Monday, February 11, 2019

Why Driving in Montenegro Makes Me Happy (it reminds me of my youth)

When I was younger, very much younger, my grandfather, HAM (Henry Albert Mitchell) would take a drive most Sundays. We drove in the hills of Malibu or the Santa Monica Mountains on these tiny roads and had a picnic. Usually with Grandma and Martha, often just he and I.

He came out to California in the depression with the Civilian Conservation Corps and helped build a lot of them. Some are still around, some are now private, and some are now closed except to bikes and hikers. One example is the road in Griffith Park used in La La Land. When I was young it was driveable. Until Prop 13 and funds dried up to keeps parks open.  But here is a picture.

Whatever you think of the movie, I drove that road with my grandparents, parents and it was one of the first roads I took with my own car. It is closed now. Too steep to bike and a long hike.
 And then, last May when I drove through Montenegro, the scenes were so similar. The mountain roads down to the ocean.  The twisty little roads through the hills, with the surprise lakes. And most of the areas, like much of the hills when I grew up, are empty and gorgeous.  I drove it in the spring when they are at their greenest.  I share a plethora of pictures from that drive.




That was my rental Kia

I took this picture back on the road I had driven (on the far side of the reservoir).

The view of Kotor Bay coming from the North.

The view of Kotor Bay coming from the south


If I told you this was Antelope Valley, you wouldn't know better.

Although, this would give it away :-)


Okay, here the snow isn't very LA - :-)

Road Cut into hill lower, upper roadway started, then abandoned. The bridge leads to a dead end and park.