Note: Out of sheer luck, my wife and I recently drove South on Coast Highway from Newport Beach to Dana Point Harbor just last week. For some unknown reason other than it being around 11 a.m. our drive South was actually pleasant. Ha!!! It was called a two-brake pedal drive for the almost 6 miles of coastal highway driving. We only had to step on the brake two times. That is a rare experience…YRMV Hello, We just got back from another trip to Newport Harbor and on the way there, we flew by almost everything without a stop. But, on the way home, it was crowded at 10:45-11:00 am. It was a Friday and there were a lot of people out and about. Last week, it was a Wednesday, the middle of the week and no colleges or local So Cal high schools were out for Spring Break. So, today should have been the same. There were more college age folks wandering around all of the coastal cities and more out of state license plates were also seen. Locals have to have patience when driving behind an out of state license plate. But, the speed limit is the speed limit. So, as we approached the big downhill Coast Highway, heading into the Main Beach intersections, it was backed up to the top of the northern hill we were on and in the rear view mirror, two lines went back as far as one could see. Friday traffic and it was not even lunch hour, yet. One good thing was that the CHP was on patrol and pulled over a custom motorcycle who zipped by all of the lanes at a stop light on the right and instant ticket was noted... Jnaki Those were the days... Being So Cal locals for all of these years, we have come to know the traffic patterns in the areas we travel. But, even then, road work due to weather repair and reconstruction of crumbling sidewalks does cause difficulties on the traffic headed in either way. Normally, if we take the Coast Highway during the weekdays, it is not that bad. But we always stay away from the weekend flow at any normal hour. Note 2: Remember in a few months, the massive amount of humanity will come down Coast Highway and the Laguna Canyon roadway all the way to the ocean... right at this intersection. So, it will be a warning to all who think a nice day at the beach is in play. Well, it might be a nice day at the beach, but getting there and back might cause some long delays... Be Prepared... as Boy Scouts we used to say it before something happens. Even many years after H.S… it was pleasant to drive by some of the best coastal road trips to take anytime, in any hot rod or cruiser… now, it is pick and choose a day…YRMV NOTE 3: Despite the traffic situation, being the first sunny day on the coast for weeks, a nice looking black 1946-48 Ford Woody was heading toward the Dana Point Harbor for a nice day out or a nice lunch overlooking the whole harbor from the various view points.
The Jalopy Journal
