CALIFORNIA - Driving.

Arrived in Oakland and got a lot of funny looks from people as why i was going there... later found out it is well known for all the drive-by shootings!
The plan had originally been to go and buy a car in Oakland, but i heard on the plane that there was a chance for me to rent despite being underage. So i have rented a car for an extortionate price under the table. Although i hoped i would get a car that wouldnt break down and be fairly new.. this car would have to do.. despite the fact it has the worst gear shifts.. i could do a much better job myself ( its an automatic), it has bumps and scratches all over it.. its WHITE- disgusting!-but seems to be a popular colour out here, and also the lights inside the car dont work.. so i cant see what i am doing with the radio, aircon, etc at night.. luckily the seepdometer does work. Also the headlights never switch off while the engine is runnning, which is making me paranoid, that even when the engine is off i am draining the battery, and will wake up in the middle of nowhere and the car wont start!
Anyway... hotels even in oakland were minimum $100 so i decided to start making my way over to lake Tahoe. I think its do-able in about 3hours, but i decided to take the smaller roads and do the scenic route, whilst getting used to my car. Stopped in a place called Jackson to get a motel recommendation.. once the girl realised i was alone.. told me NOT to go there.. and invited me in and phoned round all the motels in the area, and even the dodgy one was $100. Cheapest i found was $87 in a next door town called sutters Creek. The town was BEAUTIFUL. It was all old like in a western movie.. very very cool!
I loved it, and the next morning took a walk around before heading off for Lake Tahoe. \
The most annoying thing about driving out here is the speed limits.. the highest one i have seen is 65mph,. but round lake Tahoe is 45.. they also change every few hundred meters! Very annoying!!
The scenery upto lake Tahoe was pretty cool.. loads of guys on their harleys,. and I drove through the pine forests, could see lakes down in the valleys. I cant believe the scenery is so different just 200miles away from San Fran. Also in San Fran the temperature doesnt really vary between 60-85F all year.. whereas here in Tahoe.. its about 90 now, and in winter its cold enough that this is a ski resort!
Right now here in Tahoe it is so busy.. all the familys are here.. ppl water skiing, cycling etc.. ahving their family holidays. I didnt even bother asking how much a motel would be.. so i bought a tent(for 4 ppl which felt way too big for me when i slept last night) for $50 and now am camping for $10 a night on the beach!! Perfect!! - A minor problem though is the bears around here.. There have been a mother and her cub spotted at my campsite.. and so I have to keep all my food and shampoos and stuff in there.. so that at night when the bears raid the camp they dont attack my car.. or worse.. MY TENT!
The only other problem is lack of showers, and internet.. and general communication with the world.. but the secret is... LIBRARY! Free internet for all.. so that is where I am now.. and whenever i manage to find one i will update on goings on! Tomorrow i am off to Mono Lake.. where i hear it is amazing for photography, and then probably off to Yosemite National Park till Vanessa comes on Tuesday, and we go off to BURNING MAN! xxxx