Go West Old Men: A Travel Memoir. Part 18 – The End

Somewhere in Colorado

This is Part 18 and the final chapter of the story, follow these links to see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17

Many partings.

Leaving Medano Pass Scott bounced us down the mountain, I mean he did the off-road driving.

Once we were safely back on the highway, I took the wheel for a while.

There was not much to see in that section of Colorado, and even less when we got to Kansas.

Kansas is a long and flat state. It is not, however, all in black and white.

It was a day of driving. About ten hours altogether.

We stopped for lunch in a diner that had all the local flavor, including a life-sized cutout of Donald Trump. I declined the photo.

It’s kind of sad that we had so much of our return trip in what can only be described as boring scenery. I mean, I’m sure the people of Kansas are nice and all. But, the fact is, we didn’t see many of them.

We made it to Kansas City on the Missouri side to stop for the night.

You might say we’d gone about as fer as we could go.

The next morning, we piled into the Jeep again and headed to Lexington for our final stop together.

We didn’t do any sightseeing on the way back. We caught a glimpse of the St.Louis Arch, but kept on driving.

Finally we made it to the Kentucky border, and while Lexington was still more than an hour away, we felt like we were almost home.

Back at our friend Carolyn’s house, we divided the spoils, or perhaps the spoiled laundry into our respective Jeeps and then went off to take Carolyn to one final dinner.

We found a hotel on the north side of Lexington, close to the Interstate to make it convenient fro both of us to head home in the morning.

Our journey together had come to an end.

There were parts of the trip that I liked less than others. But overall, I loved it. I loved the sites we saw. I loved spending time with Scott.

It was hard to say goodbye, but we were both ready to head home.

To paraphrase Gandalf…Here at last, in the shores of the Kentucky River comes the end of our fellowship in the great southwest. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are evil. #oldmanbucketlistroadtrip #thereandbackagain #grandcanyon #2023 #homewardbound

I jumped on I-64 and headed east to Richmond. It felt weird to be back in my own Jeep, with my own book on Audible, and most of all to be all by myself again.

I did make a side stop at Carter Mountain Orchard for some peaches. We do love summer peaches.
The drive from Lexington to our house in Richmond takes about nine hours. More when you’re an old man with frequent stops.

I pulled into the driveway, knowing that I had a lot to unpack, a lot of laundry to do, and just a day or so to get our son ready to spend the next five months in Japan.

I walked in the door, hugged my wife and said,

Well, I’m back.

“Well, I’m back.”

EPILOGUE

It was, indeed, a trip of a lifetime. Was it everything I had imaginged when I stood on the rim of the canyon at a mere 22-years-old? Of course not.

Were there times over the last 44 years that I thought I’d never make it back? Of course.

Scott the one who finally said we were doing this. He took the initiative to plan and to have most of the necessary equipment. I pitched in where possible. But without Scott’s planning, it wouldn’t have happened.

It was an amazing trip and we saw some amazing parts of the country. We visited with friends and family along the way.

We rekindled a deep friendship that began years ago when were just young men trying to figure out life.

Looking back, sure there were places I wish we’d made it to. And, as previously mentioned, a place or two I could have gone without.

But, we did it. By golly we did it.

Would I like to go back? Or check out some other area of the country? I counted the other day, I still have eleven states to visit.

To quote Mr. Bilbo, “I think I’m quite ready for another adventure.”

 

 

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Wednesday and Change

“Everything in life is unusual until you get accustomed to it.”

The Marvelous Land of Oz
American novelist, L. Frank Baum, was born on this day in 1856 (died 1919).

I’ve written recently about changes I’m trying to make. Some of them I’m getting used to.

Some of them I’ve not quite mastered.

As I wrote on Monday, I’m daily going through my to-do list and prioritizing.

Some days, like yesterday for example, that means I don’t post here.

I have some daily “must do” items. Then there are some “should do” items.
Moving down on the list we have the “want to do” items.

I will never get to them all.

The Write Side Shop

While that used to bother me, I’ve grown accustomed to it.

It’s Wednesday with a lot going on. Just like you, I need to get back into it.

Feel free to read the links below at your leisure. And hit the tip jar on the way out.

Or not.

Speaking of Oz, the trailer for the Wicked movie is supposed to be released today. I love the musical. But since they’ve broken it up into two films, I hope they’re drawing more from the book, which is the far better story.

IN OTHER NEWS

‘I have loved you with an everlasting love’: 76 reasons I love Israel as she turns 76
Joel Rosenburg, All Israel News
…Exactly 76 years after our first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, declared our independence – I want to share with you 76 reasons why I love this country.

UN revises Gaza death toll, almost 50% less women and children killed than previously reported
FOX News
JERUSALEM – In a dramatic shift, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has revised its data pertaining to the number of Palestinian casualties in the seven-month-old Gaza war, reducing almost by half the number of women and children it previously said were killed in the hostilities between Israel and the Iranian-backed terror group Hamas.

Latest Polls Show Biden Will Need Twice As Many Fake Ballots To Win Election This Year
The Babylon Bee
The startling poll results presented the Biden campaign with a sobering reminder that the standard number of fake ballots used in previous election years needed to be increased significantly for him to win again in November.

A ‘Never Again Trump’ Guide to Voting Trump
Scott Moorefield, TownHall
For a host of reasons, all of which I’ve laid out in excruciating detail both on Twitter/X and my past Townhall columns, Donald Trump wasn’t my choice to become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. I considered myself a “Never Again Trumper.” Though I happily voted for him twice, I felt strongly that Ron DeSantis was the better option this cycle. Yet, for better or for worse, despite the efforts of all of us who wanted an alternative, here we are, with Trump as the Republican presidential nominee for a third election in a row.

With Birthing Person’s Day Over, Families Prepare For Lawnmowing Person’s Day
The Babylon Bee
“Ah, I love lawnmowing person’s day,” said Dale Polski, a local family lawnmowing person who identifies as male. “It’s a great day to put some meat on the grill, open this year’s pair of new socks, and enjoy a nap.”

Jane Lynch returns for new Only Murders in the Building: ‘I’m in a lot’
Entertainment Weekly
Lynch told PEOPLE she’s returning for season 4. “Well, I’m the murder victim, which is not a tease,” she told the publication on May 9 at the Alzheimer’s Association Magic of Music Gala. “And so I have some really great flashbacks.”

 

Available on Amazon.