Friday, September 29, 2023
...will be on the road. What is it like being on the road? It is exciting and energizing. It provides a large degree of freedom. It promotes personal growth and healing. It opens doors to multiple levels of opportunity, limited perhaps only by one’s imagination and willpower. One can meet new people, encounter new cultures (partially or completely), see new sites (natural and human constructed), experience activities that they would not have imagined otherwise. The road presents a blank canvas, daily if not hourly, on which to create, be it manifested in physical, mental, or emotional planes.
Travel involves letting go and embracing the unknown. It is waking up in an unfamiliar place physically, mentally, and emotionally, while at the same time feeling comfort, feeling at home. It is refreshing. It bathes you in ways you didn’t know were possible, or perhaps that you needed. It answers questions you didn’t know you had. It makes your life richer. It is a medium for change that reinforces what you know in your heart and soul, in your deepest self, but you had to venture out to become – aware. It personifies the unstuck. It is a paradox. Although each day can be kind of an unknown, an unfolding mystery, it becomes life demystified. You look at the magnificent landscapes, feel the broad expanse and power of nature, and things seem clear.
It has its challenges at times. Cold, wet weather, nuisance bugs, bothersome animals, limitations on some things like some foods and showers at times. Though these may not be avoided completely, they can be tempered by good planning and a positive attitude. Keeping it simple is a helpful policy.
Travel is a celebration of life and nature. Campgrounds are communities in positive flux, offering stimulation and inspiration daily. The natural environment offers exceptional opportunities to explore landscapes, external and internal. Similarly, meeting and conversing with fellow campers can stimulate the mind and spirit in a common bond of exploration.
I begin another road trip in two days. I am posting a summary of previous trips in terms of timeframe and destinations. The first section has trips that originated in Danbury, while the second part has trips that originated elsewhere.
For some perspective, I have driven to over 40 states in each of three different vehicles: 1988 Fox Station Wagon (1988-1998), 1999 Subaru Outback (1999-2012), and 2021 Dodge Promaster Van (2021-2023). My 1975 Malibu, used in my first cross country trek (1984-85) also visited about 20 states.
I will be doing this trip with a new van, from October 1 through l January 8, exactly 100 days!
Travel by car or bike
1. 1983: Bike trip. I rode my bike three days to Portland, Maine, then I took an overnight ferry to Nova Scotia. I rode across Nova Scotia to take another ferry to Prince Edward Island. When I returned to Nova Scotia, I returned to the US by airline, Halifax to Boston. From Boston, I rode up to Gloucester, MA and camped there for a few days, then I took a train Boston to New Haven and rode from New Haven back to Danbury.
2. 1984: Road trip to California. Left CT right after Labor Day (9/3/84). I began by driving down I-81 and staying at Shennendoah NP for a couple nights, followed by a couple nights at Smokey Mountain NP, before heading west through TN, KY, MO, and KS. I spent almost four weeks with newly met friends (Sue, Densie, and Dave) in Boulder, CO. From there I went to Petrified Forest NP and Grand Canyon NP, then stayed drove south and stayed about a week camping and staying with friends in Tucson. Next, I headed to San Diego area, then took a week up the coast (camping in Malibu, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz) to San Francisco where I stayed with more friends. Arrived at my final destination near Sacramento for Thanksgiving, after which I visited friends in Oregon, then returned to California. The road trip lasted about 15 weeks. I took a job waiting tables in January, and I stayed in California until around June 15, 1985. CT, NY, PA, MD, WV, VA, TN, NC, KY, KS, CO, NM, AZ, CA, and OR.
3. 1985: Road Trip back to CT. I invited my sister Patty out and we drove back to CT together. We stopped at Yosemite NP, Death Valley NP (120 degrees!), Las Vegas & Lake Mead, and Grand Canyon. We then drove through Monument Valley, had car trouble near Bluff, Utah, more car trouble in Moab, on a still dirt road section of UT Route 128, but we made it to Boulder, where we had the car fixed. It was my first time in Moab. Stayed in Boulder with Sue, Denise, and Dave again, for a few days, then took I-70 home. CA, NV, AZ, UT, CO, KS, MO, IL, IN, OH, PA, NY, and CT.
