A Solo Road Trip: 7,226 miles, in a Tesla, over 16 days, with two dogs. What could possibly go wrong?
Please forgive grammatical errors as the below travelogue was written in real-time. My goal was to get my thoughts down quickly and move on, both figuratively and literally.
August 13, 2024:
Tomorrow at 6:30 AM I leave for cross country solo drive, with the intention of arriving in Napa California on August 24 in time for my granddaughter’s first birthday, while transporting my two dogs and some of Gail’s paintings and my frames that we are giving to the kids.
I will use the trip to see sites along the way and for some introspection.
My first stop will be in Niagara Falls to see view the falls.
I am then going to drive about 1.5 hours south and I will stay with Gail’s sister and brother-in-law S & E, who we just visited about two weeks ago when we stayed with them and attended the Chautauqua Institute.
From there, I my plan is to drive to Iowa to visit another one of Gail sisters in Iowa, S. While there, I hope to attend the Iowa State Fair, at least briefly.
It is my plan to drive 8 to 12 hour a day. Using the Tesla’s “autodrive” mode on the highway makes long distance driving much less stressful and more relaxing. Autodrive is a misnomer. While the car will steer, change lanes, accelerate, decelerate, get off at the appropriate exit, as needed, you have to physically touch the steering wheel about every 30 seconds. And if your eyes drift to the cell phone in your hand, the car will let you know that it’s not acceptable and it will automatically shut itself off if you do not put down the phone immediately.
People who drove a Tesla cross country in autodrive have concurred that it make long distance driving much more pleasurable.
I intend to listen to music and audiobooks. Maybe I will finish my current audiobook, A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko. Although I cannot tell you that this book has grabbed me, the author’s description of the Grand Canyon has convinced me that I need to see the Grand Canyon, at least from the south rim, on my way back from California. I am also hoping to again list to Homer’s Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson-it is a great story and a fantastic translation.
I intend to spend some time dictating my thoughts into my iPad, maybe to be added to this diary as a travel log – my version of Jack Kerouac’s On The Road.
This is an introspective adventure, with 2 dogs. In two weeks I will let you know if this road trip was a good decision.
I have a hard deadline when I need to be back, which is September 5th, as I need to prepare for my second “Designing Your Retirement” lecture to the MIT Club of Boston on September 7. It is “sold-out”!
Day 1 of Road Trip, Wednesday, 8/14/2024
States: Massachusetts, New York
Title: I Begin On A Mostly A Well Worn Path
Miles traveled: 625 miles
Slept in Mayville, NY
I left the house this morning at 6:40 AM with 55,070 miles on the odometer. Within a half mile I stopped three times by the side of the road trying to configure the car so as to optimize ride. We (me and Rocket and Mason) are off.
Our (me and the dogs) first stop will be in Syracuse to charge and then drive to Niagara Falls for a quick sightsee and then to S and E’s house in Mayville, NY (60 minutes south of Buffalo). The dogs are settled in the back, each has a bone, but nobody’s touched it yet and they’re wondering what’s going on.
8 AM
I just saw police car pull over somebody who was speeding, and I see another police car speeding down the road.
It seems that this method of dispensing speeding tickets is highly inefficient. It would be more efficient if the state use the tolls’ location-timestamp to automatically issue speeding tickets to only the fastest 2-3% of drivers. That would leave the police free to do other more important things while simultaneously increasing state revenue and decrease the cost of issuing speeding tickets by 2-3 orders of magnitude. This would be a win all around..
My Process
I should explain that I sometimes dictate my thoughts into my phone while driving. I have one earbud in my ear and I’m using the iPhone’s journaling app. I don’t need to look at the phone during the process and I feel comfortable taking my eyes off the road for 2-3 seconds as the Tesla autodrive works well on the highway. Sometimes I dictate at rest stops.
First Recharging
We are in Rotterdam, New York for charging. The dog slept most of the way. I’m listening to an audiobook about two guys who are hiking the length of the Grand Canyon (A Walk in the Park, Kevin Fedarko). At the beginning of the book they made it very clear that they think they are in way over their head. I hope this is not an omen for the rest of my trip.
Now I need to get the dogs some water.
The amount of time I spent getting food and water, giving the dogs water, walking the dogs and going to the bathroom exceeded the amount of time that took the charge the car to get to the next stop. All is good.
Second charging station
All is still going well. In Syracuse now charging.
A Scary Moment
I was charging the car and everything was going well, but it was charging relatively slowly. I was wondering if it could be charging relatively slowly, adding only 250 miles in one hour because three other vehicles were sharing this 250 kW charger with me. I decided to move to an another charging position that had no vehicles and when I plugged it in to my car, I got an error message on my car that said the car needs service immediately and electrical system may not restart.
I was a little bit panicked so I rebooted the car, the message went away, everything is fine, I moved back to the original charging port and finished the last five minutes of charging and I’m on my way. I did see another vehicle use the “bad” charging port as I left so I began to wonder if the problem was my car or the charging station.
My Error
I was driving to Niagara Falls, and I saw that there was a Tesla supercharger station close to the Niagara Falls which I could reach so I decided to go north, and bypass the supercharging station I had originally intended to stop at.
As I was getting close to Niagara Falls supercharging station, I suddenly saw a road sign that said “Last exit in the United States” Yikes!I neglected to notice that the Niagara Falls supercharging station was on the Canadian side of the border so I turned around and backtracked 26 miles south to the prior supercharging station.
According to my Tesla, the car would run-out of electrons in 32 miles so I would arrive at the charging station with 6 miles in reserve. Even though I knew from experience that the Tesla’s prediction of the remaining mileage was highly accurate, it was not a particularly comfortable ride. But I made it with 6 miles remaining on the Tesla battery.
After I recharged, I then drove back north to Niagara Falls, so I ended up adding 52 miles to the trip.
Niagara Falls was pretty and it wasn’t crowded at 6:30 PM. I didn’t see signs that explained the geology or how much power was generated by the falls, so that was disappointing; however, I was dealing with two dogs who had been in the car for hours and people wanted to talk to or pet the dogs, so maybe I missed the signage. It would be nice to understand why the terrain suddenly dropped-off at this particular location and how much power was generated and whether all the wires emanating from the falls were subject to lightning strikes.
Niagara Falls
I only have about 26 miles until I reach tonight’s destination, S & E‘s house in Mayville, NY.I’m looking forward to just decompressing and then going to sleep.
I’m in bed now. All is good.
I left at this morning at about 7 AM and arrived at my destination at 9 PM – 625 miles. 52 of those miles were unnecessary, as I screwed up. I think I charged 4 times. The last charge wasn’t necessary, and was done about 20 miles from my E & S’s house but I was spooked and wanted to add some extra miles in preparation for tomorrow, but I know that it was (intellectually) unnecessary.
Day 2, Thursday, 8/15/24
States: New York, Pennsylvania, Cleveland Ohio
Title: A Real Problem
Miles traveled: maybe 200 miles
Slept in Lyndburg, OH
I stayed overnight last night, in S and E‘s spectacular house.
I’ve decided I’ll drive today to Joliet, Illinois today, stay there overnight, and then drive to S‘s house in Iowa and visit the Iowa State Fair.
I left Stirling‘s house about 7 AM. I just entered Pennsylvania from New York at the western southern border of New York. Looking to recharge this morning in about 90 minutes, with some electrons and caffeine. Looks like it’s going to be a beautiful driving day.
Stirling and Eric’s lakeside house in the morning mist
10 AM
After I finished charging both the car (supercharger) and me (Starbucks) this morning, while settling into the long drive, I received an error message on my car.
Tesla error message, on console
Tesla error message, on console
I saw this error message yesterday and it disappeared after I rebooted the car so I discounted it. I couldn’t discount it a second time.
