All good things must end...

At 1:21 PM, Central Standard Time, on Tuesday, January 16th, 2007, I returned largely unscathed—though perhaps with a limping bank account—from my first road trip of 2007. Having departed for this road trip at 2:04 PM, Central Standard Time, on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007, my trip spanned 12 days, 23 hours, and 17 minutes. I passed over mountains, drove across plains, and crawled through deserts. The whole way, I sought fun. Here are some fun facts:

Some Road Trip Facts:

Miles Covered: 4,327.1

States Entered: 11 (Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, and Iowa)

Time Zones Encountered: 2

Fuel Stops: 16

Hotels Patronized: 6

Couches Surfed: 1

Tent Nights: 1

Coldest Night In Tent: 15 Deg. Fahrenheit

Trip Minimum Temperature: -5 Deg. Fahrenheit

Trip Maximum Temperature: 77 Deg. Fahrenheit

Most Beautiful Sight: Sunset In Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah

Most Depressing Sight: Kayenta, Arizona

Starbucks Patronized: 2

Books Read: 3.5


More Road Trip Facts:

Resorts Skied: 2

Skiing Wipeouts: 7

Vehicular Wipeouts: 1

Flat Tires: 1 (See Vehicular Wipeouts)

Near Death Experiences: 1 (See Vehicular Wipeouts)

Minutes Consumed Extricating Spare Tire From Below Truck Following Vehicular Wipeouts: 27

Temperature During Tire Change: 8 Deg. Fahrenheit

Hot Tubs Soaked In: 3

Properly Functioning Hot Tubs: 1

Skydives: 2

Skydives Without Goggles: 1

Chest Colds: 1

Cough Drops Consumed: 276

Bottles Of Robitussin Consumed: 1

 

The seek fun mobile

Given the events of this road trip, I feel compelled to reflect on the seek fun mobile, a 2006 Toyota Tacoma Quad Cab TRD 4X4 Short-Bed Pickup Truck, just in case you find yourself contemplating the purchase of one.

Good Things:
—Uncanny ability to remain upright in frightening, ice-provoked, high-speed exacerbated, multi-lane flailings across both the east-bound and west-bound lanes of I-80.
—Comfortable and easy to load with tons of fun gear
—RUGGED
—Full-Sized Spare Tire

Bad Things:
—The antennae likes to vibrate loose
—The windshield fluid dispensers freeze easily