ramblings of a wandering nerdan aimless amble on a winding road

We were checked out by 9 this morning and made the 2 minute walk across the road to collect the car. There seems to be plenty of rental places at hotels and we were fortunate enough to find the right car at the right location. We can also drop the car off at Treasure Island (across the road from the Venetian) in Vegas. Talk about lucky!

Getting the car was easy and after a quick rundown on using the GPS we were sitting in the beast. With the key in the ignition it was time to toughen up. With a shrug of my shoulders and a mumbled ‘here goes nothing’ under my breath I turned it on, chucked it in reverse and backed out of the carpark.

After a quick spin around we were out of the garage and headed in the wrong direction! Fortunately we were familiar enough with the area to realize this and we quickly changed course. (The GPS at this stage was not turned on). After another wrong turn we were on Lambart st headed for the Golden Gate Bridge.

By this stage I was feeling pretty good. On the bridge things got a bit tighter as the lanes narrowed but fortunately people drove within the speed limit and I was acutely aware of where I was in the lane with the constant thudding of the reflectors on the right side of the lane warning me to keep just a fraction left-er.

Once over the bridge the lanes widened and I relaxed a little in the seat. Kate got some pictures (to be uploaded tonight) which is good because the whole Bridge experience is a bit of a blur for me. We stopped at a roadside Maccas since we skipped breakfast and picked up twinkies and a starbucks coffee drink in a CAN. (Wanted to see what it tasted like)

Driving is actually easy when following someone. The trick has been either when leading or when turning. I’ve been concentrating on not hitting anything and Kates been concentrating on making sure I’m on the ‘right’ side of the road. So far it’s been effective and there hasn’t even been any arguments or near death experiences.

Anyway, getting to the Napa was a breeze and after an early check-in and a coffee we are getting ready to head out and see what Napa (the town) has to offer. Tomorrow will be a full day of wineries and I think we’ll be getting some bottles shipped back to Oz. Also high on my list is a Napa Valley Pale Ale. I was going to get one when we checked in but Kate wouldn’t let me Not to worry, there is always this afternoon!