Preparations

Vanna is back in the shop (no surprise there).  Electrical issues this time.  We were driving at night and the dashboard lights went out.  Total darkness.  We also discovered that at precisely the moment those lights quit working the rear back-up lights turned on and won't turn off.  We may have lost the lights on the dash, but they seem to have migrated around to the rear of the van.   It's Halloween, so I blame gremlins.

But the major problem is the secondary battery- the one that powers all the lights inside the camper, the radio, and the fridge- doesn't seem to be charging properly.  The alternator squeaks under the strain of trying to charge it.   Or maybe the squeaking is the sound of money flying out of my wallet again.

We are still hoping to depart on November 4.  In the meantime, I've been doing some motivational reading.

I started with an account of a young couple from Arizona who quit their jobs and drove their 1984 Westfalia from Arizona to Ushuaia, Argentina over the course of a year.  It's called Drive Nacho Drive. It is a fascinating read and highly recommended.  You can order it on Amazon.

After they drove the length of the Americas, they shipped their van to Southeast Asia and are now driving across Indochina, India, Europe. You can read about that part of their adventure at www.drivenachodrive.com

I've also re-read William Least Heat Moon's masterpiece of travel writing Blue Highways.   He took off in a Ford Econoline van (no toilet) in search of himself and America.  It was first published 35 years ago and spent almost a year on the NYTimes bestseller list.  Must reading.  

Here's a quote:

"When you're traveling, you are what you are, right there and then.  People don't have your past to hold against you.  No yesterdays on the road."

After reading Blue Highways here are some of the places I'd like to visit to see how much they have changed from his description 35 years ago:

Highway 89, California

Austin, Nevada

Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona

Hachita, New Mexico

Deming, New Mexico

Fredericksburg, Texas

Bath, North Carolina

New Bern, North Carolina

Ninety Six, South Carolina

Newberry, South Carolina

Jonesborough, Tennessee

Greenwich, New Jersey

Salem, New Jersey

I also want to see Marfa, Texas, Houma, Louisiana,  and Columbus, Indiana.  Other recommendations?

The last book I will re-read before departing is John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley.    

Here's are two quotes:  

"When we get these thruways across the whole country, as we will and must, it will be possible to drive from New York to California without seeing a single thing."

"A journey is like marriage.  The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it."

Steinbeck set out to see America with his beloved dog at age 58.  I'm beating him by two years.
More importantly,  I think my dog is cuter than his.  You be the judge:

Charley
(and John Steinbeck)

Lilly
"so sweet she gives me sugar diabetes"

Lesson number 7:  Everyone thinks his/her dog is the cutest.  And everyone is correct.