1993 Mercedes 500E One Take

Kruseman sprint dirt car school

It's in Ventura, just north of LA. My buddy P lives there. Maybe we'll go!

For 40 laps, it costs $625.

Tarlan's US F1 race photos

Lucky guy.

1996 champion Damon Hill.

2018 Williams driver? Paul DiResta. How does he fit in an F1 car?

Seiko wristwatch computer

A day trip up to Sonoma/Napa

A couple of Fridays ago, after the huge fires died down, we went up to Sonoma and Napa for the day. The area depends on tourism so we thought we'd do our part. Here is what we saw.

We first drove up to Sonoma. We passed by Sonoma Raceway. 60% of the hill overlooking the racetrack was charred black.

We went to Ceja Winery near Fremont Diner. It was the first day the tasting room opened since the fire. We were the only ones there for a long time, until a couple from Charleston, South Carolina, showed up. Here are a few unused livery cars parked outside.

We then went to St. Helena for lunch. The restaurant is usually pretty busy, but we had no problem getting a table. The staff frankly looked shellshocked. The menu was very limited, but we had a good time.

Then, it was a stroll through town. I saw this BMW Z8 in a bank parking lot. I wonder if it belongs to a good customer who needed a safe place to protect his prized possession from the fire.

And I believe that's a Honda Clarity, the fuel cell-powered sedan. It looked fugly.

We then drove up to Calistoga. The town was evacuated but the firefighters were able to save it. It's my favorite place up there. I couldn't get a mud bath at Indian Springs that day because the male section of the spa was closed for planned renovations.

And here's the drive down Silverado Trail. The fire reached the edge of the road and many buildings and vineyards were saved. The firefighters did an incredible job.

Man sits by gorilla after its mother died

Pan-American Highway blocked by indigenous protestors

This could definitely throw a wrench into my trip. Indigenous groups all over Colombia are upset about a number of legitimate issues. And selfishly, it's going to potentially wreck my vacation plans. Right now, I'm not concerned about my safety. It's more of a logistics/time issue. I gave myself two days of leeway in case of unexpected delays, but that may not be enough.

Here is a short news piece.

Here is raw footage of a protest.

Here is a longer piece about the plight of long-distance/international travelers.

Here is a typical roadblock.