April 27, 2008
EPIBLOG (did we invent this word?)
So, here we are, 250 miles from home and we can’t believe our saga is almost over! It seems as though the most prevalent question asked of us along the way was, “How are you guys getting along?” Fifty days on the road have flown by and, contrary to some speculation, we are still getting along fine. Connie tried to lose her “teacher voice” and Peter tried to leave the toilet seat down in the hotel rooms! We have kept pretty detailed records of our expenses. Since we stayed in a hotel only 26 out of 50 nights (due to the generosity of our family and friends), our expenses could have been much higher. We’ve concluded that, if we sold our house and could continue to rely on family and friends, we could road trip for the rest of our lives, still not see all of this country, on the same income and, actually, save money! Don’t worry, family and friends, we’re not going to do it!
Our stats are the following: 50 days, 25 blogs, 30 states, 12,000 miles, 200 plus hours of driving, 372 gallons of gas, lowest cost of gas $3.09 in Belmont MA, highest cost of gas $3.89 in Shasta CA, high temperature of 90 degrees in San Antonio, low temperature of 16 degrees in High Timber Montana.
Pam asked what we missed the most (other than the obvious) and what we missed the least. We both missed our own bed, our own pillows and the window beside the bed to open each night. Connie also missed having a washer and dryer close at hand, her yoga classes and watching the garden begin to bloom. Peter missed his wireless mouse; he found the mouse on the laptop difficult to operate! He also missed his brick oven and cooking in general.
Because we learned how to pack the car efficiently, we didn’t miss having a larger car. We could pack the Celica (to the gills!) in record time! Peter didn’t miss being at home and constantly seeing all of the upkeep and maintenance a house requires! Connie didn’t miss having to clean the house and doing dishes!
We decided to take the Celica because we wanted to have the option of putting the top down. The back seat and trunk were packed full but we had plenty of room in the front seat. The car performed flawlessly. Peter kept meticulous records of gas consumption and mileage. At 55-60 mph, the car got 34 mpg, at 60-65 mph, the car got 31 mpg and, overall for the whole trip, we averaged about 32 mpg. Peter did all of the driving and, of course, never exceeded the speed limit. By doing this, he calculated that we saved between 35 and 40 gallons of gas. Because the weather was so fantastic for most of the trip, we had the top down numerous times and would recommend to anyone seeing the sights of this country to drive a convertible. It was a real plus to the road trip.
Marilyn was indispensable! She got confused once or twice but overall she got us in and out of wherever we had to go. She seemed to suffer a few minor “strokes” when we were above 6000 feet but with rest and resuscitation, she was fine! We constantly had a detailed Road Atlas at hand; a GPS does not replace maps but it sure is nice to have when you’re trying to find your way out of an unfamiliar city or when you’re trying to find someone’s home. We also loved knowing our altitude especially when we were driving in and out of the mountains. Marilyn also could tell us how far we were from our destination and what time we would arrive. Last, but not least, using the Points of Interest data base, Connie could always find a Starbuck’s and Peter could always find a McDonald’s!
The time zone changes would have been difficult without our cell phones. The time zone lines across the country are very irregular (complicated by a couple of states that don’t observe Daylight Savings!) and when nearing them it’s difficult to know which time zone you’re in! But the cell phones ALWAYS know!!! At each time zone change we had to update manually all of our other electronics. Knowing the correct time was especially critical when trying to get to a motel in time to see “American Idol!”
Other useful items with us were the laptop with a broadband connection, the digital recorder to record notes for the blog, a power converter to keep the computer charged, a coffee pot to ensure a consistent cup of java for Peter every day, binoculars (we forgot ours and had to buy a pair!),scissors to open packages, rubber bands to close packages, notebooks for record keeping, hand cream and hand sanitizer, plastic bags for trash, paper towels and Windex, oranges, pretzels and Snickers for snacking and, ALWAYS, at least a gallon jug of water and cups. .
