Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and The Grand Canyon

We left Vegas tired but satisfied. Gambling wise, as a group I believe we were even- if not, up.

After I got my morning poker fix, we left around noon. Once again, the Rover was absent of any estrogen. G, L, A,D and C remain...we sound like a gay vitamin rock group (ED: look up GLAD if you didn't get that joke). The temperature soared to 100 degrees. Inside the rover, the thermostat flirted with 110. To Lake Mead for a refreshing swim.

I had heard prior to the trip that the beautiful blue water of this mammoth lake made it worth the stop. It lived up to the expectations although in that weather, after 2 nights in Vegas, I was ready for anything. Even one more bath in the Mississippi.

We waded into the placid lake slowly because the consistency of the ground gripped our feet like quicksand. I reached to the bottom with both hands and pulled up a clump of muck. I naturally sculpted it like a snowball and unloaded on the nearest unsuspecting troubadour. Welcomed friendly fire broke out. It's all fun and games until someone takes some muck to the mouth.

We cleaned up in the crystal clear water and packed back into our dry, boiling hot vehicle. After battling with high winds on the desert highway which the RV's body caught like a spinnaker, we came upon the famed Hoover Dam. Frankly, I expected it to be much larger. It was incredible, but I suppose Transformers and other Hollywood depictions prepared me for something unfathomable. A new suspention bridge casted a shadow upon the dam. The 1/2 complete U.S. 93 Hoover Dam Bypass Project was impressive (check it out: http://www.natuba.com/photo/5zZK98/).

Home

We got caught up in the action. In all the excitement of california and the hustle bustle of starting a new life, we failed to update our avid followers. All apologies.

Reporting from Studio City, CA.

D and I are getting our bearings here in Los Angeles County. It is the 15th of June and we have been here since the 11th at 4am. I drove into our last Wal-mart parking lot on a straight shot from San Francisco. 4 traveler remained. Since Vgas,we had lost 3 and added 1. Now just 2. The ones who will set up shop here. vacation will become life. Our holiday now our newfound reality.

Before I backtrack, let me tell you what Dan and I are up to. Dan's Aunt is one of the most lovely, funny and talented women I have ever met. She has taken us in on the nights where the Rover is parked in questionable locations. Since the 12th we have split time between her place in Studio City and on random side streets in Hollywood. I move into a studio apartment tomorrow :)

The Rover has become burdensome. It allows for aggravating transport but parking a 34' RV a chore in LA. I hope to have it sold soon. You know anyone?

How did we get here? Synopsis on the way.

cheers,
c

All along the western Front

The pacific ocean grazes my tired feet. Coast to Coast in 14 days. Almost surreal. San Diego welcomes us with open arms. The group spends the 6th day of June lying out and sailing in the bay.

After being landlocked for two weeks we reach the shore. Debbie rents us her place on Zanzibar-a fantasy land I only believed existed in a Tenacious D tune. The crew is happy to sprawl and we spend our Friday lounging on the couch. TV provides an outlet to reality of which we've been deprived.

Morning brings a refreshing relief from automotive living and we take to the beach. Although our gnarly west coast counterparts do not invite us to play beach volleyball or shred waves we entertain ourselves.

Sin City

Las Vegas: the city of dreams. With its famous hotels, its dancing neon lights, its fountain shows, and the gut-wrenching, empty feeling of losing $150 in 15 minutes, Vegas pleases the eye while abusing the wallet.

East-coast principles are about as valuable in Vegas as a broke college grad trying to sit at the $500 minimum blackjack tables. This was especially evident at the craps tables, where we all posted up the second night to take advantage of free drinks. Big Tex, Creepy Black Shirt Guy, and Bracelet Guy played across the table from us. We were initially appalled at Big Tex and Creepy Black Shirt guy's treatment of two half-their-age women, open-mouth kissing them prior to every roll. What were these respectable young women doing with Big Tex and Creepy Black Shirt Guy? We were perplexed until a police officer informed us that those women were in fact prostitutes. Creepy Black Shirt Guy is probably a Red-Dot Guy also. Disgusting. For those of you hoping to glean more details about our descent into Nevada's sordid pit of bottomless morals, you'll have to settle for the now cliche marketing slogan: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. But you can take comfort in the knowledge that we all emerged with our dignity intact.