I called Tesla road service and after a wait of what seem like 15 or 20 minutes I got to a live person. I explained my situation and he looked up the diagnostics of my car, (Tesla can see all the data about my car in real time.)
Based on the error message, I suggested that maybe the 12 V battery needs to be replaced. I had just learned yesterday, after talking with Eric, that Tesla has a 12 V battery that typically last 3 to 5 years; my car was purchased in 2018.
The Tesla service person thought that maybe it also be the battery and told me there was a Tesla dealer about 15 miles from me. He scheduled me an appointment at that dealer in Lyndhurst, OH, that was scheduled to occur in about three weeks, but also labeled it as “Priority.”
I drove to the Tesla dealer and much to my surprise, within 15 minutes of stopping, they took the car in to the garage to do the diagnostics. The dogs and I are sitting in an air-conditioned waiting room, and we shall see what happens.
Right now, I’m feeling a bit anxious. And I’m not sure why. Regardless of the financial expense, I will be able to afford it. Regardless of the time delay, I am retired and I can afford it. In the worst case scenario I will miss Josie‘s first birthday party. Or maybe I will have to leave the car here and then fly back at a later date to get it. But I am safe.
I can’t explain why I feel anxious, but I do.
7 PM
While I am staying in the Homewood Suites by Hilton Cleveland-Beachwood (Ohio) waiting for my car, I decided to go across the street and pick up some takeout dinner at the Viking Lizard Tavern. I am now about 11 miles southeast of Cleveland. The bar is hopping.
Viking Lizard Tavern
I should mention that the anxiety that I was experiencing prior to depositing my car in the garage has abated by this time.
Day 3, Friday, 8/16/24
States: Ohio, Indiana
Title: Stuck in a Cleveland suburb, waiting. Then on the road again.
Miles traveled: 321 miles
Slept in Gary, IN
11 AM
My Thursday night stay at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Cleveland-Beachwood (Ohio) was very comfortable. I am now on my way back to the Tesla Service garage ( Friday, 11 AM) and I noticed my anxiety level rising yet again.
While at the Tesla service station I am told that they’ve installed the new part in the rear engine (induction converter) and all they have to do is reassemble the car and I can be on my way.
I’m not quite sure why the anxiety has returned; it will be interesting to see if it resolves once I get on the road.
I am told the car will be ready by 5 PM. So I will not be able to drive to S’s house tonight as that would be an 11 hour drive. I think I will drive to Davenport, IA, stay overnight and then drive to S’s tomorrow, see the Iowa State Fair, then leave early the following morning.
5 PM
I left Tesla Service at 5PM Friday. I think the Tesla service center and the mechanics profusely. This could’ve been so much worse. Had they not been able to take me in quickly, I would’ve been stuck in suburban Cleveland for a total of four days.
I think the Tesla service center and the mechanics profusely. This could’ve been so much worse. Had they not been able to take me in quickly, I would’ve been stuck in suburban Cleveland for a total of four days.
Have no idea how far I will drive tonight our where I will stay.
8:30 PM
I just crossed from Ohio and Indiana. I plan to drive another 150 miles to the next charging station in Munster Indiana. I plan to sleep in the car. I doubt they’ll be a bathroom truck maybe some food, try to get four or five hours sleep and then get back on the road. Hopefully this will get me back on schedule. Ohio is very flat, it’s not bad. It’s not beautiful lots of agriculture, other Greek stuff, but not in my opinion.
10 PM
I left Tesla Service at 5 PM ET. It is now 10 PM CT and I’m at the last service stop on I-80 in Indiana, near Gary, almost in Illinois. I did about 321 miles in 5 hours. I have recharged the car, walked the dogs, had 2 bananas and a Dove Bar and will try to get 4-5 hours sleep in the car. The Tesla has “camping mode” specifically for this purpose and will keep the car at the set temperature. The dogs are curled up in the back and the 7/11 store at this service station is open 24/7 and has a bathroom and more food. I will again charge in the morning and I should get to Sarah‘s house (~350 miles) after about 7 hours driving (With all my stops, I average ~50 mph. )
Mason appears constipated. We gradually switched his food from his foster parent’s food to Rocket’s food which is a drier food and caused Rocket’s stools to dry-out. I’m trying to get him to drink water and this evening I took him for a long walk. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get him some canned pumpkin and olive or coconut oil.
Day 4, Saturday, 8/17/24
States: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska
Title: The Flat Middle
Miles traveled: 796 mile
Slept in Sutherland, NE
While crossing through Iowa, I stopped at Gail’s sister’s house, where I got a much needed shower, while she and her daughter took my dogs for a walk. Then I quickly got back on the road, again.
I just crossed from Iowa to Nebraska. There are no windmills in Nebraska but plenty of them in Iowa. Iowa gets 62% of its electricity from wind power, the highest percent wind power of all states.
Today I left western Indiana at 5 AM and ended in Nebraska at 10 PM, 796 miles down the road.
I charged before my final stop and I will sleep in the car in “camp mode” tonight.
Day 5, Sunday, 8/18/24
States: Nebraska, Wyoming
Title: Arrived at my happy place
Miles Traveled: 680 mile
Slept in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
6:30 AM
Last night I slept in a Nebraska truck stop. I got nearly 7 hours of interrupted sleep. It’s now 6:30 AM and I’m about to get on the road. I have enough charge to last about 200 miles and hope the fist charging station will have coffee. I do not know how far I will go today.
7:24 AM
Recharged the car to 244 miles and got a large cup of coffee. I’m my next Supercharging station will be Laramie, Wyoming.
10 AM
I made it to Wyoming! I so much prefer the state of Wyoming to Nebraska and Iowa. I found that the Iowa-Nebraska geology incredibly boring, perfectly flat with no redeeming geologic value. Although I am only 70 miles into Wyoming, I have seen two antelopes, an osprey and, snow capped mountains.
I introduced myself to a couple who was their Tesla as I recognized their are two dogs from a prior Tesla Supercharging station. They’re on their way from Chicago to the coast of Oregon to do some camping along the Oregon coast, with their mixed-rat terrier and their full-sized Aussie.
8 PM
When I was in Laramie, I realized the Tetons were only 260 miles / 5 hours worth of driving time northwest. As I am certain I can get to Napa in 3 (maybe 2) days driving, I decided to make a detour to my happy place.
Ultimately, I covered 680 miles in 12 hours, arriving in Grand Teton National Park at about 6 PM. I am staying in a “classic cottage” as I need a shower and some civilization). the “cottage” is clearly more than adequate and has 2 double beds. Check is 11 AM, but maybe I can get a late check-out as they are not 100% full.
I don’t think I’m going to do any hiking, just sitting in the back looking at the mountains.The weather tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful.
At dinner tonight the sunset, and from the dining room, we could see a lightning storm behind the Tetons. I shot video of it for 30 minutes and then isolated these few shots of bolts of lightning lighting up the Tetons:
Lightening storm over the Teton Mountains at night.
Day 6, Monday, 8/19/24
States: Wyoming
Title: A Day of Rest at My Happy Place
Miles traveled: local driving, 20 miles
Slept in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
6 AM
Last night after I returned from dinner, I took the dogs for a walk. We promptly returned to my cabin because it had begun to rain, when Mason had an episode of diarrhea. He tried to warn me but I did not understand him. He was very embarrassed by the episode.
I thought we were past his gastrointestinal problem, as his constipation had resolved and his stools were normal. I assume his diarrhea was a result of my treatment of his constipation (diluted milk, a new dog food that I drizzled with olive oil, and more walks.) I am going to limit him to water until his stools are again normal. He is not going to like that.