THE FOLLOWING ARE OUR MUSINGS AND REFLECT ONLY OUR OPINIONS:
In general, we are overwhelmed at the size, beauty and diversity of landscapes our country has to offer. We traveled 12,000 miles and didn’t scratch the surface of what there is to see. Driving on beautifully surfaced roads through the deserts and the mountain passes we reflected on how difficult it must have been for people on foot, on horseback and in wagons, with no trailside facilities and no detailed maps. How difficult living must have been for these settlers and for the Native Americans. Their days were almost completely consumed trying to feed, shelter and defend themselves.
From east to west and back we passed through many Indian Reservations and we became more aware of the history and current situation of Native Americans. We had thought of Native Americans in terms of the movies, of Pocahontas, Squanto and Sacajawea whose history only goes back a few hundred years. We rediscovered that Native Americans lived here many thousands of years before the white man came. After seeing much of this country, it’s easy to understand why the Native Americans revered nature and all it has to offer. They felt that all of this natural bounty had been given them by the “Great One.” This was in conflict with the white settlers who saw this country as full of gold, land and opportunity. Through an endless series of treaties, and then broken promises by the US government, and then more treaties, the Native Americans were eventually relegated to reservations on diminished land and were not able to maintain their way of life. (“Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” is an excellent history of the above.) It’s the National and State Parks that still preserve much of this revered land.
Since we spent as little time as possible on the interstates, through most of our trip we drove through hundreds of small towns. They ranged from “barely alive” to “thriving!” We’ve come up with the following rating system: if there was only a post office, then the town was “barely alive;” if it had a post office, a Dollar General and a bank, it was in pretty good shape; if it had all three plus an espresso bar, it was even better; if it had all four plus an Edward Jones Investment company, it was thriving! There were a few, however, that had only one of the above but had a SuperWalmart! A lot of these towns had obviously seen better days but with the advent of the interstates bypassing them, along with fast food and motel chains, they are dying on the vine. (Has anyone seen the animated movie “Cars?) One of the best gauges of a town’s well being seemed to us to be the overall condition of its churches.
Another observation we made, primarily in the Southwest, is the obvious low water levels in lakes and reservoirs. This is especially true at Lake Mead which supplies Las Vegas; everywhere in Vegas you see waterfalls, pools, running water, fountains……………it almost seems as if they flaunt the use of water. In the desert of California water is drawn from an aquifer that no one ever thought would be depleted. But now Las Vegas wants more water and they want to take it from this aquifer and there is concern that the aquifer will be greatly depleted. In some areas of the Northwest the locals all talk about the twelve year drought Meanwhile Oregon seemed to have an abundance of water and, this year, most of the country received a larger than normal snowfall.
Since we never get tired of seeing wildlife in natural habitat, we were excited to have numerous sightings on the trip. We learned to be very observant while driving so that we could experience this. Unfortunately we never did see an elk or a big-horned sheep but the mountain lion, the grizzly bear, the javalina, the prairie dogs, the many eagles, the desert tortoise and others more than made up for this.
IN CONCLUSION
Although we spent 7 weeks and traveled 12,000 miles, we feel exhilarated to have done what we did but realize that there’s so much more this country has to offer! We have always kept a journal of our trips and would have done so for this one. But the opportunity to blog a journal piqued our curiosity and actually involved the two of us as a team. We’ve enjoyed reliving each day or group of days and being able to share them with anyone interested.
We have both greatly appreciated the opportunity we’ve had to make this once in a lifetime road trip and we’re glad we concentrated on the reasons WHY we should make the trip instead of on why we COULDN’T.! In spite of the 200 plus hours of driving and 7 weeks away from home, it was wonderful not only to see the country that we’ve previously seen only from the air but to see it up close and be able to smell it and feel it. It’s also a testament to a relationship to spend 24/7 together and come home with an even greater appreciation of each other. We have found that this is true even after 40 years of marriage. It’s an adventure worth doing at least once in a lifetime.
It’s 4:30 PM, April 27, 2008, we’ve spent our last night away from home, we’ve filled the car with gas for the last time and we’re crossing the Sagamore Bridge onto Cape Cod. So, it’s time to sign off and get back to our real lives……………at least until our next trip!
