Though they’ve all been mentioned in the blog, we wanted to list a few companies and people who made this trip much more enjoyable and successful. Of course, the trip would have been impossible without our trusty Winnebago Outlook. We can’t begin to imagine what Steinbeck would think if he saw our Winnebago compared to his little truck camper! Thanks to Sheila Davis, Kelli Harms, and others at Winnebago HQ in Forest City, Iowa (great factory tour and RV service!) for making us big-time (and lifetime) Winnebago fans. The legendary company is celebrating their 50^th anniversary in 2008.

And, in thinking about our Winnebago, we wanted to mention and thank Camper Country in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Our RV was delivered there and we’ve had some minor service issues taken care of there quickly and professionally (as well as being under Winnebago’s industry-leading warranty).  We’ve recommended them to several people and hope to convert many more to RVing and Winnebagos.

Speaking of “conversion” to RVing, we have sent many who are interested in RVing to the excellent Go RVing website to learn (lots!) more and receive a super DVD or CD. It provides the perfect introduction to RVing! 

We carried a number of “toys” with us to further enjoy the great outdoors. Our Specialized hybrid bikes gave us great access to trails and roads into small towns. We carried them on a great Thule rack. We’d honestly used Yakima racks and other toy carrier products previously, but the quality and innovative design of our Thule bike rack means we’ll be replacing several Yakima products in 2008! We also used a great Thule storage box and look forward to trying some of their Thule Smart RV RV-specific line that they’ve just released.

We tucked two inflatable kayaks under our back ladder and loved using them throughout the trip. These great little boats are made by Advanced Elements and we found them perfect for RV travel. We’ve also used them in our backyard creek and have taken them on several road trips in the Jeep–where you can see an interesting body of water and be paddling on it in less than 10 minutes (I’m not kidding!).

Some other “products” from our trip deserve special mention beyond earlier blog entries. If I‘ve forgotten any, please let me know!

We didn’t get lost very often–but when we did–our Garmin GPS always came to the rescue with both vocal directions and very clear directions and maps on our large screen. We also used the Garmin when driving to a specific address in a city and very much enjoyed our subscription to XM Radio. And, in thinking about not getting lost, Michelin and Rand McNally became our two favorite maps for making driving plans before hitting the road and planning diversions once underway. GPS is great, but we still love perusing maps on paper!

We’re also the proud parents of six huge Michelin tires. We equate Michelin quality to Winnebago and that’s a nice feeling when you’re rolling down the road.

The series of options from Campfire Grill made it really easy to use our many campfires for cooking as well. These products are great for all kinds of campers–from RVers to backpackers (we’ve also heard the motorcyclists who camp love their compact size).

We also used our ancient, but excellent, Coleman lantern often and one of their propane stoves occasionally (our grill and indoor stove made this for “emergency” use only). Coleman makes a ton of other great camping products.

A number of the products above (and many more) came from Camping World. This RV owner’s paradise is the “superstore” of RVing and we stopped at many along the way (along with the occasional Wal-Mart, of courseJ ). The Camping World staff is quite knowledgeable and they always seemed to know about (and have) exactly what we needed.

Good Sam is another major player that every RVer needs (or will need). We always enjoyed staying at Good Sam campgrounds (where members get a 10% discount). Good Sam members are known for being “Good Samaritans” to other travelers. For instance, we arrived at several Good Sam campsites to find a campfire already prepared for our enjoyment. We must admit to being a little biased because they featured our trip in their excellent members’ magazine, Highways.

We had previously signed up for Good Sam’s great Emergency Road Service and are happy to report we didn’t need it the entire trip. We had used it twice before our trip–once when we got the RV stuck in a muddy ditch and a second time for a dead battery–the quick and professional service both times convinced us to renew before out big trip.

As loyal readers know, we stayed at a number of great KOA campgrounds. We really grew to appreciate their friendliness, cleanliness, and consistency (though surprises like warm cookies or ice cream bars delivered to our door as a welcome gift kept each KOA unique). KOAs were especially welcome when we wanted long hot showers, laundry facilities, and wi-fi.

