Weekend Driver San Diego | Jack's Stories... Page 1

Back to the twists: A sports car, a twisting road and a late Spring day. What else do you need? Coming up in June in the Union-Tribune.

By the way, the Union-Tribune has cut back Weekend Driver to every-other-month, so you‘re only getting half as many trips. Got a comment? E-mail Wheels section editor Mark Maynard.

Getting Lost: The mountains are green, so let's get lost looking for a dirt road. Ran Saturday, April 5, in the Union-Tribune. GO>
Jacumba Hills: The terrain looks lunar, so let's push an all-wheel-drive 2009 Nissan Murano and see how far we can go. Ran February 9, 2008. GO>

Foggy Mission Bay: Keep this secret to yourself, but the best time for a top-down beach cruise is when “Coastal Eddy” makes his appearance. GO>

For more drives, see the listings
for 2004 and 2005.

Or, get your copy of
Weekend Driver San Diego.

Online exclusive: The drive was even better in a Mustang GT convertible. Read a review. GO>

80 Turns 80: Route 66 may have gotten better press, not to mention a catchy song and TV show, but old U.S. 80 was a real coast-to-coast highway. As a birthday present for the old road, it’s now an official historic road in California. Check out a stretch from Flinn Springs to Pine Valley. Ran Nov. 25, 2006, in the Wheels section. GO>

And if you want to celebrate with a t-shirt, go to the Highway 80 Store. GO>
Desert Canyon: Once it cools off, check out a couple of great canyons in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Ran October 21, 2006 in the the Wheels section. GO>
Charger Tour: Let’s go looking for the new Charger stadium sites in the south bay. Ran Sept. 23, 2006, in the Wheels Section. GO>
Errata: It seemed like I was in a tire ad from the 1970s. The manufacturing plant in Chula Vista is owned by Goodrich, not Goodyear. Sorry, everybody.
Update... May 2007: National City has dropped out of the Charger stadium sweepstakes, but the Chula Vista site is still in the running.
Snails, Avocados, Eucalyptus and Chocolate Malts: The avocado industry is long gone, but the rugged terrain around Mount Helix is great driving territory. In the next Weekend Driver, take a trip over twisting roads and visit one of the county's oldest parks (named for the eucalyptus tree), up a mountain named for a snail (Mt. Helix), over streets with avocado names and end up at one of the county's last independent roadside drive-ins (Beef n' Bun), a favorite with chocolate malt connoisseurs. Ran August 26, 2006 in the Wheels section. GO>
Coast and Ranch: It’s too hot in July for a top-down cruise in the backcountry, so lets rubberneck around Solana Beach, Cardiff-By-The-Sea and swank Rancho Santa Fe. Ran Saturday, July 22, 2006 in the Wheels section. GO>
Towering Canyon: The Corral Canyon Off Highway Vehicle Area is a long and fancy title for what's one of the most isolated and beautiful areas in San Diego county. Ran Saturday, June 24 in the Union-Tribune Wheels section. GO>
Orange Blossom Special: Nothing like springtime in Southern California and experiencing orange trees in bloom. Ran May 27, 2006. GO>

Note: I messed up one direction in this story. The turn just before Lilac Road becomes dirt is Couser Canyon Road... not Bandy Canyon. So many roads, so little time…
Day At The Dunes: Head east on Highway 79... past San Marcos, past Escondido, past Ramona... well almost past everything, and you'll find the sand dunes of Imperial County. Take a ride way out there in the Wheels section. Ran April 22, 2006. GO>
My Favorite Freeway: Lets face it, sometimes a cruise on the interstate is just the ticket; check out the Weekend Driver's best. Ran Saturday, March 25, 2006. GO>
Meet Mother Grundy: Her name is on a mountain and a truck trail. We’ll take a drive and discover just who — or what — she is. Ran Feb. 25, 2006. GO>
Rough Road: La Posta Truck Trail is a rough road east and south of Mount Laguna. Be sure to take supplies and a four-wheel-drive vehicle for this trek. Ran Jan. 7, 2006. GO>

KGTV 10 Weekend Driver series

Olympic Training Center, Lyons Valley and Jamul
Palomar Mountain
Tijuana Estuary and South Bay
Highway 94
North Coast Highway 101

See it all in streaming video on the 10 News web site. Thanks to KGTV Chief Photographer Lee Louis (now retired) for the excellent pictures and news package! Thanks also to XETV-6, KSWB-5/69, KFMB-8 and KNSD-7/39 for coverage of Weekend Driver San Diego.

Meth: A Child’s Story
Jack produced a video for the San Diego County Meth Coalition on the home life of children with parent that are meth addicts. Nominated for an Emmy award, it is a very serious video on a very serious topic.

Weekend Driver
On Radio

Hear Jack Brandais on Travel Talk Radio, available in streaming audio on the Internet. Originally ran Sunday, April 25, 2004 on KFMB-AM San Diego.