AN AMERICAN CAR ADVENTURE PART 1

Photo and text: Christer Lundem

It took me 45 years before I got to travel to the United States. Whether it was coincidence or recognition that such an experience requires time, I'm unsure. Back home freezing in an autumn damp Oslo, straight from California's dry heat, I contemplate memories and experiences. Ten days of travel is actually enough. My car passion spans many nationalities and brands, but there are European sports cars that are closest to my heart. So why then volunteer 13 hours by plane to watch European sports cars? Well – Join me on my American Car Adventure.

Monday, 10 August: In LA

It's Monday, 10 August, we've just landed at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), the sky is dyed in golden yellow colours from the rapidly declining sun. Around us are airplanes scattered inn all directions, taxing, parked and up flying in the air. We feel utterly small and very Norwegian. Here in America everything is big, so also airports. An imaginary wall of warm air greets us as we step out of the plane. Four hours later we relax behind the steering wheel of a 2015 model Ford Mustang convertible. The V8 convertible; an irresistible cliche that simply must be tried. Our iPhone sat nav guides us to 1700 Ocean Avenue at Santa Monica Beach, while our car stereo plays Hotel California by The Eagles. Reality transfixes imagination and everything is simply perfect. We head towards the real Hotel California. This will be our first stop and our only deviation in the trip which otherwise focused on car culture: This night we drink beer and dance on the beach, but who am I to complain?

So what is our goal? We want to experience California's car culture from the driver's seat of a rented Ford Mustang. In advance, we had chosen the acclaimed Monterey Week destination. Even before we planned the trip, we realized that to experience everything that happens during this week in California, will be hopeless. A loose itinerary was printed on a piece of paper, and no hotels were of course booked. The latter would prove to be a fatal mistake. Spontaneous traveling in high season for holiday, involve financial challenges that one could easily have done without. American hotels have namely no concept of the concept fixed price. Without exaggerating the individual overnight stays in hotels would become more than challenging for Norwegian HSE standards. I now know very well why the Americans call places like this "flee motels". One never learns.

Tomorrow you can read about “Racing with James Dean”.