Vegas Blog - Day 1

Miles: 776.2
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 0.0
Total Miles: 15412.4
Total Gallons Burned: 511.1
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 86
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.6
I'm in Wells Nevada in the northwestern portion of this great state. So far I have seen exactly 0 Elvis impersonators, disappointing.
My kind traveling companion Par has been a great co-pilot despite his lack of sleep. Using my latest piece of road trip tech, Par has managed to predict the exact location of a series of thunderstorms and flawlessly modify our lodging plans all without the need to halt our relentless forward progress toward that oasis in the desert. How did Par know the weather's location and exact arrival time in advance you ask? He used my new netbook computer featuring an Ericsson cellular modem. This enabled my co-pilot extraodinare to connect to any cell tower in our path and utilize the 3G network. Using Google Earth he verified local forcasts, checking often to ensure our safety.
How terrible of me, I almost forgot to thank Nick for his patient and excellent dirrection that allowed me to activate and integrate the GPS cabability of my netbook. Nick walked me through the proper hyperterminal commands to render the NMEA protocols active. This rapidly updating system provided Google Earth with our precise global location allowing us to acurately judge our pace and the best places to resupply.
As the driver for this road trip, I have enjoyed being at the wheel of Par's fine 1997 Mitsubishi Galant. The first leg from Seattle to Boise Idaho was uneventful yet beautiful.

The second leg of our trip was slightly more eventful as Par regaled me with stories and wisdom of the ins and outs of Las Vegas while the weather predictably darkened. We saw this as we approached our stopping point for the night:

Just as we entered Wells the rain began in ernest and lightening shown in the Sierra Nevadas.
Allow me to share Par's imPARted wisdom ;)
1 - In Las Vegas they try to attract people to gamble away their childrens', grandchildrens', and great grandchildrens' inheritances by offering very cheap food - so be prepared for $12.99 all you can eat Prime Rib!!
2 - In an attempt to destroy your judgement to facilitate the rapid transfer of said offsprings' future wealth from your pocket to theirs, the casinos provide free alcoholic beverages to all active gamblers - so even if you are playing the penny slots very slowly you can score a free drink (Par's personal record is a 19 cent Long Island Iced Tea)!!
3 - Smoking is allowed in all Casinos, to better promote all manner of vice - so if you have asthma and a gambling compulsion, you could very well die at the roulette table, hmm maybe they should call it 'Merican Roulette so we don't fall behind the Russians!!
Tomorrow we will arrive in Vegas, and maybe explode from our planned Prime Rib eating contest, tune in tomorrow to find out!

After Galveston's Thunder

Miles: 5418.0
Gallons Burned: 188.6
Caffeinated Drinks: 35

I really am enjoying this meal at Pere Antoine's, so I thought I'd continue to blog.
However First I must discuss the great food I am enjoying:
I ordered and am now enjoying the New Orleans Sampler:
Seafood Jambalaya - rich and smoky with fantastic sausage and big shrimp
Red Beans and Rice - a New Orleans classic with a surprisingly multifaceted flavor.
Shrimp Creole - Sweet with a strong suggestion of lemon
Gumbo fairly plain, so I added some Tabasco (having just been at the factory I felt obligated)
Mango Margarita (Sauza Gold, Cruzan Mango, Grand Marnier, and sweet and Sour mix) - Grand Marnier's citrus comes through first, then there is a mid palate bite of tequila and finally a smooth finish of fruit (vaguely mango)
Bread Pudding - Smells of wonderful cinnamon, the frosting is not frosting but rather a sweet cream sauce, the chunks of orange are excellent as are those of kiwi.

The meal was fairly priced and excellent with a pleasant yet empty ambiance.
While I am savoring the last of my bread pudding, how about I tell you the story of Galveston?

In Galveston's Gray Thunder both of my sleeping bags, my pillow, and my boots were soaked. And my tent (containing all the aforementioned and a cylinder of propane and my cook stove) was overturned and 25 feet from where I left it. In frustration and (I'll admit it!) more than a little unrighteous anger, I disassembled everything and shoved it into garbage bags.
Right now all is laying out to dry on a bench back at the campsite at Bayou Segnette State Park.
After leaving Galveston, I drove north toward Nacogdoches TX where my awesome cousin Shelby attends Steve Austin University. But before I got there I ran into this along the freeway:

My exact 1.1 second mental analysis was as follows "Knife shop...hmm, wait along the highway!? I'm in Texas...hmm. Dude I HAVE to stop and check this out." So I slowed dangerously from 67mph to 0 on the gravel shoulder of the highway. I will neither conform or deny the alleged purchase of anything in said establishment. Only if you really know me (and Lili knows what I would do in a Texas highway knife store) can you say if I bought anything (You already know I am "cheap").
So after that, I made it up to Nacogdoches and took Shelby out to some Chinese food. I ate their version of Singapore Fried Noodles, LAME. But the time was well spent with my cousin. Me, being an awkward conversationalist, tried not to be too weird, but only Shelby can speak to that. I hadn't seen her in over 10 years and we traded stories of high school experience and unusual friends.
After biding her goodnight, I looked at the clock and saw it was only 6:40pm. I decided to push it a little and run for Louisiana. Kinda bad idea. I made the 300 miles in 7 hours (including the time I spent in a closed McDonalds parking lot stealing WiFi to find a place to stay for the night).
As I drove East on I-10 I saw a blessed sign "Welcome Center Next right, 24 hour security provided". Wow, I was so excited. I slept in their parking lot.
As an aside, sleep is important (in case you never guessed). I remember when I had a particularly terrible period of insomnia, 84 hours without sleep. And I drove 5 hours home on the tail-end of the sleep-cation. During the Joshua Tree and "Pass" in-car nights, I slept sitting up in the car seat. The result was periods of no more than 1 hour of sleep and a lot of "clock watching". That night I used every ounce of my B.S. and M.A. degrees and all the accumulated knowledge of my 23 years on Earth to notice: if I sleep sideways (across both front seats) in the car, I can actually be comfortable! It totally worked!
Well I guess that wasn't an aside. More like a conclusion. Next time Avery Island.

