Day 1: February 15th, 1999.....almost midnight...somewhere near Chicago. I am tired but thank God my first day has been a good one. Sunset was somewhere in Ohio...just before the Indiana border. It was pretty spectacular although I've seen better. I'll say it was a 6.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. Oh well...at least two or three more to go. I'm counting on Arizona to produce a 9.
So far, it's been a pretty good ride out here...Didn't get here till about 10:30 (Eastern time). I made a late start from my cousins so I had to make up for lost time. It was weird being on 287 knowing that I wouldn't be seeing it for a while....actually, my sense of reality is still pretty whacked out! Anyway...I think Pennsylvania shrunk since the last time I drove through it. Must have been the tapes :) (L is for Leona). Oh and thanks for the CD player. So cool!!! I haven't tried it out yet but I plan on breaking it in tomorrow. Actually, it's probably because they raised the speed limit.
Speaking of which, I think the whole concept of speed limits is stupid! It's like we live in a communist state and we're hiding from the secret police (troopers). Who cares if I drive 90 miles an hour....what are they trying to conserve...gas that costs 80 cents a gallon? Not that I was speeding or anything. I think I averaged about 70 miles an hour and maybe hit 85 once or twice. I'm very proud of my little white chariot...
Back to the story...I'm here and Scott's looking through the Dave George year book. Thank you so much for putting it together. I will treasure it forever. Friends for life :) He's laughing so he must not be offended by the incriminating pictures of him in there! Must go to bed....12 hours of hugging the wheel today and about 15 more coming tomorrow. Yikes!! This country is so big!! Maybe I can con Scott into doing most of the driving tomorrow. More later…
Much love,
Dave.
PS. I can't remember everyone's addresses so if you could pass this on to anyone I might have missed it would be great.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Day 2...A Red Roof Inn hotel room just west of Oklahoma City...
Quite an eventful day... 800 miles from Chicago and over 1600 miles logged since I left Jersey. Scott and I didn't leave Chicago till almost 11am. He gave me the grand tour of his alma mater (Wheaton College) before we left. Needless to say, we were quite behind schedule and I put the pedal to the metal in an effort to make up for lost time. Not much to see in Illinois except very flat land. I think we counted two hills. Everything went great till we were about 15 miles from St. Louis when a member of America's finest started tailing me. I was sure that one of you had forwarded my last message to the State Police and, as a result, they were on a witch-hunt for the White Chariot. So I get pulled over and our friendly neighborhood trooper ran both Scott's and my licenses through his little computer. Apparently they thought we looked suspicious....we weren't being pulled over for speeding....they wanted to search us for drugs! So here I am getting frisked on Interstate 55.....I had to laugh. Of course they went through all of my bags too and ruined my amazing packing job. By the time they let us go, Scott and I were laughing so hard that we didn't really get to enjoy the view of downtown St. Louis.
We did notice that the arch was quite impressive but for some reason I thought the Mississippi would be a lot wider. Anyway, the speed limit went up to 70 in Missouri so we were cruising at this point. Other than a moderately scenic landscape, I don't think the "show me" state has much to offer. Maybe off the beaten path… Sunset was just before the Oklahoma border and it was so cloudy we couldn't even see it. Can I give it a 0 out of 10? Maybe a 1. That brings us to Oklahoma...we love Oklahoma!! What's not to love about 77cents a gallon, 75mph speed limit and no cars on the highway. The White Chariot was averaging 80 at this point and we often hit 90. No ordinary feat for a 4 speed manual transmission. I think it deserves a plaque in the automotive hall of fame.
After stopping for dinner at a nice Mexican place, we drove the last couple of hours with the windows down (you figure it out). By the way, it's quite cold here....never would have guessed that Oklahoma get so chilly. Because it was dark out, we didn't get much sightseeing done but from what the Texans tell me, Oklahoma's pretty ugly anyway. Well...that was our day. Scott is a great travelling companion although his singing leaves something to be desired. He's also very good at not driving...somehow I was behind the wheel for 10 out of the 13 hours we were on the road today.
Seriously though...we have been having a great time and the tapes and CDs are keeping us occupied. By tomorrow evening we should have figured out the meaning of life and developed a cure for the common cold. We are both wiped out and tomorrow will be our longest day yet. 950 miles till tomorrow's stop...Grand Canyon, Arizona. Hopefully the sunset will be memorable...We're certainly looking forward to the views when we go over the Rockies in New Mexico. Like yesterday, please forward this to anyone who you think might be interested. If you didn't get yesterday's log and want to check it out, let me know and I'll forward it to you. Keep praying for us....
Peace,
Dave.
(Scott is snoring but I'm sure he says hi!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a long one… please read at your convenience.
Almost the end of Day 3… In the Tercel having just crossed over into Arizona. The time is about 9:10pm Mountain Time.
