I’ll be setting off on my road trip at the end of July. A plan has emerged that will take me up to mid-Sept.
I’ll start in Colorado, then wind my way up to McCall, Idaho where I fought forest fires for the US Forest Service (USFS) 50 years ago. I’ll visit with folk along the way and spend some time in McCall catching up with old friends. From there I’ll swing by Washington and Oregon, again having conversations, visiting friends and finding interesting places to explore. Son John will join me in Seattle. I’ll then move south into California and end up in Arizona.
I’ve hired a car for this leg of the road trip. I don’t want to be stuck on this mode of transport, but it’s good for the West. From Flagstaff AZ I’ll travel on Amtrak to Chicago. No idea of the miles I’ll travel out West, but I suspect I’ll need to have some long days to compensate for the pottering around interesting places and stopping to meet folk. Circuitous comes to mind.
I’ve emailed friends who I haven’t seen for many years to let them know roughly when I’ll be in their neck of the woods. I want to hear from them what America is like and what the future holds. I’ll also have random conversations en route with folk I meet. I’ve got the Rough Guide to the USA to help me find interesting places to visit. And a Rand McNally Road Atlas of the US to guide me along the way.
I don’t know what I’ll find or what I’ll hear, but that’s the purpose of my road trip!