At 4 AM Rocket informed me he needed to use the facilities. After he relieved himself, the three of us went for a walk under a full moon. We had the venue to ourselves.
It was a spectacular walk, during which time I regretted that I had not pocketed my camera phone before we left the cabin.
It looked like an Ansel Adam’s scene, which kept reeling me in, calling me to move ever deeper into the darkness of the wilderness and away from the light and security of civilization.
A full moon hung suspended above the mountains; the moon, intermittently, but only partially, obscured by a small, thin silver, white, and gray cloud. When a cloud summoned the courage to take center stage and slide in front of the moon, the cloud would glow, most brightly around its perimeter. When no cloud was the center of attention, all the clouds hummed a silent chorus of silver, white, and gray, during which time the moonlight bounced off the lake, making the lake sparkle as if it were a puddle of a million twinkling stars. Always, the moonlight bathed the mountains, majestic, massive, and silent, in yellow sunlight that had been transformed into a silver-white wash. And the sky tweaked the scene, like an insistent director, by spritzing the mountains with a dollop of night-sky blue.
It was a silent orchestra of light, conducted by the moon, funded by the sun, with the mountains as the featured performer and the clouds, sky, and the lake in asupporting roles; all performing a silent ballet that has played almost nightly for millennia.
It is was the first time I had seen this performance, which was put on for me alone, excepting for all the animals that neither I nor my dogs heard or saw; and they have seen this production, and its many revivals, so many time before.
I loved the show. And maybe, not having my camera made it possible for me to appreciate nuances of the performance which would have otherwise been unseen. After all, nobody brings a camera to the ballet.
5 PM
It was my intention to get up early this morning a take the dogs for an 5-8 mile hike. I failed miserably at that task. When I finally got out of bed at 7:30 AM, I did not have the enthusiasm and energy I thought I would have to hike in my happy place. (The Teton’s is my happy place.)
Maybe I’m just burnt out from the drive.
I think it was much more likely that when I took the dogs out at today at 3 AM, and then that evolved into a walk, and then that became an essay, which I obviously had to write at 4 AM, and it took at two hours to write, rewrite and then post the essay. Well, obviously I didn’t get many hours of uninterrupted sleep.
When I finally roll out of bed I went to the Jackson Lake Lodge visitor station, hoping to learn that there was a hike nearby that I could do with the dogs. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Dogs are not allowed to hike in the national parks. Period. End of story.
They suggested I hike in the Bridger-Teton National Forest or Caribou-Targhee National Forest, but they were not too knowledgeable about a specific dog-friendly hike.
Unfortunately, hiking in those locations was going to entail a bit of driving, which I certainly was not up for. I drove into Jackson, Wyoming ostensibly to get another opinion about where to hike with the dogs and, while I was there I loaded up the car with more electrons. If you have an EV while traveling, I’ve learned, you can never have too many electrons in the tank. The store that I visited didn’t have any hiking suggestion other than the aforementioned locations and, again, I was not willing to make a two hour drive.
So I headed back to the Jackson Lake Lodge, my “classic cottage” and on the way, stopped at a scenic vista and took pictures of me with my favorite backdrop, and then, for kicks pictures of Rocket and Mason with the same backdrop.
We got back in the car and soon came upon a large herd of buffalo that were crossing the road. Nobody stopped to ask the buffalo why they cross the road. You just let them cross.
This was so cool. I got out of the car to take some photographs, always making sure that I kept at least 30 yards between me and the buffalo. Some of the herd had already crossed the road, but the majority of the herd had yet to cross the road. I took more stills than necessary, I will delete most of these, and one video which you can see here.
Now we’re back in our room, the dogs are laying down for a nap and maybe I’ll do the same. Or maybe I’ll walk over to the lodge and get something to eat, I really didn’t have any breakfast or lunch today.
Today I have been expectantly watching to see what was going to happen with Mason‘s bowels. He has still not defecated today ( it’s 5 PM) and, as I said, I’m not going to feed him until his stools are normal. Maybe I’ll give him a little bit of food but not his usual portion size.
My tentative plan for tomorrow is to get out early. The drive from here to Napa California is only about 970 miles and I certainly can do this in two days, arriving on the 21st but maybe I’ll stretch it out to three and arrive on the 22nd. Either would be fine.i will be traveling through Elmo, NV, Reno, NV, Sacramento, CA
10 PM
After a very pleasant dinner in the dining room, the dogs and I walked to the back of the lodge to watch the sun set behind the Tetons. The dogs are natural magnet for people and starting conversations, when you have two dogs, is quite easy. I had several conversations with retired people who are on a tour of the national parks. One couple is from Florida and we talked about how people are segregated into tribes because our brains developed at a time when being exiled from your tribe was a death sentence; thus our brains learned to accept the opinion of our tribe as “fact” as this would ensured we would remain, alive within our tribe, and be able to procreate and pass on our DNA. Another couple was from Texas, but in their hearts, they still identified Boston as their home. That conversations centered around applying Bayes Theorem to criminology.
Of course the sunset was beautiful.
Day 7, Tuesday, 8/20/24
States: Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada
Title: And after two days of rest, God said it was good, but it’s now time to move on
Miles traveled: 670 miles
Slept in Reno, NV
8:30 AM
Last night the dogs woke me up at 3 AM, again. Actually it’s Mason who starts walking around. I decided to take them out for a walk and when we got outside I looked up and saw there were no clouds in the sky so, despite desperately wanting to crawl back into bed, and told myself this is going to be my last chance to see a night sky in the Tetons for who knows how long. So, with my iPhone in my pocket hone I walk to the backside of the hotel. Nobody was awake.
There were much fewer clouds in the sky than in the prior night so it wasn’t as pretty but it was still worth the 3 AM walk…
And this is what I saw at 8:30 AM just before we drive away from the Tetons…
Yesterday evening I received a call from Calder that Gaby has tested positive for Covid and Josie has a cold. Apparently there’s a Covid outbreak in her daycare. We’re still coming, but maybe we’ll stay elsewhere.
5PM
I left Wyoming, went through part of Idaho and am now in Nevada. I’m hoping to make it to the west of Reno tonight.
10 PM
I have pulled into a truck stop in Nevada, 290 miles away from San Francisco, but east of Reno.
I’ve now driven about 670 miles today in about 13 hours.
I’m going to sleep until maybe 6 AM and then finish up the trip which will take only about six hours.
Gail is supposed to arrive tomorrow at Sierra‘s place around noon. Maybe I could get there before her and surprise her.
Day 8, Wednesday, 8/21/24
States: Nevada, California
Title: The Final Push to the West Coast
Miles Traveled: 335 mile
5AM
I got about four hours sleep overnight in the Nevada truck stop. It is time to get on the road again.
It occurred to me while I was driving that both Gail and I started today’s travel at about the same time. Gail (leaving Boston) will travel about 3,000 miles and travel at a speed of about 500 mph. I (leaving the truck stop in Neveda) will travel today about 300 miles at 50 mph. Thus, we will both arrive in San Francisco, about 6 hours after our departures, and at approximately the same time. My goal is to get to Sierra and Chris’ apartment before Gail and surprise her.
While driving, and when I am not doing “intellectual” work, I generally need two “stimuli” to keep me entertained. While I’m driving (or cycling), I listen to an audiobook or music and enjoy the scenery. Visually, the geology of both Iowa and Nebraska is absolutely flat and mostly farmland. Nevada starts flat and is extremely dry. There were some hills in the western end of my Nevada drive. I do not enjoy (appreciate) the Iowa, Nebraska topology. I like hills and mountains.
The other thing I noticed while driving cross country is the faster speed limit of 75 or 80 mph. Not frequently I found that I was driving at up to 80 mph but never above that limit-80 was fast enough for me.