Before I start, I need to pass along some info. If you feel the urge to send us a message you can e-mail Scott's pager at page_scott_parker@ins.com and we'll get the message instantly (up to 300 characters). You can also call 1-888-965-1566 and hit 3 and do the same thing that way. Isn't technology wonderful!! We'd love to hear from you!
Ok. Here goes...Scott and I are still alive and kickin'! At this point we've gone about 700 miles today and probably will do another 200 before the night is out. Scott is making up for yesterday and is shouldering some of the driving responsibilities. We left Oklahoma City at about 9:30am (Central Time) after a nice hearty breakfast at Denny's. The Texans were right….Oklahoma is pretty ugly. The tacky billboard ads did little to convince us that the "Sooner State" had any hope of being on the list of most desirable places to live. A sampling of some of the ads which you will never see in New Jersey:
- Who's the Dad? Call 1-800-DNA-TEST
- Can't Collect Child Support? We can help.
- Buffalo Burgers; 2 for $1.
- Come see our Champion Rattlers
These are actual signs folks. We're not making any of this up. Incidentally, our Oklahoma neighbors do things a little differently when it comes to tolls. You pay $3 at the start of the Oklahoma Toll road and keep your receipt. If you stay on the toll road the whole way, you get nothing. If you get off in between, you get a refund. Weird!
I am absolutely amazed at the wide open spaces out here. Texas and Oklahoma stretch for miles in any given direction. The day was sunny and the bright blue sky dominated our views. Don't let the NY developers anywhere near here….they might turn the whole place into condos. If I've offended any Oklahomans, I would like to state, for the record, that Texas is just as ugly as Oklahoma and smells a whole lot worse. About 100 miles into the "Lone Star State", an absolutely horrendous smell overpowered us. Even 2 years of working with teenagers in a youth group had not prepared us for this stench. We rounded the corner and found ourselves surrounded by about 10,000 cows in a paddock. Apparently Texans feel that the best place for feeding stations is right next to a major interstate so they can give their visitors a true sense of the Texas experience. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.
We stopped a few miles later and, at the Dairy Queen, met two nice old ladies who were kind enough to explain to us what we had just been through. They also introduced us to real Texas lingo like "Howdy", "Cheek in Jowl", Chock a Block", and "Ornery". Other than Howdy, we have no idea what the other expressions mean. After all, we're just a couple of dumb Yankees. One of the ladies was married to a cowboy and she assured me that Clint Eastwood was not a real cowboy. Another one of my childhood notions heartlessly shattered……
Later on in Texas, we came to the conclusion that Amarillo is the tackiest city in America, and probably the world. All in all, the Texas experience was very forgettable. At least Oklahoma got a Broadway musical named after it.
(We're now continuing the story from a Motel 8 just inside Flagstaff, Arizona. It's about midnight)
New Mexico was a welcome change after the mental torture we had endured earlier in the day. By far the most beautiful state we have been through, it too stretched for miles and hills, mountains and rocks dominate the landscape. My literary skills are not good enough to do justice to the magnificence. Suffice to say, we were both humbled by God's amazing creation. We stopped several times to take pictures but, like the writing, they probably will not do justice to the views. The drive to Albuquerque was one of the most scenic I have ever been on. We stopped to visit the campus of the University of New Mexico, the scene of our next adventure.
Frequent subscribers to this channel will recall our misadventures at the hands of the law. Today was our day to make right. While strolling through the campus, we witnessed an attempted bicycle robbery and, by quickly alerting the police to the fact, we saved the Midwest from "The Great Bicycle Robber". We're pretty sure that, as a result of our keen detective skills, the White Chariot will receive safe passage all the way to California. Again, I must stress that we are not making any of this up…If you don't believe us, just call the City of Albuquerque and ask about the two mysterious Good Samaritans from New Jersey. They'll be talking about it for the next few months.
Sunset was about 30 wiles west of Albuquerque. I think we'll give it an 8. Driving into a golden red sky is an amazing experience. Once the sun went down, we drove through mountains that were bathed in the pale light of dusk. We even saw a moonrise that was extraordinarily similar to a card I received just before I left :) It brought a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. Hopefully the pictures will come out. By the time we got to the Arizona border it was pitch black. I don't think we have this kind of darkness back east. I haven't seen stars like this since I was in Nigeria.
After about 900 miles of driving, we pulled into Flagstaff to bed down for the night. I have logged 2500 miles in 3 days…..can't be done anywhere else but in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Proud to be an American!!! Tomorrow we set out for the Grand Canyon and more amazement. I understand Arizona has a lot to offer and I am eager to feast my eyes.
