Here we go again. Following our first journey from Tampa to San Francisco in 2016, Nick and I have always discussed how and when we’d return to the States to continue the saga. We’ve settled on the ever-reliable ‘beginning - middle - end’ formula, hence the title - this time our route will take us from San Francisco to New York City over the course of January, my first time outside of Europe in two years for reasons I’m sure aren’t hard to surmise.
Whilst I’m loathed to raise the subject, given how much it’s framed our combined experiences during the recent past, I feel like I have to at least acknowledge the context that the ongoing pandemic creates for both our planning and undertaking. As I left Heathrow on Saturday morning, I reflected on how it is easy to forget the effect that COVID has had on our ability to travel, particularly internationally - something I realise I clearly took for granted prior to the start of the pandemic. We now all face a significant, if manageable, additional layer to travelling between borders that hasn’t existed for any of my previous travels and I’m amazed at how quickly it has become second nature. Pre-flight testing, covid passports, the constant mask wearing - it’s easy to become numb to it all and this trip has made me ponder on how long these measures will remain in place.
With that out of the way, and a solemn commitment to not raise it again, I had a reasonable trip through Heathrow airport although I can’t recommend New Year’s Day as the most efficient way to fly - everything seems to take a little longer and a few more of the concessions are shut, but I have nothing but time so I grab a coffee and wait. The flight itself was quiet so I managed to snag a row on plane to myself - the direct flight to San Fran is 12 hours or so, which I felt might drag, but some reading and the new season of the Witcher made things fly by.
Equally, my arrival in the US is smooth and quick, although I’m always mildly impressed by how seriously the American immigration officers interview new arrivals - I was asked not only about my purpose for travelling to the States, but also about my travelling companion’s, what we both do for a living and how much money HE might be carrying. After clearing the travel equivalent of The Newlywed Game, I collect my bags and head out to meet my compadre - excuse the sentimentality, but it’s genuinely good to see him as there’s nobody I’d rather be undertaking this trip with and I can’t help but grin when I see his dumb face in the arrivals hall.
The first step to this adventure introduces us to the third partner in our journey - our rental car. Last time we had a monstrous pickup truck that saw us through the southern states, which was undoubtedly a fun look, but this time the prospect of colder climes and more treacherous conditions has made us go for a more capable 4x4 vehicle. This is immediately thrown out of the window however, when the two guys behind the Avis counter offer us a Range Rover Velar (for a small additional cost obviously) - this beauty is fully loaded and comes in white, which really left us no choice.
So we set off into a crisp, sunny Californian afternoon and start to head north - we’ve decided not to linger as we spent some time in San Francisco at the end of the last trip and so we strike out for North Cali and the start of the trip proper. As we travel along the frankly outrageously picturesque coastline, the sun starts to set and we stop for dinner at a little seaside restaurant - Lucas Wharf - in a place called Bodega Bay. The food is great and we commiserate as the sun turns the sky purple in the distance. It’s such a good feeling to finally be here and the sense of expectation is palpable as we continue our route north to the small town of Fort Bragg (not that one) and pull over into a nice little roadside motel. I love these places, as almost all of them are unique and whilst you can’t always guarantee the quality of where you’ll be staying ($100 buys you some VERY variable experiences…) they are always memorable in one way or another. The drop in temperature really makes itself felt as we move our bags into the room and requires some additional layers are laid out for the following days.
As we settle in for the night, preparing for an early start the following morning, I can’t help but reflect on how much I enjoy this way of seeing the world - little to no plan, the day to come filled with tantalising prospects and the very best company. Happy new year all.