8 AM
I’ve been listening to the Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson. I’ve written about this translation before. According to Emily Wilson, it is highly unlikely that Homer is the sole author for the entire text, for many reasons.
Her translation is design to be consumed by a contemporary audience who have contemporary sensibilities.
According to Prof. Wilson, it is not possible to translate an ancient text with absolute fealty to the original, as cultural understandings, language and mores change. Complicating the task for the Iliad and the Odyssey is the fact that the language used in those ancient text wasn’t the language used by the ancient Greeks (actually the Greeks weren’t even a nation at that time).
The poem first appeared about 800-900 BCE. The most famous english translation did not occur until the 17th century, and that has been considered the definitive translation, but it is flawed (i.e. not an exact replica) from many reasons. And not solely because the (male) author imbued the translation with his own cultural biases.
Emily Wilson is fully candid about her translation philosophy, and potential criticisms that her translation is not “faithful“ to the original are dealt with in her preface.
Her preference is quite long, about 2+ hours and there is also a short, second preference that is about a half hour.
He translation philosophy was to create a version that is comprehensible to contemporary audiences while retaining the story and values of the original.
I absolutely love this translation. It’s eminently understandable and entertaining. Having it read to me (audiobook) is exactly the way the story was intended to be consumed by the audience at the time the story was created.
While listening to the story, there are times I felt choked up, and I definitely understand more nuances on this second time through the story. For example, I’ve learned that “regifting” dates back to (at least) the Greeks. In the Odyssey a king regifted a pure silver chalice with gold trim that he had received from another king, which was made by famous master craftsman, to Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. So regifting is a long established tradition.
The story is also the ultimate adventure, fantasy story, mixing in all facets of human behavior with a healthy dose of fantasy, as the deathless god’s actions in the story are equally prominent to the role of the human characters.
At the end of Emily Wilson’s final preface she reads this quote:
Audio Player
I am not 100% certain of it’s origins.
There is a stranger outside your house. He is old, ragged and dirty. He is tired. He has been wandering homeless for a long time, perhaps many years. Invite him inside. You do not know his name. He may be a thief. He may be a murderer. He may be a god. He may remind you of your husband, your father, or yourself. Do not ask questions, wait, let him sit on a comfortable chair and warm himself beside your fire. Bring him some food, the best you have, and a cup of wine. Let him eat and drink until he is satisfied. Be patient. When he is finished, he will tell his story. Listen carefully. It may not be as you expect.
While listening to the story, it was apparent that the Greeks’ relationship to their gods was precisely the same as people in contemporary western society who espouse a belief in a monotheistic deity. When bad (or good) things happen to Greeks, they attribute the events to the gods. People whose travel by ship is impeded by weather attribute the bad storm to a failure by the travelers to pay homage to Poseidon, or Zeus, or one of the other gods.
Clearly. most Homo sapiens believe they are entitled to (?deserve) an explanation as to why things happen, be it bad circumstances, beneficial outcomes, or death. Most people are unwilling to believe: “maybe, in the future, science will be able to provide a scientific explanation as to why that happened” or simply accept that “shit happens.”
This is why, in my opinion, Homo sapiens have created the concept of god, and in various forms, and in ?all cultures, throughout the history of Homo sapiens. And, of course, every culture believes that their political opponents’ gods and their own antecedent cultures’ gods were false gods; while only their god is the real deal. How irrational and sad.
I see no rational reason to invoke the existence of a deity for too many reason to innumerate here.
11 AM
I arrived at Sierra and Chris’s SF apartment 15 minutes before Gail. The two room apartment was a bit of a zoo with four dogs, but they all got along well with each other. Sierra Gail and I went to Golden Gate Park tea room, and had Japanese style tea, then we took the dogs to a spectacular dog park, which overlooks the San Francisco Bay. We then had dinner at an outdoor café, after which Gail and I got in the car and drove to Calder’s in Napa.
8 PM
We arrived at our Napa hotel.
Day 9, Thursday, 8/22/24
States: California
Title: The Napa House
Miles Traveled: 22 miles
Gail and I arrived at Calder and Gaby’s house at 8:30 AM.
Because of Covid, Gaby will wear a mask for another day but she is afebrile and asymptomatic.
The dogs (Mason, Rocket, Harper) are getting along just fine.
Gail is enjoying her time with our granddaughter.
I have unloaded the paintings from the car and I spent most of the time today updating this diary. It is now time to focus on everyone else.
Day 10, Friday 8/23/24
Miles traveled: (only) 263 miles
States: California
Title: On the road again
Calder called me 7:30 AM to inform me that he tested positive for Covid and is not asymptomatic.
It is not clear what Gail and I should do, as we both came a long way to celebrate our granddaughter’s first birthday.
I am a little bit paranoid about getting sick in the middle of my trip home, that could be a fiasco.
I’m not too worried about a “cold” aspect of Covid, but I am worried about long Covid, as I have already (?permanently) lost my sense of smell (anosmia) and a lot of my sense of taste (aguesia) as a result of a covid infection in early 2020.
In 2022, 7% of adults have reported having had long Covid at some point in the past and 25% of those stated that long covid had resulted in significant limitations in their daily activities. Approximately 10-30% of covid infections develop long covid (symptoms >3 months.)
In the late morning, Gail and I ultimately decided we would celebrate our granddaughter’s first birthday outside in their backyard. Then Gail will leave and take a 9 PM flight to Boston and I will continue my cross country sojourn.
That is precisely how the day evolved: and our granddaughter got her first taste of sugar in the form of a birthday cupcake, which she partially fed to me.
All in all, the family time worked out as well as we could have hoped, given covid.
Gail and I left Napa, CA at 5 PM and I drove her to San Francisco airport. Dropped her off at about 6:30 PM and then drove for until 11 PM, 263 miles. I am now in a truck stop for the night.
Tomorrow I will complete the final 587 miles with the hope of arriving at the south rim of the Grand Canyon Village before sunset. Maybe I will get to see the Grand Canyon under a new full moon! And maybe I’ll stay there an extra day to revel in the majesty of the scenery.
So far it’s been a great trip, although it did not roll-out as planned. I guess that is the definition of an adventure: you layout your plans and then accept whatever comes your way.
Day 11, Saturday 8/24/24
Miles traveled: 629 miles
States: California, Arizona
Title: A huge gash in the earth
I slept in truck stop last night in Bakersfield, CA which was fine. I think I got 5 hours of sleep, as I worked on yesterday’s On the Road essay until midnight.
It is now 5:30 AM and the dogs have been fed and watered and I have I brushed my teeth. It is time to get on down the road to the next charging station, which is only about an hour drive. Hopefully I will be able to get a coffee.
I stopped to charge and had breakfast at an IHOP. I can’t remember when I last ate at an IHOP. Even though I ordered the small pancake order, three pancakes, it was way too much.
At about 3 PM, I crossed from California into Arizona and then drove through the Mojave desert. The temperature was about 100°.
After the desert, I have been climbing in elevation. The area is more green, much less dry and a lot cooler.
While driving today I finished Nancy Pelosi‘s book, The Art of Power. I read the first half of the book and then got bored as she was repeatedly talking about a series of national and international events which required the house to do something. After the second or third episode, it all seem pretty much the same so I put the book down. Today I decided to read the last few chapters as I thought there might be something different and in fact at the end of the book, she talks in great detail about what happened on January 6 and subsequently. She makes it very clear that Donald Trump is a deplorable person, and worse. She also makes it very clear that they’re a very few with honorable Republicans anymore. She did have praise for Mike Pence, and how he handled the events of January 6, but pretty much all the other Republicans, including Mitch McConnell, have demonstrated a willingness to kiss Trump’s ass.
