question for THEDAD

Parents Forum
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<p>D is driving down to Santa Monica tomorrow to visit a friend who will be at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital. I am assuming that UCLA took over the old Santa Monica Hospital. I think we will send her down the coast highway. My memory is weak as to where she should get off. Husband is thinking the easiest should be take 1 to the 10 east. I think there is an exit at lincoln and what is the next?<br>
Also what streets get her back on the 10 to head north on the coast hwy.?
Or what street takes her straight down to the hwy once she leaves the hospital?</p>

<p>It will be her first drive down alone. I'm more nervous then she is. I am still hoping she will change her mind.
Thanks</p>

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<p>Goodness, what a specific question...and something I can answer accurately!!!
Yes, UCLA took over the management of Santa Monica Hospital and I believe its formal name is some combination of the two.</p>

<p>For novice-ish driver, I would not recommend taking PCH (Cal 1) from Oxnard down to Santa Monica. It's a very pretty drive and the times that I drive from Santa Monica to Malibu I often feel as if I'm living life inside a TV commercial. However, there are a lot of curves and blowing sand can make the traction less than perfect...I once spun out at night and was doing <em>nothing</em> excessive. Moreover, as you go south of Pepperdine and closer to Santa Monica, the lanes get fairly narrow and at one point (Sunset?) you have traffic merging into you from the left. I've made D drive the reverse route, from Santa Monica to Pepperdine, and it's one she drives only under such duress. In contrast, the stretch between Carpinteria and Ventura is no problem whatsoever. (Now, the exit in SB that leads you immediately to a traffic circle, which you've got to go through to get to the Altamirano....)</p>

<p>All that said, if she decides to take this route--and it <em>is</em> pretty--then I'd get off at 20th Street, go north to Arizona, then west to the hospital, somewhere around 15th or so. Lincoln is just too darned congested to be worth the effort. </p>

<p>For returning, I'd take 20th back to the 10 and reverse. There's another westbound on-ramp just west of Lincoln but the merging lane is <em>very</em> short and it's immediately before the curve heading into the McClure tunnel...lots of experienced drivers have accidents there.</p>

<p>If she avoids PCH, have her take the 101 to the 405 South to the 10 West and get off at 26th St (no westbound exit at 20th). Turn right (north) and avoid the right-hand lane--it veers off--and then turn left on Olympic...yell "Hello!" because you're within about five blocks of where I live...and then right on 17th St., taking it north to Arizona. Turn left on Arizona and then down to the hospital...again, it's around 15th or 14th, depending on where you're going. </p>

<p>Upon arrival, light a candle to the shrine where D was born in the then two-week-old Alternate Birthing Center. I think the only time I've been back is when she sprained her ankle in ballet early this year.</p>

<p>Good luck to your D.
And to your nerves.</p>

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<p>thank you It is just the info I need. Mapquest takes her on the 405. Both routes have there issues. With the freeway I am concerned about the transition from the 405 onto the 101. You know where you enter into the fast lane. And then there is that innocent looking downhill grade headed into Camarillo.
We live in a hilly area so most of her driving has been done on narrow curvy roads. Neither is the best on Mom's nerves.<br>
D was also born at Santa Monica Hospital 17 years ago. That is the last time I was there.</p>

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<p>What a coincidence about D's and SM hospital.</p>

<p>Oh, yes...the transition from the 405 to the 101. Hmm. The lucky thing is that often traffic is so slow that it's not that bad and you have your own lane...you're not having to actually merge into traffic. And, yeah, the trick with the Conejo grade is to spill speed as you crest the hill and then periodically emphatically brake...otherwise you can find yourself going 85 mph as you try to avoid hitting slow moving trucks and other vehicles as you pass the nice Highway Patrol man on the motorcycle parked on the shoulder. </p>

<p>You're right...issues either way.</p>

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<p>I worked for years near the corner of Broadway and 14th Street. I miss Gallegos Brothers' great food!</p>

