Another 12hrs of driving have passed, and now we find ourselves staying the night in Odessa, TX, off the I-20W. It's very close to Midland, TX, where a sign proclaims it as "The Home of George W. and Laura Bush." Earlier today while driving through Arkansas, we passed the town/city of Hope, which was proud to state it was the birthplace of Bill Clinton. Hoo-ray... not.
Not much to report today, the drive was uneventful. Gas was available everywhere we stopped, but I continue to fill at half-tank. This drive back to CA has allowed me to reflect on a few things in my past, like a trip I took up the East Coast from FL to NC when I was 16. My father allowed me to drive my own car, following him and my mother in their full-size van. I had my best friend (Thurman) riding shotgun with me. That trip was nothing special, except it does point out an important difference between my father and me.
On that trip I suppose you could say that he trusted me enough to allow me to drive myself. Perhaps it was him knowing that he let me drive since I was 10 years-old that gave him the "warm and fuzzy" to allow me to make the drive myself. On this trip however, I have not "offered" the chance to let my 16 years-old son drive, nor has he asked to drive. It's not a matter of trust, at least I don't think it is. I think it is a simple matter of me being a control freak, wanting to drive the entire time, knowing where I am going, etc, etc. The only thing I ask is that my son stay awake a majority of the time so he can keep me alert.
It's hard to admit that you are a control freak, but knowing that you are, well...
"Knowing is half the battle."
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Day 2
The drive through TN and AR were alright. The camera batteries died on us, so we didn't get any pictures today. Also, we didn't get any pictures of our East-bound trip through MS, I guess we were just too worried about getting gas to worry about documenting what was happening. Not that we have been taking any pictures that relate to anything that we are going through, they are just pictures my son is snapping through the side window as we drive.
Today we made it to Little Rock, AR. I am hoping by tomorrow that we will make it well into TX. Not much to report today, just a solid 12hrs of driving. I had to start topping off the tank at half-empty. We did run into a gas station that was limiting fuel purchases to $25. At $3.04 a gallon, $25 doesn't get you that much, around 8 gallons. Gas prices have been OK, much better than what I was expecting. I actually found gas today for $2.85 in AR. I hope gas prices are cheaper in TX.
And I have found that by limiting my speed to 70mph, my fuel milage has crept up to around 21mpg. This is much better than when I started my trip from CA, where I was driving at 80-85mph, and my milage was closer to 16mpg. I think the best thing to do is to keep the RPMs between 2.7-3.1k RPMs. If anyone cares, the Nissan Xterra was not made for cross-country trips. The seats have been comfortable, but the quarters are cramped, and the wind noise is very obvious.
Today we made it to Little Rock, AR. I am hoping by tomorrow that we will make it well into TX. Not much to report today, just a solid 12hrs of driving. I had to start topping off the tank at half-empty. We did run into a gas station that was limiting fuel purchases to $25. At $3.04 a gallon, $25 doesn't get you that much, around 8 gallons. Gas prices have been OK, much better than what I was expecting. I actually found gas today for $2.85 in AR. I hope gas prices are cheaper in TX.
And I have found that by limiting my speed to 70mph, my fuel milage has crept up to around 21mpg. This is much better than when I started my trip from CA, where I was driving at 80-85mph, and my milage was closer to 16mpg. I think the best thing to do is to keep the RPMs between 2.7-3.1k RPMs. If anyone cares, the Nissan Xterra was not made for cross-country trips. The seats have been comfortable, but the quarters are cramped, and the wind noise is very obvious.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Post-Katrina
My son and I had a good visit in Florida, even though the circumstances weren't the best. The relatives were great, and they even entertained my son with a trip to the local mall and fishing. I had a chance to meet up with a couple good friends and catch up as well. To all who think that a Father-Son cross-country road trip is a good idea, you are right. I recommend at least one. To those that think that a Father-Son cross-country road trip after a major disaster is an adventure, you are also right... though I don't recommend that!
We managed to get a 6-gallon gas canister from my Dad, and have that filled with gas which should provide us a small safety cushion should we encounter any gas shortages. Gas prices are a bit higher than the $2.80 average I was thinking, but that was before Katrina. I'm just glad that I don't think we'll hit any $5 gas. It seems all the Governors have put a stop to the price gouging.
We find ourselves in Ashburn, GA tonight, right off the I-75. For some reason I was just beat, and couldn't drive any more. I suppose it was the stress of worrying about gas and other things catching up with me. The hotel (Best Western) has internet access, so I am able to log-on and write a bit.
We had dinner at Shoney's next door. For those that have never dined at one, they are a South-Eastern staple, along the same lines as Denny's or Friendly's. Though I doubt you can purchase fried pickles or fired green tomatoes at the latter, you may be able to find fried ocra. My son was not feeling adventurous enough to try any of those dishes, but did sample a small bite of collard greens, which he said wasn't as bad as he had imagined.
With exhaustion setting in, I had better call it a night and try to get a good 8hrs of sleep. I like to hit the road around 4:30-5:00am when I am driving so I can get a solid 12-14hrs of driving in. I'll try to keep everyone up-dated as much as I can as we try to make our way back to Los Angeles.
We managed to get a 6-gallon gas canister from my Dad, and have that filled with gas which should provide us a small safety cushion should we encounter any gas shortages. Gas prices are a bit higher than the $2.80 average I was thinking, but that was before Katrina. I'm just glad that I don't think we'll hit any $5 gas. It seems all the Governors have put a stop to the price gouging.
We find ourselves in Ashburn, GA tonight, right off the I-75. For some reason I was just beat, and couldn't drive any more. I suppose it was the stress of worrying about gas and other things catching up with me. The hotel (Best Western) has internet access, so I am able to log-on and write a bit.
We had dinner at Shoney's next door. For those that have never dined at one, they are a South-Eastern staple, along the same lines as Denny's or Friendly's. Though I doubt you can purchase fried pickles or fired green tomatoes at the latter, you may be able to find fried ocra. My son was not feeling adventurous enough to try any of those dishes, but did sample a small bite of collard greens, which he said wasn't as bad as he had imagined.
With exhaustion setting in, I had better call it a night and try to get a good 8hrs of sleep. I like to hit the road around 4:30-5:00am when I am driving so I can get a solid 12-14hrs of driving in. I'll try to keep everyone up-dated as much as I can as we try to make our way back to Los Angeles.
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