April 2015: Zoom, or What a Week: Visiting Family, Mz Agnes, and the MRV

    Last Tuesday I flew to Washington, DC, in part to see Andrew and Devon, the new married couple, and in part to get our new toy, a 2003 Ford Van with poptop. Consider it a VW Westy on Steroids as it has a rather large bed down and a second in the poptop, a gas stove, fridge, and heater, as well as cabinets for a bit of storage.

Our new toy: '03 PleasureWay Traverse 

    It was a joy to spend three days with the kids, see their new apartment, share in the joy of just hanging out. I am so impressed with them, the respect they show each other and the way they work together to make his unique schedule work. To my amazement Andrew requested I prepare the beef stew that we enjoyed when he was growing up. My son actually asked for a recipe from me—how is that for making your day? Unfortunately we waited until my last evening there, so I awoke Friday with the aroma of beef stew filling their apartment and began my trek home.
    Backpedal a bit. On our trip to Anza Borrego in January we saw two different Ford Van Conversions with poptops that just made us smile. The MRV is great but is an RV that is best suited for RV parks with hookups, not meandering down a narrow dirt road in search of a perfect camping site. Add the VW bus is great but nearing 30 years old and has become a bit temperamental, and Marilyn needs just a bit softer ride. Seeing a vehicle that we could just park out in the desert made us smile. 

    So we began searching and finally found a PleasureWay Traverse (same Canadian company that converted the MRV) located in Maryland at a price that we found rather agreeable. After numerous calls and various equipment checks, it was decided I would fly there and check it out. 

    After a few hours of tests, I was in the bank passing money for title. Okay, so that gave us five cars (ouch): ’86 VW Subaru-powered bus, ’04 PleasureWay Excel (the MRV), ’03 PleasureWay Traverse, as well as Marilyn’s ’05 Honda CRV and my ’03 Honda Accord with 226,000 miles.

'86 VW Westy, our first travel love, at Mexican Hat, UT.

VW Westy in our nearby Sierra Nevadas.

VW Westy in Olympic National Park.

    Friday morning, I said my goodbyes to Andrew, Devon, and the stew and headed toward St Louis, MO—on freeways, not the Blue Highways of last year’s journey. The route was west, yet I was still not sure if I would continue on I-70 toward Denver or I-40 toward Albuquerque. 

    The Traverse (still trying to get a name for it) handled well through monsoons in Kentucky, too many trucks to count, and slow RVs, and before I knew it I was in St Louis. Checking the weather report, I made a decision to head for warmer country and Albuquerque.

      Around 10:00 that night with 967 miles under my belt (goal was 1,000 but I got tired), I stopped in Lebanon, MO, for the night. With the Traverse looking just like a van, I felt I could park anywhere.

It's a pop-top, just like the VW.

    My initial plan to get home in four days, thinking I would max out the first day and then do shorter 600-mile jaunts after, soon changed. Listening to a great Audible book, All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, and enjoying the scenery, the miles just went by. I also realized that being on a freeway with a schedule was not conducive to curiosity, as there were so many things north and south of my route calling to me to check out—perhaps next time. As the sun had set I pulled into a rest stop. Day two and another 900-mile day were behind me.
    Even from the freeway the landscape is so spectacular I elected to only drive when it was light out, so I lay in my toasty sleeping bag until 6:00 AM, today’s destination Flagstaff or ? 

    Yet road karma took over, Flag was behind me, and the vistas just got better. With the ability to go 450 miles between gas stations, the time just melted away. Before I knew it the sun began to give me yet another awesome light show, and I found myself nearing Mojave, CA—or just 2-1/2 hours from home. 

    Now being that close left me with only one choice: GO. By 9:00 that night I found myself in the local car wash cleaning the Traverse so it would be shiny for Marilyn.
    So in all, 2,660 miles in 3 days, Audible book finished three minutes from home, and a great feeling of accomplishment. I should add, I found myself at the smog station at 8 AM the next morning and the Traverse passed. It just all worked.

Blue PleasureWay Traverse poptop & white PleasureWay Excel.

Marilyn between vans: Hello Traverse (left), good-bye MRV (right) 

    But all was not driving. Day two found me on the side of the road near Albuquerque talking with Mike, who wanted to buy the MRV. What would we do without cell phones? He and his wife had driven the 3-1/2 hours from Los Angeles to our house that day to check it out and were interested. Marilyn did a great job of showing it off and answering questions. 

Our temporary van stable: VW Westy, Ford Traverse Poptop, Ford Excel.

And another view of our temporary van stable.

    Soon we struck a deal, and this Saturday he will come and pick it up. Alas, now only four vehicles again. 

Goodbye, MRV!

    With curiosity always beckoning, new trips are planned, yet first we need to get a few things done. Can only smile when I say we are house/cat sitting in Los Osos, a beach community on CA’s Central Coast, until June 1. Don’t smile when I say on Monday (April 13) I get to enjoy hernia surgery, getting all three taken care of. Will hang at home for a while and then return to recuperate at the Coast, where I won’t be able to kayak but there are so many walking trails. 

    And come June, off to Seattle in the new toy when Javier, my awesome son-in-law, graduates from the University of Washington with a PhD in Bio Chem. Marilyn may fly up, as her oldest son, also an Andrew, and his lovely bride Emily will be having their second child in early June. 

     Got to say, it continues to be interesting times. Life is definitely good.

                                                        —Doug