similir to the San Fran variety but he never had a stereo or Ipod....no no, this one had his own suitcase........he came complete with big beard and was a white bloke in his 60's pretty much like all the others I met in San Fran... I do think Santa Barbara though may just be the poshest seaside resort I've ever been to....reminds me of what I imagine Beverly Hills to be like but with a beach!

Anyway, Im now at my hotel and Im going out for a beer to watch the football!