Day 28: One Day More

—Jack Kerouac (don’t really know who this guy is, but I liked this quote from him that I saw on a national park posted in the Blue Ridge Mountains in May) 

WE MADE IT. Today we drove the final 492.6 miles from Williams, Arizona to Coronado Island, San Diego. 

Starting point: Navy Lodge, Norfolk, VA 

Ending point: Navy Lodge, North Island, CA 

Days in transit: 28

Total trip mileage: 3,791.5 miles 

Number of states driven through: 9 States driven through: Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California 

Number of time zones occupied: 4 

Number of locations slept in: 20! Dude. 

Emergency roadside bathroom stops: 5 (always for the same four year old passenger with very little warning) 

Driving days we had no rain: 1 (today!) 

We crossed the Mohave Desert, hiked into the Grand Canyon, saw tumbleweeds blowing across the road, spotted a badger, rode an old steam train, flew in a helicopter, passed the Appalachians, drove over the Mississippi River, Rio Grande, and Colorado River, saw a mirage and dust devils in the desert, drove the Blue Ridge Parkway and Historic Route 66, explored caves, passed through Navajo lands, watched lightning storms and rain sweep the western plains, visited at least five national parks, skirted a California wildfire, touched a meteorite, hugged tons of family, admired the Milky Way, got held up by bandits, and sang along with a cowboy. 

Tonight we had California wine and dinner in Poway with my parents and Grandfather at my dad’s childhood home, where it always smells like pine needles, eucalyptus and oranges. Lights shone and danced on the water as we drove over the Coronado Bay Bridge. Chris parked the car and I took note of the final trip mileage. 

It’s good to (finally) be here. 

“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.”

—Jack Kerouac