One Last Look

Yes, it has been over a month since we have been home, but if you would like to hear about our journey ended, read on!

Our original plans of heading through the major California parks was foiled by the cold fronts that seemed to be chasing us west. Instead, we headed straight for the coast, sleeping at a Walmart in Bakersfield and hitting the coast around Morro Bay, California. We passed through the sleepy coast town of Cambria, past Hearst Castle and onto the stretch known as Big Sur. To be honest, we had no idea what we were getting into. We just knew that we wanted to drive along the pacific coast and enjoy the view. However, Big Sur is one of the worlds most memorable strips of coastline, with craggy mountain peaks jutting out of the ocean, and roads that probably shouldn't be driven while towing a trailer. The views were mind boggling, and we were awestruck by the sheer brilliance of this creation.

We had planned to keep driving to San Fransico to go over the Golden Gate bridge, but the sun had set and we were ready to be home. So we cut over to the I-5 and sped through the rest of Northern California.

We spent the night in some strange hippy RV/Trailer park and everything was going swimmingly as we approached Mt. Shasta the next day. Again were in awe of California's natural beauty.

With snow covering the ground we slowly made our way up Mt. Shasta's highest pass. Suddenly the Pajero slowed to a crawl, and we heard a grinding sound coming from behind. The car behind us was flashing their high-beams, so we pulled the truck to the shoulder and got out to find the cause.

It was another flat, but nothing compared to the last one in Texas. This time the tire had literally exploded leaving a gaping hole in the side of our trailer. The tire had shredded, and like bear claws, tore out the wheel well, grabbing the wires from the stove and the fridge and wrapped them around the axel of the trailer. Initially we didn't think the damage was that bad, but we didn't have a jack so we called the AAA guy to help us put on our spare. Lucky for us, a cop had witnessed our bad luck and rushed to our aid, hanging out with us on the side of the road in hopes that one of the many semi trucks speeding passed didn't hit us.

From the inside looking out. 

 We got set up with a new spare in the next town and continued on our way. As we drove, the reality of what has happened began to set in. We couldn't sleep in our trailer because it was nearly freezing that night, and even if our furnace was still working, the hole in the side would have brought in way to much air. I guess we could have stayed at a motel, but for some reason in that moment our only option was to make it to Salem, Oregon that night. In Salem we could stay with our friend Caleb and we would be that much closer to home. So we drove, and we drove, and we drove. It felt like the longest stretch out of the whole trip. We drove about 400 miles that day, getting to Salem around midnight.

Just to recap, Caleb is our friend who we visited on the second day of our trip. As we pulled into his familiar cul-de-sac, we felt like it had just been a few days since we had been there. However, after we had said our hello's, Caleb looked at us and said, "You guys have been gone a loooong time." Oh yeah..I guess we were.

We enjoyed a warm sleep in a warm house and felt so lucky that our truck and trailer hadn't been through worse times on the other side of the country. I couldn't bring myself to even look in the trailer the next day, just knowing the amount of dirt and mud that had probably been kicked up inside it. That one lousy tire has taken our home and ripped it to shreds.

However, it was time to go home. It was American thanksgiving, and as we drove our final stretch of the I-5 there was almost a somber, quiet feeling in the air. Most stores were closed, and the threat of snow still hung in the air. As we crossed into Canada with yet again no inspection we both breathed a sigh of relief knowing that from then on we did not have to worry about finding a place to sleep, or if the truck would make it home, or if we were safe or not. America had been good to us, but it was better to be home.


A short time later, Luke had the brilliant idea of taking our trailer to ICBC to see if the insurance could fix the damage. Luke told me on the drive there, mud had spewed everywhere on the inside even on the curtains and the ceiling. As it turns out, the trailer was considered totaled, and ICBC honored us with a handsome check that exceeded our expectations. Sometimes it's worth it to invest in a piece of junk I guess. Saying goodbye to the trailer was bittersweet, but it had definitely served us well.

Sometimes it feels like the trip never happened, but most of the time we say things like, "Remember that time in Boston when...remember that rainstorm in New Orleans....remember that diner in Oregon?" And the list goes on. In closing, here is something we whipped together that pretty much sums it all up.

I had a dream I'd seen it all,

The Oregon coast to New York's sprawl.

Boston, New Port, Cape Carnival,

East Coast, sea ports, leaves of fall.

Harvard intellect, southern drawl,

Midwest plains are plainly dull.

Parking lots, road trip lulls,

Hours spent, make long hauls.

I walked the south in search of gold,

Bayous, cowboys, towns of old.

Vegas, canyons, sand and tolls,

A scenic mashup, truth be told. 

Watched business men in cities run,

How country bumpkins had their fun.

Bikers, booze hounds drink their rum,

Senior citizens enjoying sun.

I blazed the west coast, bluest shores,

Eateries, chain malls, big box, galore.

Hills and valleys to explore,

Some I groaned, some adored. 

Lonesome roads, interstates,

A thousand cars, read their plates.

Pull in here, sleep in late,

Australians, they never hate. 

My heart and lungs came back to me,

When I woke, I was home it seemed.

 Breathing fresh air, felt good to be,

In the best, beautiful B.C.

Thanks for the all the readers, and all the support. It was a once in a lifetime trip and we definitely felt all the love and prayers.

Until next time!

Lukas and Natalie