Afterglow

Benz: My motor didn't even get started either Monday or Tuesday. Of course, that's pretty usual for Mark who has never driven me around town very much but instead bicycles to work routinely. But the past month was so wonderful for me to be able cruise for hours on end. I was born for days like that! Our two longest days ended up being back to back; 715 miles one day then 785 miles the next day. Nine other days exceeded 400 miles. Only one day did we not actually advance forward on our route; that was when my humans weren't feeling well.
I know that some view me as being only a collection of steel, rubber, leather, and wood and that some say I'm only just a machine, or only car. But some of you understand that being real isn't easy to define or to understand. This trip meant so much to me and to Mark and Julie. And we all loved sharing the adventure with all of you who were interested. We've enjoyed having so many of you involved in all kinds of different ways and being a part of our adventure.

Mark: Monday and Tuesday have now come and gone following our return home on Sunday. It has felt really weird to be staying in one place rather than travelling. I love being home, but I also miss the adventure of the open road and the unknown discoveries of each day. Numerous people have asked if the trip was good. This was a fantastic journey! Julie and I keep talking and reminiscing about things that we saw and experienced. We had many hours together and loved travelling together. During the journey there were lots of decisions to make regarding where to stay, how far to continue each day, how late to sleep each morning, and where we would spend our precious time. We worked as a team to sort out priorities and figure things out. We also shared our deeper thoughts and emotions, some prompted by Benz and her connections to the past, and those are incredible precious memories for me.
Julie certainly shares my wanderlust. It was incredible to sample this country from sea to shining sea. I have a new sense of how large our nation is. Yet wherever we went we talked with people who have done long road trips to see the country. One family that we met at Yellowstone was on a quest to visit all 48 states, but over a span of several summers' road trips. This summer they visited 18 states, bringing along a cousin visiting from Germany. There is a widespread wish to spread wings and see parts of the country far from home. It seems to be a common outlook that, no matter where in the USA we call home, we all share the nation. We are all Americans who cherish this nation and its multitude of marvelous things.
This journey was challenging because of its pace. We knew that it would be but still we're amazed at how little sitting still we were able to do. (yes, we sat in the car seats a lot; but that's not sitting still!) For example, usually our coffee shop stops included Internet time to get things posted or articles written. We knew we needed to average around 400 miles per day to be home for the start of marching band camp, so we had to pay attention to pace and distance ahead. For me, who typically chooses to see fewer places but to immerse in those few, this was a different pattern of travel. But I cherish it for the adventure that it provided and the challenge that we met in making it happen.
Here are a few factoids that some of you have been interested to hear about. Benz told you above some distance statistics. Fuel: We spent $2,244.89 for 548.7 gallons of gasoline. Since we travelled 9,979 miles, that calculates to an overall 18.1 miles per gallon. I'm pleased with that, because I wasn't sure we'd get over 15 miles per gallon. The highest price we paid for fuel was $4.64 along I-5 in California. The lowest amount we paid was $3.78 in Springfield, MO. From Colorado to Minnesota we never paid under $4.00. In the East, prices were really scattered depending on the taxes in each state, so we paid over $4 sometimes but well under $4 other times. The highest price we saw anywhere was just outside Death Valley National Park where Regular gasoline was $5.91 per gallon. I talked with the station owner there, and they have virtually no mark up. Only one fuel transporter will even make a delivery to them because it's a four hour trip one way so it takes a driver a full day to make that one delivery. Julie and I discussed buying a gallon just for bragging rights, but chose not to! That station owner says that their price sign is the most photographed item at their Panamint Valley Resort.
Our lodging bill totals $1,086 for 26 overnights. Friends and family helped keep that total down (THANKS!), as did one night of camping.
One fascinating aspect of our trip was the number of Europeans that we interacted with. The Euro is its strongest ever, as is the Swiss franc, and Europeans are benefitting from their favorable exchange rate. Instead of travelling to Europe to practice my French, I just travelled the USA! I spoke French with travellers in Durango, at Death Valley, and at Yellowstone. The family at Death Valley was even from Strasbourg! I dabbled with German when we met a Swiss family at the Golden Gate Bridge. We gave a photo of Benz and ourselves to each of those families, with our blog address included, and we hope to hear back from them in the weeks ahead.

Benz: Didn't I look really good on television tonight, coming down the bridge into Cape Girardeau? Really now, 40 years old isn't very old! I sensed that some people thought maybe this trip was too much of a challenge for a "40 year old" automobile. But I knew that I could go the distance for my good people Julie, Mark, and Bearnadette. When you're in good shape, age isn't such a factor. Gene, then Phyllis, and now Mark and Julie have always taken good care of me and I really wanted to show all of them how much that has always meant to me. We've all done this together and it is wunderbar satisfying to have completed this trip. What's next?! I've heard neat things about the drive to Alaska.

