The Great American Road

I often hear complaints about road construction. Indeed, at times I have sat behind the wheel, fuming, as some flagman halted traffic for fifteen minutes, wishing I could just press a magic button and make him flip his stop sign around and wave us on immediately. However, for all these minor inconveniences, the U.S. highway system is among the best in the world. On my 2000 furlough I logged over 13,000 miles in under six months, on roads that took me everywhere. I drove on Interstate highways. I drove on two lane state highways. I drove on back roads barely wide enough for two cars to pass one another. I drove on gravel roads into the back boonies to get to out-of-the-way campgrounds. And I did it all in an ordinary, unmodified Dodge Ram mini-van.

The Great American Road is a privilege to have. Putting things into perspective, I have come to realize that road construction is necessary if we are going to maintain and keep this excellent system. And I have even come to enjoy some of the construction stops in places like the Pacific Northwest, treating them as opportunities to get out of the car and breathe the clean forest air and feel the coolness, rather than as mere driving annoyances.

So the next time you are out driving, remember, you are enjoying the benefits of one of the best road systems in the world. Appreciate it!

My Style of Travel

In this day and age I constantly hear people talk about how they much prefer to fly rather than drive. The reason: they can get there more quickly. If speed is of the essence, I agree wholeheartedly. Especially when traveling overseas. Driving from the United States to Brazil would be difficult if not impossible.

However, I have come to view travel as more than just "getting there". This is especially true of travel within the United States and Canada. And the great road system described above is one of the chief factors. When driving becomes a pleasure, then I feel that it is time to take pleasure in driving.

Scenery is probably the biggest attraction. I mentioned that "half the fun is getting there". Well, if all I could do was drive through endless city it probably wouldn't be much fun. But America is filled with vast wilderness, with forests and plains and shores and deserts and mountains and much, much more. And as I travel I like to see as much of it as I can.

This type of travel often involves leaving the Interstate Highway System behind. The best roads are not the great arteries that link the centers of our civilization together. Highway 101 along the Oregon coast is much more interesting that buzzing along on Interstate 5 further inland. But one thing to remember: when traveling to enjoy the traveling, you need a different mindset. If you drive by the clock and try to cover great distances, you will never be able to enjoy traveling for the sake of traveling. So I have learned to take things as they come. If I see a nice place to stop, then I stop. I go walk on the shore. I go and wander up a trail. If the road construction people put out their "STOP" sign, then I shut off the motor and get out and stretch my legs. If I have a camera with me, I take a picture.

Are you starting to get the idea? Sadly, I haven't encountered very many other people who feel the same. Time after time I hear about someone's "marathon drive" where they got on the Interstate, put the pedal to the floor, and kept going all day and all night just to get to where they were headed. Then when they arrived they were so wasted that they had to spend the next two days recovering.

If that is the way you want to travel, then be my guest. But don't expect me to go along with you!

Camping

Over the years I have learned that motels and hotels are not cheap. Indeed, the cost of lodging can be one of the major expenses of any road trip. Fortunately, there is an alternative, one which I have come to enjoy and look forward to: Camping.

America is absolutely filled chock full of wonderful campgrounds. National forests, national parks, state parks, private campgrounds, and more. You can find campgrounds in the woods, campgrounds in the desert, campgrounds in the plains, campgrounds along beaches, and so forth. You can find campgrounds that cost nearly as much as a hotel to stay in. And you can find myriads of campgrounds that don't cost a dime.

In my experience, I have found that camping in the West is the best. For me there is no comparison. Mountains, forests, river valleys and more. I like best the campgrounds found in national forests. Many of them are free, which is an added bonus for one who does not count himself among the rich.

One of the nicest things about camping is waking up in the morning and smelling pine trees instead of hydrocarbons. It's usually chilly, so I get dressed a bit at a time, still snuggled into my sleeping bag. Finally, I climb out, finish the job, and open the tent flap. Once I was greeted by a friendly chipmunk who dashed inside for a moment, looked around, then fled.

On a typical day, breakfast follows, generally cereal or donuts or something similar, along with orange juice. Sometimes, if I feel ambitious, I will scramble an egg or two. As the day begins to warm up I walk around the campground to stretch my legs. Then I put together the things I will need for a hike and stuff them in my backpack.

I generally start a hike around nine in the morning or so. This gives me the chance to get in some serious legwork before lunch. Or should I say, before morning snack. I have found that outdoor activity requires more caloric intake in order to keep the body fueled. It isn't the same as sitting in front of a computer all day.

Afternoons vary. Sometimes I take another, shorter hike, if I am already back from the morning one. Otherwise, if I get back mid-afternoon I relax at my site until it's time to make supper. After supper I clean up, wander around a bit, then as it gets dark I light the Coleman lantern and settle in for some reading before hitting the sack. By this time the temps are dropping, so I usually end up putting on layers. Finally, I put out the lantern, crawl into my tent and into my sleeping bag, and conk out.

Incidentally, I do not take a computer with me on a camping trip!

There are a number of good on-line sources of information regarding camping and outdoor activities in general. Excellent sites include the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service. But my overall favorite is Wildernet for comprehensive coverage of outdoor recreation opportunities.

Trip Reports

Over the years I have taken a number of camping trips. Some were taken just for the pure joy of getting away from it all. Some were "side benefits" of travel to some specific place. Sometimes I traveled from beginning to end without seeing anyone I knew. Other times I would stop along the way and visit friends. And each time I learned more things that enabled me to prepare better for subsequent trips and enjoy them more. Here are some more detailed accounts of some of my trips.

Road Trip '86

Life on the Road '89

Farewell Tour '95

Camping Trip 2000

National Parks Tour '04

Rocky Mountain High '05