In the Field: Sadler (cont'd)

But that doesn't matter when we're in California, really, because I'm covered no matter what the weather does. We stay over near the Ontario Mills Mall, and being the video game guy that I am, they've got this pretty cool virtual reality golfing game in the mall.

So I go in there a lot. If it's too cold to play outside, I can still go work on my golf swing, inside, so we go over there and do that and play some other video games. That's just kind of the way I relax.

I'll usually take in a movie one night.

One thing that I always try to do when I go out there, whether it's California, Las Vegas or Phoenix -- is I try to stay on East Coast time as much as I can, so I'm not all thrown for a loop when I have to head back to Charlotte on Sunday night -- or whenever we go home.

The neat thing is, they've got some nice restaurants around where we stay. So I don't try to do anything major, just play some games, watch some movies and after that, I just try to take it easy.

In the summertime, we do it a little different. There's a place that Dale Jarrett and I have gone to in the past, Pacific Palms Resort in Industry, Calif. It's a really difficult golf course that has a hotel that sits right in the middle of it.

It's a really beautiful place, and in nice shape -- but it's hard. We usually try to come out at least a half a day early, so we can get over there.

Now, I'll give you an example of how rough it was in California last week. I was supposed to come out a day early and go to Taylor Made to get fitted for some new golf clubs, because I do some promotional stuff for Taylor Made while I'm playing golf.

But it was so cold I couldn't do it. So I guess I'm going to have to plan my trip at the end of the summer in order to be able to do that, then.

If I do that, I'll be able to play some down in Carlsbad, Calif., with the Taylor Made people.

Last weekend, it was a little bit too cold for me. I want to be nice and warm and loosened up when I play golf. I like playing golf in a short-sleeved shirt. I don't like playing in a sweatshirt or anything like that.

Maybe it'll be warmed up by the time we go to Vegas next week -- but that's another story for another time.

Elliott Sadler, now in his ninth full season in the Cup Series, shares weekly with NASCAR.COM readers life on the road through staff writer Dave Rodman.