Actually, I hit seven HRCs in 22 hours but more on that later. First, it takes a lot of planning and a little bit of luck. Second, you have to be able to be a "Road Warrior." This whole trip started when I was told at 3:30 Monday afternoon (7/20) that I was going to California to observe UNISYS for an install on Thursday and Friday. The guy who was suppose to go on the trip had three things working against him:
So, by Tuesday afternoon I had my plane tickets and reservations made. I was hoping I would have Saturday off and fly back Sunday.
After work Wednesday night, I flew to Palm Springs, CA with a small layover in Denver. I was sent to a little town in the desert near the California – Arizona border called Blythe. We were performing a pilot for small site configurations (5 workstations or less). I landed in Palm Springs and when I got off the plane, I thought someone had the jet engine exhaust pointed at the doorway of the plane. It was like walking into an oven. HOT! I got my luggage and rental car and drove two hours across the desert on I-10 to Blythe late that night.
Thursday was uneventful at work and the temperature got to 114F. Friday was a bit different - it was VERY HOT – 121 degrees Fahrenheit (49C). I was done with work on Friday around 5:00pm. I realized that Phoenix, AZ was only two hours away so I decided to head back to the hotel, freshen up and drive to the Phoenix HRC. It was neat driving across the desert in the evening on I-10. Ahead of me the whole time was a lightening storm that kept striking the desert near the horizon – very cool. I made it in just under two hours and I was at the merchandise counter at 8:00pm. I bought the pins and T-shirts everybody wanted and I turned around and headed back to Blythe. I went to bed at 10:30 to get ready for the trip the next day.
Initially I planned to hit five HRCs in one day. They were Tijuana, San Diego, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, and Hollywood. I figured I had a thirteen hour window to hit them all if I was at the Tijuana HRC when they opened at 11:00am then I would have until midnight to get all the way up to Hollywood. I headed out on the road at 6:50 am after getting my breakfast burrito, hash round, and coffee from McDonalds. I was surprised that they sell breakfast burritos as McDonalds has discontinued them in the Baltimore area.
I headed south across some rural road to hit I-8. I-8 took me right into San Diego but I headed down I-5 near San Diego to hit Tijuana first. It took less then ten minutes to get across the border. As if by magic I was transported to a third world country. Tijuana is very run-down and everyone is trying to make a buck by cleaning your windows or sell you garbage jewelry and trinkets. I drove around a little bit hoping to hit the street I was looking for that the HRC was on. I stopped and asked a fruit vendor for directions. I was closer than I thought. He told me four blocks down and two blocks left. Sure enough, his directions were right on the money. I found parking and made my way back the HRC. Dozens of little children ran up to me with cups in their hands begging for money, many of which wore tattered clothes and didn’t have shoes. I got there the moment they opened, just as I planned. I took my picture of the outside of the HRC and went in to buy our items. I bought so much stuff that they gave me two free HRC soccer balls. I had three large shopping bags when I left there. I made it back to the car in one piece and headed back to I-5 to cross the border.
Fortunately, it only took me twenty minutes to get back across the border. While I was inching toward the customs plaza, there were dozens people selling more trinkets and jewelry. This is where I got lucky because I have been told it can take hours sometimes to get back across the border. Soon I was heading up to the north of San Diego to hit the HRC in a suburb called La Jolla (pronounced La Hoi-ya). I got there with no problems as I studied my maps the night before. As I was looking at the pins, I noticed they didn’t have San Diego on them but rather La Jolla. So I asked where the San Diego HRC was. They said the restaurant wasn’t open yet but the merchandise counter was. All of their merchandise was sent to the new downtown HRC and the current one was renamed to La Jolla and they received new merchandise with La Jolla on it. I asked for directions. Soon I had another two bags of stuff and I was heading back south down I-5 to downtown San Diego.
They gave excellent directions as I was there in twenty minutes. This was the HRC I didn’t know about. I was making great time as it was only 1:45 pm when I left San Diego with another bag of HRC memorabilia.
I headed back up I-5 towards Newport Beach. I took the Coastal Highway for a little bit of sightseeing. There were a lot traffic lights at first, but it wasn’t too bad. The next thing I knew, I was at Fashion Circle where the HRC was located. Fashion Circle is like a big mall that caters to many different fashion stores. The HRC was located on the outside of the parking lot. Again I took my picture, bought the items on the shopping list and was headed towards Los Angeles.
The people at Newport Beach gave good directions. The highways in LA were twisting and turning but there was very little congestion. I arrived at the Beverly Center where the HRC is located. It is a huge building/mall/parking-garage all rolled into one. If you ever watch the movie Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones, the HRC in the movie is the one in LA. It is odd that they call the HRC LA as it is actually in Beverly Hills (hint – Beverly Center). I bought our needed items, got directions to Hollywood, and was on the road again.
Leaving the LA HRC, I drove through some of the most expensive real estate in the US located in Beverly Hills. I caught the Hollywood Freeway, passed the Hollywood Bowl, and jumped off a couple exits later at Universal City. They have valet parking in the parking garage (you have no choice). I dropped the car off, walked through a parking garage-like hallway and there was the HRC as big as life. There was also a large movie complex with 12 or 15 movies playing. It was now 6:00 pm and I was hungry. I ate dinner at the Hollywood HRC and plotted my trip back to Blythe. I had my favorite (usual) - hot wings and nachos. I also tried one of the new HRC beers. It was pretty good. I went to the merchandise counter, bought what was on the shopping list and was dreading the drive back to Blythe. A guy told me it was about a four-hour drive. It was a straight shot across I-10 through San Bernardino, Palm Springs, and then Blythe. I made it back in three hours and ten minutes – not bad at all.
I lugged all ten (yes ten) large shopping bags up to my hotel room. I was bushed and I went to bed. The next morning I got up, took a shower, began to pack, and then I came upon a horrible discovery. I didn’t have enough room in my suitcase for all ten bags worth of goodies!!! I was really beside myself as I didn’t plan for this volume of stuff. After some rearranging, I pulled my laundry bag out and put the soccer balls in with my laundry. I tied 12 square knots in the top of the laundry bag. I was able to get the rest of the stuff in my large suitcase. I didn’t realize how much room 42 HRC shirts, 10 shot glasses, and 237 pins would take up. The pins didn’t take up that much room but they certainly added to the weight.
Everything made it back ok. Nothing was broken and nothing too wrinkled. I hope everyone enjoys his or her souvenirs.
And that is how you hit six HRCs in one day (seven in 22 hours counting Phoenix the
night before).
Bill and Mark's
Excellent Adventure
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