We drove a 2002 American made vehicle with over 125,000 miles on it that we purchased in May of 2010 from a couple who strongly advised us that it was a vehicle that would only be reliable as a "drive around town" vehicle. They were vehement about this. We drove it almost 1000 miles to California without a hitch. Thanks Universe!
I noticed the first vehicle with highly visible "Raider Nation" insignia on it right around Fresno, CA.
It has been confirmed on this trip once again that San Francisco Bay Area drivers are some of the most brazenly risk taking, foolish and dangerous drivers I have ever come across.
From 1998 to 2010 motorcycles were my only/primary form of transportation. I miss motorcycle riding very much and I still drive a car as if it were a motorcycle. For the most part this is a very, very bad thing.
Highest gas price seen was $5.15 per gallon for regular unleaded. I believe this was observed somewhere around Barstow, California. We filled up in Tucson right before the journey. That gas was $3.09 per gallon.
Ripe bananas do not travel very well. Lunchables however, travel very well.
RVs are extremely popular these days. And I understand all the reasons why. However, the gas mileage must be a pain.
There's a McDonald's in Barstow partially made out of old and complete train cars and the real, present day train tracks are right behind the restaurant. Also, during our stop in Barstow we happened to travel a little ways on old Route 66 which is also called "Main Street" in Barstow.
Southern Arizona is beautiful.
At one stop, I don't remember where, I know it was some place in California, a group of about ten ravens gathered right around our vehicle as soon as we parked. When this happened I knew we would arrive at our destination safely and unharmed as ravens are a token/protector animal for me. They have shown up prominently on every single high mileage road trip I have taken, in some form or another, since 1999.
Some people who work at very low paying, menial task jobs across America have figured out a way to approach and do these jobs with absolute and radiant joy. They lift the spirits of seemingly every single person they come in contact with. These people make many otherwise stressful or arduous experiences, like driving nearly 1000 miles, a delight. Thank you, Dear Ones!
While approaching The San Francisco Bay Area, I was driving in the third fastest lane in a four lane spread, going about 70 miles per hour with the appropriate distance between me and the vehicle directly in front of me when an 18 wheeler rapidly came up as close to me as humanly possible without hitting me from behind and started laying on his horn nonstop, presumably because the lane was moving too slowly for him. The car in front of me eventually moved over one lane to the right and eventually I was able to move one lane over to the left. This truck driver then alternately got behind both the vehicle that had been in front of me as well as also getting behind me again, which required lots of rapid and very dangerous lane changing on the truck drivers part, simply so he could continue to be very close behind each of us and continue to lay on his horn incessantly. This went on for approximately five miles before this truck driver eventually relented.
We saw ten cars pulled over by law enforcement on the side of the freeway in the state of Arizona and one car puled over by law enforcement on the side of the road in the state of California. This, despite the fact that our travel route placed us in California almost twice the number of miles we traveled in Arizona. ADDED NOTE: The car pulled over in California happened to be a $200K AMG Mercedes which I know because I have a friend who recently purchased the exact same vehicle. Plus, I'm a car and motorcycle aficionado. I know my cars and I know my motorcycles.
We witnessed a harrowing high speed drag race between two pick up trucks in Northern California that took place on the right hand shoulder of the interstate. What the drivers didn't know is that there was a stalled car on the shoulder that they were now rapidly approaching requiring them both to very quickly swerve back into the line of traffic, avoiding causing what would have certainly been a multiple fatality pile up.
I made an altar in one of the cup holders in the vehicle. It contained a nice large piece of quartz crystal I have, a picture of Ammachi, a very nice "safe travels" note from a good friend in Tucson, given to me just a few days before our departure, me and John's eating utensils for the trip and all the gas receipts.
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