It's been a heck of a long time ago since I first drove I 15 to Phoenix Arizona. January 18th 1998 in fact. That drive was made in a propane powered Dodge Ram van with the seats and bed taken out, and two blue XT 600's in their place. I clearly remember the Monida pass in southern Montana/Idaho as being snow covered and white knuckle treacherous.
It was the beginning of a 6000 plus kilometer back country adventure of Baja, California with bits of the real CA thrown in for good measure. I liked it well enough and the impressions I gathered, have lasted a long time. I've made the same hike with minor variations many times in the succeeding years. This one, that began last Wednesday, may be my last drive from my home in Calgary.
I've gotten older (haven't we all) hopefully a lot wiser and with a few thousand more miles under my belt/butt. Since that very first 6 week trip I've had a lot of experiences both on the ground and in the air. By my estimate and recollections I have traveled to over 30 countries and countless air/sea and land miles.
Some of the highlights over those years:
Lemme see... crossing the Mexican border for the very first time. We rode over an invisible line, no fanfare, no stopping, just dropped back 50 years in time. Old cars, hand painted signage, holy streets. Cheap motels, cheap food, cheap gas.
Riding with Lantie and Holly. Karen showing up at my palapa as I just finished my shower and draped only in a towel singing a very poor rendition of Besseme Mucho at the top of my lungs. Buying gas from a 5 gallon pail supplied thru a garden hose. Cracking my ankle on a back country ride and still building a 20 foot heart from rocks gathered on the hillside for Barb the day after. A boat ride with Cap'n Ron and first mate Marilyn, being asked by US border services if I was hiding any illegal aliens (not so laughable 'cept I was riding an XT 600 at the time!) watching the dolphins surface all around me while in my 10' kayak paddling across the Bay. After a dozen years, prices have risen to record levels everywhere, but Mexico is still the same. Cheap food, cheap motels and still cheap gas.
On this last trip, as I am approaching L.V. I'm overflown by not one, not two but four A 10 Warthogs, coming in for a landing at Nellis airbase. The scourge of Iraqi ground armor in both desert wars, a flying tank-buster of a plane, distinct and unique.
I wonder what my last drive home will be like...
It's been a great pleasure for me to live in the western half of the continent. The scenery, the mountains, beautiful lakes, dry desert rivers, tremendous pine forests... as I write this, two youngsters on motorized scooters are going by my window here at the condo. Two stroke engines crackling in my ear. It's not even 8 am on a sunny Saturday morning. Yet another new experience to bank...
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