The weekend began driving to Vegas on Friday, Feb 3rd, where I decided to audition for The Voice TV show. I stayed with my friend and his family for a couple of days - which was a blast! Great food, great company, and hilarious children. Plus a sweet little husky as well.
The auditions went all day Saturday - so I got in line around 11am, even though my time wasn't until 3pm. Glad I did too! There were already a good 50-75 people in line when I got there, and hundreds after me within just an hour. The audition itself was nothing to write home about - no one in my group moved on. Which is really to be expected, I know how these things go. But overall it was a blast! Met lots of people, made new friends, and had a great experience to check off my bucket list. I had auditioned for American Idol back in their second season, and that was a wildly different experience - but both were awesome!
It's interesting how confidence works. Less worrying about what they think of you, and just knowing you're still good when you aren't what they are looking for. You come, you show, you go. Simple and easy. Fewer expectations make for happier memories and moments.
Ready for auditions!
The line at the conference center
Didn't get to keep the wristbands
After auditions, I headed back, and broke out the laptop to start planning my drive. My friends in San Francisco asked if I wanted to come back out and dog sit again. Since I was in Vegas, it made it easy to just pop over... but then, I realized, I hadn't done any driving south. I had considered going back through Death Valley, but I'd just been there - and Joshua Tree National Park was just as close. So, I picked a hike in Joshua Tree that I wanted to do, and made that my goal. Then, as I looked at the map - I realized I was only a few hours away from Mexico.... hahaha So, I stayed up and really started planning my trip.
It began at 4am. Brutal, as I am definitely not a morning person. within 30 minutes, I was on the road. My route took me through the Mojave desert, where a couple of hours into my drive the sun came up and showed it off in a way I doubt I will ever see again. The entire drive to that point I'd only seen one other car, and I didn't see another car again until I made it down to Route 66. So watching the sun come up - I knew I could stop on the road and just enjoy it.
The silence was absolutely deafening. I laughed at it, as I'm finding I do. Those moments you usually share with someone... the exciting ones, the sad ones, the beautiful ones... those are the ones where I just smile and start laughing. Because I'm doing it. I'm living my life for me, and getting out without reservation and with blind excitement. Alone. And I start to wonder how sane I am. haha
Sunrise just beginning to crest in the Mojave Desert
The long road. Completely desolate and silent
Sun rising over an iconic route
I can confirm - it's where you get your kicks.
After getting through the Mojave Desert, and a brief jaunt along Route 66, I turned off towards Twenty Nine Palms and Joshua Tree National Park. $25 later, and I was watching rock formations that seemed to defy what I knew about rocks. It's no wonder we have turned these places into preserved national parks. They are too beautiful to be destroyed by civilization.
I didn't have much time because my drive was going to take all day, so I made the best use of what I had and stopped at Skull Rock. I did a short hike across the road, got some pictures, and went on my way. I'm definitely going to go back and stay a weekend or something. There were so many things I wanted to see!
Skull Rock (obviously)
Skull Rock.... funny how our eyes want to create faces out of shapes so badly
Cactus everywhere - really had to stay on the trail
After Joshua Tree, it was on to Tijuana, Mexico! The 3 hour drive wasn't overly exciting until I got closer to the border. The windmills were never ending, and the fog that was rolling in was so thick I could barely see road signs! I got off the highway to use the bathroom and get gas before heading into Mexico - just because I didn't want to find myself stranded...needing to pee... alone... in Tijuana... in a clearly marked car from Utah. I had just read the travel warnings, and Tijuana has had a major uptick in American carjackings and kidnappings. Mostly in the evenings, but still. I wasn't going to take my chances.
I planned my route, knew exactly where I was going and prepared. I was going to eat at a restaurant near the border on a main market street, where I knew my 5'10 frame wouldn't stick out as much as it was a touristy area. I also knew I wouldn't have the data I needed for my GPS to reroute me if I got off track. So - I stuck to my GPS. That is, until my GPS took me on a road that was under construction and being barricaded on one side by some broken up concrete walls, and two beat down trucks, and a few men watching the line of cars squeeze by them. I thought "well, good job Megan... you've been in Mexico all of 5 minutes, and you've already got yourself in a mess." I was stuck with this line of cars, and all of a sudden a homeless man came running out at my car yelling and telling me to turn around. That didn't help my nerves. This was probably the first time I wished I had someone with me.
Because the road was under construction, it took me off my pre-determined path. I didn't know where I was any longer. I had a vague idea of where I needed to go and the direction... so I headed that way. Luckily, I found the restaurant, but there was nowhere to park. In my planning, I had found a nearby hotel, but again - I didn't know where I was any longer, and the hotel I thought I was going to park at was definitely not the hotel I thought I was going to park at. So I kept driving. Up and down a couple of streets, avoiding the window washers and peddlers constantly approaching me, and looked for a safe place to park. Again - single American female, in a clearly marked sports car from Utah, packed with a months worth of luggage in the back.... I didn't want to just park and start walking. So I had to be very conscious of where I was.
As I made turn after turn, I accidentally found myself back on the road to the USA. I took it as a sign...and just kept going. So, my adventure to Mexico was brief and entertaining. I spent more time at the border trying to come back in than I did actually in Mexico haha. Then the gate security laughed at me. I laughed at me. It was a good time.
If I'd had someone with me, it probably wouldn't have been as nerve-wracking, because they could have looked at a map, or kept an eye out for parking while I drove... but being alone and not being able to pull over because of people approaching me every time I stopped...just wasn't smart anymore. I knew if I had been able to get out of my car and on the main street I had planned, I'd have been fine - but my comfort level being as clearly tagged as I was ended my adventurous streak. I didn't even get pictures. Oh well.
On to San Diego - where I actually got lunch, because at this point I was super hungry. Found a nice place on the water in Seaport Village. Had great food, walked the shops, and watched a fire eating performance. I felt like it was a place I could definitely enjoy for longer stretches of time. I'd only been there once before when going on a cruise - so I think I'll do it again, but plan to stay a couple of days.
Seaport Village
After lunch, I decided to take the Pacific Coast Highway. I'd taken that road previously for my Christmas and New Years drive up North, so I felt I had to take the road while I was down South as well. It took me through Laguna Beach, Sunset Beach, and Long Beach.
Laguna Beach
I stopped for coffee in Laguna Beach, and checked my timing. The clouds were rolling in, and I wanted to make it to Santa Monica Pier at sunset - so unfortunately, I had to get back on the freeway to make up time. But, I made it with enough time to get to the beach. Unfortunately it was completely overcast, but it was still fun to get to the end of the Route 66 at sunset, when I had seen the sun rising on the same road.... with some major detours in between.
Sunset- Santa Monica Pier... end of Route 66
Looking back on Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica Pier
With the sun gone for the day, and 5 hours left in my drive, I walked back to my car and took the main freeway to continue my drive to San Francisco. I think, next time, I'll spend a couple of days and take the coastal highway all the way up. From San Diego to Seattle... the entire Pacific Coast Highway. There, I said it. It's on the bucket list now!
Map My Drive:
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