60horsepowerprophet

Beat on the brat
The days are going fast, kids. At this point I’ve got four days left before the trip. And I’ve still got a list of things to take care of on the Bus:

- Install DC outlet
- 30,000 mile tune up
- Install H4 headlights and relays
- Oil change / valve adjustment
- Replace front door handles with ones that actually lock
- Install SVDA distributor
- Fix fresh air vents
- Fix dome lights
- Make / install curtains
- And most certainly more.

Am I going to get it all done? You’re damn hell right I am. I got jack-ass nothing to do from morning till five every day. There may be a few hiccups, though. The following parts have yet to arrive:

- Relays
- Door handles
- Distributor

Hey Mr. Postman!

It’s too hard to stay here and I don’t want to leave
My excitement towards the road trip has been overshadowed in the past two weeks by the realization that I’m going to be leaving behind some very good friends and that I won’t be seeing some really fantastic people after the end of this week, barring occasional visits. Good luck to all of you and goddammit, raise some journalistic hell! I fully expect to catch some of your bylines burning out the pages of magazines around the world.

Also, what kind of moron goes back to the midwest for the summer? I live in Oregon, one of the most beautiful, action packed states in the union — which is even more awesome in the summertime. Because I’m in a list kind of mood, let’s count off what Iowa and Oregon have, respectively.

Oregon:
- ocean
- mountains
- deserts
- prairies
- amazing camping
- amazing hiking
- surfing
- climbing
- amazing beer
- amazing mountain biking

Iowa:
- prairies (between the road and the cornfield)
- sporadic amazing beer
- decent mountain biking
- mississippi
- farmland
- juggalos
- 90 percent humidity

To my friends and family back home, if you didn’t know before you know now exactly how much I love you. But don’t think it’s enough to just be you. Hell no. You jokers better step up your game. Shit, you’re filling in for the pacific ocean, mountains, deserts, amazing camping, amazing hiking, amazing mountain biking, amazing beer, surfing and climbing. And you’ve also got to offset the taco bell, trailer park, crack-baby emissions of the juggalos. Good luck.

P.S. - If there are hipsters in Iowa now I’m just gonna stay here. Hipsters + Juggalos = No.

Go East, my boy!
With summertime comes a great migration. I’m off to middle America — home base, if you will. Davenport, Iowa to be specific. The Mississippi calls to me like a burnt-out whore. The Willamette is beautiful and all but there are some things that she just won’t do. Don’t worry, Willamette, I’ll take you home to Mom someday but for now I have some wild oats to sew. In the mud.

Weird scenes inside the gold mine…
It’s going to be strange going back home after spending so much time Eugene, Oregon. It’s going to be strange to be just about the only VW Bus in town. It’s going to be strange not to have such easy access to savage, brain hollowing drugs. It’s going to be a bitch dealing with the humidity, the flat and the boring. Why am I going back again? It’s all about the journey, my blurry eyed friends.

And there will be many. Go in any direction from Iowa for 10 hours and you will be in a brand new, comparatively exhilarating ecosystem. As mentioned above, Davenport is going to be my base of operations. Many trips will be planned and carried out, hence this blog.

Just the facts.
My Pop has taken 9 days off work and is flying out to Eugene in a few weeks. The very next day we will begin our epic road trip in my 1965 VW Bus, Izabella.
Among the highlights: Oregon coast, Redwood National and State Parks, the Lost Coast, Yosemite NP, Area 51 and the Extraterrestrial Hwy, Zion NP, Monument Valley, Canyonlands NP, Arches NP, Woody Creek (yes), Rocky Mountain NP, Boring, Home.

Hit the road Jack.
It’s going to be a long trip. Even longer at 55mph on two-lane highways. Even longer without air-conditioning. And longer still when you and your father have violently disparate musical tastes.

We’re going to live it up like impoverished kings. Nine whole days living in a van, occasionally down by a river. Camping each and every night (if I can talk him into it). Cold cuts, cheese and uncooked ravioli. Beer. Dirt. Fun. If that doesn’t sound great to you then I suggest you stop reading now.

Will we make it? Will we get devoured by Wendigo? Are we really only going to eat cold cuts, cheese and uncooked raviolli? Every last detail (that I feel like typing after each action packed day) will be posted hereabouts at 60horsepowerprophet.com. Dig it.