Ali, the girl who joined us in Boulder, flew out on the morning of day two in Vegas.

bah bah bum bah bah bah bum california here we come

Can you hear me now?

Can you hear me now? Not in Yellowstone, or most of Wyoming for that matter.

From Cody, WY rt 20 took us to the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The passage was not the easiest, especially at 3:00am.Though we couldn't see most of our surroundings, we did notice steep grades and even a dam that we drove over as we passed through the mountains.

Entering the park, I was a little scared to see a sign that read "extreme danger: grizzly bear frequented-site". I was more scared, though, when a deer charged at the rover and ran right at our rear wheel, until darting away at the last second.

Because the official park entrance is not open at 3:30am, I pulled off on a turnout to park Winne and get some sleep. Rest was not had easily, though, as thoughts of hungry grizzlies plagued my weary mind.

We awoke Saturday morning and cruised through beautiful Yellowstone National Park. We passed towering snow-covered mountains, endless mirror-lakes, rolling rapids, and a few buffalo-- just on the way to the RV park, where we got squared away and then set out for more exploring.

We first hit the boiling mud-pool area, which looks like something straight out of a hollywood depiction of post-apocolyptic wasteland. The sulfuric gases prevent most life from taking root on the ground near the bubbling silver pools, and many fallen trees line the pathways. Don't get the wrong idea though, the scene was pretty spectacular, like nothing any of us had ever seen before.

We spent the rest of our day hiking around Yellowstone's Grand Canyon and waterfalls. What a sight-- words don't come close.

Dinner, sleep, and an early Sunday wake-up. We hit Old Faithful and the hot springs. Though impressive, Old Faithful didn't hold a candle to the many other natural wonders Yellowstone has to offer. The deep blue-gren hot srpings, on the other hand, were very cool and we hiked three miles checking them all out.

Lunch and we set sail for Vegas, passing through Grand Teton nat'l park which rivaled Yellowstone in its aesthetic beauty. Treacherous mountain passes challenged the rover. We made it safely out of Wyoming though (notwithstanding two more close-calls with deer), through 30 miles of Idaho, and more mountains in Northern Utah.

As I write we are refueling in Nowhere, Utah, 112 miles from the Nevada border and another 120 from America's playground. More details to follow-- stay tuned.

L

either way

In Cody, WY I scoped out a bank sign that displayed the temperature- 60 degrees. What a relief. I was thinking that this far north we were lookin at 40 at best. It made me think that either way, we would have to deal with it.

3 am mountain time, Only 40 miles out of yellowstone. Don't worry marla, jane, jean marie,sherry, and grizel. we appointed the narcoleptic to finish the last leg of the late night drives.

Dw, you ever think you'd fancy an 89 winne?

Stay tuned, we have seen the waste products of grizzlies.

GREEN

What do you get when you mix blue and yellow? Boulder, Colorado. From dreadlocks to post-recycled materials to free-range eggs and fair-trade coffee, Boulder is at the forefront of the Green movement, blazing the trail with no harm to the trees, of course.

The house we parked in front of separated waste into 8 different recepticles. Ironically, the rover we are driving in gets 8 miles to the gallon. It's good to know someone is doing their part; we promise to trade winne in for the next biofuel driven 'bago we come across.

Green is what you make it. Our contribution consisted of making the most of toilet water in the rv by both brushing our teeth and washing our faces before urination. Greenness presented itself in all forms from being forced to listen to a river roll while walking home at 3 am or being reminded that we weren't in new jersey anymore due to dreds. All in all the scenery of boulder was spectacular and its residents equally majestic.

To garner a true appreciation for the ways of the west one must take an afternoon hike through the Flatiron Mountains of Boulder,Colorado. Wade through frosty streams, scale rocky cliff faces, and pause to take a family photo at the summit with blue skies and the setting sun at your back. An experience like that will open one's eyes to what it means to go green.

Going green is freeing your mind, body, and soul to the rhythmic flows of boulder street bongos--it is allowing your scenic surroundings to bring all senses to a harmonic halt--flowing with the currents of exhilirating rapids--making dates with random hobos to share an experience of learning the secret to the harmonica--green is living in the moment and trusting the beauty of people you encounter through your days.

