Day 9: Onward and Downward

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It may be an obvious statement but suffice to say this trip is not only about sitting in Precious and driving 5000 miles. I believe I’m just the latest in a long line of persons who seek enlightenment through to process of driving into the unknown. Clearly…there is something innate in the American Psyche that associates road trips with transformative moments in life. I am compelled by this promise as well as by having experienced a number of road trips over the years which have been exceptionally memorable.

1962 300SE Cabriolet Road Trip in 2005

(Photos by the wife...Leslie Suhy)

Why is the road trip such a powerful event in one’s life?

A proper road trip is about the resultant desolation and/or enlightenment experienced by the road tripper as a direct result of placing one’s self in situations which naturally occur as a byproduct of the adventure. Almost invariably a road trip serves a higher purpose if it’s long enough and if you choose the right route. If you only travel on the freeway, only stay in predictable chain hotels and never talk to anyone it’s highly unlikely you will encounter the chaotic ingredients necessary to cook up an experience that leaves you satisfied.

This particular road trip for me comes at crossroads in my life. I would imagine you would not take on a road trip of this magnitude without a craving of some sort. I imagine I’ll get into some of the variables that constitute this craving but suffice to say for the moment that it’s not easy to build a creative life while steeped in a daily life of utility and duty. This road trip signifies an effort to gain momentum towards a new phase of life. This road trip is taken in the hope it will assist in the deconstruction of my reality and enable me to rebuild upon the good elements. I expect to move onward and upward from wherever I am now…In my experience that only happens after a slight detour outward and downward.

Today’s driving route retraces a significant route from an earlier time in my life where I suppose I would have been going through a similar search for a deeper meaning. I’m hoping that following a path which holds so many memories and experiences will trigger revelations, shocks and electricity that will strike a miraculous chord. Perhaps I’ll study decisions I’ve made in my life from a new perspective? Will I find comfort or distress looking at my life from this rare outside perspective?

I first drove this route while attending LSU in 1983. Having pretty much no idea what I wanted to do with my life I figured that I’d go to the warmest place that would have me and figure things out when I got there. I remember coming to Baton Rouge on my recruiting trip and being immediately struck by how ALIVE it is in Louisiana. Every nook and cranny filled with some kind of life or another.

The humid air is filled with a distinct potpourri of unregulated oil refinery toxins, boiled crawfish, small town sorority girl perfume and moldy things growing everywhere. It was also a bonus that Louisiana was the last state with a drinking age of 18...an age that mattered greatly to an 18year old making such a decision. It all came together for me and I felt this was the place to figure it all out. Given Baton Rouge’s toxicity level and rich dietary proclivities it’s also the most likely place in the USA to hatch mutated life forms outside of Tokyo.

Speaking of mutations...I think I started this as a blog about my obsession with cars?

The first thing that strikes me on this leg of the journey is how much nicer the terrain becomes the further south one travels. Today’s drive is over 600 miles…and in spite of increasingly hazardous road conditions on this particular day…it was becoming more visually stimulating, more driver friendly (less traffic) and more green the further south I went.

At one point a bit outside of Memphis the conditions became quite a concern:

(hailing in Arkansas at a particularly degradated and yet very beautiful location)

With the temperature hovering just below freezing and ice falling from the sky and clinging to the trees. I considered stopping for the night and waiting it out. Before I could get too deep into taking any action along these lines the ice turned into a soft rain and I officially escaped the brutish north and entered the sweet south.

Upon entering Tennessee I was free and clear. My focus moved towards the purpose for visting Baton Rouge. I was excited at the prospect of seeing people I’ve not seen in 20 years.

I wanted to revisit places I’ve not been to in 20 years.

(oak trees on LSU Campus)

Remember things I’ve not thought about in 20 years

I’m storming southward towards a confrontation with the spectre of that guy...I barely remember him even though he still inhabits this skin?

In the red corner it’s super dad:

He’s 43 years old and married with 2 youngsters along with a mortgage and all the “things” he ever wanted.

