Entrusted

Sometimes we sugar coat our words or say them in a way that makes something sound more sympathetic, more understandable, and less harsh. When someone reaches the latter stages of their life we say they are enjoying the "winter years" and we say that people "pass away" when they die. 
A friend of mine died. He was not quite in his winter years. He lived a life that was cut short. When someone outlives the human life expectancy of 80 years or so and they are taken by death we usually see it as "they are in a better place" and if they were suffering from a painful and terrible illness or disease, we say "at least they aren't in pain anymore" and "they are no longer suffering". 
My friend was suffering. He was a gruff man who called things the way he saw them. He didn't hold back. He had cancer and he fought it for his life. After he won a few battles, it battled back and after a couple of years, it eventually killed him. 

A visit with Mala at the VA

His death was actually quite beautiful though. His loved ones gathered around him and stayed with him in his home and they kept vigil over him. They played great music for him and they relayed messages to him when he was coherent enough to understand. Some of his last words to his friends were to turn on your love light and let it shine. 

Mala and Tucker

I knew this man for only a couple of years, but his impact and the stories he shared, his courage in life and in death and his love light that shined brightly, influenced me and touched my heart.  
In life, Mala, a man who I am honored to call my friend, had one of the greatest friends a man could ever have; his dog Tucker. Tucker was a hiking dog, a companion, and was said to have been part human. When Tucker died a few years ago, Mala had him cremated, and his ashes were close at hand that day. 

Best friends on Katahdin

After he passed away in a very loving environment with incense burning and music playing, his hand held by a dear friend, his wish was to also be cremated. His ashes were then mixed with his dogs ashes as had been his request. Most of these ashes were then to be spread on the Appalachian Trail, near a rock across from Roan Mountain in Tennessee. 
A small contingent of his friends were tasked with finding "Russell Rock" to carry out these last wishes. Five of us set out with Mala's new best friend, his dog Little Man, in search of this rock with very little information to go by. Needless to say we shared stories and an adventure but we came up short of our goal. It felt a lot like a Vanagoonie adventure out there wandering around, going up and down the trail in search for enigmatic spot that he requested. I was thankful at the time to be able to share the adventure regardless of the outcome. I pictured Mala laughing at us while he sent us out on a somewhat "wild goose chase".

Littleman

That day, in the parking lot something unexpected happened. I was not ready for the mission that was bestowed upon me. I was blindsided and taken back by it, really. I was entrusted with a small urn. One of twelve. When I was asked to shoulder the burden, to carry out a task, one that I saw fit for my friends' ashes, I felt unworthy. Why was I chosen? How was I even on the short list? I did not know. 
I welled up with emotion. The urn was heavy in my hand. "What am I supposed to do with this?" I thought to myself...
Since that time I have come to realize that I am finding ways to spend good quality time with my friend. Before he died, I had encouraged him by saying, "When you get better, we'll take a bike ride together." He was fond of cycling. I was sad when news of his passing had reached me. I lamented that we wouldn't be able to go for that ride. However, it turns out, since I have been blessed with this mission, we went for a bike ride in Grand Teton National Park. 

Grand Teton National Park

                 
We also toured the country in my little Vanagon and we saw  many incredible places. I have since scattered their ashes in countless places of beauty. They rest in both of America's oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, various rivers, on mountain tops, and at a variety of scenic lookouts. They are watching, looking out if you will, at Mount Rainier and Mount Katahdin. 

Abol Bridge

They are in Arches, Canyonlands,  Yellowstone, Crater lake, Jasper, Lake Louise, and on the PCT in Yosemite and in Manning Park. The list is actually incredibly long and to be quite honest, I have lost count and I have also lost track. I don't think he would mind though. I know that when I spread his ashes each and every time I did so with intent. I did it with purpose and made sure that we were in a place of meaning and a place of majesty. Being entrusted with this mission has not only made my heart warm, it has also made my life brighter. It turns out, that turning on my Love Light was exactly what he did. Thank you Mala. Thank you. 

Adventure: The Cost

Being able to travel the world for an entire summer in a tiny house on wheels has been a boon for which I am eternally grateful. Having an incredible co-pilot to help plot the course, research destinations, and to share in the experiences has also been something for which I am exceptionally thankful. In life it is not often the case where we find ourselves "having the cake and eating it to." (Which is a weird saying because if I have cake, trust me, I'm eating it.) 

