Howdy folks. It has
been a while since our last post. If you
have been checking this blog weekly, hourly, or god forbid daily… Sorry for the delay. (FYI there is a subscribe link on the right
of this page for email notifications when we post)
We have been flitting about, here and there in the Midwest
portion of the USA. Most of our time has
been spent taking care of family related business, and making preparations for
our journey south. Nothing really
noteworthy has occurred, hence the lack of postings. However as I write this we are back on the
road and bound for warmer shores; both literally and figuratively. Jen will be
posting soon with details of our trip to date, and some pics of the dustiness.
It may not seem obvious, but there are two very important
keys that I have discovered for the successful planning of roadtrippage. First, lots of detailed planning (made
possible by the glory of Al Gore’s internets).
Second, lots and lots of sleep. I
can guarantee that up until recently I have been indulging in the latter. One can never have enough of the former, but
lack of it does make for interesting experiences after the fact.
Despite the voluminous amount of sleep I have indulged in,
we still managed to accomplish a decent amount over the last few weeks. We were able to fix a few of the mangled bits
of Chuck that were still left from our Alaska excursion. This was made possible by the good graces of
the Japanese and a variety of Chinese parts.
We also obtained equipment for filtering water. While most water in Mexico is decent, I see
no reason to tempt Montezuma’s Revenge (aka Cryptosporidium). I originally thought we would take our
chances with water in Mexico, (most guides report it is potable in most major
metropolitan areas). However, the very thought of 3 days of vicious sharts
convinced me otherwise.
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| 0.9Micron filter for drinking water. |
 |
| New Axles for Chuck |
We also were able to add some camouflage to Chuck, as well
as repair and refit his fridge. I call
the look, dusky tiger, I think vanagons everywhere will be trying it out. This entire decorative scheme was
accomplished in an afternoon with duplicolor Car-Art temporary paint, and 5
rolls of electrical tape .
Currently we are planning to make a beeline for the southern
west coast. We are considering stops,
weather permitting, at the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and Redwood National
Forest. Why all the side trips you
ask? Several members of my family are
strongly considering visiting us in Los Cabos Baja in December. If they (and their passports) come through,
we will need to delay our crossing into Baja for a few weeks. Besides, we need to get our money’s worth out
of our national park yearly pass. By the way; it seems that with sufficient
planning, one can make a 5 day trip to Los Cabos for less than $1200. With a group of 3 or more this price will
include a car, flight, hotel, and a decent amount of food. While not my preferred method to visit
another country, it seems Mexico can be a great holiday getaway.
For you readers: What do you want to see more of? Campsite GPS coordinates? Photos of Chuck’s engine bay?(aka van
porn) Our menu? You tell us, your feedback could help make
this cluster of ramblingness more interesting.
Upcoming posts
Across the plains: America’s Big Empty
Van Life: Staying Sane in 120 Cubic Feet
Chuck: The Van, The Myth, The Legend
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