The joys of road travel - any stories?

[Whitens Moss]

I'm a romantic at heart and love the open road. Many, many years ago, when I was young there were few things that made me happier than putting the top down on my '67 Chevy and cruising from state to state, stopping at Stuckey's for a pecan roll and enjoying the wondrous American scenery that rivals any in the world.

Real Americana, back in the day, Route 66, the small towns with populations less than 1,000, the splendid variety of U.S. geography. The accents, the sights, smells, sights, sounds and tastes of America. And, last but not least, the people, mostly friendly and hospitable everywhere I went.

Two books that capture the road trip wonderfully: "Travels with Charley," by a dying John Steinbeck, accompanied by his beloved French poodle. The other, "The Fool's Progress," by the late, great Ed Abbey, whose dying protagonist, Henry Lightcap, one day finds his wife left him so he shoots his refrigerator and decides to drive back in an old pickup truck to his boyhood home accompanied by his ailing dog, Solstice. One of the funniest and most poignant books I've ever read. If ever there was a memorable character in fiction, it was Henry Lightcap. Here's an excerpt:

“Henry eats his breakfast, bleak and lonely, and makes his plans. Plug in phone, call welfare office, tell them he’s taking another leave without pay, they won’t mind. Visit the bank, empty checking account, pick up needed cash. Load up the old Dodge with camping gear, essential firearms, spare parts, a certain few books. Write a farewell letter to Elaine. Brings the dog along,[dying of lung fungus]. Get in truck and point its battered nose eastward, toward the world of the rising sun and Stump Creek, West Virginia. Home. Only three thousand five hundred miles to go. Brother Will, I say to my shattered heart, my private little secret, here I come. Prepare thyself.”

I know there are many of you out there who hit the road often and would love to hear some of your tales -- good, bad and ugly, as well as can be told to a general audience.

Happy trails, all!

God bless all of you and God bless America!

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Oh my God! Where to start.
Yesterday, which I already reported that I saw the URAL motorcycle with sidecar, I was up at Abiquiu, NM. I was at Bode's store, which is about the only place there.
Abiquiu is well known for several things, one of them it was the home of famous artist Georgia O'Keefe. Her house is up on the hill just across the highway from Bodes.
I'm not a big GOK fan, one more cow skull with flowers sticking out the eyehole might drive me over the edge.
So when folks ask me what is your favorite GOK picture, I always say this one:

 

[Alpo]

October 2001. I went to a Cowboy match in Wisconsin. Never made the trip before (have since gone twice more). Coming back, I missed the exit, on the interstate, and drove though Chicago. With six single-action pistols, three lever-action rifles, three 12 gauge shotguns and a J-frame in my pocket. Fuuuuuuuunnnnnn!!

After I got to Atlanta, and dropped the girl I had with me at her house, I headed home. MISSED THE EXIT on 185, to go over to Phenix City and south to Florida. Ended up at the front gate of Ft. Benning. With six single-action revolvers, three lever-action rifles, three 12 gauge shotguns and a J-frame in my pocket.

October 2001. Three weeks after 9/11.

 

[rwsmith]

We made two big circles.....

I haven't enjoyed driving in a long time as much as when we made two big circles (at different times) One around New Mexico and Arizona where we saw pert near everything. One particularly fun time was that we had rented a great Thunderbird to make the trip (we flew in and out of Albuquereque) and part of the time we were tooling along old 66. That was cool!

The next big circle we made we flew into Denver and went through Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Of course we stayed in Yellowstone a while. Again the scenery was gorgeous. I put together a video of our driving and stops and added appropriate music. Driving through Shoshonee country you can almost see the Indians coming over the ridges.

We've made other circles, but these were the most fun to drive. I was ailing, so both trips we made plenty of time to stop in places for a few days and range out. I have to give credit to my wife for planning these, they went like clockword.

 

[therevjay]

I love long road trips. Most times I actually enjoy the trip more then the destination. Although there are a few times when you just have to get on a freeway, most often there is a old highway going to the same place.

 

[walkin jack]

I too love nothing better than a good road trip. For me better done on two wheels rather than four. I have a few things in the can. When I get time I'll try to dig something up...

 

[shouldazagged]

Steinbeck's Travels is wonderful. So is Blue Highways, by William Least Heat Moon. The latter title refers to the fact that on the old road maps secondary roads were printed in blue. The author traversed much of the country, sticking to the older "blue" roads. Like the Steinbeck work, it's a look back at a long-ago America, circa 1960.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

"Road Warrior" is a term used a lot by those of us at my job who have to travel whether by car or by air. That being said, here's my most recent "Road Warrior" tale: a few months ago, I was on a flight to our headquarters in Washington, DC for a week long training class. The lady sitting next to me was a nice, normal looking lady that age wise was probably in her early to mid 40s. About half way through the flight, she struck up a conversation with me. She was well read, and easy to talk to, and I was enjoying the conversation when I realized that she had provided enough information for me to know she had a house in Washington, DC, that her husband was away on business, and that she "really liked me".

