Ready to Roll
©2013 by LeeZard
While my upcoming road
trip is a lifetime dream, I must admit to some fear and I’m not sure what I
fear. I am a road guy; I love driving. I love driving long distances and I love
going to new places. Do I fear the unknown? Perhaps, but that is usually not
me. Sometimes it feels like I am taking a huge risk. But, what am I risking?
Whatever it is, it
certainly won’t dissuade me; my joy and excitement far exceed any trace of
fear. As a writer and observer of life, I just thought I’d share all that I
feel. After all, isn’t that what art and writing are all about?
With less than two weeks
until my departure, it is looking more and more like I will be my only
“sponsor” for this journey. I’ve tried mightily to secure a commercial sponsor
and/or a national media outlet for my on-the-road reports – Plans A & B.
With either a sponsor or a media outlet I would more slowly meander the country
to seek stories from as great a cross section of people as I could.
Plan C: On my tighter budget, I
will take a more direct, northerly route toward the east coast, often dropping
off I-90 into towns and cities to get my interviews. My return will cover a
more middling route to get a greater variety of stories. If I happen into a
city large enough to have one or two news/talk radio stations, I will peddle my
services to report on what I find in their market. Gas money?
Plans A & B were
never meant to make me rich merely help cover expenses. For me, the gold at the
end of the rainbow will be a book publishing deal, a publisher other than moi.
And so my preparations are in full swing.
I’m driving a 2006 Jeep
Liberty with relatively low mileage. It’s my second Liberty and despite a mere
18-20 miles-per-gallon I find it to be a reliable ride. My ace mechanic Doug
and his crew have been over it top to bottom – oil change, new spark plugs,
front brake pads, cooling system flushed and all other fluids replaced.
Today, final
preparations kicked into high gear. Wende and I cleared space in the garage for
my “staging area.” She bought me a going away gift, a good-sized rooftop cargo
box. It will probably cut into the Jeep’s mediocre mileage but it also will
save us from sleeping like sardines. I love ya, Trooper but not that much.
All that is left is some
shopping to fill in the gaps. A trip – 60 miles south – to Cabela’s Outfitters
for things like a mess kit, a new ax, first aid kit, etc. Honestly, I thought
about a handgun for protection; I might spend some nights Jeep-sleeping in a
truck stop or an interstate rest area. The cost, however, would take a big bite
out of my tight budget and, I wouldn’t go on the road without some lessons and
practice – not enough time. I’ve opted instead for a baseball bat.
So, it looks like Plan
C. Instead of heading right out on I-90 East, though, I am going to start
northward with a stop in Everett, 25 miles up I-5 from Seattle. I’ve chosen
Everett for my first interviews because of its strong (and sometimes violent)
labor union history and it’s life as a “company town,” first for Weyerhaeuser
(lumber mills) and now for Boeing. From there it will be further north to
Guemes Island for a good-bye visit to dear friend Jim Stutzman (“Time” http://leezardonlife.blogspot.com/2013/02/time.html).
The real journey will
commence with one of the most beautiful and dramatic drives in the country,
State Route 20 east through the picturesque North Cascade Mountains. Then, the
real adventure begins.
See you on the road.
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