The Road through your Windshield...

Sitting by the fireplace with an eggnog, ****ed, weather. Beautiful, though.

Ben

 

Road trip to the deuce days in NZ.

 

Thanks for the warm weather pics from down under.... all those winter scenes were giving me the chills!

 

Hello,

My wife and I went on a longer road trip at the end of summer. It was the longest trip for a long while. We usually go twice a year on a long road trip, during the spring and late fall seasons. But, we all know the pandemic put a stop (last one winter 2019 season) to all traveling safety protocols. So, we stay locally as much as we can.

As local So Cal folks, we have seen quite a bit of the whole area. From the mountains to the desert and all the way to the coastline. Sounds like Jerry Dunphy, a TV commentator from the early 60s. He was best known for his intro "From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California, a good evening." His time on many major TV News Channels during prime time, were historic.

Since my wife and I have gone on shorter road trips to see various places we saw in our younger coastal days, the trips were not long ones requiring overnight stays. We use these short trips to get our heads together and maybe make sense of how our world is going. The ocean still plays a big part of our collective minds. So, we stay mostly on the coast’s zillion places to see and do.

Jnaki

We drove South towards San Diego one sunny day and talked about going back to our San Diego Harbor where we spent plenty of years sailing to our hearts content. But, as we got past the last city prior to Camp Pendleton, it was just a different feeling and we felt not able to go all the way to the city and harbor South. So, we stopped in Carlsbad to see the coastal highway and surf spots along the oceanfront.

On the way back, the Coast Highway runs North and connects to the I-5 North in Oceanside CA, just near the main Camp Pendleton Base Entrance.

As we were driving, I remembered a cool roadside attraction only in Oceanside. The 101 Café. I had my digital camera pointed forward and outside knowing it was somewhere on Coast Highway as we neared the downtown area.




Then I remembered I did a story on the actual Oceanside 101 Café on the HAMB.

101 Coast Highway and Wisconsin, Oceanside CA

“Local artist Bob Cording is touching up the cl***ic "Cruisin'" mural at the 101 Café. The café has been around since the 1920s, but the mural was painted by artist Larry Hill in 2005. In recent years, some of the brighter colors have started to fade in the sunlight. The mural features cl***ic cars and surfboards depicting the time when Oceanside was emerging as a surfing paradise.”


"This is definitely a historic mural, it dates back to the days of the late 50's, you know, the space race was going on, the Cold War and they're driving around in their '55 Chevys and their woodies, surfing woodies, going down to the beach," Cording said. Cording will give the mural a state-of-the-art UV protective coat, which should make the colors last longer.”

Other bits of info:

If you love cool cars and nostalgia, you will like this mural located on the corner of Coast Highway 101 and Wisconsin in Oceanside, CA. But, the I-5 freeway does go south, but takes an inland route at this point. Take the Coast Highway exit and go into downtown Oceanside for the destination.

The mural depicts a car hop outside with roller skates serving food to several old hot rods. The café itself dates back to 1928. At the time, the main road from San Diego to Los Angeles was right in front of the tiny restaurant. Now, the current I-5 freeway that byp***es the City of Oceanside Downtown in a 60 mph flash. It was once a drive-in then converted to a walk-in diner with the 1950’s décor.

It is a relic of a place and has roots that go back quite some time in So Cal history. The 101 Café in Oceanside, CA Going south on the I-5 Freeway past the Camp Pendleton compound, turn off on the Coast Highway exit and continue going South towards the downtown area. It is about a 10 minute drive down North Coast Highway to Wisconsin Street.



For us, on this drive North along the Coast Highway, it was on the left side of the road. The crowds were not too bad, but the traffic was a little thick heading to the Camp Pendleton main entrance and the entrance to the I-5 Freeway North.

 

From Dennis McPhail's "Artist at Large Art Show" earlier this month.

 

coming back from breakfast one summer morning

 

A little rip in the ‘40 before the cold weather and snow sat in here in Illinois all while reminiscing of the 2022 rockabilly shows and conversations with new & old friends and all the cool HotRods that came to mind.

 

Interesting. I didn’t realize you all had wind mills like that in NZ too. We have lots in Oklahoma.

 

@guthriesmith . We used to be able to drive right up to base of the windmills to marvel at them. Not now though ,the boring PC safety police spoil sports stepped in , “oh what if one falls over” sheesh *****s.

 

It was getting dark on one of my last rides this year. Put away till spring now.

 

It's always fun going down the road looking through an old car windshield

 

I have a little 1 minute video of my last rip before the snow here in illinois . I’m guessing there isn’t a way to post videos (?)

 

Only way I know is to upload it to YouTube, then post a link. That’s what I have done for videos here.

 

Right on .. thanks !

 

Buddy and I went for a little cruise today for a Laguna Burger, a half pound green chili cheese burger. He has a stock A but we are working on him. The burger joint is at the bottom of the hill

 

Hello,

On Christmas Day, we were going over to our granddaughter’s house for the latest development and family news. But, since the big night/day was officially over, we thought this movie we took out of our windshield was appropos. The night was over and a well deserved break at the empty beach was the final destination for that morning.

What is more relaxing than a sunny day at the beach? Yes, there was no “White Christmas” on the So Cal coast areas, but sunshine made the day get better. The Beach Boys once said…the “warmth of the sun…”
Vnak

The happy couple was taking their well deserved vacation at the beach. No one was at the beach, since they were all sitting around the gas fire logs (as the air quality management required) opening presents.

photo by Vnak

Jnaki

Our Christmas traditions have changed over time. Now, instead of “Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we will go…” it has now become, “on the coastal roads and through the towns, to our family’s homes we will go…” to that effect.

Our extended family now has their own traditions and we are the “roving old folks” enjoying each particular warm family home scene. YRMV Stay Safe

 

Hello,

As part of the collective of early 60s old industrial buildings and shops, it is a good place for anyone to get things for your car, parts for surfboards and repairs as well as used items of all kinds. There are even some places that make art work out of metal, and wood for something different.

From the early 1960s time periods of fibergl*** aroma floating in the air to the sight of old cars and trucks lining the narrow streets, to the plethora of small shops catering to the locals, was an interesting place to say the least.

How could such a large sight go unnoticed in this area? It fit right into the design that the whole industrial compound that was built back in those early days. The salt air ocean breezes blasting across the streets into this whole old area full of hard working folks doing their own things made the ambience of the whole location.

Jnaki

After many changeovers and new shops coming and going, the location still has its character and these old cars and trucks play right into the look of local history. We have spent a lot of time back in the early 60s through the 70s here in this industrial area.

Even today, we have used a metal sculpting shop to create some open air designs for computer contained cabinets. And a cabinet shop for some custom solid wood cabinets for our many remodeling projects.

 

One from last Sunday. We usually drive one of the Hot Rods to Church. Yeah I'm not that good at parking.

 

Ok, ok it's thru the side window I couldn't get the phone out fast enough to make it thru the windshield on the way to breakfast the other day before the snow hit

 

Nice JW , @26 T Ford RPU , check out the log jam in the river and this is supposed to be summer , forest guys clearly don't care about their waste. Well it is summer on our side of the mountains , freaking hot when you are working up in an airless mezzanine , like 40 degrees !!! Send some rain our way, dry as here. dry as a beer less bar. And i am parched.

 

Been very wet over here in the last month and this was day two of Cruise Martinborough and i got wet both days, looks like the main show day will be rained out. I just checked on Google Earth and on the bridge my T is pointing straight at Levin. Hope you get some rain soon. JW