On Vacation
We just completed a 2,300 3,400 mile road trip (54 hour driving) from Houston to Santa Fe, to Durango, to Telluride, to Zion National Park, to Flagstaff, to Roswell, to Marathon, Texas and back home. It took us two and a half weeks and it was the most relaxing vacation I have had in a long while. With the gas prices ranging from $3.49 to $5.00+, this vacation was only possible with credit card points. I’m not going to even speculate about the total cost of gas for this adventure.
The plan was to include a one-night stop at the El Tovar Hotel on the southern rim of the Grand Canyon. We’ve been to the Grand Canyon several times but with the chance to stay at the 1905-built hotel, where both Theodore Roosevelt and Albert Einstein had once vacationed, was something I was truly looking forward to. But as always, Joe Biden screwed us with a new indoor mask mandate at national parks so we canceled—I don’t do masks anymore. Effing Joe Biden.
On the State of the Nation
We took a trip to Colorado in October 2020. My wife doubted Trump would win but as we drove through small to medium rural towns, Trump/Pence signs were posted on every square inch available. In Woodland Park, northwest of Colorado Springs, there was even a guy in a pickup truck with Trump signs and flags on, yes, every square inch possible. I don’t know how he could see to drive. We saw a biker with whipping Trump flags and he wore a Trump leather jacket. As we passed, I gave him a thumbs-up. My wife changed her mind only for her hopes to be dashed. Effing Joe Biden.
This time, there were some signs hanging on barbed-wire fences and posts, defiantly fading in the sun. There were Trump 2024 signs and a few from 2020 with Pence crossed out.
Every place we stayed was understaffed but we never felt shortchanged. This is a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of people going above and beyond what is normally expected. No one bitched or complained. Everyone who worked at the resorts had a tremendously upbeat attitude—but not always fellow vacationers which, thankfully, were fewer than a normal summer vacation. There were a ton of French, British, German, and other undeterminable Europeans—in places they almost outnumbered Americans. The Europeans were in awe of the American West and were, generally, nicer than some of the Americans. I’m not knocking Americans. Their moods are soured by effing Joe Biden, which we overheard from some dinner tables.
On road trips—which we’ve taken frequently since the plague descended upon us—we usually battle idiot drivers who dodge 18 Wheelers like they’re racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, my middle finger did not fly once. Okay, I remember one, but that asshat deserved it.
There were more trucks on the road than usual and I do not know if that’s a good sign or not. Is the supply chain on the mend or are truckers overworked, just trying to do what’s necessary to keep this country afloat? I suspect the latter.
Go East young man…
My last comment, I guess, shouldn’t take anyone by surprise. Once we came out of Utah and dropped down to I-40, the sign of the times was very apparent. I don’t know if you have taken an extended road trip along the Interstate system but one thing I notice as you pass through any given state is that the majority of license plates are, of course, from that state and then you will get the smattering of plates from distant places. For a non-scientific estimate, I’d say 75-85% are native drivers during a regular summer vacation season.
On I-40, between Flagstaff and where we cut off on 285 to head back to Texas via Roswell, this ratio was insane. I am not exaggerating in the least. Traffic was heavier with more than 30% of the plates from California alone (and there were stretches where the plate ratio was near 100%). It brought to mind the migration from Oklahoma to California during the Dust Bowl years. Nearly one hundred years later, the Great Reverse Migration is happening.
There were single cars and there were convoys of two to four vehicles at a time. Most were packed to the gills. A few had rental trailers from U-Haul or Budget but many had new trailers. I wonder if the shortage of rental trailers left them no choice but to buy their own. One thing I noticed was a large auto carrier loaded with eight cars being transported from, yes, California.
Where were they going? I-40 runs from north LA to North Carolina so who knows. They could turn south to Dallas or Austin. They could end up in Tennessee or Florida, all of the popular destinations for refugees from the Toilet Bowl. My greatest hope is that these reverse migrants abandon their progressive ways and understand why they were forced to flee.
Effing Joe Biden.
[Edit: My wife dutifully corrected the milage and itinerary as reflected in the comments and above.]
A correction. My wife pointed out that the trip was 3,400 miles with 50+ hours of driving. Well worth it.