Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles is/was around 2200 miles. I’ve driven about 3400 miles so far from San Diego.
(16:46)
Random road thoughts:
Trees exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen; the lungs exchange CO2 for O2. Trees look like inside-out lungs (trunk, branches, leaves).
We have devices to record sounds and images, why don’t we have any devices to record smells? And tastes? There was a lovely smell for quite a few miles back in Coeur d’Alene indian reservation that was like a sweet alfalfa; meant to stop and ask someone what it was but didn’t get a chance.
Why are waterfalls so captivating?
Stopped in to a store in Craigmont to ask if the road over to Kamiah (“kam-ee-yay”) was paved or gravel; and stepped on a cat’s tail (the cat was on the doormat, and it was bright outside and dark inside). It shrieked and ran off, and appeared to be fine, but I felt bad. Then on the way out of town I saw not one but two black cats playing in the fields. Snapped a picture of one; was prepared to hand out tuna if I saw another but didn’t. The other day on the iPod, The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe (read dramatically by Diamanda Galas, whoever that is) came on and I actually had a chance to listen to it; gruesome but rather over the top. I’m not superstitious, I just don’t like to be mean to animals.
The time has come for car computers. Those crummy navigation computers in some new cars strike me as ridiculous and overpriced; I’d like an embedded computer (I’d want a Mac, but the choice of Windows or Linux would be good as well) that displayed all the car’s functions, as well as functioned as a standard computer. No, not for while you’re driving; there could be a lockout on that or only allow the passenger to use the keyboard/pointer, but. Then I could use standard navigation software (I’m using Topo, which is barely adequate without the local maps, but very cool hooked to the GPS), my iTunes as the MP3 player, etc. And the screen could be a bit smaller than the 12″ one on the iBook, and still be fine. I’ve tried to engineer this before but can’t find a small LCD/OLED VGA monitor to use; everything else would be fairly simple; integrating it with the car a bit more of a challenge.
Bumper stickers seem to be mainly available in tourist shops, and most of those suck. Printing my own would be better, now that I know the secret of the magnetic sign material; but a display that goes in the back window would be even better (if more distracting). As we get more cheap OLED-type (other slow update would be better if cheaper/sharper) displays I predict we’ll see t-shirts and instant signs a lot more.
Why don’t gas pumps let me enter an odometer reading? Optional of course. But if I go back to the same station, why not have it calculate my mileage for me, as well, and print it on my reciept?
(20:30 Lolo pass campsite)
This is nearly the most perfect campsite I can imagine. I’m at 46,30 N 114,46 W if you’re playing along on the home game; but I can’t recall the name of the campsite. The camping area is practically deserted; my spot is level (with no big rocks in front of me!). It’s raining, but not hard so I have the sliding door open to listen to it; I’ve heated myself up some soup and am finishing off the fresh cherry tomatoes I bought the other day (good, tho the blueberries were even better). I’m listening to random iTunes; later I may watch a DVD or read a book. There’s a hot springs a few miles back if I want to take a little hike tomorrow morning, which at the moment seems like a great idea. Van is running well, and I spent the whole afternoon driving along a beautiful river in the rain, taking pictures. I could imagine being happier if someone special were here with me, but otherwise I’m on top of the world. And that at only 4,000′! Ooh, and I got to ford a tiny creek to get to this side of the camping area.
Wandering up to Missoula tomorrow, just because I liked it when I was there last; wonder if I can find a place to give me a flyfishing lesson (rain or none). Wonder if the Rhino pub is still there, or the indian place I had dinner.
