And so it begins…
Cross Country Adventure
July 8, 2020
One of my favorite memories is our honeymoon cross country adventure in September 1974. I am an East Coast girl and I wanted to see California and Paul had family there. We converted an old 1964 Dodge panel van into a “hippie style” camper and embarked on our journey. The van was nothing fancy. In its previous life, it had been gutted to haul motorcycles and painted canary yellow with black banding. I think you can get the picture but this was 1974. We equipped it modestly with a platform bed, block ice refrig. and calico curtains. Take a peek at our “hippie” van that sometimes became the interest of law enforcement along the way.
(Sorry for the not so perfect images. On the way to the wedding and a stop at the beach).
We took about 4 weeks to traverse this country. We had no set destinations or times. We looked for remote “off the beaten path” camping areas. We always bypassed the big campgrounds until we found the right spot. At that time there was no such thing as a cell phone. All was done with a road atlas and AAA camping guide. We passed by most major cities and avoided interstates if possible. What freedom to explore this beautiful country!
Fast forward to today, July 7, 2020 we were supposed to depart on another cross country adventure to visit our sons, their wives and our grandson in Massachusetts. Paul planned this trip meticulously. We intended to camp across the country in a “tricked out” 2007 Honda minivan, complete with a platform bed, refrigerator and auxiliary AC (no calico curtains). We incorporated enough creature comforts to make us comfortable between stops along the way to see family and friends. We safely planned for minimal dining out and no motel accommodations. We were so looking forward to seeing the USA. Here is a matchbox replica of our van with a less than perfect paint job!
It was going to hang from our mirror for this nostalgic trip.
