I am starting my California vacation at a house – close enough to the beach to walk there barefoot – in Marina del Rey. Last night we went up to Santa Monica pier (which is where Route 66 ends – I did not know that) and I had stuffed shrimp at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. Washed it down with some kind of pretty colored rum drink! The sun was setting as we ate dinner – a really  nice evening with my family.