Uh oh. I told her that I didn't know if she had noticed, but that I was a married man, and that I took my marriage vows very seriously. She said that she didn't mind my being married, and that we could have a lot of fun together without either of our spouses ever knowing about our time together.

Well, I took the only path that seemed viable, I told her that I wanted to be completely honest with her so there wouldn't be any hurt feelings or misunderstanding. She was amenable to this, so I told her: "Ma'am, quite honestly, I'm just not that good". She didn't quite know how to take this, but I was able to enjoy the rest of the flight in peace.

When the class was over and I returned home, I told my wife the story. I expected her to be miffed that some women had tried to come on to me, instead, all she said was: "...well, at least your honest".

Some days you just can't get a break.

Regards,

Dave

 

[EugeneNine]

Had to drive for work. Small company which installed and supposed e-911 and Computer Aided Dispatching (CAD). On call during the summer weeks thunderstorms would roll through and knock systems out. So I'm driving home around 4AM and have been chugging a big Gatorade bottle and have to empty. Long stretch of highway I managed to use the empty Gatorade bottle without incident despite driving a manual transmission with no cruise control.
Well at after being woke up earlier by the pager, diagnosing the problem, driving to the site, fixing the issue and starting the drive back I wasn't thinking too fast when I wondered what to do with the warm bottle I was now holding. So I rolled down the window and attempted to empty it at 70mph and it went all over me and the side of the truck.
Finally got to a gas station and went ahead and topped off the tank and watched as the cashier inside was staring at me squeegeing the whole side of the truck.

 

[Road Rat]

My favorite memories are driving America's highways....

Most remembered sights are in the Southwest. Utah has formations that exist no where else in the world. Arizona and New Mexico are spectacular.

Texas - Western - is miles and miles of nothing but Miles and Miles....I still enjoyed every trip!

I have crossed the United States many times in my life and really enjoyed every trip!!

Eastern part is also great - but mostly green and too many trees to see the far off sights.

Dang, time to pack up the station wagon (IF I could fine one) and head West!!

 

[Whitens Moss]

I once took a motorcycle ride with a bunch of charity bikers from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon and beyond, winding up in Vegas and leaving with a slim wallet. We soon split up and rode solo. Astride a Yamaha 550, it was especially memorable since it was 110 degrees and by the time I got back to the Valley. red and roasted, the first thing I did was jump in the pool. The next thing was to grab an ice-cold Corona. Man, was that beer good!

 

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

A couple of weeks ago the wife and I drove to the pan handle of Texas to a place of historical significance not only to Texans but to native Americans as well, Palo Duro Canyon. If you have read many westerns you are familiar with the place. Its kind of a mini Grand Canyon in the middle of a flat grass plain that goes on forever. Don't even know its there until you are right on top of the rim. Commanches had a way of disappearing from the Texas Rangers until it was discovered. Anyway, we stayed three days in a stone cabin built by the CCC during the depression. Each night near the park office there is a terrific play put on as a musical, called Texas. It is a historical theme on the settling of the state Very moving and patriotic, draws a huge crowd every night. While we were there we experienced flash floods, saw deer and wild turkeys and did battle with a persistent raccoon. Great trip. Went to the American Quarter Horse Museum and the museum at West Texas A&M. Great gun collection at the latter. In two weeks we are going to spend a few days in Timberon in the Cloudcroft Mountains of N.M. We like really out of the way places.

 

[Marshwheeling]

I have done a lot of road trips, some on four wheels, but mostly on two, some in groups and some solo. Here's a memorable one for me, my first moto trip to Mexico:
Copper Canyon with the Mutz - ADVrider

 

[walkin jack]

I have done a lot of road trips, some on four wheels, but mostly on two, some in groups and some solo. Here's a memorable one for me, my first moto trip to Mexico:
Copper Canyon with the Mutz - ADVrider

Awesome trip. That beats anything I've ever done.

 

[soFlaNative]

Back in the day would load the family up every other year and make the trip to Otto, NC. The waterfalls in the area alone were enough for a day trip. From the Pisgah to Joyce Kilmer Forests, NOC whitewater trips, Soco Valley, Smokey Park there was so much to cover a week was never enough. One trip that stands out was from Topton NC to Maryville TN on 129 over the Chillowee (?) Mtns. had the road to ourselves with a well maintained 4 cyl. stick. To my wife's credit I only heard her audibly swallow one time.
So happens over the years that stretch gained in popularity as one of the better motorbike rides in the country.

Dad passed a couple years back and Mom sold the place. Don't know when I'll make it back there.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Last road trip I did was with the wife. Drove around Lake Michigan. Saw Lambeau Field, dipped my toe in Lake Superior, went to Sault St. Marie and just in general enjoyed myself. I like road trips-and quite honestly like to do them alone. I find great peace in solitude. My secret dream is ot one day say screw it-clean out te bank account and gather up all my credit cards and just leave. I'll come back when te cash runs out and te credit cards are maxxed-or nor.....

