Reflections

It all started early this morning at a 24 hour Laundromat in Vegas. A weeks worth of traveling had accumulated quite the collection of dirty laundry and being at the halfway point of our trip, I felt it was time to remedy that. It was 7:00 in the morning and already 90 degrees. I had asked Lloyd if he wanted to come along but his gesture of rolling over in his bed and muttering incoherence spoke for itself. Once downstairs, I pushed my way through an already busy casino area at the Excalibur. It's not often one gets to witness fellas downing Coronas and Bud Lites at such an early hour. Anyway, a few buttons pushed into Alice our GPS and I arrived at my destination. Once the quarters were all deposited and vending machine boxes of Tide were dispensed, I was able to sit down and for the first time reflect on the trip so far. We have covered so much ground in such little time. I'm still amazed at all of the geographical, climate and cultural changes we've crossed in just 2200 miles.

The northwest is one of the most easy going and refreshing parts of the world I've ever been to. Every direction you look is painted in a rolling, lush, evergreen tone. If the Atlantic Ocean is beautiful by its grace, surely the Pacific is by its power. The coastal cliffs provide a barricade for the sea as its rolling white tides daily pummel the shore. The rocks that shoot up out of the surf stand isolated like small mountains, taunting the relentless aggression of the Northern Pacific.

The snow capped mountains in the distance, such as Ranier, Hood, and St. Helens stand like a distant observer, puzzled at the civilizations that have cut roads and highways through the once undisturbed landscape. Waterfalls, canyons, and rives required millions of years to tear their way through to existence while the open road has staked its claim in just a short century. Still, the citizens of the northwest seem quite concerned with preserving as much as possible the beauty that is their home. Furthermore, they have been some of the most friendly folks we've met on this trip.

The redwood trees of Northern California are some of the largest living organisms on the planet. The sheer size is breathtaking and surreal as most trees this large are usually seen in prehistoric films. The redwood trees are soft and often hollowed out at their base. While most remain upright, quite a number have fallen over and lay still like sleeping giants not to be disturbed.

Once we we're out of the forest, we were once again driving along the coast. Only this time the ocean was a much brighter blue than in the north. There was also much more development along these highways with an eternity of signs prophesying an abundance of tourist traps in our future. The cliffs along the coast were even higher than the ones in Oregon. While traveling down historic Highway 1, we were constantly changing direction and elevation as the road is like a 300 mile snake, lying still along the sea.

The city of San Francisco is a sometimes grid, sometimes catacomb of streets, neighborhoods, and districts. The wharf area looking out over the bay is a circus town full of restaurants, boat rides, sea lions and one very bad magician. The whole area smells like fish with everyone from street vendors to five star restaurant offering clam chowder and crab legs. The evenings are actually quite chilly as wind from the bay funnels through the city streets.

The drive from San Francisco to Las Vegas is like the ever changing weather in Illinois. For a while, we were surrounded by thousands of acres of vineyards on either side of the highway. This eventually mutated into golden rolling hills chasing us for miles. To the outskirts stood the questionable mountains. Not always so grand as to be defined as such nor so meager as hills. They were the social outcasts of purple majesty overlooking fruited plains in the north. Like a scavenger, keeping its distance for a time, waiting for any signs of death, these ranges zoomed in and out of our periphery for miles. As we passed though the Mojave desert, we caught scattered glimpses of angry Joshua trees, mocking travelers with their contorted expressions. The closer we came to Nevada, the more traditional the carved out mountains became. Sharp edges, layers of slopes, dazzling peaks of a consistent grayish, reddish, brown leaned in close as we passed through their bellies.

No sooner had we crossed the state line than the highway became a side show of hotels, casinos, gift shops and amusement parks. All standing isolated in the desolate wasteland, false gods of the ensuing Mecca known as the strip. Hotels and casinos featuring tributes to every culture known and not known to man. Demonstrations of man's ability to create and self destruct. Magicians, comedians, and showgirls are promised to all via billions of watts of electric power. Romanesque archways and pillars, Egyptian pyramids and obelisks, Medieval castles and even scale replicas of Paris and New York City; when the aliens invade this planet, they're going to be quite confused at the space-time collision that occurred in southern Nevada.