4. 1988, August, four weeks: Road trip to Colorado and back. I stopped in Boulder first, then went to Indian Peaks/Brainard Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Steamboat Springs, Basalt, Aspen, Mesa Verde National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, then back to CT.
5. 1988, October, three weeks: Road trip (with Marcus Irrek) to Utah and back. We stopped in Boulder, Colorado National Monument, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP (Island in the Sky and Needles, Natural Bridges National Park, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon NP (North Rim), Bryce Canyon NP, Zion NP, Capitol Reef NP, back to Boulder, then back to CT.
6. 1988, October, Road trip to Hilton Head, NC Triathlon National Championship (Team Event, I did the 10k run, 33:40 or something like that … )
7. 1989, January: Road trip, moving to Colorado. Drove the “long route” via Smokey Mountains NP, Atlanta, then across to Texas (Guadalupe National Park) and New Mexico (Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Parks), then to Boulder.
8. 1989, October: Road trip back to Danbury, worked at Chuck’s through the holidays.
9. 1990, January: Road trip to Colorado
10. 1990, June, Road trip back to Danbury, worked at Chuck’s for the summer.
11. 1990, September, Road trip to Colorado and Utah
12. 1990, November, Road trip to back Danbury, worked at Chuck’s for the holidays.
13. 1991, January, Road trip to Colorado via NC (ran a marathon in Charlotte).
14. 1991, Summer, Road trips with Liz in CO & UT.
15. 1992, May, Road trip back to CT, worked the summer at Chuck’s.
16. 1992, September, Road trip to Colorado.
17. 1993, May, Road trip to back CT, worked the summer at Chuck’s.
18. 1993, September, Road trip to Colorado
19. 1994, May, Road trip back to CT, worked the summer at Chuck’s.
20. 1994, September, Road trip to Colorado
21. 1995, May. Road trip back to CT, moved my belongings back home.
22. 1995, June, Road trip to CO, camping for the summer.
23. 1995, August, Road trip back to CT.
24. 1996, June, Road trip to CO, camping for the summer.
25. 1996, September, Road trip back to CT
26. 1997, June, Road trip to CO and WY, camping for the summer.
27. 1997, August, Road trip back to CT.
28. 1998, Bike trip to Waterbury, Vermont and back (eight days)
29. 1999, June, Road trip to Colorado, camping for the summer.
30. 1999, August, Road trip back to CT.
31. 2000, January, Road trip to Texas (Padre Island National Seashore, Big Bend NP, Guadalupe Mountains NP), New Mexico (Carlsbad Caverns NP).
32. 2000, February, Road trip back to CT.
33. 2001, January, Bike trip, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ojai, Joshua Tree NP, Borrego Springs, back to San Diego Airport.
34. 2002, January, Road trip to Texas (Padre Island NS, Big Bend NP, AZ (Saguaro NP, Grand Canyon NP, UT (Moab), and CO (Basalt and Boulder).
35. 2002, February, Road trip back home.
36. 2002, July, Road trip to ND (Teddy Roosevelt NP), MT (Glacier NP), WY (Yellowstone and Grand Teton NPs), and CO.
37. 2002, August, Road trip back home.
38. 2003, May, Road trip to Asheville, NC (bicycling Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountain NP) and back
39. 2003, July, Road trip to Colorado and back.
40. 2004, May, Road trip with Richie, to Asheville, NC (bicycling Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountain NP), and back.
41. 2006, January, Road trip to GA and FL and back.
42. 2006, June, Road trip to Colorado and back.
43. 2007, August, Road trip to Colorado (moved to Durango for library work).
44. 2008, June, Road trip to CT (moved back home).
45. 2009, May - 2010, April: moved to Burlington, VT for library work at UVM. Came home to Danbury, to spend time with Mom, every other weekend.
46. June 2010 – 2014, February: moved to Tolland, CT for library work at UCONN. Came home to Danbury, to spend time with Mom, every other weekend.
47. 2021, October, Road trip to CO and UT and back.
48. 2021, December, Road trip to Cape Hatteras, NC and back.
49. 2022, January, Road trip to Gulf Islands National Seashore (Pensacola Beach, FL) and back.
50. 2022, August, Road trip ME and NH and back.
