Once I finally got home, it took about three days or so to unpack and reset from the trip. I still have gear laying about the house waiting to be put in its rightful place. I like living amongst the gear but I really need to put some of this stuff away!
On the trip I stashed the gas receipts and finally got around to looking at them. Care to guess how much gas I used on the trip? 509.8 gallons. It doesn't sound like much, but that represents 26 fill ups for a grand total cost, in gas alone, of $1899.07!
I could have saved a whole bunch and flown out there, but you can make up your own opinion on whether it was worth it. I look at the pictures and the stories and it's obvious that I think it was well worth it.
If you contemplate such a trip, I might recommend a more fuel efficient vehicle, but it was always a given that I was going to take some version of a Rover. Speaking of, I put a working Vehicle Speed Sensor in so my odometer/speedometer finally works again. Because it crapped out on me in Montana on the trip back, I only have 3933.2 miles recorded for the whole length of the trip. Extrapolating the numbers it looks like I drove somewhere north of 6500 miles, possibly more than 7000!
Over that distance I learned a few things. Bring a bottle of Windex. The windshield squeegees at the gas stations are hit or miss and it's amazing the difference a clean windshield makes. When in doubt, Subway makes a good stop for lunch. They are everywhere, even in the smallest of towns. And in Canada.
Old fashioned FM radio is still alive and well. Sure, bring the iPod, but don't miss tuning in to the local stations along the way. Use Yelp, ask the locals, whatever, but find the good local joints for breakfast and dinner. Lunchtime usually found me on the road, but it really starts the day off right when you begin with a hearty breakfast. Similarly, cap the day's drive with a nice dinner and you have the makings of a great trip. Oh, and take pictures of your food. Dad always had an eye for presentation, so I come by it honestly. Also, people will hardly believe your descriptions without the photographic proof. Take some time, a lot of time, to get out of the truck and see some of the sights off the beaten path. Use your truck (you did take a 4 wheel drive truck didn't you?) to get off the paved road and then use your bike or own two feet to get to the high points. Nothing beats looking at the surrounding countryside from a peak. If you're trying to maximize your adventure, as I was, do your research ahead of time or alternatively, make use of your smart phone or the interwebs. Google was really my friend in finding places to eat and stay. I found it very helpful to have a small, digital tape recorder in the truck. I would use it to record place names, people and stories I discovered along the way to research or blog about later. Better than writing it down while driving and much more effective than my memory. Take half the stuff with you. Those that have traveled with me or even seen the inside of my truck know that I live out of it and often it looks like I live in it. I brought a lot of stuff for "just in case". Be realistic and leave the stuff you won't use. I was prepared to go canyoneering, climbing, mountain biking, even out on the fireline. I only did one of those activities. I think it was a little stressful to have all that stuff in the truck. I was always organizing it and moving it around. For those firefighters out there, bring extra patches or shirts to trade along the way.
The last bit of lessons learned from this trip is, go. Simply go. If you have the opportunity, don't wait, go on a trip like this. Get eyes on new parts of the country. It'll open you to new experiences, people and places in addition to deepening your appreciation for everything you have back home. Go. Do it.
I'm thinking I might keep this blog going. I like the format and the ability to share stories and pictures from the adventures I encounter. So, it may not be once a day, once a week or even once a month, but I'll keep this going to share whenever I go OnManeuvers. Until next time.
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