One of the rarest things any of us get to do anymore is a road trip. A time where we just grab a couple of basic needs, pack them in a truck, and head out toward the horizon. The thrill of the road, with good tunes and good company, can be just what the doctor ordered. With all of the flights and airlines available to whisk you away to a far-off destination at a moment's notice, why would a person want to drive anywhere? You face being cramped in a truck, fast food, cheap motels, and too many hours to consider. But look past all of that, because a whole world exists on our nation's freeway system.
Rolling up to my house about 8 p.m. on a Sunday night, Truckin' Senior Editor Dan Ward had borrowed a truck from me to attend Mother's Day evening with his girlfriend's family. I had already finished the day's festivities and busied myself loading our test truck-an '08 Ford F-350 Crew Cab Super Duty dualie 4x4 King Ranch. That is a mouth full of a name for a mouth full of a truck. Darkness was upon us at 9 p.m. while I waved farewell to my family as Dan and I heeded the call of the open road. Once on the road, the two of us settled into a rhythm of chit chat and humorous stories as we swapped driving duties back and forth, burning up miles, and watching the sunrise as we headed through New Mexico.
We were headed for the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and Savannah, Georgia. Dan grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Savannah and we were headed to his hometown to drop off his June '06 cover S-10. One of Dan's buddies purchased the truck and we were trailering that bad boy from Pacific to Atlantic as a delivery service. Not that the trip was all business though, as Dan gave me a tour of Savannah and its rich heritage. We walked the original cobblestones on Riverstreet, visited Confederate Fort Pulaski (viewable at www.nps.gov/archive/fopu/local/), and sipped on southern sweet tea. For a boy from Southern California, it was heaven and certainly a trip I will remember my whole life.
In reality, it took a road trip to see some wonderful sights. Too often, we fall into the rhythm of a schedule and hurry here or there. Go ahead and hop in the truck, pick a destination, grab a buddy, and find the long way there and back. Poke around parts unknown, take some pictures, and relish in the memories the trip creates. If you need a reason to go somewhere, then you missed the point entirely. A trip for no reason at all usually creates the best story. If you don't experience anything, then what stories will you be able tell your children and grandchildren later on?
For the full road trip story, be sure to pick up Truckin' Volume 33, Issue 12, where we will show you how we made it from ocean to ocean and back in an '08 Super Duty.