This avant-garde outlook features prominently in Boulder. So much that the citizens of this green-haven are mobilizing a grassroots effort to bring green to Capitol Hill. The concept: replacing our sliding dollar as currency with carbon credits, establishing a central carbon-trading regulatory entity, Gaia, charged with maintaining carbon-credit price stability and emissions caps.

These activists are modeling the way right at the heart of this vocal movement,scenic Boulder, CO. We just hope the rest of the country heeds their message.

Ride on,
L,D,G,Aj,Al

boulder part 2 woahh

Ryan, my friend since kindergarten hosted us during our stay in Boulder. We parked the rover down the street from his house, and luckily the friendly residents didn't mind our 34ft beast outside their homes.

We took full advantage of the outdoor activities Boulder has to offer, as we hiked in the Flatiron mountains and swam in the stream.The water was FREEZING but we couldn't resist the tempation of a rope swing. Unlike the Mississippi, this time we didn't have our soap and shampoo with us, so we were unable to wash ourselves. Next time we come prepared.

In other news, we picked up two new passangers.AJ, our roommate met us in Denver (this we'd planned), and Ali, Ryan's neighbor...random I know. Gav and I met her two nights ago asking for directions downtown. She ended up hanging out with us all day yesterday and as we were saying our goodbyes to Boulder she decided on a whim to join us. She's riding to Vegas then flying back to Boulder on Tuesday for class.

Now we cruise to Yellowstone with our new passengers in tow, the magestic Rocky mountains to the west, and endless plains to the east.

RV vs. Grizzly bear... Look out for it on pay per view

boulder, co

Set in between the base of two mountains, D and C set to climb a verticle hill that overlooked the city of Boulder. The rover is parked along side boulder creek as our heros ascend the mountian. Cacti obstruct a clean asent but the view from the top is beautiful. The flat iron mountians set the scene. At over 6000 feet, we look down upon the college. The original architechture isolates the campus and helps us to differentiate the range from the city from the school.

Hoping for goats, we only see grasshoppers and one baby fox.

Another day in boulder is a must

stand up straight

10:22 Mountain Time, 100 miles from the Colorado border-the plains will soon morph into mountain side. The change in altitude will have many effects on our heroic traveler's bodies. For example, changes in climate will necessitate layered clothing.More importantly, the thin air could have a detrimental effect on the already poor posture of the men.when scanning the rover all the passengers suffer from "chronic slouching", a crippling disease stemming from laziness. to prevent this, the crew will begin a rigorous training regimen of both sitting and standing up straight. We expect a complete metamorphosis from Gargoyles to british watchmen by the time we reach LA.

The first exercise of the regimen takes place in a Boulder Walmart parking lot just after sunrise at the foot of the Rockies.

interview

The sport of RV driving has always had trouble attracting crowds, but a recent crop of eccentric drivers have brought new crowds and investment to America's highways. We sat down with Dan Levitt, one of the sports exciting new faces to discuss his dreams, his peers, and what it's like to get behind the wheel.

You've just completed your rookie drive, arriving at Wichita from Dallas in under 5 hours. What was that experience like?

D: well, I'm from around D.C., and I'd say it was a lot like the beltway...just without the buildings, cars, and people. I guess you could see a lot more blue cloudy sky and grassy farm land.

Some have compared you to Sean "whiskers" Youngberg, one of the sports all-time greats. What do you make of that? And how do you compare to your peers on the tour?

D: when I'm done with this sport, they'll ask "sean who?".I used to watch a lot of these growing up, including Gav, Lars, and C. I used to revere these guys. Now I got them asking me for tips and autographs, so I guess you could say I've made it.

You've accomplished a lot in your young career. What's next?

D: one word: domination.

one last post about texas

Saturday night D's cousins had some of our crew over for dinner. Rob, Linda, Michael, Ariel, Kelsey, and some friends were waiting for us with steaks on the grill. It was a welcome break from the microwaveable mac n' cheese. We wish we could've seen Amanda as well. We had a great time...its nice to know that despite our distance traveled, family is just a GPS entry away. Thanks again for having us over!

recounting the last day in lewisville texas

Good to see old friends. We spent sunday and monday with harris and brent. Two former jmu-ers. They showed us everything that the dallas suburbs had to offer.

