The fabled Pebble Beach/Monterey week is already in full swing. Unfortunately my 2008 travel budget is maxed-out but that doesn't prevent me from linking you to the Concours, auctions, art shows, Concorso Italiano, and the fabulous vintage races at nearby Laguna Seca. One of the fun events is the "tour," where Concours entrants can gain a points advantage in the event of a tie by participating in a drive down California 1. Two years ago I watched (and heard) a lengthy parade of classics on the tour; a real treat to see and hear. The only thing that worried me was the stress put upon the antiques class (built before 1916) as they struggled to keep up on a steeply-hilled course. Fortunately the antiques have now been given a less-stressful route that will connect with the modern classics at the start and finish.

Among the highlights will be a stop at the Carmel Mission, founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1771. The Carmel Mission, one in a chain of 21 built between 1769 and 1823 from San Diego up the coast to Sonoma, attracts visitors from around the world to see its unique moorish influences, stately stone churches, and beautiful gardens. The Carmel Mission was the favorite, and the burial place, of Father Serra, known as "presidente of the missions." Years ago, when shooting a car commercial in California, my producer friend Alan Watanabe introduced me to a priest from the Franciscan order. I was startled, over lunch, to hear him swear along with the rest of us while relating some ribald tales and it wouldn't surprise me if he showed up at the Carmel Mission when the antiques roll in. After all, if a priest is allowed to curse, he's surely entitled to drive a classic automobile.