I got them ol’ traveling blues once again. That’s because I just got back from a quick camping trip, close to the fabled Number 9. Number 9 is an epic in itself, but that story can’t be told for some time yet, the guilty need to be protected.
Summer gets that tavelin’ jones fired up. It makes me want to get going, somewhere, anywhere. I’m pretty open to going to just about any location to check it out, except Gary, Indiana (sorry if there are any Gary fans out there, but I’ve been there and there is no reason to go back).
Adding to my wanderlust was a recent re-reading of “Travels with Charley,” by Steinbeck. It’s a remarkable book and a great story. After reading it, the desire is to grab your dog, hop in your truck and do a back road tour of the country. There is a lot to explore out there, many mysteries lie along the open road, legends, meals, meteor shows, jack-elopes, live summer music, surf, waves, campfires, coffee and s’mores.
When I was younger I made a few cross country trips, even driving from Arizona to Maine (and I was able to find it without a GPS). I bought back a lobster trap from Beal’s Lobster Pound in Southwest Harbor, Maine. For years it graced various apartment living rooms as my coffee table. Now it has a place of honor in the backyard as part of my outdoor BBQ kitchen.
On another cross country trip camping somewhere in Minnesota with friend of many years (41 years to date Bob), we were attacked by a family of skunks, that I presume were crazed about something. It may have been a full moon, rabies or just bad joss, I don’t know but we didn’t question a thing, they charged up a wooded hill en mass, and we bolted for the tent. This is a true, verifiable story.
My wife and I have had wonderful trips, both here in Arizona and out of state, even a few trips to Mexico, when Rocky Point didn’t have condo’s or golf courses and was safe. We’d get fresh fish cocktails for dinner, potato burritos for breakfast on the beach.
We’ve camped in wonderful places, stayed in great hotels. On an expedition to Hawaii, I proposed to my wife on the beach at Waikiki, and the rest as they say is happy history. This year we’re going to hit both the Pacific and Atlantic!
Happy Trails to All!
