June 27, 2007

June 27, 2007

Californ-I-A

The first night back on the road was hot. Accustomed to the air-conditioned bedrooms of the guest house, we all had a little trouble getting to sleep in the extreme heat. The heat woke most of us up around 8:00am when it was already climbing to 100+ degrees outside. A good hour or two was spent inside a nearby, air-conditioned, gas station. We fueled up and started towards the border. We were only twenty miles away from the border when we parked last night.

Nearing the border, we unpacked the cameras and got ready for the big moment. Phone calls were made, and pictures were taken the second we passed the “Welcome to California” sign. It got pretty loud in the cabin, as we approached the border inspection stop. We parked a little ways down the road and walked the footbridge over the Colorado River to the sign. We snapped a few pics before deciding we needed to get out of the heat. Michigan weather is sounding better and better all the time. Closer to the city limits we found a McDonalds and used the gift card that Scott gave us (thanks Scott) to buy some milk shakes.

We were in no hurry to leave the cool, air-conditioned cafeteria of McDonalds. More phone calls were made, including one from my sister Julie, to figure out the plan for the next few days. Ryan and Julie are giving us a place to stay for a while, and the inside scoop of LA. We’re looking forward to actually making it their place, but right now we are facing a small delay.

Helen is overheating again, right before we enter about 80miles of desert. We decided to pull over at the last gas station before the desert, to cool down and wait. When the sun goes down, the temperature will drop and we can keep chugging down I-10 towards LA. For now, we’re writing, watching videos of the trip thus far, copying pictures to the computers, and playing poker. The truck stop restaurant we are in is near empty; I’m sure we were more than half of their customers all day.

We waited until about 11:00pm before we took off through the desert. It was a long stay at the truck stop and we were ready get out of there. Because of our long delay, we wouldn’t be making it to Ryan and Julie’s until about 3:00am, so we decided we would park somewhere nearby and meet up in the morning.

On the highway, Helen gave us a big scare. The transmission wasn’t shifting into third gear, causing us to stay at a 35mph top speed. As we limped down the highway, hazard lights flashing, we talked about possible solutions. There was serious talk about scrapping the whole thing and buying bus tickets back. We thought for sure that Helen had given up. But then, a second wind, Helen was shifting again! Not asking any questions as to why it worked again, we proceeded to find a Wal-Mart just a few minutes from Ryan and Julie. It was 3:00am.

Once at Wal-Mart, we all went inside and cleaned up. It was walking back to the Bago that we discovered we had parked right next to a “No overnight RV parking” sign. Not really wanting to be towed, this close to our destination, we moved into the next empty lot. A half hour after we parked there, a security vehicle came by and made us move again. Desperately searching for a place to stay we cruised on down the road. A block away there was an abandoned gas station with its windows boarded up. It didn’t look very inviting but it worked. We slept good, knowing we had made it.

Winnebago Guys, from the desk of Aaron Tubergen

Rancho Cucamonga, California

June 26, 2007

June 26, 2007

Motor Home-Sick

The order and structure that goes into a normal day at the house was getting to be too much for us. We were ready to pick up Mike and return to the unplanned excitement of the West. Helen has been parked for a few days now, longer than any other stop we’ve made since we left.

We woke up around noon and got ready to go to the airport. It was at the airport that we found out that we were in the newspaper. Our good friend Leo made sure that we got as much publicity as the other group of guys in the bus. There was a good picture of us at the send-off in there, along with a neat article that I’m sure is hanging on my fridge back home. Thanks Leo.

We updated the site, checked our e-mails, and headed for the terminals. Mike’s flight was delayed nine minutes, throwing our schedule way out of whack (but not really). We met up and the five became six once again. Everyone talking at once, we filled Mike in on all the great stuff that he missed out on, and a lot of the crap that we had to deal with while he was gone. Everyone back up to speed, we drove back to our temporary desert home.

We arrived back home and after a few introductions, we started to make dinner. Mrs. Kapenga’s famous Stromboli is one dish that Dan and Micah are beginning to perfect. It was delicious, and everyone was impressed with the cooking skills of Helen’s crew. Just because we only eat food that comes in wrappers while on the road, doesn’t mean that we don’t know how to cook while in a kitchen.