I am impressed with Nancy Pelosi. I believe that she has a high moral character, a clear set of priorities for the US government (her first three political priorities are: “the children, the children, the children”) and she is able to work across the aisle, if the other side wants to work with her.
At about 6 PM I arrived at the Grand Canyon visitor center and got my room. Having not eaten anything substantial all day, immediately had dinner and then fed the dogs and around 7:30 PM, as the sun was starting to set, we walked from our cabin toward the Grand Canyon. (It turns out that you can have dogs on the Grand Canyon’s Rim trail.)
We hiked the mile from the cabin to the scenic vista, arriving just after sunset, as it was getting dark.
The walk back was a little bit harrowing. We are walking under a canopy of tree trees, which made it very dark, trying to follow an asphalt trail. Rocket seemed pretty good about showing me the way. I tried to use my iPhone as a flashlight, but I was afraid I was going to run out of batteries. We periodically would stop and wait for a car to pass as the cars headlights sometimes would show us the way. Anyway, we did get back to our cottage, but the return trip was more stressful than it should’ve been. (I don’t think I could’ve gotten too lost, as there was a road nearby.)
Tomorrow morning, the dogs and I will hike the Rim trail.
Day 12, Sunday 8/25/24
Miles traveled: <3 miles
States: Arizona
Title: The Majestic Grand Canyon
10 AM
I slept last night in the Yavapai Lodge in the Grand Canyon National Park, after a delightful hot shower.
I woke at 5 AM and forced myself to get out of bed to watch the sunrise with the dogs. All my instincts told me to remain in bed, but my intellect said “you’re never coming back to this place, this is your last chance.”
Needless to say, I’m very happy that I forced myself to get out of bed. And the dogs were very happy to get a much needed walk.
Initially, I thought I was all alone watching the sunrise at the Rim Trail, but ultimately, I saw, off in the distance, sitting on other buttresses sticking out from the Rim Trail, people also waiting for the sunrise. Ultimately, a gentleman sat down near me who was from New Zealand. He told me that he has already done the entire Appalachian Trail!
At sunrise, the ambience on the Rim Trail of the Grand Canyon was one of serenity, majesty, and expectant grandeur. Initially, it was mostly silent, save for the wind. Then, as the sun came up, the birds began to chirp.
Two hours after sunrise, we bushwhacked back to our cabin using Apple’s iPhone map to guide me. Although a lot of people get lost in the Grand Canyon National Park and has the highest mortality rate of all parks, I knew that the area I was bushwhacking through was bounded on by roads on all sides, the terrain was tame, and this island of wilderness was certainly < 0.5 miles in diameter, so I wasn’t too worried.
Noon
I decided to go back to the Rim Trail (after a nap) and situated myself on the ground, adjacent to Rim Trail, and overlooking the south rim of Grand Canyon. With iPad in hand, I was going to sit and observe and write whatever came into my head. The dogs were tied up behind me and had water; I think they’re wondering why we are not moving.
Written Musings
I am at an elevation of 7000 feet and the river is at 2400 feet, a drop of 0.8 miles. Apparently, at this position, the Grand Canyon is about 10 miles wide. At its deepest, the Grand Canyon is about 6000 feet deep.
The Grand Canyon, which is 5-6 million years old (Homo sapiens have been around for about 300,000 years), is not the deepest canyon in US. That honor goes to Hell’s Canyon on the border of Oregon and Idaho that is 8,000 feet deep. There is a canyon in China that might be 17,000 feet deep.
I like watching the shadows of the clouds glide silently across the Grand Canyon. The only natural noises are the occasional bird and the wind.
The more I observe, the more I see.
About halfway down the canyon, below me, is a butte. There is trail on the butte leading to a precipice, on which sit a group of people.
Below them is a small, serpiginous valley cut into the side of the butte, filled with greenery, which would imply that it gets more water than the rest of the area.
Way below, at the bottom, I can see the muddy Colorado River, but only very small sections of it. I can’t determine if the flow is fast or slow.
I see many tributaries that feed into the Colorado river. Some are very shallow valleys carved into a butte. Others are deep chasms, line with greenery, suggesting actively flowing water.
There is a rock formation to my right, just below me, which is orange, in distinction to most of the other rock formations which are beige or red. I assume the red indicates iron, but I’ll learn whether that’s true in the geology talk I’m going to go to in about an hour.
At the top of the Grand Canyon are three layers of rock, which are mostly white or beige, and then below that are many striations of red rock.
5 PM
The 3 PM geology talk was interesting. In brief, the subduction of the Pacific tectonic plate underneath the North American tectonic plate raised a plateau and while simultaneously crinkling the North American plate and creating the Rocky Mountains. Ultimately the Colorado River, which drops 1200 feet over its length, had enough power (potential energy) to erode this uplifted plateau down to the bedrock. The canyon is no longer getting deeper, but it is getting wider, as its sides are eroded away (especially on the north side) so that in 5 million years, it will be a plateau again.
I intend to join the astronomy talk this evening.
9 PM
I was unable to find the astronomy talk, and I was not the only one who was walking around in circles.
This sky was quite spectacular, and found a reasonable dark corner in a parking lot and took these pictures with my iPhone 15 Pro Max while resting the iPhone on the car for between 3 and 10 seconds. Click on image to enlarge it.
Day 13, Monday, 8/26/24
Miles traveled: 707 miles
States: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas
Title: Homeward Bound
It is 6 AM and I am about to leave Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. I am so glad I visited the Grand Canyon South Rim. Having read (most of) Kevin Fedarko’s Walk in the Park, I know that there is so much more to the park, multiple ecosystems, beyond what I have seen.
The route home will be about 2,600 miles. As I average 50 mph (including stops) I should be able to get home by late Friday.
But first, a stop for coffee.
When I got on Interstate 40 East, the Apple Maps directions were “for 778 miles, continue straight.”
While driving through Arizona and New Mexico, I saw lots of moving freight trains, one or two miles long and with 2-5 engines.
The red rock hills of New Mexico, which paralleled Interstate 40, were quite beautiful.
What I have seen so far of Texas is flat scrubland, and, in some areas, a lot of windmills. I think Texas is second to Iowa for wind power usage.
Thoughts on driving a Tesla cross-country
I thought I’d talk a little bit about driving an EV cross country.
I believe I had to stop more frequently to refuel than I would have had to do in an internal combustion engine. But, my prostate causes me to stop every 2 hours, which is about the same frequency as the car needs to charge.
My car, when new, had a range of 310 miles. My Tesla Model 3 was one of the first and is now 6 years old; the battery degradation is about 10%, apparently this is the maximum of battery loss to be expected and additional loss would be covered by warrant up to 8 years.
Today, if I charge the battery to 100%, the range is now about 270 miles.
When charging the car, the rate miles are added to the battery is a function of how depleted the battery is. If the battery retains only 10% of maximum charge, ie it will drive for an additional 27 miles, the Tesla 250 kw Superchargers add about 1,000 miles in one hour. But if the battery is already charged to >80%, topping-off will only add 150-200 miles in one hour.
If you put your destination into the Tesla map, it will tell you where to stop charging. As the battery charges more quickly when the battery is nearly depleted, Tesla calculates your charging stations so you arrive at the Supercharging station with a battery that is nearly depleted to a capacity of 5-20%, and the Tesla advises you how long to charge so you get to the next Supercharging station with a nearly empty battery-thus you need not charge to 100% at every Supercharging station. Thus reduces traveling time.
I have found that I’m not particularly comfortable arriving at a Supercharging Station with only 5% battery reserve, which would be about 15 miles.
In my experience, the Tesla predictions of battery usage is very accurate, assuming nothing untoward happens, like a road is unexpectedly closed or it’s extremely cold ( batteries are less efficient in the cold) or I get lost and have to do more miles than planned or a Tesla Superstation is closed (very rare.)