Bearnadette: What a surprise to see myself on the Welcome Home banner! I love it! Thank you so much to all who helped! It was so exciting to arrive home in Missouri and see so many family members and good friends waiting for us at the end of the bridge.

Home sweet home!

Winona MS to home. 325 mile day. 9979 miles Trip Total
Our very own Cape bridge was a beautiful sight to see! Golden Gate Bridge, George Washington Bridge, and now the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge. Now we're home. Home sweet home. And how wonderful to see a giant WELCOME HOME! banner on the front porch of the house as we rounded the corner onto Weissinger Lane. Family and friends, THANKS!
There was a small group of people to meet us at the bridge as well as a camera from KFVS12 TV. Our homecoming story is scheduled to run on the 5pm news tonight.
Julie and I are eager to hop in the swimming pool..... so I'm cutting this post short. We'll fill in some more details over the next few days for those of you interested in knowing more info and some of our closing thoughts on this marvelous adventure.
Thanks to all of you who have followed our travels. It has been tremendously fun to share this adventure through the blog. -- Mark

final miles; north of Cairo

23 miles to the bridge. A few slow cars on Rt 3. ETA just past 2pm

On track for 2:00

Still on track for arrival at bridge around 2:00. Depending on how the roads are, we might even be a little bit earlier than that, around 1:45. We'll keep you posted.

Homeward Bound

Rolling at 7:50 this morning with 314 miles to the bridge. ETA is 2:00 pm. We'll post another update later this morning.

Pensacola FL to Winona MS

457 miles today.

Mark: Went for morning ride and finished up carrying my bicycle and walking along the beach on the brackish water bay where the Potters live. (Not Harry's family) Left Pensacola at 9am. It is so difficult to leave blueberry waffles and good hosts. THANKS again! Julie and I set our our first priority as visiting another National Park at the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Then, we took short swim in the Gulf of Mexico. That completes the water circle of the country. This was our warmest water entry yet on this grand circuit! Alas, it was time to leave the beach and point our way north. We'd already made our decision to bypass New Orleans and also the Natchez Trace. Traffic moved pretty slowly at some places. Then, we really got slowed down a few times with some of those incredible big southern raindrops that brings down huge volumes of water in very short time. And even the fastest, most reckless drivers slow down. We crawled along a few times with water inches deep and visibility dropping to only a few car lengths. I told Julie that I've gotten caught in such rains in Florida while bicycling and it is PAINFUL! We did invest time to travel a 20 mile section of the the coast in the Gulfport area. The aftermath of Katrina is still powerfully visible. What made our immersion experience to view the aftermath even more deep was, well, the water. Thunderstorms, lightning scary close, thunder rocking the car and scaring Bearnadette. Surreal. For a short while I was watching especially closely for any tornadoes because the sky was so dark. I felt like I had at least a tiny hint of what that coast was like when Katrina made her visit.
Onward, onward. We drove on north and are now overnighting at Winona, MS, which is south of Memphis. We're give an update in the morning about our departure time and we'll strive to get a few updates posted through the morning so that people can have an idea of when we're likely to next see our home bridge and home city.
I'm having those emotions that I always have at the end of a great journey. I don't want it to end and yet I'm so eager to be back home. I just love the rhythm of travel and the unknowns and the discoveries. So, I wish it could go on. Yet, I long to be home. This experience shared with Julie, and shared with so many of you, has been awesome. -- Mark

BENZ here: It has been so many years since I've had a chance to crank out the kilometers like I've been able to do on this trip. The balanced driveshaft (thanks again, DLS Portland!) and new steering coupling have made me feel young again. It can't be nearing the completion, can it?! I told these humans I was ready to make this trip and that I'd serve them well. This has exceeded all expectations as a fantastic adventure. Mark, Julie, and Bearnadette have been superb traveling companions. And really now, how many automobiles ever get to visit all 48 states lower states plus the District? I've earned bragging rights! Yes indeed, we have let the good times roll.

Bearnadette here: Wow, what a storm today! I was shivering with fright inside my sweater. But once the thunder and lightning ended, I loved the cooler temperatures. It was a nice break from the postage stamp weather we've had! I'm sad that the end of the trip is near. We've been to four national parks but I haven't seen any wild bears yet! But on the other paw, it'll be great to get home and sleep in. I ended hibernation early for the trip. It's almost too much for a bear to bear, but this adventure has easily been worth the few days of sleep I missed.

