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I'm reading a wonderful book, John Steinbeck's "Travels With Charley" - Charley being his dog, as they set off across the country 60 years ago in what would be an RV before the term existed, named Rocinante.
I love this at the beginning.
One small boy about thirteen years old came back every day. He stood apart shyly and looked at Rocinante; he peered in the door, even lay on the ground and studied the heavy-duty springs. He was a silent, ubiquitous small boy. He even came at night to stare at Rocinante. After a week he could stand it no longer. His words wrestled their way hell-bent through his shyness. He said, "If you'll take me with you, why, I'll do anything. I'll cook, I'll wash all the dishes, and do all the work and I'll take care of you."
Unfortunately for me, I knew his longing. "I wish I could," I said. "But the school board and your parents and lots of others say I can't."
"I'll do anything," he said. And I believe he would. I don't think he ever gave up until I drove away without him. He had the dream I've had all my life, and there is no cure.
It reminds me of when I drove from Houston, where we were living, to New Orleans with my then young daughter. We stopped at a diner, just off the I10 inside Louisiana. The young waitress got chatting to us, fascinated by our English accents, and asked where we were going.
On telling her, there was a wistful look in her eyes, and she said that she would love to go there. Unthinkingly I pointed to the I10, and said that it's only a few hours down the road. To her it must have seemed like it was a different world.
Back in the 1970's I rode my motorcycle from Port Hueneme California to Ronkonkoma, NY (out on Long Island). That gave me an understanding of the allure of the open road. Was an interesting adventure but I'm glad I got that out of my system.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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That was my favorite book when I was about 16, and driving my first car, a $30 1958 Chrysler. I did some road trips and camping with friends, but it was 1970 at age 19 that I convinced my best friend at the time to go with me on the adventure inspired by the book. We took my 1964 Buick Skylark Sport Wagon a a 2-1/2 month, 18,000 mile road trip, visiting 44 states.
The entire trip cost about $500, including gas at average 30 cents/gallon, food and anything else. We never paid a dime for lodging, staying with people we knew or that people we knew knew, or camping in free parks or just sleeping in the car. He would lie in the back with the seat folded down among our stuff, and I would lay across the front bench seat.
I think I was about 4 when my parents took me camping. We went to Sequoia, and there was an old man in an Airstream there. Been in love with trees and Airstreams ever since. Now living in a cargo van, going on my fourth year. Sometime I know I'm going to have to quit. Every year, I think "Not this year..."
He had the dream I've had all my life, and there is no cure.
Yay, new book to add to my list of winter reading! Can't believe I've never heard of this one. So many books, so little time...
Not a week passes that I don't seriously contemplate ditching everyday life and hitting the road. There's an older woman who posts in this forum, I believe she's living in a small van with her cat, and they travel the country together.
John Steinbeck knew he was dying. Chunks of what is in "Travels with Charley" are likely invented.
From the New York Times: "Even Steinbeck’s son John said he was convinced that his father never talked to many of the people he wrote about, and added, “He just sat in his camper and wrote all that [expletive].”
In 2010, Bill Barich published “Long Way Home: On the Trail of Steinbeck’s America,” in which he came to some more upbeat conclusions than Steinbeck had. “I’m fairly certain that Steinbeck made up most of the book,” he said recently. “The dialogue is so wooden.”
Don't let it dull your pleasure, but by the same token there are much better Steinbeck books.
Well, Christmas is coming, and I might give it as a gift.
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