Carmel and Jennings

Traffic getting to Carmel was terrible yesterday. Highway 101 through Gilroy was a virtual parking lot, so we tried to reach Highway 1 using 152 through Watsonville. It wasn't much better, but on the bright side, we saw lots of guys wearing cowboy hats as we moseyed through the center of town. As time goes on, I hope we learn the best times to leave and return to make the coastal escape easier. When there isn't a jam, the beautiful beach and downtown area is only forty-five minutes away.

Carmel was busy as usual, which made parking a hassle, but once we were on foot and walking around town, I was able to relax and enjoy myself.

Did you read in recent news about Carmel's latest woes? Apparently, the town has too many art galleries. I bet most communities wish they had that type of trouble instead of the typical problems of traffic, crime and unemployment. I wonder if a moratorium on galleries will really bring about the reemergence of more useful retail stores and services. It does seem absurd that residents only have to walk a block to purchase a painting, but have to cross a busy highway to buy food, clothing and gas.

After getting home last night, I turned on the television and caught the breaking news of Peter Jennings' passing. I sat in disbelief as I watched ABC's tribute to its longtime anchor. (He spent 41 of his 67 years at the network.) I suppose I thought he would somehow make a miraculous recovery from lung cancer and return to report the news again. Jennings always struck me as the most approachable and most credible of the Big Three (Brokaw, Jennings and Rather). My perception of the first quality probably affected my perception of the second. Yes, he was a stranger in a box, talking about things happening in far away places, but he was also a familiar face that kept me informed about world events (when newspapers and the net were inaccessible). I will miss him.