Driving with Gusto: Monterey to Yosemite to Palo Alto

Just arrived at my friend's place in Palo Alto and haven't seen her since I visited her in Paris over a year ago, so I am keeping this short in the name of quality time with one of my favorite people in the world.

After a walk and some lunch in Monterey, I headed for the 17 mile drive, then into the Carmel Valley so I could do a tasting at the Bernardus Winery. After the tasting, I continued through the valley on the Carmel Valley Road, which was my second favorite driving road of this trip (for those of you who haven't been paying attention or have shoddy memories, that would be second to the River Road outside Big Bend in TX). This road never lets up, it just sucks you from one amazing curve into another through some of the most beautiful farmland I have ever seen before finally opening up at the end right before you pick up the 101 into a wide open straightaway lined with gorgeous vineyards. The curves were so tight with such dramatic changes in elevation that I really felt like my car was built to drive that road. I can't think of a car fast enough, nimble enough and perfectly balanced enough to keep up with me--all Cayman S drivers should put driving this road (and the River Road for that matter) on their list of things to do in life.

Around 10pm I ended up at a motel in Los Banos because I was exhausted, it was dark and raining and I hadn't had dinner yet. I had the following conversation the Indian guy who checked me in after he noticed my car through the window:

IG: "You are driving dat Porsche?"

Me: "Yup"

IG: "It's very nice Porsche"

Me: "Thanks"

IG: "I am very much liking dee German cars"

Me: "Yeah, me too. They're great" (thinking: please just give me my key so I can eat before I pass out)

IG: "Do you know, I am having a Porsche."

Me: "Oh, really?"

IG: "Yes, my Porsche is being a nine tventy-eight" (he looks at me, his eyes glittering with mischief) "Would you like to be seeing my nine tventy-eight?"

Me: "Sure, that would be great."

IG: (laughing hysterically and pointing at a bug-eyed fish in the fish tank on the counter) "Dis is my nine tventy-eight!!!" (doubled over laughing now) "Are you getting it???? Dis is my nine-tventy eight! Are you getting it???"

After assuring him several times that I was getting it and that it was a very funny joke, I finally got my key. This morning I worked my way over to the South Entrance of Yosemite (via 152 and a bunch of farm roads that got me to 41), then took 41 up through the park to 140, which I took over and out. It was a very pretty drive, but it was raining the entire time I was in the park, so I just stayed in my car and chalked it up as a nice relaxed driving day since it couldn't be a hiking or photo op day. So excited for quality time with an old friend...turns out driving around the country by oneself is a pretty lonely existence. All the great strangers and sights that have crossed my path so far don't measure up to one old friend.