After dinner and a small waterslide building project, we began to pack and clean up. The accumulated trash from all of our food took a while to pick up. Luke broke a window in the Winnebago by throwing his army helmet. He was aiming for an open window and shattered the sliding pane next to it. It made a bit of a mess, and there is a gaping hole where the driver’s window should be, but for now we don’t need one.

Mike got his head shaved today; I did last night, so now everyone is buzzed clean. It’s the high speed, low drag, and low maintenance aspects that make it the hair cut of choice among the crew members.

When the guest house was clean we made our way back into the Bago to continue our push to California. We said our goodbyes, hopped in and drove off, aiming to cross the border.

It feels good to be on the road again, like this is actually back to our normal. There was little adjustment time, as Helen was as eager as we were to drive west although we did make a wrong turn down a one way street. Luckily there was no oncoming traffic and we turned around easily.

California is getting close, and we’re proving a lot of people wrong. If we were to break down right here, we would walk the remaining 139 miles to the border. Well, Mike, Luke, Ian and I would bike, Dan and Micah would walk, but we would all get there somehow. No problems since we left Tucson, things are looking good for the Winnebago Boys. Next post should be from California, …should be.

Winnebago Guys, from the desk of Aaron Tubergen

Phoenix, Arizona -ish

2,456 miles from home

June 22-25, 2007

June 22-25, 2007

More Like Home

Never had we doubted old Helen more than we did in the mountains Friday night. The steep cliffs on our right, provided little room for us to pull off when we overheated, which we did often. The transmission’s temp would skyrocket with every steep climb. Cars and trucks passed us with speed, as we eased up the mountains. The stop and go pace of the Winnebago was a tedious necessity to keep it cool, but the all night drive got us all the way to Tucson, Arizona where Micah’s aunt Robyn and uncle Brad live.

Parking the Bago next to the guest house, we quickly moved all of our stuff inside and took our first real showers of the trip. It was a good feeling being clean again, at least for a little while. It was easier to put up with each other too, now that we didn’t smell. Right after showers and a little laundry we took naps. For Luke and Dan it was the first sleep since before Roswell. When we woke up we would drive our way to Mexico; the first planned activity of the trip.

Mexico was a lot of fun. Our house was right on the California Gulf. The waves were huge and we swam in the ocean a lot. We also got out and explored the nearby tourist community. Things are a lot different in Mexico than they are in the States. We slept a couple of nights under the stars, out on our porch to avoid the cockroaches inside. All in all, a good time before taking off back to Tucson.

Once back at the house, we finished moving in and once again taking advantage of real showers. The backyard pool made the 100 degree days bearable in the afternoons. At night we played video games and drank pop just like we were down in my basement back in Holland. It was a good break from the road. Throw a few chores in the mix and we felt right at home.

Not much else happened in these few days. Away from the road and out of the Winnebago, we haven’t really had anything out of the ordinary happen to us. I’m sure that when we get Helen back on the highway the posts will get a little longer.

Mike is supposed to fly into town tomorrow afternoon at about four o’clock. The plan is to leave after dinner and make a push to California. We’re not that far out, and hope to make it to my sister Julie’s place in a few days. That is after we call and tell her we’re getting close.

One more late night with Playstation 2 and Mountain Dew before we get Mike and leave. We’re all a little ready to get back on the road again; it should be a good feeling.

Winnebago Guys, from the desk of Aaron Tubergen

Tucson, Arizona

2,338 miles from home

Luke's List

This was written a while back but never got posted, here it is

Luke: So far team Winnebago has high spirits, but I expect that to change as we approach the Rocky Mountains. But with the right amount of quarreling and fireworks we should be all right.

Here is a list of things we still hope to accomplish.

