The Great Adventure
A coming of age adventure during the turbulent 1970’s: The winding down of the war in Vietnam, the Watergate scandal, Roe v.Wade Meat boycotts, and catastrophic flooding in the heart land. All come to life in this unique tale.
This journal was written on the road as events occurred.
There was no laptop or tablets around as there are today. My laptop was a
stack of unlined paper and ball point pens, packed and carefully placed
into a manila folder that was secured by a rubber band. No editing,
planning, or careful construction of words, only my raw thoughts and
emotions from each day, quickly written by flashlight at day’s end. This
daily log of our travels should be read with the context of the times
in mind.
Following my military service, I grew my hair long so I could blend in more easily with the long-haired hippy culture of the early 1970’s. Given my new look, little money, and no job prospects, I felt the timing was perfect for a road trip across the country to seek my fame and fortune. Buying a 1962 Volkswagen van with tie-dyed curtains for my journey, I converted it into a crude camper van, replacing the rear bench seats with a sheet of plywood over a platform for a bed. Joining me on my pilgrimage was my two best friends. We added a third, more casual friend, who agreed to help share expenses if he could join us on our great adventure. At the time, with our limited funds, it seemed like a good idea. None of us had any idea what to expect or what we would encounter. All we knew was that we were off on an iconic journey to see the wizard, forge new trails, and give meaning to our lives. The open road was our friend. One could not be any more cliché or misled than that.
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