In the blue corner he’s a 22 year old KLSU music director and carefree senior at LSU:

He makes $50 a week at the aforementioned “job” and really likes psychedelics and any experience that will push the limit. He could give a shit what you think ‘cause he’s moving to Hollywood when he graduates. He also has a new girlfriend.

Today's drive was a bit more eventful than I expected…but just like anything memorable...that’s what made it worth doing. I saw other people careening and crashing...

...but my Precious pulled me through safe and sound.

I pulled into Jeana’s driveway and said goodnight to Precious.

(Precious in front of my 1986-1988 Baton Rouge apartment)

The road for the next day or so is one I want to traverse as slowly as possible and is thusly not resonant with the services offered by my highly strung Precious. It’s time to soak it all up, connect with a missed community of friends and reflect.

Day 5 & 6: Discovering the Greatest Day of My Life

I grew up in Suburban Chicago which I've always believed to be one of the most aesthetically unpleasing places I've ever seen...much less live. It's not run down, it's not cheap, it's not without great people...but it's uninspired and consists primarily of shopping malls and office "parks" many of which seem deserted.

A cold March storm, 24/7 grey sky and a dumpy hotel certainly did nothing to change the perception. I took advantage of my time here and connected with family and friends that I've neglected for too long. A grand total of about 5 minutes were spent exposed to the elements.

It is hard for me to come back here due to a deeply ingrained repulsion from this place....and it's hard to motivate myself to even photograph it because there is nothing visually stimulating about it.

There was once a bit of inspiring film taken here that I recently discovered. It was a super 8 video my dad took of me on the day I got my driver's license back in 1982. I think that may have been the happiest day of my life. While I suppose I should say it was the day I got married or had my kids...the reality is that there is probably no happier day than the day I gained motorized mobility. Have I mentioned that I love cars? I could have gotten into that car and driven anywhere at any time. Of course I didn't go anywhere (immediately)...but being finally enabled was an indescribable feeling. It was the first step towards escaping Schaumburg, Illinois.

This clip sprang to mind when I arrived at my Dad's home to bid him farewell as I began the next leg of the trip. He's lived here for 30 years now and it looks pretty much the same....

For nothing other than to demonstrate the level of stupidity my father and I are willing to explore I present the great reenactment of the greatest day of my life:

If only I coulda found my Carrera sunglasses to bring it full circle.

Day 4: Marathon Man

One of my favorite movies is “Marathon Man” with one my all-time favorite moments in film. Considering that you’ve probably already seen it…and instead of trying to describe it which will ultimately fail to do it justice please allow me to show it to you in order that i might set the proper mood for this day of my journey:

Now…I’m not going to sit here and tell you that driving mindlessly across the vast expanse of this great country from Denver through Eastern Colorado...

Through Nebraska...

Through Iowa...

Through Illinois (no photo avalable but this one from Iowa should do)...

...while it mercilessly sleeted on me and my icicle laden precious and while the temperature hovered around freezing on a day in which the sky and earth looked like super-creaminated coffee was akin to being tortured by a Nazi war criminal or anything.

Nay...I was being tortured by the collective spirit of all these square-state persons who are pissed at me for living in Los Angeles with access to medical marijuana. I could feel them pointing and glaring as I snugged up with my precious...foot frozen to the throttle. Now everyone is staring at precious wishing to relieve me of the burden...but We swears to protect you precioussss. Sauron's orcs would do anything to get their hands on you precioussss...Yess, wretched we are, precious but WE won't let you go!

Here's the last guy I met before entering Mordor:

Eastern Coloradoan: Is it safe?

Me: Sure…it’s safe why wouldn’t it be? I’m keeping it under 120 MPH today due to the sleet.

Nebraskan: Is it safe?

Me: Ah…no…it’s very dangerous perhaps I should not be out here partaking in "The Good Life" as you have promised upon entry to your lovely state…can I go?

Iowan: Is it safe?