#1. Make a citizen’s arrest

#2. Jump off a bridge into a river from the roof of the Winnebago

#3. Break 55 mph

#4. Run a heard of buffalo off a cliff

#5. Perform a pit/e-brake maneuver

#6. Make a bonfire that can be seen from space

#7. Sneak into Mexico

#8. Freeload off hotel pools and complimentary breakfasts

#9. Collect insurance

#10. Shave every ones head

June 21, 2007

June 21, 2007

Alien Hunting

As soon as we hit the New Mexico border last night, talk of aliens and UFOs filled the Winnebago. Every light and every noise was a UFO, every person an alien. We joked about the whole idea and completely underestimated what we would actually find in Roswell, New Mexico.
The extreme heat of the desert sidelined dear Helen during the afternoon hours of the 21st. The bago needed several breaks even in the cooler, mid-west states to prevent overheating. The desert here has proven to be much worse. The decision was made to avoid the heat of the day. We would burn our time touring the town, hunting for aliens.
Every business in the city exploited the idea of Roswell being a UFO hotspot. The Wal-Mart we stayed at last night had aliens painted on the front of the building, welcoming us into the store. An Arby’s sign flashed “Aliens Welcome.” Main Street held a wide variety of alien museums and research centers. Most everything we saw was just a tourist trap. T-shirts, mugs, key chains, and posters were everywhere. Not satisfied with just scratching the surface, we did some investigative reporting with our video camera. Acting like huge alien enthusiasts we went around asking peoples opinions on what they thought was real. Not getting the reactions we hoped for, we dug deeper. We wanted the people you would find on the discovery channel late at night talking about their own abduction story. We went to the Roswell Alien Museum and Research Center for more answers. There was an admissions price of five dollars. Not having much spare cash we sent in Special reporters Luke and Ian to investigate (Ian because he passed as 15 and got the kids price.) They took the camera in with them and looked long and hard for evidence of life from space. None of it added up, so we gave up.
After a couple of hours in the town welcome center, using the internet to update the website and electric to charge all the batteries, we continued out west. The goal for tonight is Tucson, Arizona. It would be an all night trek but the prize, real showers. Micah’s aunt Robyn who lives in Tucson is willing to put us up for a few nights, in a real house, with running water and electricity. We may even get a few home cooked meals out of the deal. We have been looking forward to Tucson for a long time now. It may take all night, maybe into tomorrow morning, to get there, but the destination is just to appealing to wait any longer.
The heat proved to be too much even during our late evening departure. A few miles out of Roswell we had to take a break and let the engine cool. With no exits for miles ahead or behind us we pulled over next to a couple of semis on a small turn off. The small rest stop was just two picnic tables under a small triangle roof and a trash can. We quickly took out the stove and a few cans of beef stew. We cooked in the small piece of shade next to the trash can. To pass time we got the water balloon launcher out. We had little water, and no balloons, so we shot desert rocks instead. We shot for distance, for height, at cacti, and at jack rabbits. It was actually a lot of fun trying to hit stuff, miss, and watch the dust kick up where the rock skipped through the desert. Sometimes we would shoot one big rock, or a bunch of smaller ones. We didn’t catch any game on our water balloon launcher excursion, but that was probably a good thing. The sun was setting, the food was gone, and so we packed up and hit the road again.

One major obstacle still in our way, the mountains. The mountains have worried us since the moment we started planning the trip. We are aiming for the very southernmost point of the Rockies, where it isn’t so mountainous. We’ve been banking on Helen making it through this difficult stretch since we left, because if not, we don’t make it to Cali.
As we approach the mountains we watch a rain storm pass miles ahead of us. Straight above us, a mild blue-orange sky, far ahead we see the sheets of rain drop out of the sky and over the silhouetted hills beyond. Afraid that the bad weather ahead is a sign, we continue down the road. It is late Thursday night and there is no traffic on the roads. The first wave of hills behind us, the larger mountains begin to appear. There is a little bit of stress and worry in the front cabin right now. We’ll see where we end up in the morning, Tucson … or maybe somewhere short of there.

