Quick Update

So other than driving most of my fellow LA drivers mad by doing 60 in the slow lane, slow for even the slow lane here, I managed to get 27.2 mpg on my first tank of gas.  As my little Hyundai only got 26 I'm doing well.  I did however have to put my road trip off this week as a nasty freaking stone jumped off an over pass and went head to head with my brand new windshield.  I have one of those not through and through bullet holes but it has to be fixed before I can hit the road again.  Four days old and this is how the world treats her!

Anyway, I'm pushing Seattle back to mid March as I'm headed back up to Bill Bear for my free day of skiing (with the hub) for my BD.

Eco Driving

So I'm an aggressive London driver to my core, but having just bought a new car because my little Hyundai was crying out for retirement I'm having to rethink this.  I love zipping around and finding shortcuts through alleyways and over gardens...kiding! But my lovely shiny new car really deserves care and attention and besides I want to keep her looking flawless for as long as possible.

So my boy racer days are over for now.  First because of the afore mentioned and secondly because I've been thinking further about Project Gas Tank, and having got a "crossover" this time around, I want to not only discover what I can within a gas tank's journey but I want to extend that journey as far as possible.

So for the first time in my life and for the first time on my first tank of gas I'm going to Eco Drive.  I've done a little research and my new (and completely annoying to people like my previous self) style of driving will include:

1. Not leaving the car idling with the A/C on for 30 minutes at a time while I listen to the end of "This American Life" outside my house.
2. Not breaking hard except in emergencies.
3. Not accelerating obnoxiously fast off the light (phew that one's going to be tough.)
4. Driving no faster than 60 mph on the freeway (the toughest! I'm an 85er for sure and might fall over going that slow.)
and
5. To help me not speed over 60 mph, use the cruise control (for those people who past their test in an automatic not a manual!)

I don't have a trip planned for this week but I do have to work out in Oxnard tomorrow so if I discover any place interesting (unlikely) I'll post it.  That's if I can get there and back in a day doing only 60!!

Project Gas Tank - Trip 2 - Sierra Madre

OK, so this isn't even quarter of a tank but I have to write about.  From Santa Monica to Sierra Madre it's only 45 miles.  It's a little confusing if you don't have a GPS as there are a number of exits off the 210 fwy that suggest you are there when you are not.  The exit is Baldwin and by this time you've already passed two other exits that look promising including Sierra Madre Blvd.

After exiting the freeway you drive north through a beautiful residential area with huge old trees and quaint houses.  The village starts at a crossroads with shops going west and north along two streets and there is a little court yard where you can sit in the shade of the trees.  The village is full of boutique stores, an ample amount of coffee shops and restaurants, as well as numerous places for gifts and pampering yourself.

The Four Seasons, which really they should have stayed away from that name as when you see the "Four Seasons Tea Room" its a bit of a shock.  Is not a tea room at the "Four Seasons" but a little English tea house at the top of the village.  They offer a number of different versions of an english high tea and it really is one of the best in LA, and my opinion counts as I've had more than my fair share of teas to judge! http://www.4seasonstearoom.com

Just down from the tea room is a little store called Belle's Nest.  It's owned by two sisters, who are both funny and charming.  You'll easily spend more time than you expected in this little gem.  I think I lost about two hours here just chatting with them and browsing the store.
http://www.bellesnest.com/

They have a number of festivals throughout the year in Sierra Madre as well as a weekly Farmer's Market every Wednesday from 3pm to 7pm.  The next festival is on March 25th and is the Wistaria Vine Festival. 

And SM is home to a bloody enormous wistaria!  The festival will close off the main thoroughfare and they'll have stalls with all kinds of arts and crafts, food, jewelry and other stuff. 

Leonora Moss is by the little court yard on Kersting Crt.  It's a flower shop but also has cards, jewelry and gifts.  The owner told me they have some great things in for Halloween and the holidays.  Next to Leonora Moss is a shop that stocks kitchenware, unusual packeted mixtures and stuff for you dinner parties of all kinds, (I can't remember it's name!)  Also on the same block is Lucky Baldwin's a pub that does really good lunches.  I had my much sort after Fish and Chips after being so disappointed in Big Bear, and it was delicious.  They do a half potion which was the perfect size for me.

On a nice day it's a great little place to wander around, shop and eat.  I found the people to be very friendly and helpful as well as enthusiastic about their village.  If you have an afternoon Sierra Madre is a great trip not too far out of LA and less than a quarter off a tank.  I highly recommend it, although it might not be the most interesting place if you've got kids other than when the festivals are on.

Project Gas Tank - Trip 1 - Big Bear

So today is my first PGT road trip.  I've actually chosen a place that is only about quarter of a tank away, so this trip will only cost me half a tank.  I'm headed up to Big Bear.  I've heard it's a great place for a quick few hours of skiing.  And no it doesn't have Mammoth's snow but it's also not five hours away.  Also there are a bunch of little stores, restaurants and gift places to browse.                      

The road up to Big Bear the 18 is a nice easy drive and luckily there wasn't any new snow as I discovered half way up that you're supposed to carry chains...opps!

When you first arrive at the edge of Big Bear it seems a little run down.  Like other mountain towns I'm sure snow makes it look prettier.  It also has not escaped the recession with a lot of buildings seeming vacant or closed but that could also be that it's off season.

I do a loop around the village and settle on Teddy Bear's Restaurant on Pine Knot Ave.  It's a little diner type place and yelp mentioned that the food was great.

.

