OUT WEST : S&N Travel Journal #1

It all starts with some money. Here's Brent's bacon, laid out on the table, courtesy latest recording session... check the "thumbs up" envelope it was delivered in. Looks like a drug deal and we're still trying to figure out why cash and not check . But, nevermind. Meanwhile, my contribution is in a checking account, which isn't as photogenic as cash tonight, but suffice to say, it's there and ready to go. At any rate... we leave town on October 3 or 4, due west... the long anticipated Post First Year Anniversary Honeymoon and Scout Landmark Birthday Adventure. A long title, albeit fitting. Prior to departure, we will have paid formidable taxes for 2005 (eeccchhh), pre-paid propane, procured a dogsitter (the lovely Miss Maureen Dog-Lover Donohue) who has rapaciously offered her services for the length of our journey, and will pile into the Golf (Turbo Diesel, 50mpg) after long deliberations regarding which chariot to assign; comfort or top notch gas mileage. We decided on the latter and are hoping that the upcoming elections, which have already brought gas prices down, will be on our side. Imagine... the current administration working in our favor for once in all these years -- for selfish reasons, true, but we'll take anything we can get from those elitist, economy raping bastards. NOTE: You should ALL pile into a car before November 4, just to get something out of it all.

We're Googling to decide on a car rack to which we'll attach a carrier, and begin (loosely, Scout version -- Navigator notwithstanding) to plot our destinations. We want all loose, but there are pals to visit along the way, and we can't be cavalier in regard to their schedules for accomodating our arrival. They will be living real lives while we take a holiday. It looks like this so far: Boulder, Denver, the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, drive-thrus on Vegas and LA and then, up the coastal highway to SanFran where we'll spend some time. After that, the wine country, cliffs and redwood forests and on to Oregon. Seattle will be our final party stop before heading home across the top of the country. Let's hope the money lasts. Otherwise, you'll hear from us deep in the delicious grease of some lo-fi diner kitchen in the middle of NoWheresVille, working hard to get home. Or... maybe not.... if more of this happens....