We also spent many nights at state parks. For spacious campsites and varied natural experiences (like hiking, biking, and kayaking), it’s hard to beat these natural resources. We stayed in a state park in virtually every state through which we passed. Of course, the national parks system is also alive and well, with visits to Theodore Roosevelt National Park (the Badlands), Yellowstone National Park (with wildlife galore), and Petrified Forest National Park (including the Painted Desert) among many incredible experiences for us on this trip.

Other quick “kudos” go to: Ford (we’ve been very impressed with our E-450 chassis and service at various Ford dealers across the country); Interstate batteries (we accidentally drained our “house” batteries and they solved the issue through a local dealer); Dometic (www.dometic.com) (great awnings and more!); and various RVing-specific products we’ve grown to appreciate from Thetford and Camco.

That’s a lot of products, but the list of people to thank is even longer. Here’s a quick rundown in the same order as the trip:

*Our favorite microbrewer, Sam Calagione at Delaware’s Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales…Pour it Again, Sam!

*Oliver Peterson out on Long Island, who learned about our trip after our visit to Sag Harbor and wrote about it several times for the Southampton Press.

*PR pro Nancy Marshall in Augusta, Maine, who took delivery of an important FedEx for us and also provided lots of insight to the state she obviously loves.

*Matt Polstein of Maine’s New England Outdoor Center, who welcomed us (and our RV) with open arms and exposed us to his marvelous state of Maine (including Baxter State Park) and NEOC’s incredible restaurant, River Drivers.

*Betsy Foster in Canada, who made our trip to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and the rest of our time in Ontario a special memory.

*RV guru and historian, Al Hesselbart, who showed us around the incredible RV/MH Museum and Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana.

*Previously mentioned Kelli Harms and Sheila Davis at Winnebago in Forest City, Iowa, who have made us Winnebago wanderers for life.

*Gary Knowles, a Wisconsin expert who sent us to all of the right places for cheese, beer, and more (including a great hotel stay and meal nearby at Del-Bar in Wisconsin Dells). Thanks also to Melanie Platt-Gibson, for hosting us for dinner and introducing us to the Wisconsin Dells (Steinbeck also loved it there).

*Chuck Lennon, an equally astute expert on Minnesota, who told us about the incredible Oktoberfest and August Schell Brewery in New Ulm and also helped us with our Sauk Centre visit.

*Ditto for Donnie Sexton in Montana–what a wonderful state and we can’t wait to return.

*Our friend, Bridget Sheahan, in Spokane, who joined us for a quick lunch and lots of memories about our time in Germany together.

*Louie Richmond in Seattle, who introduced us to the restaurants and food of Tom Douglas.

*Holland America’s Erik Elvejord and Tracy Peterson, who provided us with quintessential Seattle friendliness, coffee, and food. Holland America remains one of our favorite lines and we plan to sail with them whenever we can pursue another lifetime goal–a world cruise.

*Scott Thomasen and his parents, Ron and Jan. Scott gave us some great tips for visiting “Steinbeck Country” and his parents welcomed us into their incredible home for one of our favorite stops of the entire trip.

*Amanda Holder at the National Steinbeck Center–we couldn’t have made this trip so “Steinbeck” without her. Our time at the NSC remains a highlight of the adventure.

*Cele’s brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Bev Serwitz (and their sons Brady and Max), who provided a nice respite in Los Angeles before beginning our journey east.

*Santa Fe PR person extraordinaire Rachel Mason, who provided tasty insider dining information about Blue Corn Café and Rio Chama. We’re now huge fans of spicy green chile!

*Eric Miller in Amarillo, who set us up at the incredible Big Texan Steak Ranch for one of most memorable meals of the trip and thus provided our version of the Thanksgiving-period “ranch” experience that Steinbeck had enjoyed in Texas.

*Our friends Andy and Jay Boisseau in Austin, who told us about a get-together of about 50 Virginia Tech and UVA fans for the post-Thanksgiving football classic.

*New Orleans experts Mary Beth Romig and Christine Decuir, who helped us find an incredible RV resort right in the revitalized Quarter and located the school Steinbeck had visited. The Big Easy is back!

*Our friend, Chef Susan Spicer, who prepared a quite memorable meal for us at her legendary Quarter restaurant, Bayona. Susan has a tasty new cookbook out called “Crescent City Cooking” and its receiving rave reviews.