One of the reasons I have sighted I like to travel on my own is that when you sit at the counter in a diner on your own people strike up conversations with you.  Ray, a local of thirty five years notices I'm talking to my phone like a crazy person, as I complain that the much raved about fish and chips is only on available Fridays and today is Wednesday.                                                                                      .
Ray asks if I'm a food critic which is a joke if you know me and food.  Anyway when I tell him I'm blogging trips that you can do on a tank of gas this gets him talking.  Ray is an investor/entrepreneur.  He gives me a little advice on what is best at Teddy Bear's, which I choose to ignore because its still to earlier for a full lunch.                                                                    .
He tells me about how Big Bear has changed, the little pockets such as Poet's Corner and the businesses that have come and gone.  It turns out the Big Bear is doing OK.  For the same reason I'm doing this project, people are coming to Big Bear.  It's a gas tank away for a lot of people and so this is a new destination for many who can no longer take their usual vacations abroad.  Big Bear's tourism has actually done better in the past few years due to this.  I asked him if there were any places visitors might not stumble upon that were good in town and he mentioned a there is a great little place to eat beneath the bowling alley...who knew, as well as a number of little stores further into Big Bear closer to the airport.
After ignoring Ray's recommendations I chose the egg dip, eggs over easy with fries, I chose over medium because I can't stomach the runny white yuck that is over easy.
  

We chat the entire time I'm stuffing fries in my face and he's eating his burger.  Ray gives me the low down on his two kids who whether from a parental point of view of for real, are pretty smart, doing well at the local high school.  

              

I asked the waiter about renting skis at Summit Mountain an he suggests its the way to go.  Clearly he has his own skis as I passed $12, $15 and $17.50 rentals on my way up there only to find that a half day rental at the resort is $25!  It not that that is expensive but compared to $12 it is.  However the one thing that did redeem him was that it is a lot easier to rent them at the resort which right by the ski lifts saving you from lugging all your gear around.
One word of warning, Tebby Bear's is a cash only place.  There is an ATM in the entrance area to the restaurant so you can grab money last minute but they don't accept any other forms of payment.                                                                                                 .
Wandering around the village to walk off my greasy brunch I found a number of great little places to browse.  Surprisingly a lot of the stores in Big Bear Village are open even though it's off season and relatively quite.  It was misleading when I first drove through because on the main strip it seemed places were closed.  There is one place a "Christmas Mart" that is open year round and only sells Christmas things, ornaments and whole tiny villages that sprawl the entire length of the store.  

I spent a little money in a gallery that unfortunately won't allow video or photography but the staff were very friendly, a family run business owned by the daughter of one of the women working there.  It made me laugh to hear they were both originally from Los Feliz in LA and that they hadn't been there in...."oh....I don't know...TEN YEARS!" 
The coffee place next door has great drinks, wifi and amazing pasties. The girl at the counter didn't really seem to know how to acknowledge more than one person at a time.  I stood in line hyperventilating as the woman in front of me bought bag after bag, after cookie after scone.  It was touch and go whether there would be anything left.  I've honestly never seen someone clear out a cake cabinet as quickly before.

Having lost track of time drinking, writing and people watching, I headed up to Summit Mountain a little late.  By this time it was well into the afternoon and I tossed up whether it was worth skiing for an hour or not. Right as I was standing looking at the prices and trying to justify $75 for an hour of skiing I saw this sign...

...and my decision is made.  It's my birthday is in a few weeks so I'll come up for the day. Free is free after all and with gear and the $49 half day ski pass I wasn't about to waste $75.
That being said I did find a number of little antique stores and found myself loading an antique juicer to go along with a bird house I bought in the gallery into my car!

The woman running the Mill Creek Antique store, which is on your way our of Big Bear (or on the way in depending on which direction you're headed,) was incongruous in the setting of rooms filled with antique pieces and bits of rusting metal.  Originally from Oklahoma she moved to Big Bear because her mother-in-law lived here.  There was a ton of country type crap if you're into that, which I partially am.  I could have easily loaded up my car but I reframed...except for the juicer.


Driving back down the mountain gives you a better view of the National Forest.  It's amazing this is all in our back yard.

Beware of the hidden cops on the 330 and 18 as they sit slightly back from the road. I was glad I wasn't the loon overtaking another car on a one lane stretch because a split second later he had a cop up his ass.

I made it home having use just under half a tank of gas so the drive cost me about $25.  If money is super tight go up when it snows, there are lots of places off the road to sled for free and you can always pack a picnic.

PGT 1 was a success.  A great little day trip for very little money and its amazing how just spending a few hours in a different environment can revitalize you.

The Gas Tank Project

So as the economy continues to suck and the 99% continue to tighten their belts, included me.  I've been trying to figure out a way to get my travel obsession met.  I do have my free flights and I plan to fly up to Seattle in a few weeks but for the most part I need cheap travel options.

So for people like me who love and need to travel, as well as desperately trying to escape housewives and stay at home moms, I'm starting the PROJECT GAS TANK.

Most of us these days don't have the type of discretionary income to travel that we perhaps once did.  However I do think that the majority of us can afford to fill up our gas tank.

I have a little old Hyundi Elantra.  Her tank costs about $55 to fill up and she can get about 300 to 350 miles to her tank.  So this is my plan:

For the rest of this year I am going to see what places I can find and adventures I can have on a tank of gas.  Being that I live in LA that means I have to find places to visit within a 150 mile radius as I still need the other 150 miles to get back home.  The plan is to not fill up during the trip, so i can take trips that don't fully use up my tank they just can't go over.

We spend so much time...well I do...looking at exotic brochures of wonderful and very expensive vacations but with a lack of funds I'm excited to discover what hidden treasures are in my own back yard.