Yet this journey across the continent has been exactly that. I have always wanted to travel and see the world. My first thoughts as a growing man were to be an educator, because let's face it, having summers off is awesome! When I left teaching though, I didn't know how else I would ever be able to enjoy a seasonal lifestyle again. It was by chance that I came upon the seasonal gig by which I am now employed, and though it is not a glamorous endeavor and I have little love for the actual work, I do love the lifestyle it provides. Who else has the freedom and the means to travel as though they are retired for several months a year. Most folks at best are given a few holidays and 2 weeks of paid vacation if they earn it. Maybe they have a few sick days, but if they use them they get chastised for it, and if they don't, those sick days never seem to have any value at all and just keep piling up, year after year. This past summer's adventure was not the first of its kind, and I am hopeful that it won't be the last. 

After driving over 14,000 miles in 81 days, having the opportunity to bask in the desert sun in southern Utah (with a man-made lake by our side)

Wilson enjoying the Utah sun at Ken's Lake

and "swim" in the Pacific ocean off the coast of northern California;

Freezing in the Pacific Ocean

after swimming in mirrored glacial lakes in Jasper NP in Alberta Canada,

and hiking among the beauty and serenity of vast mountain ranges and incredible natural beauty in 18 National Parks in our hemisphere,

Yosemite

being high above the clouds on the tallest mountains and walking through giant chasms 200 feet below the surface of the earth;

Mammoth Cave KY

after hours spent watching boiling water spew forth from deep chambers in the Earth's crust, 

Castle Geyser

and several nights staring up at the uncountable stars in deep and dark skies including one watching the Perseid meteor shower while snuggled under a blanket;

Wilson wearing his pajamas, Coastal Oregon

after having floated in some of the saltiest water found on earth, after scorching the skin off of our feet on the sand and wafting thousands of bugs away in order to get there;

Trekking to the Great Salt Lake

after having been able to float serenely in the (then) gentle and surprisingly temperate water of the largest freshwater lake in the world (by surface area),

Lake Superior

and after soaking in several natural hot springs in 2 different countries;

Spencer Hot Springs in Nevada

after having visited with friends and family from all over the place, and after having braved an entire night in the humidity of southern Louisiana inside a tiny space with two tiny oscillating fans with sweat dripping from our entire bodies; after having our faithful machine blow a hose (which we were somehow able to MacGyver and get safely back to town) at the base of a majestic mountain known as Edith Cavell, 

Mt Edith Cavell, Jasper NP

after playing on mirrored beaches with waves crashing while the sky exploded with colors,

Neptune Beach on the Oregon Coast

and after countless stories being written in the sands of time; 

Scorching heat and hot sand at Pine Tree Arch (Arches NP)

after all of this, I feel pretty confident in saying that though there is a cost, it is always worth it.

Half Dome at Sunset with Vernal and Nevada Falls (Yosemite NP)

We've heard the eerie sound of loons calling out in the darkness, we've heard the sound of ocean waves crashing on the shores while we napped happily in the back of the bus, 

Northern California Beach

we've felt the intense heat of the desert sun, we've seen the Milky Way smeared across the darkest skies, 

Milky Way Galaxy as seen from Canyonlands NP, Utah

we've seen the sun set 3 times in one night, (behind different mountains as we drove west) and we've heard eagles screaming, owls hooting, and wolves howling. 

Golden Eagle in Flight (Colorado)

We've heard the rain on our roof and the roaring and thundering of a variety of North American waterfalls.

Bridal Veil Falls Yosemite NP

We've listened to streams that splash and brooks that babble and we've washed out the sound of idling trucks with a sound machine app to get some much needed sleep in truck stops and parking lots. We saw things that were living and those that have died, mostly they were all on the roadside. We saw bison and elk, pronghorns and eagles, bears (both black and brown) and a fox. 

Momma Grizzly Bear and Baby playing in the stream. (Waterton Lakes NP)

We saw free range domestics like horses and cows, donkeys and llamas, but we also saw mule deer and even a coyote too. We've laughed and we've cried. We got angry and mad, made up and felt sad. We dealt with road rage and stared out of the windows and dreamed. We listened to music and debated politics as well as religion, became frustrated and screamed, but at the end of the day it was love that kept us moving forward. We had goals and deadlines and we surpassed them both. An adventure of this magnitude can only be described as epic, or "once in a lifetime". It was incredible. 

So what does an adventure like this really cost? I'll tell you plainly; limited social life, limited spending, increased winter earnings, and a couple of broken hearts. Living the dream is not all sunshine and rainbows. It is often cheap dinners and oatmeal breakfast. It is winters spent working long hours including weekends, Friday nights asleep on the couch by 9 and living with your parents. It is heart ache. It is crying out in emotional pain. Tears dripping down our faces. My heart aches today because many miles away, sleeps a beautiful young lady; my copilot, my navigator, my love. We sleep alone at night not knowing when or if we'll see each other again. And even so I say this, dare to dream. Dare to go. Adventure is waiting and it is worth the cost. 

Wilson watching the sunset and waiting for Great Fountain to erupt.