I apologize for this “laundry list” of products and people, but–like Steinbeck–we found that our trip was greatly enhanced by the help of people and products all along the way. Our own “Search for America” couldn’t have been accomplished without them!

It happened to Steinbeck in Abingdon, Virginia. It happened to us in Montgomery, Alabama. It was time to go home.

Steinbeck wrote that, “My own journey started before I left, and was over before I returned.” We felt the same–once we were back in the south we know and love, we were already home. Then, it was just a matter of driving back to Oak Island like Steinbeck drove back to New York (he actually went back to his place in Manhattan, rather than to Sag Harbor).

Steinbeck wrote that his trip ended near Abingdon and he rushed through the rest of his drive…and the book, which ended very short three pages later. During our trip and lots of Steinbeck-oriented research and reading, I did find another “final” chapter for “Travels with Charley” about Kennedy’s inauguration. It was in a book of his non-fiction called “America and Americans.”

After New Orleans, we drove along the Mississippi coast. This was our first visit there and it was quite pretty–though many Katrina reminders still remain, including damaged houses and many FEMA trailers. It reminded us of how fragile our island home can be and how fortunate we are compared to many on the Gulf Coast.

We crossed into Alabama at Mobile and found yet another great Panera Bread location to check email and buy a few of their tasty bagels. Like Steinbeck, we then headed to Montgomery and the ghosts of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

Steinbeck had spent much of the book after New Orleans lamenting the state and fate of African Americans in the south. He lamented that many people would see Charley and joke that they thought they saw a n_gger in Rocinante with him. Our time in Montgomery and the rest of the south made us feel that Steinbeck would be pleased with the progress procured by the likes of King, Parks, and even little Ruby Bridges back in New Orleans. However, we know he’d be using his pen to work for complete equality and treatment (possibly for today’s Hispanics).

We passed into Georgia and decided to head to Warm Springs, where FDR had gone for a “cure” to his polio. Earlier in the trip, we’d watched the HBO feature film called “Warm Springs” and became fascinated with FDR. Throughout the trip, we were reminded of the great man–thanks to lots of CCC buildings and projects in the state and federal parks where we often camped.

In fact, we camped at Georgia’s excellent Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park about 10 miles from Warm Springs (the park includes huge pines originally planted by FDR). We headed into Warm Springs the next morning and visited the original springs where FDR (and thousands more) had finally found some relief from his affliction. Just up the hill, the sprawling Roosevelt Institute is a continuing tribute to FDR’s work.

We’ll soon head into South Carolina and find one of their many great state parks before heading into the Tar Heel State and home. Like Steinbeck, we’re ready to be home to enjoy a spacious (and long) shower.

Once home, I’ll likely post a wrap-up or three concerning this life-changing trip. Thanks for reading!

Dear John,

We followed your route through Louisiana and have much to report to you after your visit 47 years before us.

We loved the city you called “La-Fayette,” thanks to its very “French” Acadian food and atmosphere. Before heading to our bayou campground just outside town, we stopped in several food emporiums for seafood- and pork-stuffed boudin. Dinner at famed Prejean’s included ‘gator, frog legs, crawfish, oysters, catfish, and stuffed crab, washed down with ice-cold Abita beer. The next morning, we headed to bustling downtown and simply had to visit the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (pictured), in that you’ve definitely been our evangelist on this trip.

Just south of Lafayette and near the charming little town of New Iberia, we headed to Avery Island–where Tabasco has been produced since 1868. There’s an excellent factory tour (see photo) and a “Country Store” that has practically everything “Tabasco” imaginable. We’re thinking you liked spicy food, John, so we bought several bottles of hot sauce in your honor.

Next, we took the “back” way to New Orleans through Morgan City, just like you–including a swing through Houma. You called Houma (pronounced Homer) one of the pleasantest places in the world. Houma is definitely pretty, but we’re thinking your memory was somewhat jaded. You mentioned your friend, one Dr. St. Martin, made “the best and most subtle martini in the world by a process approximating magic.” We couldn’t find a local bar to toast you and Dr. St. Martin, but we did learn that there are still many St. Martins in the area (including a number of lawyers and doctors).