Winnebago Guys, from the desk of Aaron Tubergen
The mountains of New Mexico
1,870 miles from

June 20, 2007

June 20/2007

Hellen, You Spoil Us

Battling a thunderstorm and near death will wear out even the strongest man. Hellen handled the storm beautifully but us guys are only human we needed a break. We woke at 11:00 and for the first time no one was in a pool of sweat. A cool 65 degree morning greeted us following the stormy night, and we were ready to continue our journey.
Ian started the day driving and we did not need to go far before making our first stop of the day. We were driving into a small town called Hollis when we saw a billboard that could have stopped a stampeding herd of wildebeests (see Lion King, Mufassa’s death) It wasn’t cheap gas, a national park or another Winnebago that would be a perfect match for Hellen. It was an advertisement for, are you ready for this, all you can eat Kentucky Fried Chicken! (Okay, maybe not better than a counterpart for Hellen but still it was amazing) After an hour stop to get wireless internet and another hour to experience the Colonel in his true beauty we were ready to make up for lost time.
After a little while Ian was sick of driving, he had driven roughly half of the entire trip so far we decided to throw a new driver into the rotation. Dan drove us through Texas as a new adventure in a new state began to unfold. The weather was beautiful and so was the scenery. The hills of Texas seemed to roll on forever and a clear sky set us up for a picture perfect night.
We do not know if it was leaving Oklahoma (the state no bachelor should call home), entering Texas or if the Winnebago decided to start treating us a little better, but things were looking good for Texas. At about 10:30 we decided to throw myself (Micah) behind the wheel and try to make it the nearly 300 miles to Roswell, New Mexico (I have never seen Luke so enthusiastic about any one place for a long time)
After fighting to stay awake while driving down the barren highway sometimes going nearly 15 minutes without seeing another car we stopped at the Texas/New Mexico border to take a picture by the “Welcome to New Mexico” sign. After Aaron and Luke stirred out of bed we ran out to get the picture and make a quick rest-stop.
New Mexico is known for paranormal experiences and alien sightings. We had our first adventure in New Mexico as we were crossing the border. Dan and I climbed into the pilots and co-pilots seats respectively. Dan, being the navigator had to be wary of the road ahead and pointed out what appeared to be a silhouette staggering closer to us and the guys still using the restroom. As he walked closer we realized that there was no building around for miles and had no idea why he would be wandering down a unpopulated road at 2 in the morning. As soon as everybody piled in I stepped on the gas and went to the far left lane to avoid the stranger whom I believe can be accurately described as a serial murderer. As I swerved away from him he began o stagger across the road as if he wanted to climb in the cab and say hello to us. When I say hello in this case however I am trying to find the words that a serial murderer would say to his victim’s right before he ate their faces. As the headlights passed by him we could vaguely make out his unshaven face and the pits he had where his eyes should have been. A green baseball hat, white baggy shirt and dirty jeans completed what can be best described as a killers ensamble. The most damning evidence against him was the fact that he never once removed his hand from under his shirt. Even after he turned after us as we sped away.
With a new energy boost from our first ever paranormal experience and the jokes of him running us down as we went 55 miles/hour we were able to stay awake until we entered Roswell. As we drove through downtown at 4 in the morning our eyes lit up like a kids on Christmas morning when he sees the bounty of presents he accumulated. We got our first look of the shops in downtown Roswell as we readied ourselves for a new adventure in a new city.

