Summer Vacation

Nearly 30 years ago, we went on a trip up the coast of California. It was planned as a long camping trip with a quick first stop as an overnight visit with my relatives in Petaluma.

We drove up the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway.

Just south of San Francisco, our Volkswagen camper leaked fuel into the oil. By the time we arrived at my aunt's house, our engine was ruined (which we had just recently rebuilt). We were stuck for the entire two weeks of our vacation trying with little success to get our car fixed. In the end, they were able to get it running enough for us to drive home to L.A. and our own mechanic. But they warned us to drive slowly and take it easy.

I had been so angry while waiting and wasting away our vacation.

Driving home, at 45 miles an hour, gave me a completely differently outlook. The anger blew away with the wind through the windwing window. I realized that I could notice more, enjoy the trip a lot more, just by going more slowly.

North of Santa Barbara we stopped for the night at a little, rundown campground. We sputtered to a stop and set up camp. Across the highway was the ocean and there we discovered another campground - a wonderful place called El Capitan State Beach.

We went back the next year, and the year after that. Other family members started joining us. It's now a family tradition, and the only place my guys want to go for summer. And we still go there in that same Volkswagen camper.