51. 2022, October 15, Road trip, almost all of it with Laura, to CO, UT, NV, CA, AZ, NM, TX, LA, FL, NC, and back to CT (arrived back in CT on 1/18/23.) Details of this trip on my blog: https://www.otomola.com/post/beginnings-drive-and-visit-boulder-colorado
52. 2023, February, Road trip to NM, AZ, TX, AR, IL, IN, and back to CT in March.
53. 2023, April, Road trip to CO and UT and back to CT, back to CT in May.
Other trips: Travel originating from Colorado (unless otherwise indicated)
1. 1985, October. I flew to Denver with my bike, spent eight days in Boulder, stayed at Sue’s.
2. 1986: Bike trip, 800 miles total. Flew to Albuquerque in July 1986 and rode my bike to Boulder. Stopped to camp outside of Albuquerque, Sante Fe, Taos, Alamosa (hotel), Great Sand Dunes NP (two nights), Fairplay, (CO, in a church) before arriving in Boulder, where I stayed about a week with Sue before flying home. NM, CO.
3. 1987: Bike trip, 750 miles, ten days. Peter Perkins and I flew to San Francisco and rode to San Diego along the coast. We stayed at Half Moon Bay (hotel), Monterey (hotel), Big Sur (campground), Morro Bay (campground), Sante Barbara (hotel), Malibu (campground), Dana Point (hotel), Encinitas (campground), and La Jolla (hotel).
4. 1988: January, Bike trip, 1000 miles, four weeks. Flew to California, rode San Diego to Death Valley and back to San Diego. San Diego (hotel, Super-Bowl Eve), Julian, Borrego Springs (three nights), Twenty-Nine Palms (hotel), Joshua Tree (three nights), Victorville (hotel), Ridgecrest (friend’s house), Stovepipe Wells (DVNP, two nights), Furnace Creek (DVNP, three nights), Ridgecrest (hotel), Red Rock Canyon State Park, Culver City (friend’s house, four nights), Redondo Beach (friend’s house), Carlsbad.
5. 1989, April, Backpacking with Diana, Canyonlands Needles District.
6. 1990, February, Road trip to NM, AZ, CA and back in April.
7. 1990, October, Camping trip to UT (Moab, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion).
8. 1991, May, Collegiate Peaks camping trip.
9. 1991, June, Collegiate Peaks with Liz.
10. 1991, August, UT and CO camping trip with Liz.
11. 1992, April, Backpacking Canyonlands Island in the Sky.
12. 1993, January, Moab Run to the Sun 10K, camping Route 128.
13. 1993, March, Buena Vista 25-Miler Trail Run with Eddie Hayes.
14. 1993, March, Spring Break, road trip UT and AZ.
15. 1993, May, Backpacking with Margie, Canyonlands, Island in the Sky.
16. 1993, November, Camping Arches NP (Thanksgiving).
17. 1994, March, Moab Half-marathon with Eddie Hayes, camping at Canyonlands Needles.
18. 1995, October, Camping trip to Grand Canyon.
19. 1995, November, Thanksgiving camping trip to Rocky Mountain NP with Margie
20. 1996, March, Backpacking Needles District.
21. 2003, Flew to Las Vegas, met Kenny, Backpacking trip to Grand Canyon, Indian Garden Campground.
22. 2005, May, Flew to Texas, met Kenny, Backpacking trip in Big Bend NP, hike Emory Peak.
23. 2007, November, Thanksgiving Trip to Utah (Muley Point and Moab).
24. 2008, March, Camping trip to Moab.
25. 2008, May, Backpacking trip with Kenny in Grand Canyon, Bright Angel Campground.
26. 2013, July, Mom and I flew to Denver and did a road trip: Boulder, Rocky Mountain National Park, Mount Evans (a 14er), Dillion Reservoir, Vail, Buena Vista and Collegiate Peaks (Independence Pass, Cottonwood Pass), Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, Montrose, Red Mountain Pass, Silverton, Durango, Mesa Verde NP, Wolf Creek Pass, Salida, and back to Boulder before flying home.
27. 2016, Camping trip to Colorado National Monument and Moab (Island in the Sky.)
28. 2022, May, Extensive hiking trip with Richie to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon NP, Bryce Canyon NP, and Zion NP.
29. 2023, June, Extensive hiking trip with Richie to Salt Lake City, Grand Teton NP, and Yellowstone NP.
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