One of the first things Dave and I noticed is how bright the sunlight is - it's almost blinding! It’s funny we never really noticed it before, but coming now from an area that’s shaded with lots of green forests and foliage, the difference is dramatic! The sun reflects off the ocean and miles of highway and concrete without a cloud in the sky for relief. With so few trees, you can see the bare hills in every direction (through the haze of the marine layer or smog). The dead grasses give them a golden glow. Even the trees are a muted dusty shade, not a bright green. The only green areas are deliberately cultivated by people, and the landscape is dotted with eucalyptus and palm trees, ice-plant and cacti. There were a few burned out areas from small brush fires. 
When we first got on the freeway to North County, we noticed the guy in front of us had a surfboard strapped in the back of his truck and a huge Chargers sticker in his window. That’s when you know you’re back in San Diego! Then we stopped at a gas station that had at least 20 illegal immigrants loitering at the corners, waiting for people to pick them up for day labor jobs. Haven’t seen that in awhile, either. As we drove past hundreds of buildings and homes with Spanish tile roofs, it occurred to me that I never see that style in Oregon. I wonder if it’s just a cultural design difference, or if you can’t use clay roof tiles in wet climates?
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