California Dreaming

I must be getting excited about the trip as I have not slept well last 2 nights, dreams about missing flights and sleeping in, hopefully thats where they'll stay.

Spent today packing, then removing a couple of items and repacking. Yep I have the list ticked off, and hiring the same bike I own means I know it all fits in the 2 panniers.

Cleaned the boots and reproofed the appropriate bits of the suit where the rain, if any, runs down and gathers - yes down there. Otherwise its sorting out a book for the flights - Michael Connoly, The last Coyote (was he not on telly with Yosemite Sam?) - pen for the crossword and buds for the in-flight movie; check; and oh yes the gold panning tools and shovel, hell there's so much gold its just lyin'around an' you can just pick it up, they do say.

Nearly all of us have GPS but its good to have a backup, so i've been checking out my map and hey whats that there, the Chocolate Mountains, no kiddin'. Sadly too far south for our trip but they are just south of the Joshua Tree national park. Amazing.

Many of the names are so familiar having been used in songs that we've grown up with, we have been unwittingly steeped in americana for years without realising it. To name a few: Ventura Highway, San Jose, San Bernadino, Reno. So its going to be fun seeing some of these places.

Found a good site for weather info - wunderground.com - its got the lot, even a flu activity monitor !! so it says it is a hazy 20 in LA and cooler 16 in SF tho getting sunny on wed and thu. Think i can cope with that.