Their condo complex was quaint. The street infront of their 839 was our single serving home. We wasted hours at the pool, then headed to brent's fathers house for some rover maintainance.

We reattached a dangling hose,checked fluids, and changed the mega air filter. Done with the days work, harris took us to an open field around the corner and taught us to ride a dirtbike. Only G actually got out of first gear but riding in circles was stellar.

The night concluded with our first Whattaburger experiance. Like wendys but with some service. I ordered 4 chicken strips, fries, and a burger-also known as "the heartattack in a bag". I hardly moved the rest of the night.

10 am we said our goodbyes. Colorado bound. New rover passanger to be added in denver on thursday.

Dallas TX to Boulder, CO

As we travel from Dallas to Denver, rolling Oklahoma hills and plains remind us of time past and days gone by.

We reminesce of memories of college. From the day C and I first met on freshman move-in to the craziness of 1167, we realize how quikly time has passed as we zoom across the American countryside. It's crazy how every day becomes an inreasingly smaller percentage of your life-- maybe time actually does speed up.

Regardless, we ride on, passing through Oklahoma to the Oklahoma border into the open plains of Kansas.

More to come,

L.

repent

Bless us followers for we have sinned. It has been three states since our last blog and these are our thoughts:

Sex is leveraged to sell most things in texas. There are countless hooters-like establishments, even a barbershop called knockouts where scantily clad women serve you beer and give you a fresh cut.

We ate at a Bonedaddys and we weren't dissapointed.The Beef brisket was unmatched. Nachos and queso were on point.

Detour to the bass proshop-massive and fully armed with shotguns and camo. Trucks with automatic weapon mounts for sale. Full display of fishing boats and angler gear.

Since there has always been doubt regarding the effectiveness of camo gear(in my suburban eyes at least), I decided to put it to the test in the thick vegitation of the pants rack. With a mossy oak jacket and camo hat, I climbed underneath the display and patiently awaited my unsuspecting target. D and G walked by the clothing rack like gazelle that were soon to be lunchmeat. I sprang from my perch. Camo is very effective.

Marlboro Reds, Bud Heavys, and Bald Eagles

No joke, everything is bigger in Texas. Taking advantage of tax free incentives, you find churches that are bigger than Wal-Mart supercenters. It isn't enough to have one Hooters in a city but there must be two. And not across town either. These two family establishments lie right across the street from one another.

What is the biggest in Texas? The American spirit.

Arkansas

Jill, does anyone pay their taxes in Arkansas? If you were in the minority that did pay state taxes, I can tell you where they are not hard at work- on the highway system.

We left Memphis around 6pm after some incredible BBQ. Short shot to the Arkansas boarder where endless tire blow out remains and potholes that could have housed Jame's Giant Peach plauge our travels.

At a TA center we stopped to refuel. $4.50 in failed attempts to snatch a camo canteen from an arcade crane left our spirits shattered. With our heads hanging low, I caught a glimpse of trouble from beneath the rover. A hose disconnected.

After further investigation, it appeared that it was AC related. In true McGyver form, I fashioned a hose clamp from a trailer identification tag. So long as the front passanger wheel would resist the urge to irritate the hose, we would make it to Dallas with all of our parts. It was after 1am and we still had over 200 miles to go. We ride on.

Most of the crew nods off as L approaches Lewisville, Texas to join some old friends. I stir from my upright slumber as we pass through Dallas. Sprawling cityscapes entertain and bring the crew to life. We arrive safely just after 5am central time. We crash outside of our companions condo and awake to his familiar voice around 11.

He informs us that once again, the troubling hose fails to cooperate.

Memphis, TN

After our refreshing swim/bath in the Mississippi, we trucked into Memphis in search of legendary barbeque and Elvis Presley. We found Elvis first, and proceeded to park in Graceland's RV lot. We were soon disappointed at the King's now over-commercialized home.

Just as Via Dollorosa-- the road that Jesus was made to walk as he carried the cross en route to his crucifiction-- is now overpopulated with merchants peddling rosaries, bibles, pocket-sized crucifixes, and other trivial souveniers to passing tourists, Graceland is nothing but an endless array of elvis statuettes, bobbleheads, posters, and T-shirts. For a modest $35, a visitor can tour Elvis' home. For $48, one not only tours the house, but gets access to Elvis' custom plane, Lisa Marie. $69 buys you the premium package: tours of the ranch, planes, viewing of an Elvis movie of your choice, and entry to the exclusive "Elvis VIP tour".

