Icewind's Ramblings

Smoking Pork – Asheville North Carolina               July 19 -21, 2016 After arriving in Atlanta on the way to my sister’s house early in the morning I drove off the exit leading to her house and lo and behold there was that famous icon and beacon of the South, Waffle House, next to the highway.  It was just after six in the morning so I decided to stop for a much needed cup of coffee, a waffle and bacon of course.  The staff inside was typical, friendly full of helpful suggestions about the menu and also making sure my coffee cup was full of hot coffee. I ordered and eating my food when one of the waitresses noticed my Alaska license plate on my rig and in the friendly southern fashion asked if I had drove from Alaska to Atlanta and then proceed to ask questions about living in igloos, fishing, the Aurora and its beauty. Several cups of coffee later everyone’s questions were answered and I was on my way....

San Antonio Texas to Atlanta Georgia . . . Long Lonesome Highway The next morning we awoke, a friend, Cory who was on temporary duty for training in San Antonio from Virginia came over so we could go out for brunch and celebrate my daughter’s birthday.  The place we picked was a German waffle type house.  The food was great and the service was quick and attentive. We took her car in for a wash and headed back for the house to hang out and chill for the afternoon.  We made supper and played board games that night.  Since my air conditioning in my rig was not working properly I checked with the local Sears Auto Service center to see if I could get my oil changed and my A/C recharged.  We took it in on Sunday morning and dropped it off then ran several errands before picking it up again in late afternoon.  I had everything packed up and said my goodbye’s early Monday morning leaving San Antonio for Mobile or maybe into Atlanta depending on how I fel...

West Texas Highway      July 15, 2016        I arrived to the rest area just east of El Paso on Interstate 10 at 1:20 am.  Got out and walked a bit to stretch before getting a few hours’ sleep.  It was still very hot at 102° I parked among fifteen to twenty vehicles and tractor trailer trucks rolled the windows part way down to allow any breeze to flow through the vehicle but to be honest there wasn’t any for most of the night. I awoke about four in the morning took a quick walk and bathroom break and hit the road once again. It was nice in that with no working air conditioner the windows down provided much needed cooler air to cool me off and be somewhat comfortable.  The highway was mainly deserted this time of the early morning and I could see the first inklings of first light the eastern horizon.  Slowly the light changed hues from the blackness of nighttime to a dull grey then as the sun was cl...

Day 5     July 14, 2016       Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona I’ve made a concerted effort to experience as many of our National Parks as possible along the way. During my travels I have grown eternally grateful for the thoughtfulness of our forefathers in setting these precious lands aside for future generations to enjoy in their most natural state. Can you imagine casinos along the rim of the Grand Canyon, a shopping mall at the base of Half Dome in Yosemite, or subdivisions working their way up the Teton Mountains?  I can, which makes me all the more grateful.  It’s not hard to tell how this park got its name! The landscape was littered with jutting boulders, scrubs and lots of Joshua Trees! The park is actually divided into two habitats; the western half is Mojave Desert with elevations above 3,000 feet and the eastern half is Colorado Desert with elevations below 3,000 feet. I would discover the fol...

July 13, 2016       Day 4     Paso Robles to Joshua Tree NP via Palm Springs California It was a wonderful morning waking up at daybreak on a hill among the grapes. I have to say last night was a unique experience being alone within several thousand acres of grape vines in the vineyard, the sky opening up to stars.  The moon had been up most of the afternoon and had set just before the beginning of dusk so it was a perfect night to view the heavens.  The lights of town were several miles away so did not cast extra light.  The slight breeze brought with it several different scents during the night.  Most were somewhat expected with the slight smell of the fields and cattle but occasionally you could smell the salt from the ocean maybe fifty miles away. The different grape varieties also had distinct smells after one concentrated on them. I had a great night’s sleep which was needed.  I just blew up the ai...

I’m getting behind in my writing as I have been doing more driving than taking time to sit down and write but I will try to get back on course over the next couple of days.  This post goes with the photos from Tuesday, July 12, 2016 going down the Pacific Coast Highway.  I was writing this later that night after a wine tasting and invitation to spend the night in the vineyard so excuse me for the pause in this but decided to leave it in anyway.  I was typing this sitting in my Margaritaville chair under the stars.  It was a good night.  Here goes . . . I started the morning in Santa Cruz by the ocean with a nice cup of Bailey’s coffee and the smell of bacon on the camp stove.  It was a little chilly but not bad as the wind had died down overnight. The morning fog layer quickly burned off and the sun was out shining brightly. Yesterday’s drive along the coast had a couple of issues that needed to be dealt with before starting this morning.  The...

Today is going to be a little different pace than yesterday.  Zac Brown’s “I ain’t in no hurry today” is the theme.  Got up, made coffee with my Bailey’s to set the morning since it was slightly chilly about fifty degrees.  Hit the road about 9:40 AM driving south down Hwy 1. You could see the fog bank off shore several miles and it seemed to be inching closer to the coast as I drove.  It was a very pretty drive with the road winding its way along the coast climbing up and down several thousand feet from sea level up the mountains.  Driving the coast is not a fast way to travel with average speeds about 35 to 45 mph.  There are stretches that 55 is the speed limit but it is hard to maintain any speed as you slow down for the curves posted at 30, 20, or 15 mph. I drove about an hour past one of the places I was thinking about camping, Navarro Beach where the redwoods state park is just a few miles away.  As I climbed up one of the cliffs from t...

Went out with several friends, Colin and Donna-Lee for my going away dinner so on the spur of the moment we decided to go to McMenamins Edgefield.  They had music concerts playing in several locations on the grounds.  There were many small bars tucked away all over the property.  We danced, sang, ate and partied until almost 12:30 so it was after one before I went to sleep.  I awoke at 5:00 AM to finish packing and loading my rig. It was an emotional exit with Jan and Nate as I was holding back since the news of my bother-in-law’s passing.  As I left Portland Oregon it was 6:30 AM and the rain was starting to fall.  By the time I drove from Gresham into Portland to get on the 205 it was pouring.  The kind of rain that one expects of Seattle and Portland, in the south we use a term “it came up a big cloud” which usually means a gully washer.  With this pouring it brought with it a release for me with Doug my brother-in-law.  All the emoti...

Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes.   Sometimes again and again, which I guess is called growth.  I had started to settle into this nice place called Gresham, Oregon which still has a small town feel about it.  My friends here and the new friends I have made since arriving gave me a since of extended family and support during a time where it was a welcome change for me. A few days ago my childhood friend, brother-in-law, brother, and all around great guy passed into the night going on ahead to scout for the rest of us remaining on this earth.  It was a moment several thousand miles away which still impacted me to the core of my soul.  Family is a funny thing, no matter how far away or how infrequent you may see them when something happens it is a time to drop everything, pack up and head to them to comfort, support, and be there in times of need. Such is my life this week, stopping what I had going on, packing and planning an...