Julie: Jim Croce has been one of Dad's and my favorite albums to listen to on our trip. So as it began to rain in Alabama, we both wanted to go walking in the Alabama rain. Stopped in Spanish Fort AL, went for a quick walk, then went inside a Starbucks. As Dad ordered his coffee we told the workers about our trip. Everyone there was very interested with our story and admired the Benz. Augie, one of the workers, even gave Dad his cup of coffee for free. Thank you for the fun, Starbucks crew! Even though I don't drink coffee, I really enjoy going to coffee shops because so often I find that the workers are super friendly and fun. Today proved the point yet again.

Spartanburg SC to Pensacola FL

498 miles today. 8997 miles trip total. Georgia, Alabama, and Florida are #41, #42, #43
Today was fast driving, nearly all of it on Interstate highways. We came around Atlanta, down to Montgomery, then south to Florida. Another day of hectic traffic traveling 10-20 miles over the speed limit lots of the time. Visited my college friend, Erik, in Atlanta and had lunch there. It was a great chance for me to have some of my always-amazing stories from college days corroborated by Erik. Realize, he and I did NOT rehearse these stories before Julie had a chance to hear Erik's version of each of them. I'm satisfied that Julie now fully realizes that I always tell the truth and that all amazing adventures of bicycling and sailing from my college days are, essentially, completely true. It's great to visit with friends from the past.

This evening we waded in the waters of the Gulf. So, we feel like we've completed the water border by touching the Pacific, Great Lakes, Atlantic, and now the Gulf. Tomorrow we'll see the Gulf coast as we drive over to New Orleans then turn right and point north. We're starting to feel that homing instinct, the eagerness to see home again and sleep in our beds.

Skyline Drive to Spartanburg SC

We motored 470 miles on Thursday and added states 39 and 40 to our tally. We're at 8699 miles on the total trip.
We really enjoyed the Skyline Drive. Beautiful vistas and a great chance to see some impressive Eastern mountains. Weather was gorgeous with morning temperatures in the 60s. Mark pulled out the Brompton folding bicycle and rode for a half hour in the mountain air. What a treat. Bearnadette rode on my handlebars! She insists on telling you more about that herself. We drove a shorter distance on the Parkway than we would have liked but time is a precious commodity and our allotment for this journey is dwindling so we had to prioritize making some distance. We hopped over to I-81 and adoptex high speed travel. Alas, as much as I really wanted to crest Mt. Mitchell along the Blue Ridge Parkway, we also had to drop that from our itinerary. Ironically, our impression was that traffic all day along the various Interstates was crazier than anyplace else we've encountered. Certainly matched whatever we experienced in Connecticut or New York or California with impatient, tailgating, bothersome and sometime belligerent drivers. - Mark
Bearnadette here: You guys just wouldn't believe what it feels like to have the wind fluff your fur! I was so excited to look for real live bear along the Skyline Drive that I convinced Mark it was fine to ride on his handlebars, snuggled in behind the cables so I was secure. I kept a close look to the left and right all the time hoping to catch a glimpse of an Ursa cousin. I'm disappointed that I didn't spot any bears, but my first bike ride was a riot anyway. Now I understand better why Mark always wants to get the bicycle out of the trunk and take a ride.

Winchester VA, top end of Skyline Drive

69 miles travel on Wednesday, 8229 miles trip total. Wow, our trip rhythm hit a speed bump with Julie and me each suffering a stomach virus; Julie's malady followed Mark's by 12 hours. So, our planned Wednesday morning departure from Great Falls was delayed til evening and Julie slept much of the day. We're having breakfast in Winchester VA at the Daily Grind Coffee House in the delightful Old Town. We are eager to get up onto the Skyline Drive and get headed south. The delay due to illness is causing us to face the need to make faster time today and tomorrow than full length meandering along the Parkways would allow. C'est la vie. It's just a matter of readjusting expectations. Yes, we wished to be farther south by now, and really wanted to roll yesterday morning. But if we had, we would not have seen the gorgeous sunset while inside West Virginia last night, and the incredible rainbow. I do not think I have ever seen a rainbow at sunset. Was it really tinted orangish pink?! What a sight to behold, and one of those many special moments that pop up unexpectedly during a journey. -Mark

Bearnadette here. It was a bummer that my two humans felt bad the past two days. I kept watch over them and comforted them. I know they made the right choice to stay put and recuperate at our good friends' house rather than pushing on too soon. I can tell you, they are both looking far perkier this morning! and we're ready to roll. We didn't see any live bears out West, I wonder if we'll see Ursa americanus anywhere here in the eastern mountains. That would really be cool. Regardless, this has been a fantastic trip to be able to see so much of this big country. Not many bears get a chance to travel this far. I'm so grateful for the chance to be along on this adventure.

