10/26/21
Los Angeles is not my favorite place. The sights are cool but the drivers are obsessed with being fast and the people are all stressed out and angry or confused which makes the atmosphere quite uncomfortable. We hit many sights throughout the city on our day of adventure. We started off with the famous Griffith Observatory but were disappointed to see that it was closed due to a film shoot happening. We then made our way to the Hollywood sign where we took a bunch of photos freaking out over finally seeing the sign in person. From there we went to the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame where all of the stars on the sidewalk are located.
Last day of camping with the Villains.
From there we drove to the house that was used in Halloween, known as the Michael Meyers house. Once we got there Nick dressed up as Michael Meyers and he geeked out while I took photos for him. We then drove to the hedge that was used in the film and Nick reenacted the scene of Michael disappearing behind the hedge. From there we drove to an overlook of the city at a local park and soaked in the sunset as we waited for the city lights to come on. We both had to pee so once everyone else left after it got dark we walked took turns to walk into the bushes by the overlook and relieved ourselves. On our way back Nick convinced me to stop at the Universal Studios Mall and we were not disappointed by it at all.
We made it back to camp around 10:30pm and then passed out from the long day.
10/27/21
Today Nick and I made our way from LA to Vegas. The total driving time was around 4 hours so we slept in before officially taking off. We had an interaction with a park ranger who didn't believe that we had paid for the night of camping but he let us go after I explained the situation and said he could follow us until we got service again. The trip was pretty much uneventful but when we made it to Vegas we drove the strip to see what it was like. It definitely lived up to expectations with the amount of activity that was occurring. I checked us in online so we were able to avoid the huge line at the front desk and when we got to our room we were extremely wiped out from the constant driving. We decided that we wouldn't explore the full strip that night but would just find a good view from outside Excalibur. We then went back to the room and watched Free Solo and The Dawn Wall, which are both climbing documentaries. We stayed up until 1:00 am and then fell asleep.
10/28/21
Today was such a long day! We walked over 26,000 steps which is equivalent to a half marathon or 13.1 miles. We slept in so we could explore the strip in the afternoon and grab lunch while we were at it. Our main goal was to check out the main casinos/hotels and to get a feel for the strip so that when we came back in the night it wouldn't be too overwhelming trying to figure out where things were at. We found our way to The Cosmopolitan, The Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, and The Flamingo. We then went back to The Excalibur for a nap before heading back out for dinner and further exploration of the north side of Las Vegas. We drove to the Golden Nugget, for some gambling, and then made our way to Fremont Street. Let's just say that the slot machines were not worth it. to me it felt like I was paying ten dollars to just watch my money disappear. I lost $15 in 30 seconds playing the 1 cent slots, the minimum bet was 50 cents. So after $15 I was done with gambling for the night. On Freemont Street there were tons of street performers and neon lights. There were also people on ziplines zooming overhead through the street. We walked around soaking it in then made our way back to The Excalibur to park the van before going to the fountain show at The Bellagio. It was a mile walk back down the strip and as usual there were lots of people and show girls constantly asking if anyone wanted a picture with them. Also, since Nick and I were two guys walking by there were a few salesmen that asked if we were interested in any strip clubs and I obviously declined the offer. Very different from the small Christian town of Wilmore.
10/29/21
Today was the official ending of the Villains travel crew as I said goodbye to maintenance Nick. We distributed items that we had spread through each vehicle and then officially went our separate ways. My route was to see how far I could get towards Texas but I made a quick stop at Hoover Dam. I didn't realize that they had security searching vehicles so they made me pull over after looking through all my rolled down windows. I had to get out and open all of the doors and explain why I had a bed and a bunch of stuff in the van. They eventually said I could keep going so I hopped back in and made my way to the dam. I will honestly say that I expected it to be bigger for some reason. Maybe movies or climbing videos have made large walls seem smaller but I expected it to be a lot bigger. It only took about 20-30 seconds to drive across and I stopped at an overlook to get some photos before continuing on my way.
I then drove for 6 hours until nightfall and I stopped at a rest area to sleep. It felt nice being on my own but it is definitely a new atmosphere only having to be responsible for myself with meals, gas, and everything else.
