ROAD TRIP 

                                                                           

IT HAS BEEN MANY YEARS SINCE I HAVE BEEN ON A ROAD TRIP. IN MY YOUNGER DAYS, I REMEMBER DRIVING TO MAINE, ANOTHER TRIP TO OREGON, MANY TO COLORADO, ALONG WITH MANY HITCH HIKING TRIPS. ONCE WHEN MY FRIEND HEARD I HAD NEVER SEEN AN OCEAN, DECIDED THAT HE AND I WOULD HITCH HIKE TO CANADA, THEN WEST TO THE COAST AND DOWN TO CALIFORNIA. WELL WE MADE IT TO CANADA OKAY, BUT THERE WERE SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE TRYING TO HITCH HIKE WEST, LITERALLY 50 - 100 KIDS STANDING ALONG THE ROAD TRYING TO GET A RIDE. WE CHOSE PLAN C FOR CRAZY. ALONG WITH 6 OTHER TRAVELERS WE HOPPED A FREIGHT TRAIN GOING EAST. UNFORTUNATELY OUR FIRST ATTEMPT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. WE WAITED UNTIL THE TRAIN SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH THAT WE COULD HOP ON AND CELEBRATED OUR SUCCESS AS WE WAITED FOR THE TRAIN TO START UP AGAIN. AFTER 30 MINUTES WE LOOKED TO SEE WHY WE WEREN'T GOING. RATS! THE CARS WE HAD COMANDEERED HAD BEEN DUMPED. OUR NEXT TRY WAS SUCCESSFUL AS WE CAUGHT ONE GOING SLOW ENOUGH TO GET ON SAFELY, BUT CONTINUED ONCE IT LEFT WINNEPEG. WE GOT EXCELLENT ACCOMADATIONS IN AN AUTO TRANSPORT  CAR WITH NEW TOYOTAS. THE CARS WERE UNLOCKED, SO WE ROAD IN STYLE, THANK YOU  TOYOTA. WE MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THUNDER BAY. AND FROM THERE WE GOT A RIDE WITH A YOUNG COUPLE ALL THE WAY TO OCEAN CITY MARYLAND. THE OCEAN WAS WELL WORTH THE TRIP.     MY VAGABOND DAYS ARE WELL IN MY PAST, WITH 47 STATES AND 11 COUNTRIES ON MY RESUME. NOW WITH MY CREW OF DEPENDENTS A HALF DAY TRIP IS ALL I CAN MANAGE, AND I HAVE TO BEAT MY WANDERLUST BACK WHEN IT REARS IT'S TEMPTATION.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE VIDEO. IT IS BEST WHEN YOU CAN TURN THE VOLUME UP. THANKS FOR WATCHING.

UNTIL NEXT TIME.... THE BEGGAR'S APPRENTICE