Me: Um…ok…it’s clearly not safe and now i'm hallucinating that i'm on Dancing with the Stars as Belinda Carlisle's professional dance partner and I can only dance slightly better than Piero. I must be a fool for putting myself through this today. I promise I’ll neve drive 14 hours through sleet and Des Moines again.

After about 950 of the 1022 total miles driven today (with Cabaret Voltaire playing for the duration of course) I began to imagine how nice it might be to be sitting in the chair with Szell standing over me.

So…today’s trip was not without it’s amazing moments I must admit. One scene worth sharing…which I have attempted to capture on video but which was nearly impossible to grab on my tiny flip video camera whilst driving was this:

Since it’s hard to see let me just tell you how amazing it was to witness the horizon swarming with migrating birds heading northwest in formation waves. There must have been 10 miles of this with hundreds of waves with what I can only guess included millions upon millions of birds trying to get away too.

The other scene that woke me up a bit was this giant blade from a wind farm being transported on interstate 80. I've only seen wind farms from far away so the real scope of these behemoths became apparent when I passed this oversized load in Iowa. A short time later I came upon the wind farm itself and used this as yet another excuse to go pee pee and photograph my preciousss with something cool in the background.

After arriving in Schaumburg (my Dad's hood in suburban Chicago) around midnight and checking into the "Wyndham Crapola Hotel" I kindly requested my drinking partner to come over to share a celebratory drink. We had a few swigs of the 1942 and proceeded to watch some senior citizen neighbors dance until about 3am. I really wish i had a zoom on this thing to have properly shared this moment with you because it was a capper to a day beyond compare.

I really am starting to lose it here (Seamus---queue up the scene from Marathon Man where he's running for his life)

Day 2 - Cabaret Voltaire or Bust

When I arrived at the Little America Hotel last evening I proceeded to recharge all my technology and immediately discovered that I screwed myself…total rookie move…ipod syncs with itunes and proceeds to ifuck me by erasing everything except the small collection stored on my laptop. Turns out all I have left is the music (excerpts from Courtney’s outrageous master collection) I added at the last minute to augment the vibe….now I’m loaded with the obtuse Cabaret Voltaire, Loop, X-ray Spexs, Coil, B.A.L.L. and a bunch of shimmy disc stuff I’ve not heard in almost 20 years. After spending a day with my new music collection sans all my main music…I’m beginning to think this may be just the ticket.

What better way (I am now rationalizing) to lose your mind than to deny yourself access to all your favorite music while spending 2 weeks in your car. I believe the goal here is to lose my mind...i'm not sure anymore?

I have about 15 hours of Spacemen 3 queued up for tomorrow!

The terrain is morphing as I head north.

The wind-blasted red clay of northern Arizona is populated with strange amorphous formations and markers where loved ones died along the way. I always wonder what might have happened to these people and if they were just drunk and stupid or did someone drunk and stupid come out of nowhere and kill them right here.

Paying the obligatory $3 to visit the 4 corners landmark provided an opportunity to stretch the legs and stand on 4 states simultaneously. A nice distraction for about 10 minutes….but I wanted to get to Ouray before dark.

Up into Colorado brought about some radical change with Snow, Foliage and some significantly colder weather. The scenery on this drive was spectacular.

Arrival at the Box Canyon Inn was proceeded by a drive through the town of Ouray where I spied the Outlaw Bar and Grill. What a great meal and appropriate environment to decompress and drink a “Million Dollar Marguerita” which cost a mere $8.50. The “Millionaire Marguerita” I’ve had the pleasure of drinking courtesy of Tony’s tab at the Penninsula Hotel pool cost about $25….The Outlaw has ‘em beat hand’s down.

I wrapped up the day with a dip in the natural hot springs which are an integral feature of the Box Canyon Inn. Climbing the hill behind the hotel brings you to a couple private redwood hot tubs running about 104 degrees. The best part was watching the clouds pile up at the top of the moonlit mountain peak…then accelerate and disintegrate on the other side.