Today was a chance to experience the vastness of America. I now have profound respect for the early western pioneers who came out here with just their dreams. Being in the heartland has also given me a look at the farming community and has convinced me that an Agribusiness MBA is a good choice. Scott and I are enjoying each other's company. We've had some great talks, did some good reading (Ravi Zacharias and Joshua Harris) and even had time for message tapes (Jon Cahn and Greg Laurie). After a couple of days of hard driving, tomorrow should be a good relaxing, touristy kind of day. The truck stops that line the interstates have me thinking that I should write an article on the trucking industry and send it to National Geographic. Who knows…it might get published. Yeah rite!!!
Peace and Love,
Dave.
PS. I just heard a train go by… I hope that isn't going to be a regular feature through the night.
---------------------------------------------------------
End of Day 4 - A Best Western motel room just inside the California Border - (Hotel California but not such a lovely place).
The time is 1:45am, Pacific Time. Well…we made it to the promised land! We're still about 8 hours from our final destination, but at least we're close. The trip has been about 2900 miles so far (2100 for Scott) and our bodies are starting to rebel. The three time changes that we've been through are probably not helping. Even though we didn't do a lot of driving today, we certainly had a full day. We had breakfast at a local Flagstaff joint called Mike and Rhonda's. The patrons looked like they belonged in the WWF. Arizona is about as Wild West as they come. Cowboy hats and Native Americans were plentiful, as well as pick-up trucks that look old enough to have been built by Henry Ford himself. Culturally, this is about as far from North Jersey as you can be, and still be in the same country.
Next stop - The Grand Canyon. The drive from Flagstaff to the canyon was absolutely spectacular…one breathtaking view after another. It's the kind of route you want to hike, not drive. Highway 180 has a posted speed limit of 55 but apparently no one cares if you go 90. Even at such high speeds, we did notice that there were signs posted every 5 miles telling us not to drink and drive. I thought that West Virginia is where all the Rednecks live, but apparently they have some here too. Whizzing by scenic forests and amazingly carved out mountains, I was again struck by the immensity of this nation.
When we finally got to the Grand Canyon, I was completely awestruck!! Never, in all my travels, have I beheld such a sight. I will not even attempt to describe what we saw….there is no way I could do it justice. We took a few moments to sit back and enjoy the views and spent time in prayer, just marveling at God's creation. Later, in the car, we looked through the Bible to find verses that could possibly describe what we were feeling.
Psalm 111: 2-4 Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in him. Glorious and Majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
Romans 1: 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
A lady we ran into at one of the viewing points said it best. "How can you not believe in God when faced with such magnificence"? When we left, my head was still spinning. I will be back there someday. Please put this on your list of places to visit at least once in your life! We drove back to Flagstaff and kept going south towards Phoenix. Interstate 17, which leads from Flagstaff to Phoenix, is even more scenic than Highway 180. It descends from the San Francisco Mountains and cuts through the Red Rock formations of Sedona before climbing back up through the Big Horn mountains towards Phoenix.
We pulled over at a rest area, aptly named "Sunset Point", to watch an incredible array of colors descend behind the mountains. Finally, the sunset we were looking for!! A 9.8 for sure. The only reason I'm not giving it at 10 is because there is always the hope that you will see one better. Three Crosses sure had it right…God does paint it better than Michaelangelo. If I sound solemn, it's because I feel that way. I have been totally humbled by my drive through the state of Arizona. If you have not visited, I highly recommend it.
In Phoenix, we met friends from Jersey (Chris Kamienski and his dad, Mike) for dinner. They were in town working on their golf swings. After we had spent some time making fun of Chris, Mr. Kamienski treated us to a scrumptious meal and shortly thereafter, we headed west on Interstate 10 for the "Golden State". Like last night, the sky was dotted with millions of stars. Right when we pulled up to the California border, we had to pass through a checkpoint where we were asked if we had any fruits or vegetables in the car. I have no idea what that's all about. No other state seemed to care about our fruits and vegetables and I think it's a waste to pay a guy to sit there and ask stupid questions. Maybe the cops from St. Louis were checking up on us....we should have just done a Thelma and Louise right off the Grand Canyon.
So, the journey is almost done. Just as well because we are running out of things to talk about. We tried the radio once…just to get a change from the tapes and CDs. We were pretty excited to find a station that advertised itself as "playing the best variety in Northern Arizona" until we figured out that variety meant the difference between bad country music, really bad country music and really, really bad country music. Real cowboys must lead very depressing lives to come up with those lyrics. I'll take Clint Eastwood any day. Thanks for all the messages you sent us via pager. Much appreciated…especially the info on the trade between the Yankees and Blue Jays. I can't believe they let David Wells go!!
Reporting live from the west coast,
Dave.
------------------------------------------------------------
End of Day 5, Almost 2:00am Pacific Time.