I wonder if when Jesus was making miracles and Elvis was making music either man could have imagined his legacy as the commercial juggernaut it is today...

Our next stop was Central BBQ. We arrived hungry and left happy- the Memphis BBQ truly lives up to its reputation.

Arkansas here we come

if you're willing to go that far...

After seeing countless signs for lakes we decided to commit to a body of water. It has been two days in the 80's and none of us have showered. Just outside of memphis, we took a small road off of rt. 40 toward shelby forest. The smell of flora was refreshing as we treked 9 miles down a windy mountian. It lead us to the edge of the mississippi. With little hesitation, we dove in-bars of soap in hand.I can recall a time at bear mt st park in new york when I would pass judgement on the city folk bathing in the lake- the tables had turned.

Could you believe the soap didn't float?

downtown nashville

The stage to dueling pianos. Next door to a familiar place with a beaten car, a low stage and an excellent cover band. Headed to the wild beaver where smitty once raged.
The live band was uncharacteristicly absent but we were entertained by the lovely kindra and meaghan(pete too!). We also met a mr mathews who affirmed our beliefs that where we were staying was not only a sketchy place, but a dangerous one. A homocide recently solved in that location and commited by a trucker-unwelcomed surprise.

We head to the rover- full crew. New drivers in the am.

evening, nashville

We pulled into the traveler america center truck stop 4:30 central time. Outdoor parkinglot team troubador stretch-of-the-legs and off to downtown nashville for dinner.

Rippy's bbq rib joint hosted our crew. Pulled pork sandwiches all around with a house sauce that had a firey bite. Relaxing on the rooftop overlooking CMT headquarters, assorted skyscrapers and the honky tonk bars below.

Our night in the first city of our trip begins.

time travel

What do time and space have in common? They both wilt in the face of the winnebego. Our clocks currently read an hour fast, and the only explanation is that we have traveled through time. The future is much like the past, except cars fly now and pagers are making a comeback. We're considering trading in Winnie for a DeLorean.

C just finished the first leg, and his performance was inspiring. Driving for 7 hours, he brought us within 100 miles of Nashville. L has taken the helm now, and so far he has been LeBron to C's Kobe.

2:15 winne central time. 68 miles outside of nashville.

departure

"Sir, we're picking something up on radar... It's a winnebago"

6 am eastern standard time - Groggy and bleary-eyed, we pull up the anchor and leave port, albeit with the screen door swinging open...DT is kind enough to ride up on bicycle and shut the hatch.

Bicycles, we have one aboard. Strapped to the roof.curbside pick up.great addition. Purple and rusted it will trace the grounds of the grand canyon in all its glory.

We started 6 hours later than expected. Blame nissan pavillion. L had a miserable time leaving the coldplay concert so he and G didn't arrive in harrisonburg till 4:30 am.
Setbacks are expected and with little fuss and help from a blackberry alarm clock we jumped on 81 at approx. 7am.

Mid 70s, two sleepy passengers in tow, captian and copilot head for nashville with caffine buzzing through the bloodstream.

preface: the shortest distance between two points

It was somewhere inbetween my infatuation with craigslist and an itch to move to the west coast that I arrived at the third greatest idea of my short life; purchase a 1989 winnebago-naturally, via craigslist.
Virginia to California. Four young men. Four individual pursuits. 5817 miles of groud to cover.One way.. One way? Yes.
It would be the road trip equivent of child abuse do america with any less. We are nurturing parents and the RV will see it all:
Harrisonburg va to nashville,
Nashville to memphis,
Memphis to dallas,
Dallas to denver (plus a few notable colorado stops... Later to be noted),
Denver to jackson hole, wy
Wy to the redwoods of california,
Down to san fran,
East to vegas,
South to lake mead and the grand canyon,
Flagstaff and southern arizona down the stretch,
Back west to san diego and finally, the greater los angeles area.

The shortest distance between two points is the most borning distance between two points.


Etd: 12;15 am may 22nd 2009.