Joshua's Joshua Tree

Miles: 3683.2
Gallons Burned: 118.8
Caffeinated Drinks: 28

I'm here in Van Horn TX near a KOA campground enjoying my first precipitation free camp in more than two weeks. Winter is a fun season...more on that later

My 6 (single-spaced) page and counting trip dossier originally called for a stop in the Grand Canyon, but due to three back-to-back snow storms, the fissure is buried. So I diverted to Joshua Tree National Park.

My campground as seen from 3 miles away and 4,000 feet up on Ryan Mountain.


Up on Ryan Mt. Joshua Trees were scarce, but these little ones were a charming hazard that looked strangely appetizing when the snow came.

As I was stacking stones to form this Cairn the first flakes of the storm began. At 5,500ft there was snow. But when I returned to Earth the rain was gaining momentum.
The first night was so windy that my cook stove went out 7 times before I gave up on a warm diner and ate cold chili. Enjoying the hilarity was a 20 pound bobcat who begged until I spooked him/her. Then the rain intensified. That was the first of 4 nights spent in the car.
The next day I switched sites to lucky 13 with some stoners who wanted to split the cost of their site.
After the second night in my car, I found my tent destroyed in the high winds of the prior night's storm. So I walked about and met some college kids who were down in California's desert to rock climb. They had been there 3 days and only hit rock once. I suggested that we roll over to town 20 miles away and grab some lunch. The drive was really...wet:

I bought them lunch and we spoke of the Midwest where they hail from.

Hey Jeremiah and Catie! Maybe I'll see you both when I swing through Michigan!
When I got back the snow stared in earnest, and this is what Ryan Mountain looked like that night:


I've always wanted to wield a flare in snow. No particular reason why. Just the idea of carrying a 3,000 degree torch that will burn through nearly anything and never go out regardless of weather appeals to my sensibilities.
On the way out, I had to go retro:

Next time I'll tell the tale of the night I spun out in heavy snow at 5,000 feet almost nose diving into the mighty Colorado River...

Discourse on Gear

Miles Clocked: 1147
Gallons Burned: ~33
Caffeinated Drinks: 8

Well today has been great I got to hit up an auto show in San Jose and enjoy time with my cousin Dave. Here are a few of the highlights including my "dream" car (to be purchased used in 2020):





I also spent time retinking my "cockpit organization" and "gear ergonomics" to increase comfort/safety while driving. To let you all share in my strange pursuit here are the pieces of E-Gear whose placement have been optimized:

My First VLOG

Miles Clocked: 1147
Gallons Burned: ~33
Caffeinated Drinks: 5

Hello,
I apologize to you for not posting something earlier but I have been with out WiFi until recently, and then I had some technical difficulty with uploading a 270MB file to youtube.com. Anyways now everything should be in order.
I am well. The second leg was exciting, two nights of camping, about a thousand awesome switchbacks, huge redwood trees, jaw-dropping beaches, and one creepy run in with a hidden California state prison.
Here are my favorite pictures (sorry for resolution variation, 3 cameras were used):






Here is my first attempt at a Video Blog.
This video was taken HERE with me standing on top of a cliff.

The Video:

Portland Oregon

Miles Clocked: 187.2
Gallons Burned: ~6
Caffeinated Drinks: 2

I downed 2 energy drinks to make it to the green citadel to Seattle's south and met up with my buddy Andy from Hillsdale College, my old Alma Mater. I have only forgotten two things so far: CAT 5 Cable and all my warm hooded sweatshirts.

As I type this I am enjoying the REI Thermarest sleeping pad that Jen so Graciously lent me and a small glass of Arabica Cherry-Cafe Wine.

I am tired after 40 hours of preparation and driving, so I'll end with a quote from Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz...

There is something beautiful about a billion stars held steady by
a God who knows what he is doing. They hang there, the stars,
like notes on a page of music, free form verse, silent mysteries
swirling in the blue like jazz.

Gearing Up

Miles Clocked: 0.0
Gallons Burned: 0.0
I just purchased a box of military surplus MREs (meals ready-to-eat) from my local army navy surplus store. Now I have 7 days of heated emergency rations in the event I get stuck in a blizzard/zombie invasion. I, being a total nerd for these sorts of things, did a little research and found out about the history of military foods stuffs from the Civil War forward. About 1.7 million became ill and 45,000 men died from tainted food in the Civil War. The Department of War (later "defense") has been working on this issue ever since.

Anyways the modern MREs I've got will still be edible for the next 7 years, so I'm all set.

For those who are interested here's the menu:

(No dreaded ham omlets)
Here is the US government's official MRE site for further study:
http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/rations/programs/mre/mreabt.asp

Gear for the Road

This a list of the gear I'll be taking. Does anyone have any suggestions for additions/subtractions from my gunna [Late Latin "gunna", leather traveling garment, term for all one's worldly goods]?

Net book computer
GPS unit: Magellan Maestro
Power Inverter (1200 Watt 12 Volt DC to 110 Volt AC)
DC in-car refrigeration unit
Propane cook stove
2 man tent
12 emergency rations (Military MREs)
Costco of hand warmers
ThermaCare Heat Wraps
-25F bedroll
Cameras
Books