EPIBLOG (did we invent this word?)
So, here we are, 250 miles from home and we can’t believe our saga is almost over! It seems as though the most prevalent question asked of us along the way was, “How are you guys getting along?” Fifty days on the road have flown by and, contrary to some speculation, we are still getting along fine. Connie tried to lose her “teacher voice” and Peter tried to leave the toilet seat down in the hotel rooms! We have kept pretty detailed records of our expenses. Since we stayed in a hotel only 26 out of 50 nights (due to the generosity of our family and friends), our expenses could have been much higher. We’ve concluded that, if we sold our house and could continue to rely on family and friends, we could road trip for the rest of our lives, still not see all of this country, on the same income and, actually, save money! Don’t worry, family and friends, we’re not going to do it!
Our stats are the following: 50 days, 25 blogs, 30 states, 12,000 miles, 200 plus hours of driving, 372 gallons of gas, lowest cost of gas $3.09 in Belmont MA, highest cost of gas $3.89 in Shasta CA, high temperature of 90 degrees in San Antonio, low temperature of 16 degrees in High Timber Montana.
Pam asked what we missed the most (other than the obvious) and what we missed the least. We both missed our own bed, our own pillows and the window beside the bed to open each night. Connie also missed having a washer and dryer close at hand, her yoga classes and watching the garden begin to bloom. Peter missed his wireless mouse; he found the mouse on the laptop difficult to operate! He also missed his brick oven and cooking in general.
Because we learned how to pack the car efficiently, we didn’t miss having a larger car. We could pack the Celica (to the gills!) in record time! Peter didn’t miss being at home and constantly seeing all of the upkeep and maintenance a house requires! Connie didn’t miss having to clean the house and doing dishes!
We decided to take the Celica because we wanted to have the option of putting the top down. The back seat and trunk were packed full but we had plenty of room in the front seat. The car performed flawlessly. Peter kept meticulous records of gas consumption and mileage. At 55-60 mph, the car got 34 mpg, at 60-65 mph, the car got 31 mpg and, overall for the whole trip, we averaged about 32 mpg. Peter did all of the driving and, of course, never exceeded the speed limit. By doing this, he calculated that we saved between 35 and 40 gallons of gas. Because the weather was so fantastic for most of the trip, we had the top down numerous times and would recommend to anyone seeing the sights of this country to drive a convertible. It was a real plus to the road trip.
Marilyn was indispensable! She got confused once or twice but overall she got us in and out of wherever we had to go. She seemed to suffer a few minor “strokes” when we were above 6000 feet but with rest and resuscitation, she was fine! We constantly had a detailed Road Atlas at hand; a GPS does not replace maps but it sure is nice to have when you’re trying to find your way out of an unfamiliar city or when you’re trying to find someone’s home. We also loved knowing our altitude especially when we were driving in and out of the mountains. Marilyn also could tell us how far we were from our destination and what time we would arrive. Last, but not least, using the Points of Interest data base, Connie could always find a Starbuck’s and Peter could always find a McDonald’s!
The time zone changes would have been difficult without our cell phones. The time zone lines across the country are very irregular (complicated by a couple of states that don’t observe Daylight Savings!) and when nearing them it’s difficult to know which time zone you’re in! But the cell phones ALWAYS know!!! At each time zone change we had to update manually all of our other electronics. Knowing the correct time was especially critical when trying to get to a motel in time to see “American Idol!”
Other useful items with us were the laptop with a broadband connection, the digital recorder to record notes for the blog, a power converter to keep the computer charged, a coffee pot to ensure a consistent cup of java for Peter every day, binoculars (we forgot ours and had to buy a pair!),scissors to open packages, rubber bands to close packages, notebooks for record keeping, hand cream and hand sanitizer, plastic bags for trash, paper towels and Windex, oranges, pretzels and Snickers for snacking and, ALWAYS, at least a gallon jug of water and cups. .