If it looks like I will not have sufficient charge to get to the next Superstation, my Tesla will tell me to limit driving speed to < 75 mph or <70 mph, as this will extend driving distance. The amount of power used to propel the car is proportional to the car’s velocity cubed (v**3). Thus minor reductions in speed can greatly reduce the car’s power consumption and extend your mileage.
On one occasion, the car told me to limit my speed to 75 mph so as to ensure I would to the next Supercharging station. The advise easily worked.
While there is a little bit of range anxiety driving an electric car cross country, if I follow the Tesla’s recommendations, and do not get lost or drive too fast, I will certainly get to the next Tesla Supercharging station.
And of course I could use a non-Tesla charging station or, as a last resort, I could plug the car into a 120 V outlet somewhere along the way.
So if I was to buy another EV for long distance driving, I would want one with a battery range of >350 or 400 miles.
The Tesla “Full Self-Driving” Autopilot mode definitely makes long distance driving less fatiguing. In this mode, the car will make lane changes, take highway exits, recognize stop signs, traffic lights, pedestrians, negotiate turns, etc. But, you still need to turn the steering wheel every 30 seconds and if your eye drift to your cell-phone, you will be disciplined.
So that’s the story of using a Tesla on a long distance road trip.
Day 14, Tuesday, 8/27/24
Miles traveled: 736 miles
States: Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri
Title: Still Homeward Bound, Day 2
I over-nighted in Amarillo, Texas near the Tesla Supercharging station. I resumed my travels in a northeast direction at 6:30 AM. At 8 AM, I left Texas and entered Oklahoma.
Yesterday I finished The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson. As you know, Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, left his wife (Penelope) and his 4 year old son Telemachus to fight with the Greeks against the City of Troy in the Trojan War. The war took place because Paris, the Prince of Troy, either capture and stole, or cajoled, Helen (the most beautiful mortal woman), who was the wife of Menelaus, the King of Sparta, and took her to be his wife in Troy.
After the 10 years Greek siege of the city of Troy, the Greeks finally sacked the city because Achilles (the greatest of the Greek warriors) finally decided to join the fight. The Greeks took Helen back to Menelaus, killed all the men of Troy and took all the women and children as their slaves.
Although the other Greeks returned home promptly, it took Odysseus 10 years to get back to Ithaca, as the gods (primarily Poseidon and Calypso), interfered with his return.
The below is an excerpt from the end of Book 23 ( of 24 books) of The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson. In it, Odysseus has been reunited with his wife and he is telling her what happened to him during his 2 decade absence.
(Odysseus and Penelope) went to bed inside the darkened house, and when the couple had enjoyed their lovemaking, they shared another pleasure, telling stories.
She told him how she suffered as she watched the crowd of suitors, ruining the house, killing so many herds of sheep and cattle and drinking so much wine because of her.
Odysseus told her how he had hurt so many other people and in turn how much he had endured himself.
She loved to listen, and she did not fall asleep until he told it all.
First, how he slaughtered the Sycanese, then traveled to field of Lotus Eaters, what the cyclops did, and how he paid him back for ruthlessly eating his men. Then how he reached Eolus, who welcomed him and helped him, but it was not yet his fate to come back home, a storm snatched him and bore him off across the sea, howling frustration. Then he said he came to Lystragonia, whose people wrecked his fleet and killed his men, and he described the cleverness of Circe [who turned Odysseus’ men into swine] and his journey to Hades to consult Tiresias and how he saw all his dead friends, and saw his mother who had loved him as a baby. Then how he heard the siren’s endless voices and reach the wandering rocks in terrible Charybdis, and how he had been the first to get away from Scylla [a monster with six long necks equipped and grisly heads, each containing three rows of sharp teeth]. And he told her of how his crew devoured the sun god’s cattle. Zeus roared with smoke and thunder, lightning struck the ship, and all his loyal men were killed. But he survived and drifted to Ogygia . He told her how Calypso trapped him there inside her hollow cave and wanted him to be her husband. She took care of him and promised she could set him free from death in time for forever; but she never swayed his heart. He suffered terribly for years. And then he reached Phaeacia, where the people looked up to him as if he were a god, and sent him in a ship back home again to his dear Ithaca, with gifts of bronze and gold and piles of clothes.
His story ended, sweet sleep released his heart from all his cares.
Here is the audio clip from Emily Wilson’s translation.
If you find that intriguing, listen to the audiobook.
So far my sojourn has worked out very well. Some minor bugs along the way, but nothing too bad.
Before I left on this introspective adventure, I was considering have a friend accompany me on the west leg of the journey. I’m glad I decide to do this solo, as it gave me unlimited travel flexibility, like sleeping in the car. Although this may sound odd, it is definitely more efficient, time-wise, than sleeping in a hotel.
I know that I gave up an opportunity at “male bonding,” but I am happy with my decision.
Maybe this confirms that I am one of those people the psychologist would classify as a “loner” who does not feel lonely. But the reader should not conclude that this means that I do not want to expand my number or quality of meaningful social relationships. I do.
3:30 PM, I left Oklahoma and entered Missouri.
8:30 PM, I’m in Fenton, Missouri, which is a suburb west of St. Louis. I have recharged the car and this is where I will spend the night, next to a Wally’s store. They are clearly geared up for this sort of thing, they even have a RV in the store.
Only 1,207 miles until I get home to Gail.
Day 15, Wednesday, 8/28/24
Miles traveled: 680 miles
States: Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania
Title: Day 3 of Homeward Bound
7 AM: I slept in the car in the parking lot of Wally’s in Fenton, MO. This is the third night in a row I slept in the car. I need a shower tonight; although the dogs don’t care, I have no sense of smell, and I do not get near anyone.
A few days ago I came across a new song by Nick Cave, “Wild God” which I thought was fantastic, especially the crescendo ending. The song reminded me of a choral religious song with a big ending. Larry sent me an NPR interview with Nick Cave (he is new to me), which I promptly listened to, and, in fact, the song is about God and the Christian bible plays a big part in the musician’s life and his music, although he hasn’t quite figured out what is the role that religion plays in his life. It was also interesting that Nick cave really doesn’t know what his lyrics “mean” (he is the sole author of the lyrics) and sometimes the meaning only becomes apparent and some point in the future when he and the band play the song in a concert for the umpteenth time.
The song and the interview made me want to write an essay explaining why I don’t believe in the existence of God.
The following is essentially a stream of consciousness that I dictated into my iPhone while driving. It was lightly edited at 10 PM, after a 14 hour drive. I know it is rough and it needs work (both in terms of logic and grammar) and it is not intended for others to read. But this is MY retirement diary and I wanted to put down these ideas, maybe I will come back to them in the future.
Why I do not believe in God?
Bullet Point #1: Man is only a tiny step beyond our evolutionary predecessors, we are not special.
Homo sapien is the terminus of earth’s evolutionary tree. As such, everything about us has occurred in prior species, although we are only one step further on the evolutionary tree of the other primates. The fundamental biology and physiology of all life forms which preceded us, is still within us. And this even applies to single cell organism.
In addition, clearly, some animals “reason” and many/?all animals have emotions. Anybody who has lived with or worked with animals for any period of time, know that cows, horses, dogs, parrots, cats, primates, etc, knows that animals have emotions. We are not so different from our evolutionary predecessors, we are only one tiny evolutionary step beyond them. Essentially, everything that goes on in our body and brain, like exists in most/?all or our evolutionary predecessors.