New Orleans was next, but not before another excellent state park experience at Bayou Segnette. This superb state park, less than 30 minutes from the French Quarter, included huge campsites, free laundry facilities, and wi-fi. We couldn’t ask for more before heading into the Big Easy.

Your goal in visiting New Orleans was to see the “cheerleaders” in action (more on this below), but we also wanted to get back to the city you knew and loved. You wrote, “I was in New Orleans of the great restaurants. I know then all and most of them know me. And I could have no more gone to Gallatoir’s [your typo] for an omelet and champagne than I could have danced on a grave.” We opted to delay our “cheerleaders” experience and enjoy a taste of New Orleans first.

Our 24-hour visit included finding the French Quarter RV Resort, a great RV resort within walking distance of the Quarter (it would have been a great base for Rocinante as well). We spent an afternoon walking the streets, which are coming back to life with locals and visitors after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We recalled you went through Hurricane Donna back in September, 1960, just before leaving on your trip. This city is welcoming tourists with open arms and we were glad to support the local economy by buying a mufulletta at Central Grocery, raw oysters and steamed crawfish at Acme Oyster House, and lots of typical New Orleans souvenirs (including some of the Community chicory-laced coffee we love).

In the evening, we strolled to Bayona on Rue Dauphine, where our friend Susan Spicer is the chef and owner of one of the region’s best restaurants. We started with Susan’s incredible garlic soup and special scallop dish with pork belly and then Susan sent out her wonderful crispy smoked quail salad with bourbon molasses vinaigrette for us to sample. For our entrees, Cele had the excellent peppered lamb loin with herbed goat cheese and zin sauce, while I tried one of the specials–a bodacious boudin-stuffed rabbit (with a fried leg thrown in for lagniappe). We’re certain the food and service were as good or better as any you would have received at Gallatoire’s, John!

Chef Spicer joined us for a glass of wine after dinner, making for a perfect end to our day in New Orleans. We told Susan about our trip and know you would have liked her, the food, and the atmosphere of Bayona, which is situated in a 200-year-old Creole cottage. Susan also has a tasty new cookbook called “Crescent City Cooking” and were anxious to try some of her recipes back in our kitchen on Oak Island.

The next morning, John, we followed you to William Frantz Public School (see picture). As you know and experienced back in December, 1960, the “cheerleaders” stationed themselves outside this school to scream racial slurs at a little girl who only wanted to learn (the school was being integrated). We know you were sickened by what you saw and I won’t even try to match your writing on this subject. We did track down the little girl’s name: Ruby Bridges. She’s actually still in New Orleans and more can be read about her (and her life and work) at www.rubybridges.org.

Our visit to the school was equally sad for us, John, in that it was closed and boarded up due to Hurricane Katrina. However, as is often the case, hope was nearby–Habitat for Humanity was building new houses a few blocks from the school.

As quickly as you, we left William Frantz and headed out of Louisiana. Montgomery, Alabama is next–just like you back in early-December, 1960.

All My Best, John,

Lynn

Unlike Steinbeck, we didn’t have friends who owned a ranch and invited us for Thanksgiving. However, we did find an incredible place in Amarillo called Big Texan Steak Ranch (see picture). It was hard to miss thanks to all of the billboards along I-40 heading into town (mostly advertising the “free” 72-ounce steak…if you can finish it in an hour!). Ironically, the place opened in 1960 just before Steinbeck would pass through Amarillo with Charley–it’s definitely his kind of place–very “America,” and that’s what he was in search of on this trip.

After finding a KOA just outside town, we called the Big Texan’s limo service and headed out for a “ranch” experience of our own. To say that the Big Texan is unique is an understatement as big as the state of Texas. We both enjoyed very tasty Texas-sized steaks and sides (leaving with lots of leftovers), as well as watching a (failed) attempt for a free steak (see picture). We later learned that more than 42,000 have tried and only about 8,000 have succeeded thus far (if you fail, your steak dinner costs you $72.00–up from $9.95 when the promotion first started in the early-1960s).

We really enjoyed Amarillo, but a cold front had moved in (this actually happened to Steinbeck at the same time as well, 47 years ago) and it was time to move on. We followed his route from Amarillo to Lubbock and then through Sweetwater on his and our way to Austin. For Thanksgiving Day, we stayed outside Abilene, where the cold front brought in several inches of snow. We couldn’t find a “ranch” for our Thanksgiving feast, so we headed out to Wal-Mart and put together an impromptu turkey dinner and cooked it in our RV while watching the snow fall heavily just outside–it was very “America,” in an RVing/Wal-Mart sort of way.

