Yes, my butt hurts. Twelve days of behind-the-wheel grind. Six states, three thousand miles. Blizzards, high wind, steep passes and gravel, lots of gravel. Not to mention bike rides, tiny houses and a yurt with 165-degree hot spring water. I know, I know, you want to know about roadkill. Thought you would never ask. Elk, deer, cow, coyote, skunk, raccoon, prairie dog, cat, dog, hawk, snake amongst other unfortunate species littering our roadways in a brilliant explosion of fur, feathers, and bodily fluids, mainly blood.
Also of note, my truck is now running 4.88 gears as opposed to the stock 3.90’s which for any of you considering is well worth the time and effort. The truck actually uses the top two gears now. Who knew?
For those of you who don’t know, I love driving. I really do. Always have. I’ve spent so much time flying over the past decade I really find myself NOT wanting to get a plane. I like taking my time, driving small roads and having time to think. This will continue. My flying plans are limited. My driving plans are not.
The American West is being developed at an alarming rate. One of the big surprises of this trip was the sheer number of people on the roads, in the forest and on the planet in general. It takes more to find less. Even the rattlesnake above was pissed at me for being on the road. Little bugger coiled up on me the minute I started talking to him.
One of the best things about trips like this, however, is the people you meet along the way. People of all walks and views. One of our destinations was Eastern Washington. When I told people we were headed there before we left all I got was “Oh, there is nothing there.” Or “Oh, all those people are rednecks.” Well, turns out there is quite a lot there and yes there are rednecks but the non-redneck ratio was lower than the actual-redneck ratio. And by the way, someone from SoCal calling someone else a redneck is quite ironic. My point is we can’t let people divide us. The “Red State/Blue State” lunacy has gone on long enough. People are people, get out and talk to each other. You learn my views, I learn yours and we grow even if we don’t agree.
Comments 8
Interesting read Dan. May I ask what the trip was for if you don’t mind me asking? Just a holiday or are you working on project of some kind? It has always been a dream of mine to do the famous American road trip!
Wonderful photos too… anyone would think you were a photographer!
Author
Hey Kurt,
Three reasons. See new places, study real estate for potential second place of residence and get my truck regeared at a place in Washington State. These trips are fantastic. Having said that, my plan for the future is to explore all possible spaces in New Mexico, and yes, I’ll be working on projects all along the way.
People are people, get out and talk to each other. You learn my views, I learn yours and we grow even if we don’t agree.
This position is what is missing dearly in today’s world Dan. It’s a rare thing to encounter these days someone with this state of mind.
Retreat in nature seems the utter splendid way to avoid the horseshit currently flying around the world all day, all night.
Author
Reiner,
People are dug in. And things like math, science, truth, and fact are now adjustable narratives. If we don’t get back to normal we perish.
4.88 gears as opposed to the stock 3.90’s
Hi Dan, could you explain a bit more on this?
This means reving and torqueing up those high speed gears(5th and 6th)?
Author
Reiner,
Means the gears are spinning at a higher ratio, so overall the truck is a higher rpm. So, when the truck needs power it doesn’t need to downshift every single time. And, due to less shifter and higher rpms you get better overall fuel economy.
Any favorite towns in Eastern WA, you’re willing to divulge? My wife love Twisp and also enjoy spending time around Winthrop. We recently drove our van over Baldy Pass from Conconully, WA via NF-37. It was an incredible overland adventure through rugged terrain we’d never explored before.
Author
Chris,
You nailed it. Winthrop was great. I did a freezing ride there too. Twisp, also good. We also enjoyed Concrete which has an insanely book bakery and amazing fishable water. And Wenatchee was fun too. They have great bikes lanes too.