From Hellens’ Boys, written by Micah “Cue” Kool

June 19, 2007

June 19, 2007

We woke up this morning after a long night’s sleep, ready to get out of Tulsa. An early night last night and sleeping in this morning helped us stay wide awake as we moved the Winnebago for the first time in three days. The tires we fixed yesterday made us mobile for the short distance to the tire store. No more jumping between taxis and buses today.
As we wait at Wal-Mart for our parts to come in, we decide to shave some more heads. Micah and Ian had already done theirs. Micah’s is down almost to the skin. We call him Cue, short for cue ball because of his new look. Luke was first up today. The clipper was running off the Winnebago battery, and would sometimes die on us. The clipper guard kept falling off and making it difficult to cut hair at one uniform length. Luke now has a few divots in his head that look pretty funny. He wasn’t too happy about them though. After Luke was done it was Dan’s turn. Taking special care of the guard this time, Micah cut away at Dan’s hair. Struggling for power the clipper died about half way through. It was not a pretty hair cut. Buzzed in the front and full length in the back, but not quite like a mullet. There are pictures up on the site of it. After turning on the Bago to give it some extra juice, we finished buzzing Dan’s head. The tire parts came in and I didn’t have time for mine yet, but I was okay with that because my hair is much longer than Dan’s was and I didn’t want to get stuck half-way done like he was for a while. I’ll wait until we can plug in.
We sit in the air-conditioned waiting room sharing our stories with the other customers and the desk attendant. Everyone shares ideas from their teenage traveling days with us, telling us where to stop and places to avoid. The desk attendant tells us he’s going to go make a call to his wife, telling her that he won’t be home for a while because he’s going to join us on the road. Everyone we talk to tells us they are jealous.
The tire mechanic removes our wheels and checks our tubes. He tells us that only some of them are damaged, and the other ones should hold air. Confused as to how air is seeping out of our tires, we decide not to fix what the mechanic says isn’t broken. One tire, our spare, is shot completely. The mechanic refuses to work on it because it is actually dangerous to tamper with. We decide to keep it anyway, but if we lose another wheel, we’re screwed.
We get back on the road, ready to leave Tulsa for good. Everything is working, and the weather looks decent up ahead. We feel good about passing the bus terminal for the last time, without needing to stop at it. Our goal destination today is a state park south-west of Oklahoma City. They have showers, power hook-ups, and everything else we’ve been missing out on in Wal-Mart parking lots.
A couple hours away from our destination we receive a call from the Bus Guys. The other group that started their road trip a couple days ago and are already passing us. They called to tell us that when they passed through Oklahoma City that there were tornado warnings and heavy storms coming in. Staying south of the big city we hoped to steer clear of all bad weather, because so far on the trip, bad weather means something bad is going to happen to the Winnebago and her crew.
Driving through the dark, we start to second guess where the park actually is. The sky is pitch black with storm clouds. Unable to navigate using the sky, we use the city glow from Oklahoma City as our North Star substitute. Lighting flashes in a horseshoe around us, lighting up the outline of the giant storm clouds. The storm is still too far off to hear any thunder, but it seems like we are driving straight into it.
The five of us sit in the front, listening to the same old play-list on Micah’s ipod. Everyone is staring out a different window, watching the giant lightning bolts light up the sky around us. Occasionally one will light up the road in front of the Winnebago, revealing hidden turns in the road ahead. The mood is a tired one; nobody says much of anything. Mike, you chose a few good days to miss.
Driving nearer to the eye of the storm, the wind picked up. With the lightning came thunder now, and the rain began to pour. We attached a small fan to the dash to use as a window defogger. It worked, but only on the one window it was attached to. Visibility was low and it was obvious now that getting to the state park was not high on our list of priorities. Stopping for directions, the locals told us they had never heard of our park. They directed us to a different park, but in the rain it was impossible to find.
Missing the last three cities we planned to stop in, we were willing to park anywhere. We found a gas station out in the middle of nowhere, and we pulled around back. Outside, it’s raining sideways. The wind flings the door open as Luke turns the knob to go outside. Planning on taking real showers at the state park, we were a little disappointed with a gas station for the night. Plan B was to take showers out in the rain, which worked for a little bit. The wind was so strong and the rain so heavy, that it almost hurt to stand outside in a bathing suit. We quick lather up some soap, as we all dance around to keep warm. We hear a nearby crack of thunder. Dan claims he saw the lightning bolt hit a power line just across the street. He saw it spark and fall. All getting a little more nervous about the weather, we speed the showering process up. Then the brightest flash of lightning right in front of us, strikes a light pole less than thirty-five yards away, followed immediately with a tremor of thunder that you could feel. Terrified of how close to us it was, we rinsed off, and ran back inside where Helen was leaking in through all of her windows. The Bago was a mess, but we were clean. We all changed, ate cookies, and went to bed. An exciting ending to a long day on the road.

Winnebago guys, from the desk of Aaron Tubergen
Just west of Lawton, Oklahoma
1301 miles from home