THE FOLLOWING ARE OUR MUSINGS AND REFLECT ONLY OUR OPINIONS:
In general, we are overwhelmed at the size, beauty and diversity of landscapes our country has to offer. We traveled 12,000 miles and didn’t scratch the surface of what there is to see. Driving on beautifully surfaced roads through the deserts and the mountain passes we reflected on how difficult it must have been for people on foot, on horseback and in wagons, with no trailside facilities and no detailed maps. How difficult living must have been for these settlers and for the Native Americans. Their days were almost completely consumed trying to feed, shelter and defend themselves.
From east to west and back we passed through many Indian Reservations and we became more aware of the history and current situation of Native Americans. We had thought of Native Americans in terms of the movies, of Pocahontas, Squanto and Sacajawea whose history only goes back a few hundred years. We rediscovered that Native Americans lived here many thousands of years before the white man came. After seeing much of this country, it’s easy to understand why the Native Americans revered nature and all it has to offer. They felt that all of this natural bounty had been given them by the “Great One.” This was in conflict with the white settlers who saw this country as full of gold, land and opportunity. Through an endless series of treaties, and then broken promises by the US government, and then more treaties, the Native Americans were eventually relegated to reservations on diminished land and were not able to maintain their way of life. (“Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” is an excellent history of the above.) It’s the National and State Parks that still preserve much of this revered land.
Since we spent as little time as possible on the interstates, through most of our trip we drove through hundreds of small towns. They ranged from “barely alive” to “thriving!” We’ve come up with the following rating system: if there was only a post office, then the town was “barely alive;” if it had a post office, a Dollar General and a bank, it was in pretty good shape; if it had all three plus an espresso bar, it was even better; if it had all four plus an Edward Jones Investment company, it was thriving! There were a few, however, that had only one of the above but had a SuperWalmart! A lot of these towns had obviously seen better days but with the advent of the interstates bypassing them, along with fast food and motel chains, they are dying on the vine. (Has anyone seen the animated movie “Cars?) One of the best gauges of a town’s well being seemed to us to be the overall condition of its churches.
Another observation we made, primarily in the Southwest, is the obvious low water levels in lakes and reservoirs. This is especially true at Lake Mead which supplies Las Vegas; everywhere in Vegas you see waterfalls, pools, running water, fountains……………it almost seems as if they flaunt the use of water. In the desert of California water is drawn from an aquifer that no one ever thought would be depleted. But now Las Vegas wants more water and they want to take it from this aquifer and there is concern that the aquifer will be greatly depleted. In some areas of the Northwest the locals all talk about the twelve year drought Meanwhile Oregon seemed to have an abundance of water and, this year, most of the country received a larger than normal snowfall.
Since we never get tired of seeing wildlife in natural habitat, we were excited to have numerous sightings on the trip. We learned to be very observant while driving so that we could experience this. Unfortunately we never did see an elk or a big-horned sheep but the mountain lion, the grizzly bear, the javalina, the prairie dogs, the many eagles, the desert tortoise and others more than made up for this.
IN CONCLUSION
Although we spent 7 weeks and traveled 12,000 miles, we feel exhilarated to have done what we did but realize that there’s so much more this country has to offer! We have always kept a journal of our trips and would have done so for this one. But the opportunity to blog a journal piqued our curiosity and actually involved the two of us as a team. We’ve enjoyed reliving each day or group of days and being able to share them with anyone interested.
We have both greatly appreciated the opportunity we’ve had to make this once in a lifetime road trip and we’re glad we concentrated on the reasons WHY we should make the trip instead of on why we COULDN’T.! In spite of the 200 plus hours of driving and 7 weeks away from home, it was wonderful not only to see the country that we’ve previously seen only from the air but to see it up close and be able to smell it and feel it. It’s also a testament to a relationship to spend 24/7 together and come home with an even greater appreciation of each other. We have found that this is true even after 40 years of marriage. It’s an adventure worth doing at least once in a lifetime.
It’s 4:30 PM, April 27, 2008, we’ve spent our last night away from home, we’ve filled the car with gas for the last time and we’re crossing the Sagamore Bridge onto Cape Cod. So, it’s time to sign off and get back to our real lives……………at least until our next trip!