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<p>Just have your D stay to the far right going up the 405 hill and then down toward the 101 exit. She won't have to change lanes that way. The only worries are cars cutting her off as she gets closer to the 101, just have her be prepared for some last-second jockeying. The Conejo Grade is not that big of a deal, steep but not curvy. And lots of lanes to choose from. Again, have her stay toward the right lane (though not in far right, since semis will probably be braking). I think it's worse going up the Grade! Cars are always trying to drive up it at 90 mph and the buses and semis in the right two lanes go about 25 mph. So you have the extremes on either side and people in the middle lanes wondering if they should go slower or faster. I concur with TheDad about skipping Highway 1 for new drivers. It's so pretty this time of year that she might be tempted to take her eyes off the road (or at least oggle some of the surfers changing by the roadside!)</p>

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<p>Don't you just love College Confidential? I swear, I feel like I could get on here and ask ANYTHING and SOMEONE would have the answer.</p>

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<p>Absolutely, for example I could tell you where to get good bbq in Waverly, Tenn.</p>

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<p>But then we'd have to start a new thread entitled: question for CONCERNEDDAD</p>

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<p>funny ellemenope! But my area of expertise is largely food-based.</p>

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<p>But my area of expertise is largely food-based.>></p>

<p>LOL!!! I will keep that in mind in my travels.</p>

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<p>please do!</p>

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<p>The transition from the 405 to the 101 is, for me, more of a problem making sure you're in the correct lane as you get off than it is of coming up in the left-hand lane of the 101 and then moving to the right. </p>

<p>You have to know what you're doing as you get off the 405, because at first you want to stay toward the right but just after you get off the 405 but before you get to the 101 you have to take a fork to the left to head north on the 101 (Ventura Fwy). So just watch the signs carefully and get ready to zig and zag in the direction you need to go.</p>

<p>They could have designed that transition a whole lot better but probably would have had to dig a few more thousand tons of dirt and clay to do it right.</p>

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<p>ConcernedDad!!! Where are you now? Oregon, if I recall? Or is that InterestedDad.</p>

<p>I make the trek down to the relocated Gallegos on Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista every Friday for the chile rellenos. Mind you, I don't ordinarily even <em>like</em> chile rellenos but theirs are the best. I've been going to Gallegos for Friday lunch since before D was born. That was one of our stops while she was home for Thanksgiving, a deficit of Mexican food being one of the biggest negatives about Northampton from her perspective. At least a deficit of <em>edible</em> Mexican food. In her brief time home, two dinners and one lunch were Mexican.</p>

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<p>Yes, I am in Oregon, and nothing as good as Gallegos Brothers here unfortunately. I love their desert tamales -- sweet. And their salsa is the best.</p>

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<p>All of you are so funny. My family thinks it is so funny that I get driving directions from CC. But over the last year I knew that TheDad lived and worked in SM so he would have the answer. I was just lucky you were checking in.
She left about 30 minutes ago. She will call when she arrives and we told her she needs to leave SM by 2 so she will be home before dark. She is taking the coast. The driving is more what she is used to. She has had her license for 15 months and drives daily. Just all of it local.
She drives curvy narrow roads daily more then freeway. She felt more comfortable with the coast hwy then the thought of 5 lanes of cars on the LA freeways. She has been on both many times it will be interesting to see how well she paid attention and if she manages to not get lost. As much as we complain up here about lacking things to do and good shopping we really leave our little bubble rarely.
I lived in Santa Monica for years yet never went to Gallegos. Sounds like we missed a good one.
When we first moved I missed things down there and went more often. Now we never go down. It has gotten so built up.<br>
SM Hospital was a gem to deliver a baby at. Husband was born years earlier at St John's. For years I still went down to go to my old dr.
We were surprised when we went back east last spring that we had decent Mexican food a couple of times.</p>

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<p>Yeah, I can see the five-lane freeway being intimidating. Come to think of it, D's first extended highway driving was between Santa Barbara and Solvang. She'd done a little bit on the 10 between Santa Monica and downtown and was literally sweating.</p>

<p>CD, let me know when you're next down in SoCal...I'll be happy to take you to the relocated Gallegos for lunch. Mom60, if you're down this way, we can introduce you.</p>

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<p>Will do TheDad. I still have very close ties with my mentor in SM, and find myself in LA several times a year.</p>

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<p>Thanks Thedad. D called a few minutes ago. She was walking into the hospital. Great directions. She said the drive was no problem. I can relax now till 2 this afternoon when she navigates the return.</p>