Great Falls VA, great all day stay

Drove total of 20 miles today and end the day right back where we started! So, 8,160 miles total for trip. This morning Howard and Mike and I successfully reinserted two mounting bolts for the A/C bracket. Yippee. That set us up to be able to replace the belt if we could find one. Unfortunately just after finishing that job, I, Mark started feeling really crummy and ended up getting sick. Bummer. So, we made a decision to stay put at our friends' house rather than finding myself sick later and looking for a place to stay along the way. Good choice, and the day was wonderfully relaxing and gave Julie the chance to catch up on photos and the blog post. We plan to move on to West Virginia and to Skyline Drive tomorrow.

Oh, and that A/C, as we head to the deep South..... Stefan at Great Falls Auto Service was another of the great friends that we've made along our journey. He immediately got the car into his shop and the only delay was getting the correct belt, since I'd sliced the old one. Howard made the run to the auto parts store and hurried the belt back to the shop. What a fantastic feeling to have a Mercedes-Benz trained technician, who really knows Mercedes automobiles, do the dirty work for me, while I just lay in the shade next door. THANKS! Stefan, you really did us well and we appreciate your support and devotion to our journey.

By evening I was feeling much better and we made a side trip to see the Great Falls of the Potomac River. Really impressive scene, and an incredibly popular canoeing and kayaking spot.

Tomorrow, West Virginia!

New York City to Great Falls VA

Had a wonderful time in NY City! We were able to do so much in our 24 hours there. Julie Chase, Dad's friend from grad school, is a native of New York City and was our guide and navigator so Dad and I had very different experience than most tourists would. We arrived at Julie C's house in Queens around 4 pm. We drove the Benz in to Manhattan where I drove down Fifth Ave. and then Broadway. Later I found out that 16 year olds can't drive in the 5 boroughs unless the vehicle has dual brakes, so I drove illegally in NY City! Unlocked the gate to Gramercy Park and strolled around, then went up to see Julie C's apartment. Had dinner at Novita, an Italian restaurant next door to her apartment building. From there we walked to Union Square and Washington Square Park in light rain, which felt just wonderful. Then we headed back to Queens for the night.

The next morning we picked up bagels and lox at Julie C's favorite bagel shop then drove out to Jones Beach. I would have never thought of NY City as a water city, but there are lots of beaches on Long Island and plenty of access to water for boats in the city. Ate breakfast and swam in the Atlantic Ocean. Headed back to Queens, showered, then drove the Benz back to Manhattan. Rode the subway from the parking garage to St. Paul's Chapel and the World Trade Center site. It was extremely powerful to hear Julie C's experience of September 11. I realized how much more personal that day and the following months and years have been for the people of New York City. From her I also realized that it was an attack on the entire world, that faces of people from every country were on missing posters, not just Americans. Saw the Statue of Liberty from the outside restaurant we ate a late lunch at. Then it was time to leave. We took I-95 south through New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland to Virginia. We also dipped down through DC, feeling that we should visit the Nation's capital on our tour of the nation. Arrived at Liz and Howard Simpson's in Great Falls VA last night and have been enjoying our visit with them here in the rural horse country west of DC and along the Potomac River. mileages: 257 miles yesterday NY City to Great Falls; 8,140 total trip miles!

Ithaca NY to Kittery ME to New York City NY

No service prevented us from posting the past two days...we regret not letting you know where we were!

Arrived in Ithaca NY around 9 pm on July 18 from Grand Haven MI and via Sandusky OH where we rendezvoused with my brother and sister-in-law. Really fun to see family along this journey! Stayed at a bed & breakfast in Ithaca NY that was 3 blocks from downtown. Had a wonderful pasta dinner at Simeon's, a meeting place that's been there a long time. The next morning we strolled down the Ithaca Commons, a walking mall with unique little shops. Found the Outdoor Store, where we found a pair of Teva sandals for Julie! Also shopped in Contemporary Trends, a Scandinavian furniture shop. Lots of neat pieces that were really fun to see. The store had artwork on the walls done by local artists that were also fun to look at.

We then pointed towards Maine and caught states Vermont and New Hampshire, #28 and #29. Arrived in Kittery for a lobster dinner! And after dinner, the Benz finally got her bath!! This morning we woke up early and headed to Long Sands Beach and waded in the Atlantic Ocean. Then we rode bicycles up to Nubble Lighthouse wearing Super Lobster Capes. That repeats a scene that Dad tells me about when he cycle toured along the coast in 1972 with two other friends. Today, a bystander called out, "I love your capes!" Then, headed south through Boston MA, Providence RI, and on Merritt Parkway in CT (numbers 31, 32, and 33). So much traffic! That is this northeastern corridor, even on Sunday afternoon. There's just not traffic like this in Cape Girardeau. Came over Whitestone Bridge.