All of this has brought me to the present, watching partially wet laundry tumble and chase itself in a coin operated dryer. So far, our trip has taken us to more places in just over a week than most people see in a life time. In gaining some perspective on the world and taking something away other than postcards and dirty laundry, I am pondering the immensity of this planet as I've really only seen about 8 percent of it now. I am overwhelmed, not only by the overload of beauty these eyes have beheld but the grace that follows us every step we take. This grace that found me in central Illinois and has chased me all the way to Vegas. The grace that provides paths and strength and points of escape when necessary.

This city is a wonder working marvel with a deep undertone of worlds of sadness without end. Finding the bottom of the bottle and realizing there was nothing there to begin with. While the lights, bells and whistles of the dog and pony show seek to mask the despair, one can breath it in like the fresh mountain air of Portland. That which everyone seeks and finds with all their hearts is given freely, leaving the empty feeling of having passionately focused their affections on mere trinkets. What was supposed to deliver has failed miserably and therefore, we must construct more in order to create for ourselves newer pursuits. Though the lights never shut down, every shift has to go home and face themselves without the adornments. To shower and try to wash away the day though another is only hours away.

This city... Oh, wait, you thought I was talking about Las Vegas.

I think my clothes are dry now.


Permanently Pressed,
H.

Mid Point

For a few photos of our trip, go to: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=139701&id=504510343


More to come soon.

From Howard Johnson in Williams, AZ,
Harvey

Day Eight - Viva Las Vegas or Elvis and All of His Freinds - Part One

So this one is gonna be pretty straight forward. We left San Francisco and it was 62 degrees. We arrived in Las Vegas and it reached 106. During our drive through the Mojave Desert we saw very little besides mountains, hills, Joshua Trees and Truck Stops. We also barely missed a car accident when a Honda Fit, which was two cars ahead of us, spun out of control and spun around and slammed head first into the guard rail in the median going full speed. The highway was covered in a cloud of dust, dirt and rocks everywhere. Fortunately for us, we were able to steer clear of it and emerge with only a few scratches on the car.

We also had a less the stellar meal at Carl's Jr. That'll teach us to eat fast food on the road.

We arrived in Vegas with only an hour to spare before having dinner with my family at Sam's Town. After a haphazard attempt at ironing a shirt, we drove across town and arrived at one of the city's older coastal casinos. Inside was a buffet of enormity, serving everything from Italian to American to Mexican to Asian to everything in between. After a few hours with my family, Lloyd and I made our way to Downtown Las Vegas to witness the Fremont Experience. It is the world's largest overhead screen that stretches three city blocks. The show was mostly a big commercial for all that Vegas has to offer.

From there, we returned to our home, The Excalibur where, after spending 9 hours in a car, we crashed.

There we no doubt be more to tell of our adventures in Sin City as we will be returning after our trip to the Grand Canyon.

From the Road,
Harvey

Day Seven - The San Francisco Treat

Today we embarked upon some fast paced city living. Enter, San Francisco. We began our day by purchasing an all day pass for all public transit and with that, Lloyd and I began our exploration of the Bay City by entering into the market in China Town.

San Francisco's China Town district is the oldest and largest Asian district in America. Countless shops, some with ancient Shinto temple decor while others were simply storefronts, selling everything from disposable cameras to Buddha busts and statues to fresh fruit to knick knacks.

We crossed a street at the end of China Town and found ourselves in the Italian district. Lunch was had at an authentic Italian deli called, Molinari's. Our Salame (spelled in the Italian fashion) were the best we've had on this trip so far, and believe me, we've consumed some sandwiches on this trip.

From there we hoofed it towards the world famous Fisherman's Wharf. It was what one would expect, actually very similar to Navy Pier in Chicago with the exception of a large Sea Lion population loitering the harbor. From our spot we we're able to catch a fairly decent view of Alcatraz. We continued through our tour , stopping at an old retired submarine, Maritime ship, and a museum of the history of coin operated games and puzzles.