His wife Elaine had joined him for Thanksgiving on the ranch (apparently owned by a brother of her ex-husband) and she apparently rode with him to Austin where they visited her sister. We did something similar, in that we were able to visit Andy and Jay Boisseau, the sons of our long-time Richmond friend, Pete Boisseau. We actually met them at a downtown Austin sports bar called Third Base, where about 50 UVA and Virginia Tech transplants watched Tech trounce the Wahoos.

After Austin, we found a great Texas state park called Bastrop, and then made our way to Port Arthur and the Louisiana state line. Cajun country is next and we’ll also go in search of the school where Steinbeck watched in disgust as the “cheerleaders” pursued their racist ways (more on this later).

We joined the western terminus of I-40 near Barstow to head out of California and it was really odd to see a sign giving the mileage to Wilmington, North Carolina (we passed it too quickly to see for certain, but it’s 2,500+ miles). Wilmington is the eastern terminus of I-40 and, though we wouldn’t be taking I-40 all the way home, it certainly put the trip’s end on our radar (and the resulting mixed and melancholy feelings of heading home to Oak Island).

We passed through the Mohave Desert (with places like Devil’s Playground) and spent the night in Needles (we think Steinbeck must have done the same). We then crossed into Arizona and used both I-40 and Route 66 (“The Mother Road”) to pass through this beautiful state. We were pleasantly surprised how much of Route 66 remains (including lots of class diners and more) and took it whenever possible. There’s a great stretch between Kingman (a Route 66 Mecca) and Seligman, as well as a fun section through Winslow, where we couldn’t resist “standing on the corner” (see picture). Just outside Winslow, we found a great little state park called Homolovi Ruins and camped near four pueblo sites thought to have been occupied between 1200 and 1425.

Though Steinbeck didn’t mention it in the book, we also couldn’t resist making a very slight diversion through the Petrified Forest National Park (see picture). Unlike anywhere we’ve seen on earth, the petrified wood littered through this park makes for a very unusual landscape. The park also includes the Painted Desert and, as late-afternoon approached, the light of the “painted” cliffs was simply surreal.

Next, New Mexico, brought more of Mother Nature at her finest. We camped under the red rocks near Gallup, got totally lost in the Cibola National Forest, and then headed up the Turquoise Road to Santa Fe. Steinbeck didn’t mention this specific diversion, but we were in search of authentic New Mexico food and knew Santa Fe wouldn’t disappoint.

After finding a commercial campground just outside town, we headed into Santa Fe proper and found Blue Corn Café and Brewery. This great place (they have two locations) features creative New Mexican fare and we tried a bit of practically everything: blue and white corn chips; spicy salsa, guacamole, and queso; and one each of an enchilada, taco, and tamale. Cele also ordered their unique “Tortilla Burger,” a tasty concoction that featured a burger smothered in cheese and green chile and wrapped with a fresh tortilla. If this sounds like a ton of food, it was–we enjoyed spicy leftovers for days.

We spent the next day exploring downtown Santa Fe, including a stop at the Santa Fe School of Cooking shop–though, we were bummed to learn no cooking classes were scheduled. We also checked out the tasty brunch at Rio Chama, which is owned by the same guy (Gerald Peters) who owns Blue Corn (as well as Santa Fe’s Sleeping Dog Tavern and Rooftop Pizza and Albuquerque’s Chama River Brewing Company).

We spent the next night just north of Santa Fe at Hyde Memorial State Park, enjoying a roaring fire under a stand of fragrant pinon trees. Sadly, because it was a busy Sunday, we couldn’t book a hot tub under the stars at famed Ten Thousand Waves, a Japanese-style mountain spa resort overlooking Santa Fe.

Back on what appeared to be Steinbeck’s route, we passed through another Route 66 town, Tucumcari–which was featured in a great Little Feat song called Willin’–”I’ve been to Tucson to Tucumcari, Tahachapi to Tonopah.” We found a great Route 66 wall mural in town (see picture).

