Travels with Carmie.

The Last Run in Aspen. Click 4 pix.Aspen is sooooo awesome.  It's da bomb.  That's why we rarely go past the round-a-bout during the Winter  and ski season.  Between Thanksgiving and the end of April we  pretty much stay put.  We're happy to crib it right in town and walk to work (Ajax) every day.  2010/11 was a great season, 106 ski days.   Each year cabin fever begins to set in right around tax day and we begin to plot our escape.

Click 4 Pix  TRAVELS with CARMIE

It's good to spend time outside the bubble once in a while.  We like to gain new perspectives.  That's why AspenSpin is returning to La Jolla, California and Windansea Beach for a second summer.  We scored a great, dog-friendly beach front apartment in the same complex as last year.  We love the Pacific Ocean...and its an especially great paring with the Rocky Mountains.  Surf and Turf....its not a meal...its a life-style.

The Scenic RouteWe took the scenic route to San Diego.  We don't need no map quest, bro.  we have an old fashioned road atlas.  We created the most direct route, almost a straight line to SD travelling in a S. Westerly direction.  This is what we came up with. 82 W (40 miles) to I-70 W (150 miles) to 128 S (40 AWESOME miles) to Moab where we motel camped.  Day 2, 191 S. into the Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation and Az. to 163 S. to Flagstaff, then scenic 89 S. through Sedona to Prescott, Az.  (about 400 miles in total).  89 S. out of Prescott offered an incredible switchback to SR 71 S, to Rte 60 W to Rte 95 S  (about 250 miles)to Yuma where we picked up I-8 for the final 150 miles into San Diego.  We drove fast, we stopped often and we saw some super-diverse and scenic areas.

Feet in the sand.No speeding tickets, 6 bags of cheetos and about 8 diet cokes later, Carmelo and I climbed the final few miles over Mt. Soledad into La Jolla.  With our first glimpse of the Pacific, the dog went wild, she started sniffing like crazy,  sticking her nose out the window, doing circles in her compact spot in the back seat.  She knew exactly where we were.  A few more miles and we were home. We parked and hit the beach immediately.  Carmelo was freaking.  She was running around the beach like she was possessed, jumping in the water, getting wet and enjoying life.

Its good to be back in La Jolla. 

The Mounment Valley. Navajo Nation, Northern Az.

After 1025 miles, Carmelo enjoyed the beach. Click 4 pix. Windnsea. La Jolla, Ca.