It's now Sunday afternoon and we're in Queens. Staying overnight and visiting with Julie, a good friend from graduate school days. In a few minutes Benz is taking us into the City, to Manhattan where we're tour around a bit, drive down Broadway and see some sights, have dinner in the city. Good thing Benz got her bath last night to be well groomed for her city debut!

Maine felt like a major milestone. The Atlantic. Wow. From coast to coast in 8 days. Now New York City is another milestone. Major points along our journey, one of the key places in this grand country. Mountains, rivers, deserts, forests, gardens, bridges, rivers, towns, cities. We have traversed all of these, and more, and continue to be dazzled by the diversity that is this country. Our adventure continues.

Mark's Birthday!

A great day. Bicycled together early morning along Chatauqua Lake at Bemus Point. Along the way we found a place that rents a Laser Pico sailboat. So we went sailing! What a trill to sail again on a lake I sailed 30 years ago and share the sailing experience with Julie. We had a great time with good wind and occasionally exhiliarating wind! Lunch at a waterfront restaurant where we watched a floatplane land. Then eastward. One bummer... A mounting bolt for the air conditioning came loose and dropped off completely. My decision was to cut off the belt to avoid calamity of the loose compressor snagging the fan blade. Due to logistics we might be finishing the journey without A/C. All part of the adventure, right! Oh that cold air has felt so good. Still, this has been a great birthday. We're finishing the day at Simeon's in downtown Ithaca, NY for a late dinner. On to Maine tomorrow.

Chamberlain SD to Milwaukee WI

466 for the day so far, 6005 total miles. Another long driving day. We're headed east in Minnesota right now, our 20th state! Crossed the Missouri River several times today as we drove in SD, NE, and IA. We'll cross the Mississippi later tonight.
Stopped in Mike's Bikes & Ice in Yankton SD before crossing the Meridian Bridge to NE. Found two Polar water bottles, a brand that Dad really likes. Short bike ride in NE. Stopped for ice cream in LeMars IA, Ice Cream Capital of the World! That city is where two of Blue Bunny's factories are and where they produce the most ice cream as a single producer.
Right now we're seeing towers out in a field with wind blades laying nearby ready to install. I've become very intrigued with wind power on this drive. We've seen big farms and solo windmills, all different sizes, and in many different sites through the country. We're also seeing gas under $4 again, the first since New Mexico.
Tomorrow we are planning to cross Lake Michigan by ferry boat.

Red Lodge MT to Chamberlain SD

5538 total trip miles at end of today when we reach Chamberlain, South Dakota east of the Badlands. Our AAA routing showed our planned route as 9548 miles total. We've figured all along it'll exceed 10,000 miles since we make some deviations and we've added distance a few places along the way.

As I type this we are savoring a gorgeous sunset behind us as we travel due east on I-90. Julie is driving and I'm typing on the laptop connected through my Blackberry, hoping that there's wireless service at the moment that I press POST. (There wasn't. This is being posted at the hotel.) This sunset doesn't quite match last night's at Beartooth Pass outside Yellowstone. We watched the sunset at 10,974 feet . Mark stood in a snow field in his Teva sandals and experienced cold toes as we both began shivering because the air was so cool. We looked down on Frozen Lake, which was, well, frozen! That climb out of Yellowstone was fantabulous. We just kept oohing and aahing at the beauty of it. I guess we'd have to say that is the likely highpoint of the trip.....

The entire day at Yellowstone was wonderful. On this trip, we constantly are making tough decisions about time and where to spend it. We chose to take in lots of Yellowstone, including the Old Faithful show for which we had to wait 60 minutes. Obviously we advanced fewer forward miles for the day, but we invested in Yellowstone and have no regrets for having done so. Yet, today we've pushed through to cover 715 miles to "make up for yesterday." We're planning to arrive at the shore of Lake Michigan at Milwaukee Tuesday evening and take the ferry across to Muskegon, Michigan on Wednesday morning. That little boat ride will advance us 89 miles with the Benz getting a little break. She hasn't been on a long boat trip since she immigrated to the USA in 1967.

Benz says: Yes, I am looking forward to another long boat ride. That'll be sweet. But do you know what? I still haven't gotten a bath! Though they keep the windshield clean, my front end is really starting to bug me. C'mon you two! Oh, and yes that climb up Beartooth Pass was incredible, not to mention the descent through hairpins after dark. And despite those bugs in my teeth, I'm having a great time and especially love those curvy mountain roads.

We're on day 14 (Happy Bastille Day!) and well over half way by every way we calculate. We are loving this journey and seeing so much. We remarked earlier today that we've seen rain only once, but right now we're seeing rain ahead of us as we head into nighttime. Maybe a few bugs will get washed off.