Amarillo, where Steinbeck stopped for several days to have his windshield fixed, is next.

During a “wine cruise” aboard Carnival last year, we’d met a wine guru named Scott Thomasen. When he learned of our trip, he told us he was from Steinbeck country and that we simply had to visit his parents once there.

We fulfilled this promise and we’re so glad we did! After a quick call and only two hours of warning, Ron and Jan Thomasen graciously met us outside the little town of Corralitos–where Ron proceeded to jump in the Winnebago’s passenger seat and help guide me up the last two very curvy miles to their house.

Quite simply, we can’t praise the house, the view, the wine, and the people appropriately–maybe Steinbeck could have done it with words (he would have loved this place and these people), but I can’t. We still can’t believe that Scott grew up in this incredible environment overlooking the Pacific. Ron and Jan told us many wonderful stories about living in Steinbeck country and we enjoyed an excellent syrah from their own pretty vineyard. As we praised the wine, Ron related that David Bruce (one of our favorite California pinot producers) had once used their grapes (including two years of single-vineyard designation called Split Rail–the name of their wonderful home and property).

After reluctantly leaving their home (we asked the Thomasens for a return visit rain check), we headed into the heart of Steinbeck country. This included a stop at Monterey’s Cannery Row, which was made famous by Steinbeck. It’s obviously commercialized now (including condos, hotels, restaurants, shops, and the excellent Monterey Bay Aquarium), but there’s still the downtrodden sea-drenched feel that Steinbeck described so well in Cannery Row. We also found a statue of Steinbeck overlooking the water (see picture).

After finding Ed Ricketts’ lab and several other sites covered in Steinbeck’s fiction and non-fiction (we think the bar he mentioned in Travels with Charley was leveled for a hotel), we headed to adjacent Pacific Grove. Steinbeck often retreated here to write or simply escape hard times (he was once quite poor).

Steinbeck country guru Scott Thomasen had told us about his favorite area restaurant, Passionfish, and we’d definitely learned to trust his judgment on food and wine. Situated in Pacific Grove’s quaint and quiet downtown area (we now know why Steinbeck liked it here), the folks at Passionfish are obviously passionate about what they’re doing–and they do it well.

Scott had told us to ask for chef Ted Walter, who co-owns and -operates Passionfish with his personable wife, Cindy. With Ted’s guidance, we had an amazing meal that featured fresh regional produce and seafood (like oysters and octopus we’re sure Ed Ricketts and Steinbeck would have appreciated). Scott had also told us about the unique wine list, which didn’t disappoint with its range (lots of local stuff) and pricing (incredibly reasonable).

We’re quite certain that if Steinbeck were living in Pacific Grove again, he’d make Passionfish a regular haunt. When we told Ted about our trip and passion for everything Steinbeck, he proceeded to tell us that his grandmother had actually gone to high school with Steinbeck over in Salinas and was used as a character in East of Eden. It’s stories like this that have us feeling such a strong connection with Steinbeck during this trip.

After reluctantly leaving Passionfish and Pacific Grove, we spent the night in a foggy hillside campground nestled between Monterey and Salinas–with the plan to head into Salinas early to find a wide variety of Steinbeck-related sites before the National Steinbeck Center opened at 10 the next morning.

We succeeded in a big way, easily finding Steinbeck’s gravesite (pictured), many specific Main Street buildings mentioned in East of Eden (including an old department store that‘s now a very modern internet café), and his boyhood home (where we would later have lunch served by waitress volunteers in period clothes).

The sprawling National Steinbeck Center (www.steinbeck.org) right in the heart of his hometown was certainly a highlight of this trip in every way. After immersing ourselves in Steinbeck in general and Travels with Charley specifically both before and during this trip, we were simply in Steinbeck heaven. I have to admit that we’re not big fans of stuffy museums of any type and typically take much less time in them than the average visitor, but this was a different story!

I won’t bore loyal readers with the long laundry list of what this museum holds (I’ll be preparing several feature articles with lots of details), but the highlight right at the end of the Steinbeck “wing” had to be seeing Rocinante–the actual truck camper he used for his trip (see photo). Seeing the small truck camper somehow put this big trip (both for us and Steinbeck) in perspective.

