A Man, A Jeep, No Real Plan

Amazing Stories and Adventures

The Plan

Day 11: Miles and miles

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I started my morning before dawn, loading up jeff and getting ready to adventure. I skipped my tea, I skipped a shower, I just wanted to get rolling!

Only about 30 miles in Jeff and I had our first experience with a ferry boat. It was equally exciting and underwhelming. I mean Grey’s Anatomy totally had me expecting it to be a bit more eventful. Haha

I hit up Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park around 11am. First thing in days that was worth points that I didn’t have to justify wether or not it counted.

That being said, the drive was beautiful. I entered the park on a gloomy day, but as I drove through the clouds I emerged into a gorgeous day with some breathtaking views. None of the pictures do it justice.

I originally had intended to camp in Olympic, but due to my prolonged stay in Seattle I decided to push onward another 500 miles towards Redwood National Park. It’s amazing how fast the miles go when you’re rocking out to tunes and just going for it.

My only observation from the drive is that the guys at Tru Line did an amazing job with the rear suspension, unfortunately it made the vibration in the front end really obvious. I will be calling shops in San Francisco and Vegas tomorrow to see if someone can do the bearings in the front end of Jeff in a day or not.

Well folks, sorry for such a boring post. Tomorrow I’ll get to play in the Redwoods and hopefully have some adventures.

Daily Scavenger Hunt score: 3

– 3 points for driving Hurricane Ridge

Total score to date: 17

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It’s my Birthday and I leave in a week…

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Well, it’s my birthday. I am on the home stretch of 16 hour days 7 days a week. I won’t have time to do anything until it’s over on the 10th, which yes means I leave on this adventure a week from today, assuming I get my license renewed (it expires today). Oh and I just got the jeep running again last night…

Today I turn 31. I’ve got to tell you, 30 was an interesting year. I mean last year I celebrated my birthday in a hotel parking lot after working a 14 hour over night shift on the new falcons stadium. Basically my father bought me a decent bottle of bourbon and then we, along with a few of my coworkers, drank the bottle while sitting on concrete steps shooting the shit. It was not a bad way to celebrate, but it did set the tone for 30. 30 has basically been all about getting things done. I put a serious dent in my debts, mended some proverbial fences with touring companies, did a short tour, and got double ETCP certified in rigging. Not a lot of socializing or adventures outside of taking care of business. Hell this year I will be celebrating my birthday while working a 16 hour day.

The above project is what I have been working such insane hours on for the last month. This thing is massive, and in 2 days we are going to premiere it off the beaten path here in Bloomington. Once we have our one and only performance we’ll spend a few days packing it up and send it off to the Kennedy Center in D.C., where it’ll enjoy a 6 week run before heading to LA for a few months, then Toronto, and finally Broadway.

But nothing past the 9th is my problem at this point. On the 9th we’ll finish loading it onto the trucks and say goodbye and I’ll get to sleep in for the first time since mid April. I will be spending Sunday the 10th preparing the jeep with all of its new sensors, freshly cleaned grounds and new ball joints for the trip. This thing is gonna happen folks! On the 11th I will be driving the fully loaded beast to the BMV and as soon as I have my new license in hand… West, I am heading westward!

The exact route is not set in stone, the timeline is still fluid, but the above map is what I think the trip is going to look like. I am still trying to complete things off the scavenger hunt, but I may not be making it to the East Coast on this one. The reason I won’t be is simply time…

I am only going to have a month to play and after that I will be returning to Bloomington to see to my adult responsibility… Because I am now 31, and bills must be paid, jobs must be done…. oh and I am moving into a 5 bed, 3 bath monstrosity that also has a home gym, greenhouse, 25′ vaulted ceilings in one of the two living rooms (yes I am building an indoor rock wall), kitchen, dining room giant fenced in yard, and a 1,000 square foot garage… Excessive? Probably, but I am 31, single, and it’s too late for reason to prevail. I am dubbing the house, The DeLong Cultural Center.

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We’re gonna do a scavenger hunt!

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Alright friends, true to my word here is the plan, or at least as much of it as I have come up with. I do not know what my start date is for this adventure, but I do know it will be in late June or early July. The adventure is going to be a scavenger hunt of sorts. The goal is to reach 100 points before I have to return home and “adult” in mid August.

The List!

(2) See Cliff Palace
(1) See Old Faithful
(4) See Flamingo in wild
(4) See Alligator in wild
(3) Pee off edge of Grand Canyon
(1) Take selfie in Assembly Room of Independence Hall
(3) Touch a glacier
(3) convince a group of strangers to skinny dip
(5) Sky Dive
(5) Bungee Jump
(3) Spend a night sleeping against a redwood
(1) Walk into Mammoth Cave
(5) Kiss a stranger within an hour of meeting (may repeat)
(3) Drive Hurricane Ridge
(2) Stand on top of Monks Mound at Cahokia
(3) Swim just downstream of Rainbow Falls in Great Smokey Mountain National Park
(1) Take Selfie at Statue of Liberty
(1) Take Selfie on Ellis Island
(5) Take Selfie in front of Trump tower wearing Fuck Trump shirt
(1) 102 minutes of silence at 9/11 memorial
(3) Selfie with El Capitan in background
(2) Stand in Center of Chaco Ceremonial Center
(1) Drive 1000 miles (may repeat)
(15) Pick up a whovian style companion
(2) Walk the gardens of Monticello
(2) Walk the old village at Taos Pueblo
(2) See an Opera (may repeat)
(2) See a concert (may repeat)
(2) See a straight play (may repeat)
(2) see a musical (may repeat)
(2) see a dance show (may repeat)
(2) Walk the Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns
(2) Stand in Central Plaza of Poverty Point
(3) Walk into all 5 missions at the San Antonio Missions historical site
(2) Allow a family member to ride shotgun for a week (may repeat)
(1) Allow a friend to ride shotgun for a week (may repeat)
(5) spend a night sleeping on a port-o-ledge
(5) hang glide
(3) spend a night above the tree line (12,000 feet above sea level in the Rockies)
(2) Take a hot air balloon ride
(1) visit a friend (may repeat)
(1) volunteer for a day (may repeat)
(2) Dance in rain with strangers
(2) Hike 100 miles
(3) Do a Sky Swing
(1) Go Sailing (may repeat)
(5) Cliff Jump
(3) Stay out till the sun comes out on Bourbon Street
(1) Eat something strange that I’ve never had before (may repeat)
(5) pilot an ultra light
(5) Crash a wedding (may repeat)
(5) Make the local news somewhere
(3) repair jeep on side of road (may repeat)
(2) Hitch hike to retrieve jeep (may repeat)
(1) repair jeep in parking lot (may repeat)

Alright folks, what do you think? What should I add to the list? What did I assign too many points? What did I not assign enough points?

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