For those of you paying close attention to our reported distances..... well, our replacement speedometer continues to work fine but the odometer functions have malfunctioned and stopped completely. Thus, we now are depending on the GPS for all distances, along with map distances if we need backup. Since we knew that the car's original odometer overreported distances by around 10%, this means that we have to adjust our perspective on items like mpg. From now on, all daily miles are being added to the accumulated odometer miles prior to our malfunctions. It's all part of the fun! and adventure. And anyway, it's not numbers that are important to us even though we are intrigued with the distances and choose to keep track of things. We also need to pay attention for planning purposes and to decide how long we can stay any particular place.

As we descended Beartooth Mountain, Julie said she really wanted to camp in Montana. We stopped at the very next National Forest Campground, Rattin. That was just outside Red Lodge, MT. We heard a roaring creek nearby. We had no attention by raccoons or bears, which was fine with us. It was incredible to ascend to 10,974 feet, then descend to 7000 feet to camp. We stopped in town at Red Lodge in the morning to have breakfast in a cafe and connect to the Internet. Through the day today we've dropped to below 3000 feet. It was above 90 degrees today, and we still need to pay attention to the engine temp needle but that aspect has been manageable by altering speed to keep the temp in a comfortable range.

Night has fallen and it's time to help Julie watch for deer.

The Dalles OR to Belgrade MT?

Short post while we have service. Big mile day, 580 miles so far and we're still driving. The plan is to get close enough to Yellowstone that we can spend time there tomorrow morning, then be on our way to log another big mile day. Rainier cherries, huckleberry shakes, saw a bald eagle, fun dinner at A&W. It's beautiful here in Big Sky Country as the sun begins to set.

Portland OR to The Dalles OR

A short mile day, 93 miles. Now 3864miles trip total.
Dad and I enjoyed the day in downtown Portland while the Benz was pampered at MBI Motors, Inc., a fantastic shop that works on only Mercedes-Benz and specializes in the older models. Oil and filter change, replaced some transmission linkage fittings that were getting wobbly, replaced a breather line fitting from water pump that might have been related to our warm running conditions. And, because our previously cold-weather-only speedometer squeal yesterday had become a frequent intermittent squeal that we thought might become maddening over the next 6000+ miles..... they replaced our speedometer with another one of similar vintage. Thank you Brandon, Keith, and Rich!! Those guys devoted themselves to the Benz and our adventure on short notice and we really appreciate their interest and help.
We've kept the old, original speedometer and plan to have it repaired and re-install it because that's the one that Grandpa and Grandma looked at so many years ago. These are some of the issues when you grow to love an old car. We want the original 140 mph speedometer, not the 160 mph one, and the sixes look different on the replacement. OK, OK, it's not logically important... but it is emotionally important. But for now, we accept the replacement as the best choice for sanity. This now necessitates some mileage calculations to adjust for the changeover, and when we get back home, we can't just do a simple subtraction to see total mileage nor take another photo to show an end mileage to compare to the start mileage. But we know a math teacher who can help us get all of that figured out! In case you've wondered, all of our posted mileages are based on Benz's odometer, yet we know that the original one overread by close to 10%. We think the replacement will misread by about the same amount.
While our new friends worked on the car Dad and I lounged at Tiny's Coffee, next to MBI Motors during the morning, which had very tasty coffee and croissants. Then we bicycled along the Willamette River Trail to downtown and had a delicious lunch at La Terrazza, a casual Italian restaurant. Stopped at AAA for a map of the city, then rode to Washington Park and strolled through the Rose Garden. Everything is in bloom and it smelled and looked beautiful! I was reminded of Grandma Phyllis and her practice rose paintings while we were there. We rolled from MBI around 6 pm and headed east along the Columbia River to The Dalles where we are staying. Tomorrow we plan to make some big miles as we head for Big Sky country. During the next few days, we will most likely have bad or no service, so don't worry if there are no new posts.
And in case you didn't notice, we have new pictures up! If you didn't get a chance to look at the first album, click on the link to PicasaWeb, where you'll find both of our albums so far.

San Francisco CA to Grants Pass OR

Having Dutch Bros. Coffee in Grants Pass, OR as we write this. After lunch, we'll buy gas and head north to Portland. Gas here is a bit cheaper than the past few days. Here it's around $4.29.

Yesterday, Wednesday morning we left Eureka CA at 5:57 a.m. and had a beautiful drive along the Redwood Highway. Arrived in Grants Pass at 10:40 a.m. and spent the day visiting with Red and going out for pizza.

