That didn’t take long. We drove in to Glacier National Park to find a camping site and, instead, we found a bear. We really messed up this time. I knew this was high season but naively assumed that whatever challenges…
I was 7 when I came face to face with a bear. It was gigantic. But, then again, I was seven.
On occasion, I have alluded to the fact that I do not drive. When I refer to my fearless driver as "my driver" it is because that is an exclusive position. I do not drive. I haven't driven for almost a decade. Instead, I lived in metropolitan areas where I could walk to work and social life could be served via mass transit.
Traveling can be lonely. Even with a travel companion, there can be moments when one craves to reach out of their personal circle and relax with some friendly people. I have my fearless driver and we have lots of fun together but that doesn't negate the desire for a wider range of friendly interactions. Certainly, one of the perks of our nomadic life is to visit friends and family across the US. But there are times when we are relaxing in a campground and would like to share stories and learn about some new people.
We are meticulously law abiding. When we come to communities that have banned overnight parking in Walmarts such as Galveston, TX or Glen Springs, CO, we don't throw up our hands and attempt to stealth camp. As tired as we may be, we accept that this community does not want our business and we move on. So when we got a ticket for overnight parking in Pasadena, CA, we thought it must be a mistake.
It's another Saturday night, and I'm parked in a hotel. I'm actually sleeping in something other than my van. But it seems like others are sticking with their cars. Looking out on the hotel parking lot, there is quite the selection of boats parked behind pickup trucks. Quite a few people went fishing this weekend. What they are doing now, though, is watching their boats. While they clearly do have hotels rooms, several are sitting in and around their boats. Granted, this certainly isn't the nicest part of town. (We aren't willing to shell out the amount of money it would take to stay there.) Yet, it just seems pointless to rent a hotel room, cheap as it may be, only to spend the night watching your boat.
If you are an aspiring initiate into the drug trade, boy-oh-boy, do we have the hotel for you!
Feeling lonely? Looking for that special someone? Let us know, I think she mistook us for you.
We have come into Texas and are immediately bombarded with the same and constant refrain: "Don't Mess With Texas." It's on t-shirts, bumper stickers, roadsides signs, and even government vehicles. This brings out the armchair psychologist in me. How defensive is Texas that it has to tell everyone right away not to mess with it? Did its mom tell every teacher on the first day of school, "Dear Texas is a very delicate youth and takes things very personally. Please make sure that the other states don't mess with Texas."