Dear Mike,
California is going to be sweet. LA, deserts, the California coast, giant trees, wine country... It's got it all. This is the state that I'm the most stoked about visiting. I have really only been to California once and that was an accidental layover in San Fransisco for a day. Sure, I got to see the city with a tour bus driver named Lyle, but this time is going to be so much better!
We are going to look at more fuel efficient cars tomorrow, because gas is supposed to hit 5 or 6 dollars a gallon this summer in California. We were going to take Kristen's car on our journey, but her Kia Optima only gets about 23 Highway (it's a V6), which is a bummer. Depending on gas prices this summer, would spend as much as $4,000 on gas alone in the Kia. So, yeah something more like a Prius or a Fit is on the horizon. I know that neither of those cars are as cool as your Mazda 6, a car which, in your own words is only "sweet enough" by your standards, but if it's roomy and gets good gas we're happy. In LA and San Francisco, we'll be on the lookout for some epic cheap art for you (which you can then get framed for 10 times what it's worth).
More to come this weekend.
~Mario
**Approximate date of arrival: Joshua Tree (July 5), San Diego (July 6), Los Angeles (July 7), Big Sur (July 10), Sequoia National Forest (July 11), Yosemite National Park (July 13), Santa Cruz (July 16), San Francisco (July 17), Napa (July 20), Davis (July 20), Sacramento (July 20), Redwood National Park (July 24).