Driving in California

I love to drive.  I love it so much I can't even explain it more than that.  Driving down highway-1 in California is a must-do life experience.  From towns like Loma Mar to Point Reyes, northern California is filled with dreamy roads to coast along.  We went to a "swim up" Taco Bell in Pacifica.  We twisted and turned along roads on the edge of the ocean.  It was reminiscent of the Amalfi Coast and its infamous cliff dwelling roads.  We drove through endless farms and the breathtaking Sierras.  Our car, Nicky Number 2, was a powder blue Hyundai Accent.  We got her up over 8,000 ft to Glacier Point in Yosemite.  She drove us through the vineyards of Napa, over the Golden Gate bridge and down to Santa Cruz.  

Wave Organ, San Francisco, Jetty

San Francisco is an eclectic place.  It is entirely itself and does not try to be like any other city.  I love a lot of things about San Francisco.  In concept the Wave Organ sounds like a fantastic idea.  It is literally an acoustic organ that is being played by the waves that lap up on a jetty in San Francisco bay.  The Golden Gate Bridge is in full view (on a good day) and there aren't many people who actually make the trek out to this spot.  It is quite a walk from downtown but I love to put down 20 miles or so on a good wandering day.  I read once that the Wave Organ was made from the remnant granite and marble stones of an old cemetery.  There are seats, steps and outcroppings to accommodate you as you explore this site.  Large pipes come out of the bay and you stick your ear into them or sit closely and you listen.  That's all that is required of you.  Enjoy your surroundings and listen.

Did I mention the wave organ sounds like a thousand toilets flushing over and over again? 

Grounds for Sculpture, New Jersey

You know you are going to someplace fantastic when you are never quite sure if you are at your destination until it hits you over the head (or you pay the parking fee).  There is a specifically defined entrance to the Grounds for Sculpture but before arriving at the gate one might think they've already entered the sculpture garden many miles prior down the road.  The sculptures can not be contained inside this 33 acre park.  They ooze out into the environment around them, infiltrating town walkways and creating surreal scenes outside of local factories.  The work isn't ground breaking or new at the Grounds but the ambiance makes up for it.

 It transports you to another place.  It may have a similar effect of Disney World on me.  It made me feel like I was in my own head wandering through a book or a painting.  In many cases you are doing just that at the Grounds, where famous works of art are made into sculptural scenes.  It is kind of cheesy but I loved it.

It is only a 2 hour drive from Nassau County and right near the Princeton campus.  Instead of sitting in traffic driving out to a pumpkin farm or a winery maybe you can spend a Saturday at the Grounds for Sculpture.  Most importantly they have peacocks that roam free.