10/30/21
Today was quite the adventure! First of all, the rest area was a great place for sleep and to have a bathroom right next to me. So when I pulled onto the interstate I was in a great mood and singing a bunch of fun songs, mainly from the Sound of Music and Greatest Showman, when all of a sudden my check engine light starting blinking. Thankfully there was an exit, 322, and I was able to pull off the interstate and there was a dead end road right off the exit. When I came to the stop sign I could hear the engine making a sound like a lawn mower! I parked and got out to see that there was a missing spark plug. I turned off the engine and took an inspection of the van and I looked up the cap number and realized that the spark plug had blown out of the engine! So...I was stranded in Arizona. I ended up calling AAA for towing services and then communicated everything with my parents, since it is their van. Ironically I was driving the other family van before this one when it died on my way to work about 6 years ago. So I think my family should start calling me the van slayer. I was happily surprised at how many people stopped and asked if I needed help while I waited for AAA. I think I counted a total of 6 people that stopped and drove out of their way from the exit to see if I was ok.
Anyways, after an hour or so AAA showed up and they towed me to the nearest mechanic shop in Wilcox, AZ. The two guys with the tow truck were super friendly. They both were originally from Arizona and the younger guy was on his first day of the job so he was being trained. They also told stories about how they picked a lady up in the past where she had a kangaroo in the trunk and another lady kept referring to her "cat" when it was actually a possum. We made it to the mechanic shop and from the initial conversation it seemed like it would be an easy quick fix by just replacing the spark plug. However, Steve, the mechanic, who has been doing this for over 30 years, came back and said that when the plug blew that it ripped out the threads in the engine coil. So, he said he would try and repair the threads with a kit but it wasn't looking good. I sat in anticipation for about 30 minutes when I heard him start the engine and it ran normally. I had been praying for it come together but was already planning what I would do if I was stranded in Wilcox for an extreme repair. To fully fix it we would have to replace the cap on the engine coil chamber which would cost between $3,000-$4,000 and it would take a week to fix. He came out and said that I got super lucky with the specific plug that blew because he wouldn't have been able to get the kit into any of the other holes due to their placement. He also said that he didn't know how long it would hold but that I should get to where i am going and get rid of the van. So, when I left the shop I was filled with a bunch of anxiety not sure of when or if the van would blow another plug at any minute. I eventually just said, " God you got me and either way this is going to be quite the adventure."
Thankfully the van held together and I made my way across the southern tip of New Mexico and finally into Texas. I eventually made my way to El Paso to get my suit measurement for my sisters wedding in December and got to see the border across the interstate. I drove within a couple thousand feet of the border which is the closest I have ever been to Mexico. After I got measured, which I was surprised they let me in especially since my beard has gotten big and I looked a little homeless, I made my way about 1.5 hours outside of El Paso and stopped at another rest area for the night. What a day it was but I was so thankful for everyone supporting me and making sure I was alright.
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10/31/21
Today I woke up and made my way to Gruene, TX. It is pronounced Green and is known for having the oldest dance hall in the state of Texas. I met Molly at a coffee shop and then we walked around the historic district of Gruene. There were a bunch of antique shops and fun places to see. The Gruene Hall has live music quite often and was used in the filming of 'Michael" which John Travolta starred in. We sat and listened to the band playing that night and chickened out of dancing with the older couples since both of us are not too confident in our dancing skills. We then found a HUGE antique shop that was filled with pretty much everything that comes to mind when you think of antiques. There were toys form the early 1900s , clothes spanning every decade of the last 100 years, posters, jewelry, tools, pretty much anything you could think of. We goofed off quite a bit before moving on but it made for a memorable place. Afterwards we looked up a park to explore that was nearby. We then walked around the park until we found a bench overlooking a lake/pond. Either it was a huge pond or a small lake...not sure how to classify the difference. We sat by the lake while I played guitar and we took in all of the sights and sounds of the park. The conversation was absolutely amazing and I personally consider the evening to have been a date...It was definitely a date and a lovely one at that! Hopefully the weather stays nice as I explore central Texas and Molly shows me the area of Austin and San Antonio over the next few days.
Just now saw this per a reminder I'd set in my phone. Great adventure and write-up, Quinn! Thanks for taking us all along. I had an unexpected roadside hiatus this summer when visiting friends in CO via my motorcycle.
ReplyDeleteI was just West of Clayton, NM when my rear tire blew at about 80 mph. A real butt-pucker'er. AAA to Raton, NM and another tow to my friends in Colorado Springs, CO where I got a new tire. GREAT TRIP although all totaled I was about $1.5K poorer than I'd planned for. Such is travel sometimes. As is said, adventure is often hardship retold at leisure. ;-) Where are you for now? Any grand insights as a result of your travels? Happy trails! Looking forward to reading more per your next adventure(s). 😁