Tuesday we spent the morning bicycling in San Francisco, including riding across the Golden Gate Bridge. Then we had sourdough bread for lunch along the waterfront. From there, Julie was in the driver's seat across the Bridge! Oh yes, Julie also drove down the famous Lombard Street! What a street that is. After leaving the city we went north hugging the coast along Hwy 1. Some of that is slow travelling, but so gorgeous. And twisties all along the way that Benz absolutely loves. Gene loved driving twisty roads, and so does Mark and Julie seems to be coming into it also. We found a place to touch the Pacific but didn't actually go for a swim. If you'd touched the Pacific then you'll understand why we chose to not take a dip.... Dinner at a tiny roadside restaurant then we drove into nighttime. The orange pink coloring was amazing, and the more so because of the smoke from the wildfires. Darkness fell as Hwy 1 goes inland to meet with 101. Winding and twisty...yup. At one place a sign showed a double hairpin and was subtitled "Next 22 miles." No lie. An incredible drive at usually 30 mph. When we reached 101, it was mostly 4 lane and then we made some time at higher speeds, but always alert for deer. I saw five. Also alert for elk, for which there was a sign posting also. Saw zero.

Overnighted at Eureka, in morning striking distance of Grants Pass since daytime temps over 100 degrees were forecast.

The travel north out of Frisco had mostly no phone service and always no data Internet service. Those technical details stymy us from posting during those times. But, our enjoyment of this vast country is undiminished.

San Francisco waterfront

Approx 400 miles for the day. 2900 trip.
Pacific Ocean. I was driving when we first saw the Pacific. What a moment of realization that we'd covered a great distance. Wow the Pacific! Here we are!
I took the opportunity to visit one of my Interns, the longest that I've traveled to visit an intern.

We've just finished dinner at Fisherman's Grotto,where I first ate when I was 10. Calamari for Mark and crabcake for Julie. It's very important to eat regional foods when traveling.
Our day is ending with the need to catch the cable car back to our hotel. Tomorrow we'll point north and follow the coast, after verifying that our roads are closed due to wildfires. We've seen haze due to smoke the past few days.

Mojave CA to San Francisco

334 miles yesterday, 2259 for total trip. CA is our 11th state. Arriving in San Fran now. It feels much cooler in the Bay Area than it did arriving in Mojave last night!

Las Vegas to ?

California, here we are! We are doing fine. Internet connections problems on Saturday, no cell phone service... too much fun at Grand Canyon and Zion and way late getting into Vegas so nothing got posted. We're stopped for lunch right now at Panamint Valley Resort, California on State Route 190 at the east side of Death Valley National Park. We just crossed Death Valley and reached sea level there. Then Benz had the challenge of climbing 4900 feet in a few miles. CHALLENGE would understate our situation!! We stopped several times to run water on the radiator to add evaporative cooling as the temperature needle reached the red zone. Just as I was about to use the last of our several gallons of water.... Officer Daharsh of the California Highway Patrol stopped by to help us and he had more water. THANKS! Your timing and helpfulness were perfect. He followed us up the last 1000 feet, we gave him a photo and our blog address, he gave us more water, then we bid adieu and we dropped 9 miles to this lunch stop. Amazing how the temp needle drops when descending! So, clearly Benz is at her limits with cooling capacity in these desert mountain conditions. So, we're going to take Officer Daharsh's suggestion and drop south through the valley instead of climbing the next mountain ridge. So, maybe we won't reach Yosemite tonight!

That's a quick update. We'll post more later.

Happy Independence Day! Cuba NM to ?

313 miles for the day so far.. And 1656 trip total. We're stopped for dinner at Kayenta, AZ in the Navajo Nation. We plan to finish the day at Page,AZ. We had just too much fun in Durango,CO to hurry away. Bicycle ride along the river, lunch in the shade at the railroad depot with superb ravioli, french pastry at a French bakery. And a beautiful highland cool afternoon at 6500ft elevation and greenness! before heading back to browner terrain and more heat.
The day started with COOL. Cold enough that the speedometer cable squealed as it only does in cold weather. Then at 4pm, an apparent fuel vapor lock due to excess heat. Oh, another first: over 4 dollars for a gallon of fuel; Cortez, CO. We knew it was coming. But, good news, too, with over 20mpg on the tank. Yippee! --Mark and Julie

The Benz says: I'm worth whatever the fuel costs! And I've been working hard for these guys with high altitudes, over 7000ft and hot weather. But we're a great team and they take good care of me. Though a bath would be nice. I've really enjoyed having Bearnadette along. Her sweater is really pretty with that embroidered three pointed star on it! -Benz

This has been a marvelous day. We diverted from our pre-planned route to visit Durango. Great choice. A local suggested that to us, and we want to always keep open the "get it while you can" attitude. Spontaneity...I savor it in travel.
Time to drive another 100 miles to ?Page. Grand Canyon north rim tomorrow.