Though we’d seen pictures of Rocinante previously, we weren’t prepared for how small it was and the advances RVs have made since then. We can’t imagine what Steinbeck would have thought of our Winnebago! Thanks to our National Steinbeck Center contact, Amanda Holder, who was kind enough to take a picture of us with Rocinante–and continues to be a great resource for us during the trip!

To keep on schedule, we rushed out of Salinas just as Steinbeck had in 1960. He left after a short stay because (with apologies to Thomas Wolfe) you can’t go home again. We left because we want to get home again (in time for Christmas).

We loved little coastal towns like Arcata, including a huge Saturday farmers market where we picked up lots of fresh fruit and veggies. We dry-camped right on the ocean, including a great fire at sunset.

The drive along the coast eventually became quite difficult, so we headed inland through the Alexander Valley (a first visit for us). We tasted some excellent wines at Handley Cellars and bought a nice zin for a picnic among the brightly-colored vines (yes, they have fall colors in wine country!).

We then headed down through Sonoma, where we couldn’t resist stopping at Francis Ford Coppola’s new place–Rosso & Bianco. We love his wines and Italian-leaning lifestyle and had really liked his first place over in Napa. We enjoyed a tasting and then proceeded to buy a great Rosso blend (zin, syrah, and cab)–as well as a boxed combo of pasta, sauce, and a olive oil vinaigrette (for dipping).

As we headed south to San Francisco, we hit incredible traffic and fog. We could see we’d never match Steinbeck’s sunny crossing over the Golden Gate Bridge and into what he called “the city.” So, due to traffic, fog, and being a bit behind schedule, we actually skirted around San Francisco and headed straight south into the heart of Steinbeck country.

We hope Steinbeck and his wife Elaine (who was apparently still with him) would forgive us our small diversion from his route (we haven’t had many). We love San Francisco and have many fond memories there (we’d planned to shop for fresh produce, cheese, and seafood at the wonderful Ferry Building). We had an appointment in Steinbeck country.

We couldn’t resist passing through Portland for a stop at Columbia’s new “company store” to purchase a few items (thanks to Anne Lindberg at Columbia HQ for the pass!). Then, we were lured once again into the Willamette Valley for Cele’s Oregon pinot noir fix. Our favorite was from a great little winery called Red Hawk, where we enjoyed chatting with co-owner Betty, tasting many excellent wines, and even purchasing a few for the road.

Once in northern California, we stayed in an excellent state park within Redwoods National Park and amidst the huge redwoods (the “big tree“ has a 24-foot diameter!). Steinbeck said he spent two days “close to the bodies of the giants,” so we did the same.  He even lured Charley into “marking” one of them–something I couldn’t talk Cele into repeating.  Nestled among the massive trees, we felt like we were in our own moist cocoon…..the trees our walls and the starry sky our ceiling.  We never felt closer to the land than we did that night in the ‘land of the giants’.

During the drive through Oregon and into California, Steinbeck had his first mishap with Rocinante. He knew he’d overloaded her and one of the tires finally gave out. This occurred on a Sunday in the rain, but he was able to find a small service station with a friendly owner who helped him find a tire at a local dealer. Steinbeck wrote, “I hope that evil-looking service-station man may live for a thousand years and people the earth with his offspring.”

Just like Steinbeck, we’ve “changed the oil and attended the greasing” of our Winnebago. We had our huge Michelin tires rotated at Winnebago HQ in Forest City, Iowa, and then had our oil changed at a friendly Xpress Lube in Missoula, Montana–they even gave her a very much-needed rinse! We’re hopeful we won’t have any problems like Steinbeck, but we do have Emergency Road Service with Good Sam just in case.

This was our first visit to Seattle and we both loved the city, including Pike Place Market (see picture), the iconic Space Needle (see picture), and a great little Chinatown where we enjoyed a dim sum lunch at the House of Hong with lots of locals. Steinbeck found it changed (complaining about the traffic, as he often did on the trip). However, he evidently went to Pike Place Market (we went five times during our two-night stay)…he “drank clam juice and ate the sharp crab cocktails at stands along the waterfront.” We did something similar, including the great clam chowder at Ivar’s and samples of crab from the famed “flying fish” stand at Pike Place.