Identifiably Noticeable

Being in an antique vehicle (over 25 years old) with a unique look really makes for a different way of travel. And I'm not just talking about being in the slow lane here, I mean people notice you and often have something to ask or to say. Sometimes it's really fun because people smile and wave as they drive by. Sometimes they are current Vanagon owners flashing a peace sign. Sometimes there's a kid on a bike shouting "Sweet ride!" or a kid in a backseat waving frantically hoping to get your attention as their parents tap the horn of their Jetta. Sometimes these people have memories of when their father, uncle or cousin used to own one and other times they just appreciate the vehicle for what it is, a tiny house on wheels.

Oregon sunset, Neptune Beach

Sometimes these people start conversations with us if they catch up at a stop light, a rest area or a parking lot. Sometimes they say "Nice van" or ask "Is that a camper?" or "What year is it?" Most of these conversations are brief, but some of them go on for a while which creates a sort of celebrity feel for us travelers. Most of the time we are excited to talk and answer the same couple of questions with as much enthusiasm as if it were the first time we were approached that day. Sometimes though, we are engaged in other things, but we always acknowledge the folks. (Sorry if we've ever given you a "cold shoulder,"  it's not you, it's us.)

Yellowstone Lake

Another part of the whole being identifiable thing is that we can park in a giant parking lot and always find our vehicle. (No playing "Where's Wilson" for us.) I know I am not the only one to have forgotten where I parked my car. Sometimes I feel silly checking up and down a few rows looking for it. Some folks have the benefit of a key that makes their horn beep to help them find it. That has never been me. Anyway, at a concert a few weeks back, I was pleased when we were able to locate Wilson from a distance. We had gotten turned around upon leaving the venue and ended up in a different lot. Of course we forgot to take note of the lettered sections as we walked in, but we were still able to locate our van with relative ease.

The fireworks didn't hurt

Being able to notice my vehicle from afar has gotten me into the habit of taking photos of Wilson from various vantage points in National Parks and other places of interest. Sometimes I can see Wilson smiling happily in a parking lot from way up on top of a mountain, from in a lake or out on an overlook, and if the opportunity presents itself I snap a photo. Maybe all Vanagon owners do this? I don't know.

Tioga Pass

Lake Tahoe

Rocky Mountain NP

Being identifiable means that folks will recognize you for good or bad. Late one night in Yellowstone we were startled by an insistent tapping on the outside of the van. You see, there are a few geysers that are forecasted in the park and only one of them is outside of the geyser basin where Old Faithful is located.

Great Fountain before it erupted

Great Fountain is located on a small one-way road that takes you out and around to a bubbling lake. That night the geyser was forecasted to go off between 8:10pm and 12:10am. It's a large window of time, so we decided to cook dinner, have a few beers, and wait as night fell. The plan was fantastic except that we hadn't really expected it to begin gushing at 10:30 and last for over an hour. So by the time we watched the final bursts of boiling water and steam spew forth from the deep underground chamber, we decided to treat the parking area like our new home for the night. Some other concession-type park employees that were present encouraged us in our decision and said it should be fine.
Well, it turns out that the area actually is patrolled by Rangers and one of them tapped on our windows just as we were dozing off. So much for that idea! I shot from the hip a bit and said that we were only planning to nap since it was late and I was too tired to drive. The Ranger agreed that it was better that I rest and not get in an accident with anything, including a bison. He even offered to allow us to spend the night, but I didn't want to be marked as the stealth camper to look out for, so I told him we would head back to the KOA after I napped.
Considering the distance to the KOA was too great, at 4am I drove to a nearby campground inside the park and I thought I had found a spot in a first come first serve situation. However, when I got up at 7 to go speak to the campground official, I found out I was mistaken and this particular campground was for reservations only. The woman was nice enough about it, but I was dumbfounded by the fact that she kept saying they didn't have any space when I was obviously already in an empty spot.

Great Fountain as seen in the headlights.
Unfortunately the photo does it no justice.
The water erupted over 100 feet in the air. 

Later that day we started talking with a couple of fellas out of Dallas TX. They began with a comment about the van and eventually mentioned that they saw us camped out right next to them that morning. They wondered if we would be back. Before I could explain our convoluted situation, they invited us to share their site if we weren't able to find one. At that time, however,  we had actually searched out and paid for another site in the park.
There is another story of a woman we met who started a conversation with "Nice van" and continued to tell us about her dream of traveling the country in a van. She then said she couldn't because of her kids, of which she had two with her, so we said, "Why not take em with you?" She then replied that she had 6! Might wanna buy a bus instead?

