It was 495 miles round trip on recent few days junket to the Central Coast with my kids, much needed time away.

Out of our home metropolis, southbound as the highway, narrowed, and the traffic slowed, getting past commuters, land opened up, many many fields, growing this and that, strawberry, lettuce, artichoke, and on and on, past Mission bells, one after the other, then through Eucalyptus Grove, garlic to Steinbeck country, more open wide, and more green fields and brown foothills,

then before too long wine country, and oil fields on the east plain, and finally back to the coast, another bay, and another, and life slowed, not without vent, not without bumps,

But just getting away, just the breaking up of routine, the feel of no schedule, and funky surf house, and 20° cooler, and everybody sleeping in one big room, even though three other bedrooms were dotted throughout the house,

All together, time together, just together,

495,

So so GOOD.