 

[Stan O]

Kerouacian

During 1970 and 71 myself and two did a 36,000 mile road trip in a 61 Plymouth Valiant spanning the US, Canada and Mexico. One of the epic road trips of my life.

 

[Long Barrel]

Just a short trip....

...yesterday for lunch, about 60 miles east on the river road, riding my touring motorcycle. I stopped at a small diner and ordered a BLT and a diet Coke.

There was a brief interlude while the food was prepared and the older gent across from me struck up a conversation about the weather, which was hot and humid.

I mentioned that the local corn crop didn't look very high this year. He looked out the window at the parking lot and asked, "is that your BMW?" I replied in the affirmative. Then he said, "Those are soybeans".

 

[Henry O]

Interstate 10 West

As a kid growing up in Southern California, before it morphed into what is there today, a family requirement was the annual Memorial Day trek to north central Kansas from Orange County, and a long weekend in my mother's home town.

Financial conditions at the time were such that we made the outbound travel non-stop. Dad and Mother traded off driving with the lucky one attempting to sleep in the front seat.

Dad built a platform over the drive shaft "hump" on the back floorboard for my bed, my older sister had the seat, and my little brother a "bunk bed" resting between the back of both the front and rear seat. Not something anyone would want to think about in terms of automobile passenger safety today but we survived just fine.

36 hours of misery in travel which finally ended for me in the mid-1960's when I was allowed to stay home. Route 66 in all of its former glory was our itinerary until the turnoff that would take us north into the Kansas wheat country. The trips I remember were made in a very used 1954 Plymouth, 1958 Buick Special and a 1964 Ford Galaxy. These are among the cars which are regularly featured today in Hemming's annual "Abandoned Cars" calendar for good reason.

Have been living in Texas for a few decades with most of the family now scattered. Five years ago the time had come to bring back a small portion of the family heirlooms and shipping was out of the question. Bulk and cost, the two deadly criteria sending many a family relic to the thrift shop.

Five years ago I decided to take my first major road trip since 1965 and this time I was the driver and only passenger. Back to Dad's place I went which was off I-10 about an hour or so west of Barstow.

This was a solo trip. No one on this end wanted to spend a couple days in the car. Might have been easier to convert cell phone use into rotary dial table models wired to the wall. As a matter of fact, the mere suggestion of a road trip was viewed as heresy or grounds for seeking emergency medical assistance.

Expecting a rerun of drudgery and a lack of scenery buried in childhood memories, albeit I-10 West instead of old Route 66, I found the trip relaxing and enjoyable.

No one was more surprised than me when I expressed this to other family members. There are still non-believers on the branches of the family tree but they are also the ones thinking there may be a lost inheritance under one of the leaves.

Since the 2009 trip, I have made about a dozen return California trips on the road instead of flying. My pace, my schedule, and my vehicle on the other end. Anything I wanted to bring was with me on either leg of the journey.

Well, almost anything. It is California and they do not view personal protection the same way as we do in Texas. A quick stop in Quartzsite, Arizona provides the opportunity for fuel before California prices and a California acceptable conversion from concealed carry.

In my opinion, flying has become a situation where we pay a perfectly good sum of money in exchange for lousy service, sardine like seating accommodations, unanticipated fees, surprising delays and too many people with attitudes. And for the topping on the cake, there are rental car rates at the destination which have increased at a higher percentage than airline tickets.

The cost of driving for me is somewhat more than flying due to navigating a pick up truck instead of a high fuel mileage car. Time invested is two days instead of the one when flying. (And it is one full day of travel time each direction flying what with time at the airport no matter what anyone happens to say about in the air "flight time.")

However when I arrive after a two day drive, my head is clear, I am relaxed, enjoyed the scenery, and have listened to a couple of books on CD.

Oh and I did I mention the chance to try out food in out of the way places? Risk reward with more reward than risk using common sense and decision criteria older than I am.

Time is a premium that we use but cannot reclaim. The time on the road is a luxury and a well appreciated one at that.

The desire and willingness to drive instead of flying is usually not contagious. Driving is not for everyone. It surprised me when I stumbled upon the fact that the driving shoe fits me better than the alternatives. I am looking forward to the next trip which will probably be in October.

 

[mrrick]

On my summer leave from my overseas job, my GF and I took several trips around the west mostly checking out quilting shops for her, and gun shops for me.

Here's at travel tip, especially if you're traveling with a woman.
If you want to find the cleanest restrooms on the planet, stop at a quilt shop where you will find operating room sterility, fresh cut flowers, potpourri, and most shops have a "husband's" corner, with comfortable chairs and usually an assortment of sporting type magazines, even hunting types if you are in a rural area. This is to keep you happy while the little lady shops and gabs.
A nice place to stop and relax.