Shamrock TX to Cuba NM

A slow connection kept us from posting last night. We traveled 494 miles yesterday, 1343 miles total. That's 13% of our drive! Saw two rainbows during the afternoon and we felt that Grandma Phyllis was saying hello to us. The first one we spotted coming out of a Walgreens in Albuquerque. The sun broke out from behind the clouds and the light caught the huge raindrops, making them glitter like jewels. A few seconds later, the rainbow appeared. It was really beautiful.

New Mexico, 6th state

Travelling fast on I-40. Lunch in Santa Rosa, NM. Passed 1000 miles at 12:43 CT. We're now on Mountain Time.

Joplin MO to Shamrock TX

The Benz speaks... This was a hot day! Temperature in afternoon around 35 degrees, Celsius, remember I'm German. So around 95 degrees F. But I was able to keep my cool as long as Julie and Mark don't demand full air conditioning power all of the time. Mark replaced a muffler hanger early in the day; he had brought along a spare. And all of us love how smooth the driveline is running. I just wish he'd sent that driveshaft out for precise balancing years ago. Humans can be so silly.

Now Mark: We meandered along old Route 66 today coming west out of Joplin. It is amazing how narrow the roadway is and how there's often NO shoulder. Chicago to California on that road. In Oklahoma there's lots of distance where the old road is parallel to I-40 so some of the time we were seeing the old road but travelling on I-40 at higher speed. I did a lot of the driving today by miles count but Julie drove nearly all of the distance in Kansas on the old Mother Road and she finished the day as we came into Shamrock, TX. We've really enjoyed see how the terrain has changed and it's especially notable how the green of Missouri and Arkansas has given way to the browner landscape across Oklahoma and now into Texas.

Do you notice how travels can be punctuated by memorable foods and dining experiences?! Here's our memory for the day. Clinton, Texas: Cherokee Restaurant. I'd seen the billboards for buffalo steaks and I started salivating for a savory buffalo steak, not a buffalo burger but the real steak. So, guess where we stopped for dinner? 12 oz sirloin, Oklahoma grown Bison bison more commonly known as buffalo. It was delicious. The flavor is different from beef. Julie and I split that for dinner then we had a cinnamon roll, home baked by the mother and sister of our server. Superb. I'll always remember Clinton TX by the bison steak and cinnamon roll!

Julie: A few of my highlights for the day were eating breakfast in Joplin with my friend MacKenszee (who I met at MSA), watching wind turbines outside of Weatherford, OK, the amazing cinnamon roll, and seeing fireworks driving into Shamrock, TX. We've completed 849 miles by the end of Day 2! So far 17 mpg has been our average, quite good considering how much we used the air conditioning today. Seems like the new fuel injectors have made a good improvement in engine performance. I don't know how Bearnadette the Bear can stand wearing her sweater! Our little mascot is enjoying the drive as much as Dad, the Benz, and I are.

The Journey Begins! Cape to Joplin, MO

What a pleasant surprise to find that our journey began on the road to Success! Yes, Success Arkansas. After all the preparations and planning and preparations and some worries; some triumphs in projects and frustrations, too... our drive began today. Out the driveway, down the street, and Julie commented that it was just like any other drive down the street. Except this one will be a bit longer before we come back around the corner past the day lilies.

The car is driving great. It was great having air conditioning today. We took turns driving and now are stopped now for dinner in Springfield, Missouri. We figure on staying overnight in Joplin after following old Route 66 from Springfield to Joplin. Then tomorrow we'll savor the section of Route 66 through Kansas.

On the way south to snag Arkansas we stopped for gas in Poplar Bluff. The owner came running out and asked if we were the folks who were on the news last night and this morning! Then she and a customer took our pictures. We travelled a short distance in Arkansas and that's when we discovered Success. There's some pretty rolling hills in that part of Arkansas and also in Missouri. Some of the rolling hills reminded me of parts of Switzerland, not the Alps. A little later we both noted that the rolling terrain was similar to Badlands that we saw last summer.... but what a contrast of green here versus not green there. --Mark

During today I thought of how much we are going to see in the next four weeks. Already today we've seen flat farmland in Missouri and Arkansas, then hilly forested land in Mark Twain National Park back in Missouri. And this is only two states so far... --Julie

The car is running the best that it has in years! The driveshaft was recently balanced by Drive Line Service of Portland, Oregon, and the car is running smoother than ever! Steering coupling was recently replaced (thanks! Park's Automotive in Cape Girardeau) and steering is as tight and precise now as it was 39 years ago. Various interior details, such as windows that didn't operate have been fixed. And the radio is working great along with an MP3 input. Let's drive!