Created 18-Mar-19
Modified 18-Mar-19
The occasion: I had 14 days to drive from Wellesley, MA and register as a graduate student at the Univ of Cal Berkeley. I borrowed my parent's old Plymouth station wagon, advertised for passengers in the local newspaper, and embarked on my first road trip across America.
By today's standards, it was a very inexpensive trip. Gas was $.30 per gallon, sandwiches and "fast food" were available from truck stops and local diners, and overnight accommodations involved sleeping next to the road (Boys in the tent, girls on full length "beds" stretched over duffle in the back of the car.
There were some notable stops along the way: Niagra Falls, Princeton, Illinois, Rocky Mtn National Park, Salt Lake City, the Bonneville Salt Flats, Reno, San Francisco and finally the destination, Berkeley, CA.
When I look back and consider that I started with only $100 in my pocket, was driving a car with over 100,000 miles, and had only one spare tire I consider myself lucky that there were no flats and the car only required oil, gas, and a little water (coolant).
To me the experience helped add to my already well-developed wanderlust and penchant for road trips.
© Robert Peek Photography