It seems I’ve been so focused on building up Smokey Da Van — the website, the YouTube channel, the Instagram, the Facebook page, the Twitter, and the cat’s Twitter — that I completely forgot to come back here and mention what I’ve been up to. Pretty much all of my creative efforts that haven’t been for my day job at FIXD have gone into Smokey Da Van, pretty much since last summer. Trisha went her own way, and I floundered a bit in the aftermath. But I found my footing again, and took off on my own adventures including the New England Forest Rally and the Climb to the Clouds up Mount Washington, New Hampshire.
After bouncing around New England for a couple of months, I headed west, boldly going where I’ve never gone before. I met up with a group of new friends, and drove almost the entirety of Route 66 between Joliet, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California. After a month visiting friends and riding motorcycles in LA, I went to the Mecca of van life, Quartzsite, Arizona, loved it, and decided to stay for the winter. I even gave a presentation at the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous.
I’ve started exploring the area a bit more over the past month, as the weather’s gotten properly warm (I avoided a real winter entirely) and I’m waiting for places I want to see at higher elevations to follow suit. The jump in gas prices is cutting my travel plans shorter than I’d hoped, but there’s still plenty to see in the southwest, especially since I’ve never been here or seen any of it before. I may yet travel a bit farther if prices stabilize a bit.
Before you tell me I should write a book about my van adventures, I’m already on it. I’ve made very slow progress, between spending time with friendly neighbors and actively exploring the places I’ve been visiting. I have absolutely no timeframe on when that’ll be available. Until then, Smokey Da Van is the best place to keep up with my travel adventures.
Justin Hughes 