Another tasty discovery in Seattle was a result of our search for local “northwestern” cuisine. We learned about local restaurateur Tom Douglas through Seattle friend and PR person extraordinaire Louie Richmond. Douglas owns and operates several varied (and very tasty) restaurants (we checked out four of them!) and also has a great line of related products (we’re now enjoying many of his rubs and sauces on the trip).

Along with lunching with Louie, we also met with several friends of Seattle-based Holland America Line. With a long legacy of cruise travel, HAL is definitely one of our favorite lines (including their excellent Culinary Arts Center). In 2008, they’ll celebrate 50 years of world cruises (a round-the-world cruise is on our ever-shortening lifetime travel goals list).

In recently finishing Jackson Benson’s excellent (1,000-page!) Steinbeck bio, it appears Steinbeck’s wife, Elaine, actually rode with him from Seattle down to San Francisco. He didn’t mention this tidbit in Travels with Charley, but it’s obvious that he really missed her (I can’t imagine doing this trip of a lifetime without Cele, a.k.a., my Charley). Except for his ode to redwoods (see next blog entry), Steinbeck doesn’t say much about his trip down the coast to San Francisco (another city he loved).

Superlatives have to include: sheer beauty; friendly people; a slower-paced way of life; and some incredible food.

We crossed into Montana after a wonderful stay in the Badlands of North Dakota and the natural beauty continued. Montana is flat in the east, but you can almost feel the mountains to the west.

We stayed in a great KOA in Miles City so that I could catch the baseball playoffs, then headed to Billings for a bit of “civilization” and a search for our first Montana beef. After appetizers of spicy chicken wings and college football at a locals-only place called Tiny’s, we enjoyed one of the best hamburgers (made from bison) we’ve ever tasted at Montana Brewing Company.

Steinbeck bought a hat in Billings, a jacket in Livingston, and a rifle in Butte. I don’t look good in what we assume was a cowboy hat, neither of us needs a jacket, and I’ve sworn off guns since my VMI and Army days. Instead, we spent our money on food (did I mention steak?) and drink (they have this great beer called Moose DroolJ ).

We started seeing the immense mountains west of Billings and, after a great stop in the very “western” town of Livingston, we headed to Yellowstone National Park (just like Steinbeck). Livingston did provide a perfect example of friendly locals–we ate (steak, of course) in a restored train depot, where everyone seemed to know everyone else (and most said hello to us). Great waitresses served up some seriously tasty food and one of them even gave us two cookies for the road.

Steinbeck diverted to Yellowstone to say he had, but didn’t get far. After being warned at the entrance gate about bears “interacting” with Charley (we received no similar warnings about “seals”), Steinbeck and Charley soon encountered bears and the normally mild-mannered Charley went berserk. Steinbeck even put him in the rear of his truck camper, but the dog still went crazy every time a bear was nearby. He finally reversed course and actually headed back to Livingston having been in Yellowstone for a very brief period.

Like our crossing into Canada when Steinbeck had failed, we decided to “do” Yellowstone better. As we often do at state and national parks, we “dry camped” (no water or electric hookups). We found a great campsite with only a few other campers at Mammoth Hot Springs (and even had the natural riverside hot springs to ourselves the next morning).

Along with the hot springs soak, wildlife was a highlight of Yellowstone. We had an elk herd pass right through our campground, while hikes and drives through the park brought us up close and personal with bison (see picture), huge deer, magpies, and even a coyote (see close-up)!

When we went high into the mountains to check out the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (see picture), we encountered a fair amount of snow and very few people. We practically had the scenery and wildlife to ourselves during the entire day in this phenomenal national park.

We re-joined Steinbeck’s apparent route west of Livingston and continued our joint love affair with the state. We found a wonderful state park called Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park (they stopped there twice), where we enjoyed a great six-mile hike up to the caverns, one of our best campfires ever (lots of great pine cones and sage kindling), bison ribeyes on the grill, and a night completely to ourselves (no other campers) under the full moon and stars of big sky Montana. It was one of our favorite evenings of the trip and another great Montana memory.

We then passed through Butte and Missoula, where we spent the night in yet another KOA (the company was founded in Montana). We’ll soon head out of the state in a melancholy mood of departure. However, Idaho and Washington look to provide similar natural beauty and experiences.