Thursday, June 26, 2008

Road Trip

98 days to go...Heading to Phoenix in nine hours to drive a car back to North Carolina. (Doesn't this family ever drive cross-country in say, October! My mind is occupied by road songs and novels.

"Radar Love" by Golden Earring comes burst to the front for the songs. "I've been drivin' down the road, my hands wet on the wheel..."

As far as novels, "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac jumps in front of "Blue Highways" by William Least Heat Moon. Never read "Travels with Charlie" so I can't compare it. My character in "Turning 51" (223 rejections) takes a trip from Raleigh, NC to central PA to Boulder, CO in an effort to unravel a mystery. Yeah, I've done that route more than a few times. Lots of memories, but not any exciting romantic interludes with six-toed blondes with eyes of blue ice. That only happens in Germany, but that's a story for another day.

Got one to share...either novel or song?

P.S. Decided the southern route I-10, I-20, and I-85 since I've only hopscotched that area of the country versus the northern route I-40. I've been on every mile of I-40 from Barstow, CA to Wilmington, NC, and most of it several times.

P.P.S. Obviously this means no entries until I get back home. I know, I know. Disappoint is cluttering the pipelines of the Internet.

5 comments:

Ruth L.~ said...

Welcome back . . . and please answer for me what the count down is. I missed day whatever it was and the explanaiton, but being a calm sort , figured I figure it out somehow . . . but I haven't. What happens, or doesn't, on day 1 or zero, Rick?

Anonymous said...

Willie Nelson - On the Road Again - is my all-time favorite. No suggestions of places not to be missed, unfortunately, though I've traveled all of those routes WAY too many times! Safe travels, Rick - enjoy the peace of the open road! And check out www.roadfood.com, if you want some suggestions for not to be missed meals....

See you soon!

Rick Bylina said...

Ruth...I'm just leaving. "Hello, I must be going." - Groucho Marx

The countdown will be explained when the countdown is over. We all need motivation in the strangest of ways.

Beth...Ah, Willie. Yes, good tune. And how come you didn't tell me about that site before. Harrumpf! No time to investigate at the moment, but I will upon returning. Looks great.

Ya'll get some rest, I'm just waiting to get on the AA site so I can list myself on the flight. I'm traveling free, but standby.

Sarah Caravel said...

Convoy!

Larry Kollar said...

The opening lines to Radar Love actually go, "I've been drivin' all night, my hands wet on the wheel."

I'm partial to Molly Hatchet's "Flirtin' with Disaster," especially when I'm on the motorcycle. Threesome's "Mojave" (a trance tune with an orchestral bent) is a great one for getting moving. Just about anything by Boston or ZZ Top. Eagles' "Take It Easy." The Moody Blues' "Sitting at the Wheel." For that matter, most 80s tunes.