Even the international travelers love the van! We spoke to one Japanese woman, who married an American, that was so excited she asked if she could take photographs of our van. She then spent some time speaking with my copilot while I spoke with her husband. Before too long she was inviting us to visit their home in Arizona. Had we been headed that direction we may have taken her up on the offer.
Different states seemed to receive us with more enthusiasm than others. Kentucky was our last state to travel through and it is most recent in my memory. I had already begun writing this blog by then, so maybe it was really at the forefront of my mind, but in the 2 nights we were there, I felt there was hardly a moment when someone wasn't asking us about our van. Much love to KY!

Lastly, (this is a first for me and I was completely unaware that this was even a thing with these vans), one day in Yellowstone I overheard a man say "slug bug van, no slug backs" to one of his children as he walked by. When we were growing up, let's say I noticed a blue VW Beetle I'd say "Punch buggy blue, no punch backs." Then I'd punch my brother in the arm. Never waste an opportunity to punch your brother in the arm, but make it count because the next opportunity he gets, he'll get you back.
Being noticed or identifiable isn't a negative thing, but it is different. We are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Vanagon community and enjoy meeting and greeting the folks we encounter. Stay classy out there and keep them questions coming!

The other side is not always the dark side

Welcome to Canada!

It's not quite the upside down, the matrix or wonderland but there was a fella here that asked me to help him find his white rabbit. In Canada, things are sometimes subtly different, but mostly they are often the very same. I mean to say that they sell gasoline for a dollar ten, but it's a Canadian dollar and you only get a liter. Also distances and speeds are measured in kilometers and there are subtle differences in the roads and their signage. We are not a couple of math geniuses but it's fun to play "let's try to convert this." In a Vanagon, the kilometers are written very small on the speedometer, so it pays to have a gps that can display metric units. There were a few stressful moments when, as a driver, I wasn't sure where I was supposed to turn or in which direction we were supposed to go. The signs on the roadways are often small and there are almost no advertisements. In this way Canada reminded me a lot of Vermont. 

Talking to locals and those who know things is one of the things that still works exactly the same. For example we pulled into Manning Park without a clue what we were going to do. I noticed a kiosk with camping information so I  pulled up to it. While we were looking over a brochure a young man engages us with a couple of questions like: "Where are you from, where are you going and where do you plan to stay?" He inquires politely so of course we answered honestly and quickly and included "Haven't a clue. We just got here. What do you suggest?" And from there he informed us of places to camp and shower for free, places to visit and landmarks and other incredible sights to see throughout British Columbia and Alberta. We talked at length and added several must sees to our master list. 

Over the next few days we snaked our way north and east to Jasper and I noticed how much Canada continued to be much like the US. At the same time I recognized the ways in which it is very much its own country. The people are polite and friendly and one fella even said that he lives in Arizona during the winter months. Mostly the people we met spoke English and some of them have thick Canadian accents. I guess I should have expected that eh? We found a few folks in the parks that only spoke French but even they had a small amount of English they could use. Road signs were also frequently written in the two languages. 

Other subtle differences are found in supermarkets. The labels on packages are similar but instead of being written in English and Spanish, the labels are in English and French. Some products are exactly the same, but others are not. We found out at a restaurant that they carry a product known as HP steak sauce, while in the States we are accustomed to A1. HP is sweeter. A Kit-Kat exists in both countries but the packaging and the product are very different. Chocolates are also sweeter here and they have an m&m type product called Smarties.

The mountains often look steeper and the towns and cities are spread apart. The highways are often only two lanes and there has been very little in the way of traffic. Actually the only time we saw any traffic at all the highway was backed up for several miles. A tractor trailer had rolled over and thankfully, we were headed in the other direction at the time.

The parks here have been beautiful and the waterfalls have been spectacular. If you get the chance to visit Wells Gray Park, do it. The waterfalls cut through layers of volcanic lava flows and they will blow your mind. Another incredible Waterfall is in Yoho NP, so if you are in the area it is worth the drive up the switchbacked road. (Besides, you only happen once, right?) We enjoyed relaxing in the hot springs and swimming in a couple of lakes in Jasper. In Banff we stopped in at Lake Louise and also took a walk to the toe of a glacier. On the other hand, we found the information brochures and maps to be uninformative and rather skeletal at best. The signage was also not very good, but I did like how they had little wooden signs along the road that pointed out which mountain was which. 

Lastly, we found that our good mojo has continued to follow us on our adventure. When Wilson was wounded in battle and he lay bleeding at the foot of Mount Edith Covell, we had a stressful day in the triage center operating room, so we decided to cap the night off with a soak in the Hot Spring pools of the park. Despite our troubles, we greeted the attendant with smiles on our faces. He responded to our joy with a bit of surprise and his face lit up. I'm speculating here but maybe he also had a rough day and in appreciation of our good nature, he invited us to be his guests and allowed us to soak in the invigorating pools for Free! We thanked him and in what we found to be a very Canadian manner of speech he replied cheerfully, "No worries!".