Day 17: Ridgecrest, CA to Long Beach, CA
Total Miles Driven - 3,960
Today’s Miles - 185
Friday, June 10th
I woke up early again, ready to knock out the last 175-miles to Long Beach as quick as I could so that my “Vespa Venture” would be a true coast-to-coast ride. About five-miles into the last day’s journey, for the first time in several days, I wasn’t ready for the adventure to end. So, I let off the throttle a bit, sat-up in my seat, felt the wind and sun on my face, and enjoyed the views. It was glorious.
My plan was to eat a pack of trail mix for breakfast during my first fuel stop. But, wanting to extend the journey, I filled up my 2.1-gallon tank and looked for the most local looking diner as I drove. I ended up finding the Lancaster Grille in Lancaster, California, where I ordered my favorite diner meal of the trip – steak and eggs with extra crispy hash browns and a biscuit with gravy. I took my time to eat and take in the last 16-days. As I was sipping on my coffee, Dust in the Wind by Kansas came on the diner’s radio (Yes, it was a radio.). The song was extremely apposite to the thoughts that were going through my head. It was a cheesy, but cool moment.
After breakfast, I continued driving south and west, where I came up on the Angeles National Forest. It was a beautiful and fun drive with a lot of twists in the road. I knew I was getting close to Los Angeles when I began seeing numerous supercars (Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Aston Martin) racing through the curves as the drivers tested their car’s performance. The thought that ran through my mind was, “I am going to die with 50-miles to go because some spoiled rich kid got a new car for graduation.”
I didn’t die, and I made it to Long Beach, listening to old school West Coast hip hop as I drove through Compton and other LA neighborhoods to reach the coast. Seeing the Pacific Ocean was epic! It was the fruition of a lot of daydreaming, planning, and execution. It was a sentiment that I doubt I'll ever experience again. That's okay, though because this is a once and a lifetime trip, and I am blessed to have felt it at all.
I will post a few more blogs in the coming week to answer questions about my gear, cool/interesting facts, and what, if anything, I am taking away from my trip. Furthermore, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has kept up with my venture through this blog and social media. The likes, comments, blog traffic, text messages, calls, etc. were so encouraging, especially during the most discouraging stretches of the trip. Seriously, thank you! If nothing else, it was great reconnecting with so many of you!
