On Sun, 23 Mar 2014 14:28:48 -0500, Califbill wrote:

"Mr. Luddite" wrote:
On 3/19/2014 9:57 AM, F*O*A*D wrote:
On 3/19/14, 9:16 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 3/19/2014 8:18 AM, Poco Loco wrote:


One of the most enjoyable trips I have taken was driving to Denver, CO
via Rt. 90. I did so on a whim in the Ford F-350 diesel towing a car
trailer to pick up a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup that a guy had for sale.
Like many, I had flown back and forth over this part of the country many
times while working and making trips to the West coast but this was the
first time I could actually see what states like Iowa, Nebraska and
Colorado actually looked like at ground level.

Nebraska was strangely beautiful to me. I like being by myself and the
trip across that state certainly makes you feel alone and away from
everything. The only concern I had was fuel stops. There aren't many,
so you have to make sure you fuel up when you can. The one fuel stop I
found reminded me of an old, western stage stop or something. Friendly
people but I have no clue how they survived or made a living out there.

On the return trip I took Rt.80 east. I stopped at the World's Biggest
Truck Stop in Iowa. Interesting place. It has everything you can
imagine including huge shopping areas, doctors, dentists and damn good
food!

I spent some years attending college and working in that part of the
country and saw all I really wanted to see of Kansas, Missouri,
Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, the Dakotas, et cetera. On one assignment,
I spent a month on the road with a photographer writing and researching
a magazine story on small town rail stations that had been abandoned or
repurposed. We made a special effort to avoid "chain" restaurants and
motels. It was interesting. I liked the old M-K-T stations the best.

I spent a college Thanksgiving holiday at a buddy's farm in rural South
Dakota. Talk about cultural shock...sheesh.

I don't like driving long distances. These days, when I visit long-time
buddies in the New Haven area, I take Amtrak and rent a car when I get
there, and New Haven isn't that far of a drive, maybe 300 miles, a six
hour drive if you don't get nailed in the NYC area. It's four and a half
hours on the Acela, maybe an hour longer on the slower train.


Again, different strokes for different folks. Some people enjoy driving
and having the options to stop and see things they would otherwise just blow by.

It took us 13 days to make make the trip south on the boat to Florida. I
could have made it in 6 .. even 5 if we pushed it. We didn't want to
push it. We stopped and explored many interesting ports and places along
the way and had a hell of a good time doing so.
That was enjoyable to me.

We have a slide in pop up camper for the truck. Makes it nice to go to
remote lakes with the boat, and also for longer trips, not worry about
lodging during the trip. We tow up to Vancouver Island every couple years.
Stay in the camper part of the time and B&B part of the time. Long ways
driving to Canada, about 1000 miles to the border, so a couple days, and we
are there. Visit friends and relatives on the way. I do not mind driving.
We just returned from a trip the Tahiti, NZ, and Oz. Drove from
Queenstown to Auckand in 3.5 weeks. So lots of driving, but not much some
days. Beat the hell out of a bus tour.

I enjoy driving. If I could drive to Holland, I'd do it. I hate flying. We're going to check into
upgrading to whatever class has some leg room. If it's only a few hundred, I may go for it. I'm not
putting out another $700 though.