sunday morning prior to the rooster’s cock-a-doodle, the hunkiest and i were riding shotgun down the 101 highway for our annual thanksgiving trek up north.

my favorite vacation ever, a tradition that goes back to my years in the single digits, our thanksgiving trip to pebble beach is like no other experience for me.

one part nostalgia: my safest, happiest, hands up in the air, twirling without a care in the world, usually with my dad filming, childhood memories all seem to swerve back to “pebble”.

two parts visual magnificence: asia, europe, the tropical paradises of the world, none of them hold a candle, in my opinion to the beauty of this grand coast line. my keg of god replenished on these visits; even on the years when i’m indifferent on the whole existence of that grander good.

even the seven hour drive is a treat. the roads were hudson river school inspired. a mixture of stormy grey thunder clouds, doused with wicked cerulean skies, and an indecisive, coy sun that, at times, made the hills come alive with hues of lime and green apple.

the holiday season officially commenced with my first grande bold of the year in a big, red cup!

with coffee in hand, we jingle bell’d our way down the highway.

our tenor and soprano sang back up on the fa-la-lahs, and did a brutal “away in the manger.”

during the concert intermission we supplemented the silence with more coffee and books on c.d. 

ken follet’s fall of the giants is a highly entertaining, historical fiction novel spanning early 20th century europe and north america as the world’s super powers come to battle in the first world war. 

while not the most cerebral of novels, camus it’s not, it’s the perfect book to listen to on a drive. i’m digging the elements from high school history that i forgot, and the fun, soap opera-like bits of intrigue and romance hook you in, both men and women. 

due to the caffeine stops, canine breaks, and overall dawdling attitude of our drive there was no record time made. but we did make it to property before our daily sunset walk.

let the exhalation begin.