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A Cultural Epistle About Southern California, Time, Distance and Traffic
Southern California is a unique place when it comes to getting to places. Nearly every thing is at least 40 mins, or more, away. We never use miles to say how far we are going, it’s always based on time, and yes, we say, “The” in front of every freeway name.
One of the oldest freeways in the nation is the Pasadena Freeway or “The One Ten.” Imagine freeway speed traffic with no real on or off ramps, no merge lane…just a stop sign, turn the wheel right and give that right pedal hell. It’s one of the best thrill rides in SoCal.
Traffic can make a 15-mile drive take 2 hours; this is common. Conversely, in 15 miles you have access to 10 Home Depots, dozens of schools, millions of residents, 20 event venues and a dozen multi-starred Michelin restaurants.
The landscape is varied. Mt Baldy, elevation 10,000', is less than 60 miles from the beach. It’s also about 90 mins from Palm Springs.
Someone is always going somewhere in SoCal. and there are millions and millions of someones-
This diversity of venues coupled with 20+ million people means waiting weeks before one tries to see the latest hit movie. Timing and…