We caught our first rail car ride over to Pier 1 where a Pirate festival was taking place. From there we ventured back over near China Town and up the world's steepest hill to the top of Coit Tower. I have to say, it's not really worth the effort. After looking around for a couple of minutes we walked down the word's longest staircase and boarded a bus to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Inside we beheld four floors oil paintings, sculptures, and exhibits from the thought provoking to the very odd to the obviously absurd. Picasso, Pollack, and Dali were all present as well as a photographic display by Lee Miller. Also intriguing was a Chinese art display of Mao sleeping in a sea of dinosaurs. In the cafe, I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie for some energy and hopped on another bus en route to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Lloyd and I were able to catch a bit of entertainment by a few frustrated locals who were unable to get off the bus at their desired stop. Many profanities and slurs were sent to the driver from the back of the bus over the heads of a bewildered German family. At the entrance to the bridge, Lloyd, myself and German family made our way to the center of one of America's most well known works of architecture. The mammoth orange cables and I-beams stretching across the tumultuous bay vibrated often as countless automobiles passed by. A few pictures here and there, a couple of bus changes later and Lloyd and I put the finishing touches on our day in San Francisco, courtesy of local favorite, Tommy's Joynt. Fresh carved roast beef, mashed potatoes, and over one hundred beers to choose from, Lloyd and I looked back on our day in San Francisco with great satisfaction.

Tomorrow we roll into Vegas. For myself, it will almost be like coming home.

From San Francisco,
Harvey

Day Six - The Long and Winding Road

The morning air was as cold as the ground was hard. Lloyd and I packed up the campsite into the trunk of our faithful Malibu known as Stacy and bid farewell to Jedediah Smith Redwood Forest. The rest of the day has been monotonously intriguing. Since the interstate seemed a less entertaining drive, we decided a scenic route would be the better decision. Route 101 through northern California is for the most part park after park of Giant Redwoods. After a couple of hours we connected with the world famous California State Highway 1 and from there things turned (and turned and turned and turned) for the worse.

The next 200 miles of road was a continuous winding road that spun out of control into every direction and every elevation. While pretty enough for the most part, 7 hours later it was exhausting as Lloyd pretty much steered us through the same pattern over and over again:

• Left downhill
• 180 back uphill
• Left uphill
• Left downhill

We followed this pattern hundreds of times until finally, when all hope seemed lost, we spotted a sign connecting us once again with U.S. 101. Having completed his portion of highway driving, Lloyd handed the wheel over and I finished out the remaining portion into San Francisco, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in the process which afforded myself all the pleasure on the planet.

Upon arriving at the Hotel Monarch, Lloyd and I ventured down the street for some Thai food. On our way we were greeted by some local color who serenaded us with the theme from The Jefferson's, ("The beans don't burn on the grill"). Not really being a regular connoisseur of Thai, I pretty much let Lloyd do the ordering. Not surprisingly I was pretty happy with his choice. Tomorrow we see what the city has in store for us.

H.

Postscript - there were a few bright sides to our drive including Mitch Hedberg, driving through a giant tree and seeing the town, Bodega Bay where Alfred Hitchcock filmed The Birds.

For those of you anxiously awaiting, I'm sure Lloyd has more photos to follow soon.

Day Five - Lessons Learned

We awoke Thursday morning in the land of Giants. The night before, having arrived ill equipped for camping of any sort, I 'm not sure Lloyd and I realized the magnitude of where we were. Road weary and frustrated by our lack of light, we had simply thrown up a tent and faded out. As I struggled out of the zipper the next morning, I realized I was dwarfed by an army of California Redwoods. And though impressive enough, nothing compared to what was waiting for us just across the river.

As we hiked the two mile Haouchi trail, we continued to see trees wider than most cars and taller than most city structures. Having completed our first trail, we then ventured in the other direction where we found even more trees of enormity, some of them twice the size in comparison to the largest ones on the Haouchi trail.

We returned to our camp site and decided to go into Crescent City for dinner. King's Pizza won our hearts with their heavily topped crust full of all things imaginable. A quick trip to the local Wal-Mart for fire building supplies and before we knew it, we were back at our campsite, strumming aimlessly on the guitar and watching each log closely as it burned to ashes. As I drifted off for a second night under the watchful eye of the wooden mammoths, I mulled over a few lessons learned:

• Always carry a flashlight.
• Like manna, only take enough roast beef for one day.
• State Park Showers take quarters.
• Never eat at Denny's. No matter how hungry you think you are.
• Sasquai (SASS-KWY) is the plural of Sasquatch
• God made big trees and small people and bears in between.

