How to get to the north side of Los Angeles. With a discerning approach to reaching Santa Monica while avoiding LA commuter traffic on a Thursday morning, local knowledge was key. Karen advised a 4:30am departure from their home in Cypress. At that early hour there was already enough traffic that any looky-looing beyond glancing at google maps on the dash, and paying strict attention to driving was not advisable. It was still pitch-dark when I pulled Lulu over to a beach-side stop for breakfast just outside Santa Monica. Waiting for sunrise would give the scenic drive the coast highway is famous for.
The almost 2 hour to Santa Barbara was beautiful, that is until a google maps alert indicated a TWO HOUR DELAY a mere 20 miles south of that lovely, university town! Actually, remembering my home is with me wherever I drive, we sidetracked just in the nick of time to Mussel Shoals. A pull-out above the beach and on a bike path, this was a much more enjoyable 2-hour delay. Since I could see the back-up, and could see when the back-up diminished, we took to the road again for that final 20 miles. However, the jam was still there, just out of sight. It still took another hour to reach Santa Monica on a google-map-advised backroad. Quite lovely hilly farmland scenery, even with all the other folks following their google alternative routes.