Traveling America By Van: The Epilogue
by John Kumiski
On our trip around the USA, which lasted 153 days (give or take one or two), Susan and I traveled a total of 15,783 miles in our Sienna van. The van used 702.5 gallons of gasoline to do that, which cost me $2,271.91. The fuel economy for the entire trip came out to 22.5 miles per gallon. The miles per dollar amount was just under seven miles per dollar.
Myers Creek Beach, Oregon.
We used roads in 29 different states. Additionally, I flew to and from Alaska.
We did not count how many state and national parks we visited. It was quite a few!
We learned that travelling and camping in a minivan is entirely possible, even comfortable most of the time, and has distinct advantages over travelling in a big recreational vehicle-
-uses less fuel;
-much more nimble;
-park it anywhere;
-like driving a car!
Elephant seals, Piedras Blancas, California.
Unfortunately, the country is splintering, politically speaking. We ignored that to the extent possible. We were way more interested in the kindness of people! Some examples-
-Corrinne Theodoro giving me, to keep, a Marmot down jacket. Why? Because I was cold. So nice of her! Thank you, Corrinne!
-Dean and Sunday Altenhofer, who we hardly knew, taking Susan and I into Glacier National Park with them, because we could not get a reservation. Thank you, Dean and Sunday!
-the couple at Lake Pontchartrain, whose names we did not get (shame on us), who showed us the proper crawdad eating technique. Came in real handy while we were in Louisiana!
-the couple whose names we don't remember (shame on us), who loaned us their kayak so we could take a spin around Oregon's Tahkenitch Lake.
Maxx, Catalina, and dogs, California coast near Mendocino.
I could go on, but the idea here is, no one asked us our political leanings. People were just nice to us, across the board. The examples above are just the most memorable instances. Most Americans are kind and generous, and it was wonderful to see.
I was surprised and gratified at all the high-quality art on public display, especially in the West. Museum-quality work, painted on walls, displayed on rooftops, on sidewalks. Art adds so much to life!
Susan dances in Death Valley National Park, California.
We learned that even in a pandemic, you can travel without getting sick, if you're careful. Be prepared for lots of places you want to see to be closed, however.
We learned that if we had several years of travelling instead of several months, there would still be things we did not get to see. It's a big chunk of property, the USA, with endless things to see and do. Museums, and galleries, and gardens, and state and national parks, historical sites, archeological sites, rivers to paddle, mountains to hike, it is such a long list, such a great list.
Bighorn sheep, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.
And I haven't mentioned the time we got to spend with family and old friends, which was outstanding.
I have a terminal illness. In spite of that I was still able to hike (often slowly and sometimes a little painfully), and do other physical activities. Knowing I was sick, that this trip might be the last time I'd be able to do things like this, just made me appreciate everything we did that much more.
Blue morpho lands on Susan, Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Thanksgiving has already passed, but it is never a bad idea to take some time to count your blessings. I have been so blessed all through my life. It may seem weird to count an illness as a blessing, but if it makes you appreciate every day, if it forces you to consider that you are a part of everything you see, everyone you encounter, then yes, it is a blessing, although I don't wish this particular one on anybody.
Sunset over Badlands National Park, South Dakota.
Yeah, we had a (fill in this blank with your own superlatives please, because I just don't have the vocabulary) time on this trip. We want to take another one, and are doing some preliminary research. So please, stay tuned. We hope to again share our next adventures with you!
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