Kindest Regards,
Harvey

Day Four - Life Finds a Way

In the film, Jurassic Park we learn from Jeff Goldblum’s character that “life finds a way.” He was of course referring to the way a species of dinosaurs cloned only as females were able to reproduce. Life finds a way. The first three days of our trip, while invigorating, were somewhat frustrating due to the lack of I-pod music. Between the two of us, Lloyd and myself have well over 7000 songs on our pocket entertainment systems. That said, we feel the west coast deserves to hear a few selected tracks. The main problem has been with that there are so many radio stations, our FM transmitter purchased from Wal-Mart in Renton has been little or no use. Occasionally, if one contorts their body in the correct position while holding the I-Pod and transmitter exactly 19 inches apart, a song may be played with only minimal static. On Wednesday morning, Lloyd and I upped the ante as we left Wal-Mart with a set of external computer speakers complete with a desktop subwoofer. We have forsaken all notions of the car’s system and outfitted our ride with the “HL-9000”. Having faced our obstacle and overcome, I like to think that we are a modern day example of adaptation. Also included is a splitter for our I-pods that we may rotate songs during our drive. Having finally suited ourselves with a proper audio system, we began our descent through Oregon via coastal Highway 101.

The drive began as a winding path through the thickest parts of the state’s coastal forest. While the drive afforded an attractive view, it was somewhat claustrophobic as the shade and trees closed us in from open sky or water. We stopped by the Umpqua Lighthouse to get our first view of the Pacific Ocean. I had forgotten the awkwardness of walking on sand since I haven’t seen the ocean in almost four years. Leaving shoes and cell phone behind I stepped toward the shore as the water ran across my feet and ankles. I was surprised at how freezing it was. I had been to the Atlantic in Cape Cod, which is fairly cold but noting as intensely frigid as the Northern Pacific. After lunch overlooking the sea, we took back to the open road and continued south.

Now there are certain laws in nature such as gravity, thermodynamics and whatnot. There are laws for boys as well. First, if there is a girl within a fifty foot radius, we will take to showing off like a Labrador to water. Of the many laws I could list, the one pertinent to this story is that if there is something in the area that is even remotely climbable, we will make an attempt. As we were passing though Port Orford we were suddenly given a glimpse of stunning ocean view. Near the beach below were dozens enormous rocks jutting up out of the sea while the tide slammed hard against them. Near the shore was one steep monster that probably stretched forty or fifty feet above the ocean that looked somewhat accessible by foot. We climbed to the top and stood near the edge getting an impressive view of the coast. Apparently, nine settlers fought valiantly from this spot back in the day as we later found out the rock was actually named Battle Rock.

We continued on our drive, glancing out the windows at the beautiful coastal regions passing by. Then we turned a corner and everything opened up. Before us stood Mount Humbug and just to our right was one of the most breathtaking sights on this trip so far. It was becoming later in the day and as such the tide was intensely increasing. The rocks in the coves had doubled in size and the ocean tide was launching a full on assault against their bases. In a small cove lay a pile of dead trees, brittle and white having been bleached by the sun. From a distance it looked like the remains of an ancient prehistoric sea monster having found it’s final resting place. The sun was only moments from touchdown so we decided to wait it out. I was surprised by how fast it sinks once it hits the water. Like a ship whose hull has been breeched, she was swallowed by the sea in a matter of moments. The glow over the western horizon was a brilliant pink and blue and white.

I can only speak for myself at this point but my senses were overwhelmed and heavy. My spirit was in awe of everything that had enveloped in the past hour. I feel like my heart was vulnerable and something resembling worship was raging inside. As we continued our ride I decided to kick on Rich Mullins', “World As Best As I Can Remember It Vol. I”. It played out almost until we arrived at our destination at the Jedediah Smith Redwood Forest.

Before I fell asleep that night I made sure to tell Him thank-you. Not only for getting us here safely, but for also allowing me to take in all this beauty in such little time. So much has been so heavy as of late. Ultimately, a separation of some wheat and chaff is in order. And life finds a way.