There’s a New Marshal in Town

LA/XC DAY SEVEN:   LAS VEGAS TO L.A.

• Las Vegas-L.A. mileage:  270

• Total LA/XC mileage:  3,218

• Road Music Monday:  Tom Petty iPod marathon  (Even though he’s a Florida boy, I’ve always heavily associated him, and his lyrics, with CA)

• Today’s state tally:  2 (Nevada, California)

• New states for Beagle Man:  0 (Already counted Nevada yesterday  🙂 )

Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!  Ricky and I strolling down The Promenade on the beach — volleyball, exhibitionist exercise freaks, the storied Santa Monica Pier, sun/sand/surf/spandex . . . and dogs everywhere you look.  Some of you might remember a post I wrote from an earlier USC visit, “Milo, Haley, and the Dogs of Santa Monica” (March 8).  Well, now Ricky’s one of ’em.  This is exactly what I envisioned when USC zoomed to the top of Robby’s chart and I started contemplating frequent and lengthy visits to L.A./Santa Monica.

Also, how ’bout that room service breakfast from Loews Santa Monica (see pic), which I was able to enjoy at an actual table overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the pier?  Don’t mean to martyr (okay, I really do), but pretty civilized after seven days of gobbling cheese burgers behind the SUV in the parking lot of a McDonald’s while holding Ricky’s leash and giving him his meal and his meds.

So yes, 3,218 miles later, we’re in L.A.  Ricky and I broke even in Vegas, which I suppose is not surprising, given that we didn’t gamble.

A few notes from the road between Las Vegas and Los Angeles:

•  One of the first road signs I noticed was BARSTOW 111.  Used to be I could drive up to Barstow for the night (Sheryl Crow, Leaving Las Vegas) played in my head.  I get a kick when some super-familiar rock lyric comes to life like that.  Same thing when I passed through Winslow, Arizona:  Well, I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona (Eagles, Take It Easy)

• We crashed the 3,000-mile mark in Searchlight, CA (cool name).  While driving along the Mojave Freeway (ditto).

•  Passed Peggy Sue’s ’50s Diner, near Barstow.  They advertised with a billboard 90 miles back up the road, just outside of L.A.  Nice marketing idea.  Shades of Buddy Holly.

•  Came up on a California inspection station just before Yermo.  The officer waved through about 20 cars, before stopping . . . me. “Have any fruit?” she asked.  I said no.  Then she waved me through, too.What is it about me?  Maybe it was the exotic CT plates . . .

•  Strangest sign of the day:  Zzyzx Road, in the Mojave Desert.  Are you kidding me?

As I drove the last 50 miles along I-15S and 220W and I-602S and finally, the Santa Monica freeway, I couldn’t help picking up the pace, and was literally shaking with anticipation — and caffeine.  You saw

Robby’s reaction to Ricky’s arrival in the photos from yesterday’s entry, which I posted without any copy on the theory that a picture’s worth a thousand words.  Without getting too gooey about the whole reunion, let’s just say I was really pleased with how it came off.

And now, a week in sunny L.A.  No more carpet-bagging for Ricky and me for seven whole days!

Can’t say I’m really looking forward to the return trip right now . . .