The adventure is over and a new one's just beginning. We're in Berkeley, California staying with a friend of mine from college. I'm extremely tired, so if my writing makes no sense, deal with it!! I can't believe we actually made it here in 5 days (would have been 4 if it weren't for our little sojourn in Arizona). The Tercel logged 3506 miles from Chestnut Ridge, NY to Berkeley, CA. All those who doubted the abilities of the White Chariot….Shame on You!!! That car should have its license plate number retired in all 50 States! I'm proud to say…NO TICKETS!!! Our route took us through 12 states and we were on 7 different interstates. Throw in a natural wonder, some outstanding views, and a few cops with attitudes and you've got yourself one heck of a roadtrip.
After a continental breakfast at the Blythe Best Western, we set off across the Sonoran Desert towards Los Angeles. (I wonder who came up with the term "continental breakfast". Two pieces of toast and a tiny bowl of corn flakes sounds more like a continental appetizer to me. I was hungry again before I got back to my room). The Sonoran Desert, although pretty bleak, provided some excellent views. When you're travelling at sea level through land as flat as a pancake, the slightest bump in the horizon looks spectacular. Somewhere along the way, we noticed a sign for Joshua Tree National Forest and we thought a slight detour would be in order.
The landscape we drove through on the way to the ranger station reminded me of a scene from a Star Wars movie. I half expected Ewoks to pop out of the rocks and try to steal the White Chariot. At the ranger station, we were informed that we had to drive for another hour before we could see the famous Joshua Trees (U2 Album cover), and since time was of the essence, we decided to head back to the interstate.
As we got closer to Los Angeles, we passed the snow-capped San Bernadino mountains and saw thousands of electricity-generating windmills nestled in the foothills (another futuristic looking sight). Although we didn't drive through the heart of Los Angeles, we did experience the famous L.A. smog and haze. With a little imagination, you can almost picture it being fog, but it's haze alright! It would have been nice to drive around but I've seen too many pictures of L.A. traffic and I wanted no part of rush hour. Even at 2pm, the highways (sorry…freeways) were starting to fill up. Where are all these people coming from and where are they going? Don't they have real jobs? Spending half my day on the freeway is not my idea of a great life.
Speaking of which, the word freeway is quite a misnomer. Californians (I guess I'm one of them now) would have you believe that their highways are free but they charge you indirectly by ripping you off at the gas pump. $1.35 for a gallon of gas?!? Is there some kind of special extraction method used for California gas that warrants such daylight robbery? Actually, now that I think about it, raising the price of gas may be a good way to solve the Garden State Parkway traffic. I'd rather pay 35 cents more per gallon than have to stop every 5 miles and deal with Jersey Road Rage.
Well anyway…we got out of L.A. without getting shot at. More scenic views were in store for us on Interstate 5. The drive up to San Francisco starts off though the mountains (they're everywhere) and once you descend from the clouds (a very cool feeling), you are on the world's straightest road with some of the best agricultural land in the country on both sides. For about 200 miles, you drive without moving the steering wheel one inch in either direction. Sunset was right over a mountain range to our left and it competed very well with yesterday's. The judges awarded a 9.5
As we approached San Francisco, I started to feel my heart beating faster…..I was close to my new home and the journey was drawing to a close. As Interstate 580 closed in on the Bay Bridge, views of the city started popping up around every corner. I've always thought that New York's skyline is unparalleled, but I must admit that this one comes pretty close. Once we got to Berkeley, we unloaded some stuff and headed into the city for a quick tour. Although we were exhausted, Scott had to see as much as he could before leaving. S.F. is a pretty amazing city and from Coit Tower, one is treated to some pretty spectacular views. Also must sees are the crookedest street in the world and, of course, the Golden Gate Bridge. The view from the Golden Gate Recreational Area is amazing…..it was a great way to cap off our trip.
So we got here safe and sound. We are very thankful to God for protecting us and for giving us such an enjoyable trip. I'm glad Scott could come with me so I had someone to share the cross-country experience with. It's a beautiful country, even Texas and Oklahoma. I think the most common expression we used this week was…"Wow!!! Did you see that!?!" Scott leaves for Chicago tomorrow morning along with his laptop, so I probably won't have access to e-mail for a while but please feel free to keep writing to me. (dgeorge10@hotmail.com). I'll get them sooner or later.
Thanks for putting up with my daily ramblings. I hope I was able to convey at least a small part of our experiences and some of you did write back saying how much you've enjoyed them. No plans for a sequel just yet. San Francisco is a great city and I am really looking forward to the next couple of years in this area. I encourage you to come and visit as soon as you can. I don't have a place yet, but as soon as I do, mi casa es su casa. I'll let you know. I already miss New Jersey very much, not so much for the place as for the people. You all hold a special place in my heart and I hope I am able to keep in touch with all of you.
Cheers from the Foggy City!
Over and out…
Dave.
|