As many/most Homo sapiens believe God exists, then it is logical to conclude that if God exists and has influence on the lives of Homo sapiens, then that is also logically true for all the other species. And given that many/?all species display cognition, and is was our cognition that led us to believe god exists, then it is logical to conclude that all the other species also believe God exists, as we are not so different from all the others. Thus, the bugs, butterflies, birds, bears, and even the paramecium, also believe God exists. The ridiculousness of this statement confirms the absurdity of the hypothesis.
Bullet Point #2: “Life” is too complicated to have occurred spontaneously. God must have create it.
Science has demonstrated that “life” is so complicated, that it is rational to conclude that life could not have happened spontaneously. It could only have developed because God made it so.
This argument fails to recognize that any entity that could design all of life in the universe would have to be many orders of magnitude more complicated than all of the scientific processes we have discovered. So, to justify the existence of a God on the basis that life is just too complicated to occur spontaneously and then hypothesize the existence of a vastly more complicated entity is completely irrational.
I would also point out that all of those things that we are unable to fully explain at this point it time will be rationally explained by science, in time. Remember, people once thought the Earth was flat and you would fall off the edge of the Earth if you went out too far into the ocean. People once thought that the sun orbited around the Earth. He’s more sincere beliefs. Ultimately science explained what we did not understand. The same will happen with all the other extant scientific questions.
Bullet Point #3: Why did Homo sapiens create the concept of a god
I believe Homo sapiens created the concept of God because the species is uncomfortable accepting the unknown as simply an “unknown.” For some reason, our species need to believe that everything happened for a reason. There needs to be a reason why bad things happen to good people. They need explanation as to what happens when people die.
Rather than address the question “why did Homo sapiens create the concert of God?” I think philosophers and scientist should answer the question “why is our species incapable of accepting an unknown as an unknown. Why do we believe that everything has to have a reason and we need to understand it today, even as we acknowledge that our explanation as to why something happens is totally made up?”
Bullet Point #4: Why does every Homo sapien tribe believe their “God” is the only true God?
Every Homo sapien tribe that hypothesizes the existence of a God is absolutely certain that their conception of God is valid and all the other tribes’ gods are wrong or blasphemous.
A Greeks had many gods and attributed good luck in bad luck to the Gods. They were absolutely convinced that they were right.
Modern monotheistic society today looks back on the Greeks concept of God as irrational. Of course, if the Greeks were able to look forward in time, they would consider our monotheistic interpretation as irrational.
Even within religions, there are a slight variations in the belief of about God and many are willing to kill each other over these differences.
Of course, if there was an all powerful god or gods, their existence would be invariant in time. The fact that the Homo sapiens species cannot agree on such a single definition of god, only belies the absurdity of the hypothesis that God(s) exist.
Bullet Point #5: Why does every Homo sapien tribe believe atheist are evil/dangerous?
Having been a physician, I can tell you that when there’s a medical question for which there was a lack of scientific consensus, many physicians become very dogmatic that they “know” what is the right thing to do–even if there is no science to support their understanding–and that everybody who disagrees with their opinion is obviously an idiot.
I think that those who believe God exist are fundamentally threatened by the atheists, they are scared that someone else has concluded that the theists’ world view is flawed and the theists think they are entitled to ostracized/ignore/harm/convert/eliminate the atheists as a way to protect their theist world view from interrogation.
11 PM: Time to go to sleep. I drive home to Gail tomorrow. I should arrive after supper. This solo, cross country road trip has been a wonderful introspective adventure.
Day 16, Thursday, 8/29/24
Miles traveled: 551 miles
States: Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts
Title: There’s no place like home: Last day of my solo, 7,226 mile, introspective adventure
I’m on my last 580 miles, Day 16, of my “introspective adventure.”
Last night I slept in a La Quinta Inn last night in Erie, PA, and had a shower. I left Erie, PA at about 6:30 AM and I arrived home at 5:30 PM. Just before I entered Massachusetts, I stopped for lunch and meaningful conversation at Larry’s house in the Berkshires. It was nice to see Mason play with his dog Otis.
With this adventure coming to a close in a few hours, I thought I would ask myself:
What stood out during my road trip?
What did I learn from or during this 16 day sojourn?
What follows is a lightly edited “stream of consciousness” dictation I created while driving on Day 16.
Alone ≠ Loneliness
I learned that I do pretty well on my own; I don’t feel lonely, despite the absence of social interactions.
That should not be interpreted to mean that I don’t need or want social contact. I definitely do. There were multiple times during the trip when I reached out to family and friends in an attempt to create a conversation. And I am very grateful to those who took the time to call me while I was on the road–some called to make sure I was safe, others called because they were curious about my adventure, and some called as they “read between the lines” of my emails and understood I wanted some conversation. To all of you, I immensely appreciated your call and hope I did not keep you on the phone too long.
Even though I have been working to expand my social contacts and meaningful social relations since retiring, this trip has convinced me that my failure, to date, of having significantly expanded my social circle does not doom me to feeling lonely or unhappy.
In my Designing Your Retirement research, I came across many studies that addressed this issue–the correlation between meaningful social relationships and happiness as well as the correlation between social interactions and loneliness.
The National Academy of Sciences published a report in 2020, Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults, and reported that there was a small segment of the population who have few social contacts, but do not feel lonely.
I think I fit into that demographic, what I would call the “non-lonely, lonely.”
Nevertheless family and friends bring me joy and I believe it is healthier to have qualitatively and quantitatively more friends. So I’m going to continue to try to expand my circle of meaningful social relations.
If I only succeed in adding more acquaintances, that will still be a bonus.
Road Trip Visuals
Our country is large and scenically diverse. These are some of the sights that have left a visual impression on me:
- The hot, dry Mojave Desert
- The curated and chaotic urbanity of San Francisco
- The grandeur of the Rocky Mountains
- The serenity and majesty of the Grand Canyon
- The flatness of mid-America
- The remarkable Interstate highway system which delivers a ceaseless stream of products to distance Americans
- The immense manufacturing plants, chemical plants, oil refineries that dot the vast empty spaces across America.
- The dry and mostly uninhabited terrain of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, which seems to extend forever
- Iowa’s interstate had a necklace of electricity generating windmills from border to border. Upon crossing the Iowa border into Nebraska, it was obvious that Nebraska had made a political decision to deprioritize wind power. Texas too, to my surprise, had many electricity generating windmills.
- Iowa and Nebraska’s endless fields of crops.
- The Painted Cliffs/Colorado Plateau/ Red Rock Country of New Mexico
- The never ending procession of freight trains in America’s southwest
- The Tetons (my happy place)
- The truck stops – a transient yet definitive community on the move across the US
- The plethora of power lines emanating from Niagara Falls
At the very end of my trip, as I entered eastern New York and western Massachusetts, I came upon the verdant hills of the Berkshires, covered in maple, walnut, oak, poplar, elm, beech, ash, and birch trees. It was as if I was seeing the undeniable lushness, vitality, seasonal and perennial beauty of the New England’s forests for the first time.
New England bike trail
Of course, New England’s forests are not as grand as the Tetons or majestic as the Grand Canyon, but they are my favorite ecosystem.
I did see some Trump signs along the way, and every time I saw one, I would say to myself “How could this person possibly believe that Trump is good for America? How could this person believe Trump is going to do anything to make their lives or their children’s life’s better unless it also enriches Trump?” “Why do they believe his propaganda?” I avoided all political conversations during my trip.
Driving a Tesla on a Road Tip
Tesla has an optional feature called “autodrive” that controls the steering and velocity of the car. If the Tesla knows your destination, autodrive will automatically enter or exit the highway, make turns, recognize traffic lights and stop signs, merge with traffic, navigate rotaries, and change lanes as needed, so as to get me to my destination. I found it to be especially useful in ensuring I did not get lost.
