Independence (Drive Day 4 minus 14 years)
Every July Fourth the whole country throws a birthday party for Gary’s older brother Mike, including a full-on western rodeo where he lives with his wife Carol in Prescott, Arizona. This year we crash the celebration in our Ford F350 and vintage Avion truck camper. Which, after three nights of boondocking in Walmart parking lots, I happily abandon for a real guest bed, hot shower and food that requires more than one burner. Does this bode well for my road-worthiness?
It’s so North American, this flag-waving, chaps-and-saddle extravaganza. I’m practicing adding the “North” part when describing the U.S.– since the countries we’re headed to have just as much claim on the name America.
Follow this bonus-material blog and ride along on a one-year road trip that inspired the memoir The Drive: Searching for Lost Memories on the Pan American Highway. On sale now. Get yours through the buy-the-book links at the bottom my teresabrucebooks.com website landing page or here or here. Like The Drive’s Facebook page and tweet back at me @writerteresa.