I have found autodrive to be very helpful on the highway and in “stop and go” traffic, but I wouldn’t use it in an intense city traffic environment, with lots of bikers, walkers, as occur in Somerville, Manhattan or San Francisco
As autodrive maps its environment (pets, people, car, bikes, motorcycles, curbs, speed limit signs, stop signs, traffic lights), I felt reasonably safe, in non-congested traffic situations, taking my eyes off the road for a few seconds. This eliminated driving fatigue, even if I was driving for 14 hours.
If I did not touch the steering wheel for 30 seconds, or I picked-up my cell phone and looked at the phone, the car would detect these unsafe activities and issue a warning–which, if ignored, would disengage autodrive. If one repeatedly ignored these warnings, then one could permanently lose access to autodrive.
On a long road trip like this, I used autodrive 40-50% of the time. Other times I would engage adaptive cruise control (velocity) while I did the steering, or I would take full control, especially if I was in an area that was under construction, had people, or complicated intersections.
A Mobile Community of Tesla Drivers
One thing that I noticed during my road trip, was the existence of a Tesla community of drivers. While recharging at a Tesla Supercharging station, I would sometime come upon a fellow Tesla driver who wanted to talk about their Tesla experience. Other times I might see a person who I had seen at a prior Tesla Supercharging station.
I met Tesla driver at a supercharging station in Idaho who proudly told me his Tesla had over 310,000 miles. He was retired and he and his wife drive around Wyoming, Idaho, Montana area, seeing the sites. He must do a lot of driving.
Many people told me they were on their second Tesla.
One person at a Tesla Supercharging station came running over to ask me how much it cost to recharge my Tesla ($5-$20), as he was thinking of trading in for a newer Tesla, but had delayed this transaction as his current Tesla gives him free charging.
I approached Tesla couple at a Supercharging station when I recognized their dogs from a previous Supercharging station. We had a pleasant conversation – they were on a road trip to Oregon where they were going to either hike or car camp on the Oregon coast.
I spoke to a couple at a roadside scenic vista in the Tetons who told me that they had two Tesla’s because Teslas have “dog mode”. Google “Tesla dog mode”
Sleeping in My Car at a Truck Stop
I have found that sleeping in a truck stop was a far more efficient way to travel long distances than staying in the hotel. The truck stop was also logistically easier.
The truck stops were typically located either at a highway rest area (with restrooms) or they were located it was just off the highway, near a large, well-lit store, that had an ample supply of food, coffee, junk food, beer, and clean restrooms.
After recharging, I would look for a spot to park that was well-lit but did not light the interior of the car. I would put the car in to “camp mode“ and the temperature would be maintained all night. The car would be locked, with one dog on the front passenger seat and the other in the back. I would lower the driver seat until it was nearly horizontal and was comfortable with my two pillows. If either dog had to go out to pee at night, it was very easy to quickly get back to sleep.
Of course, hotels had the benefit of a shower but were not as efficient if your goal is to cover as much terrain in as little time as possible.
But, I really did enjoy the occasional hotel hot shower.
For more on driving a Tesla, see my entry of 8/26/24 “Thoughts on driving a Tesla cross-country”.
Traveling Alone, With Two Dogs
Traveling with the dogs made the trip more fun as it provided somebody for me to interact with. One behavior that I noticed myself engaging in was repeatedly checking that I had not forgotten a dog. Every hour or two, I would reach into the backseat to ensure I still had two dogs. I know this was irrational, but I also found it to be reassuring.
Traveling alone was advantageous as it enabled me to alter my travel on a moment’s notice, sleep wherever I wanted, and likely reduced the stress of the trip. I think it would have been much less likely that I would have visited the Tetons if I had a human traveling companion.
Listening to Music and Audiobooks
Music and audiobooks made the trip immensely more enjoyable.
Future Creative Endeavors
I am looking forward to getting home and back to my creative endeavors, which I divide into artistic and intellectual undertakings.
In the artistic realm, I have some picture frame projects that are in process.
A Frame for Calder
I am working on a frame for one of Gail’s abstract painting (a class exercise)-a painting Calder wants. The frame is mostly done, it just needs a small revision (routing) then a final sanding and finishing. I’m looking forward to seeing what that looks like when it’s all finished.
A Frame for Sierra
There is a frame for Sierra that I refer to as a “multi-layered ripple” frame. I don’t know what I’m going to put into that frame, and that issue needs to be resolved between Sierra, Gail, and I before I begin construction–but the prototyping of the frame has been completed.
A Construct of World Site Sculptures
As I mentioned in an earlier diary entry, I have this vision of creating a sculpture for our very small front yard (about 10 x 20 feet) which would be composed of small plastic models of important landmarks from around the world: The Statue of Liberty, Empire State building, Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal, Egyptian pyramids, Eiffel Tower, and maybe some spectacular geologic formations such as Denali, the Matterhorn, etc. I have a ChatGPT-generated list of 100 items and I’d like to put together an assemblage of plastic models, that are 6 and 12 inches tall, attach them to a board and then put them on my front yard. I think this would be visually interesting and people will try to identify as many as they can. Gail thinks that this would not be appropriate for our front yard, but I promise her it would only be there for 1-2 two months and then we can trash it.
Writing
Writing about the day’s road trip adventure has been a creative and intellectual endeavor that I looked forward to every evening during this road trip, even when I was tired. While my prose is not quality literature, the process of dictating while driving, and, in the evening, cursorily revising and posting my ruminations to My Retirement Diary have been fun.
I’m well aware that few, if any, people will actually read what I wrote on these pages, but that doesn’t diminish the fun of writing.
My essay of 8/19/2024 was specifically written for Gail; I wanted her to “see” the beauty of the Tetons under a full moon. When I took the dogs out to pee at 3 AM I did not bring my iPhone/camera. When I saw that I had the entire scenic vista to myself, the magnificence of the moon, clouds, mountains and lake, I decided to walk to a scenic overlook to get a better view. Of course, if I had my camera, I simply would have taken a picture and sent it to Gail; not having the camera, and wanting to share the view with her, forced me to describe the ambience in prose. I am glad I did not have the camera.
Last night, 8/28/2024, I wrote about why I do not believe in God. Of course, it is a very rough essay, both in terms of grammar and logic, and few if any will read it, but it was fun to write. And maybe I will revise and expand on it in the future.
Designing Your Retirement Lecture
I am looking forward to preparing for and giving my upcoming lectures:
- September 7, 2024 9:30-11:00 AM MIT Club of Boston, Cambridge Public Library, Rossi Room
- September 28, 2024 9:30-11:00 AM Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Cambridge, MA
- October 17, 2024 6-8PM The Robb Center, Andover, MA
Regrets
I regret that I didn’t get to do any real hiking in the national parks. On the other hand, my time was limited, in the sense that I did not want to extend the duration of the road trip. The brief walks I did with the dogs were mostly satisfying and met my needs.
I regret that I was not able to share some of my experiences with Gail. I know she would have hated the car ride but loved the Tetons and the Grand Canyon. For me, sharing any experience with Gail is better than experiencing the event alone.
I missed not being able to exercise during my trip. Cycling is my most enjoyable form of exercise. I hope to rectify this omission as soon as I get home.
I regret I did not photograph a barn in Oklahoma, as I whizzed by at 75-80 mph. It was red barn, but not the classic red-burgundy of most barns. This barn’s red was a few shades brighter; somewhere between burgundy and fire-engine red. The barn was in perfect condition, located in the middle of a large field, all alone, surrounded by greenery and bright yellow flowers. It was idyllic and beautiful.
Those are some of the thoughts I had on Day 16 of my 7,226 mile, introspective adventure.
And, of course, there is no place like home.
Hayward Zwerling, 8/20/2024
