This morning would mark the first time I haven’t driven Pearl anywhere all summer. I started my day with coffee and a biscuit from McDonalds, then picked up the U-Haul box truck I rented for the drive south to Monterey. Stopping at the tow yard to check on Pearl and follow the driver south, I was sad to see her in such a state.
Despite having to follow her back south, the ride wasn’t terrible. I made it worth the drive stopping for fuel and restocking on “Pliny the Elders” and a quad of Belgian beers from Russian River Brewing Company. Taking the 101 was the fastest route, but hitting San Francisco during lunch put a quick halt to that. I made it to Monterey, just after the tow truck dropped Pearl off at the shop and grabbed my things before calling Uncle John to meet him at the U-Haul drop off. First things first required a long soak in the hot tub. I am really going to miss this once I head back east. For dinner tonight, we had hamburger steak and gravy served over rice and peas while watching a short documentary series about Inspiration 4, the first all civilian space crew.
Sleeping in till 8 today, I had another good nights rest. Breakfast consisted of eggs, sausage and toast with coffee. Catching up on my journal entries right up to the whistle; 3000 miles away I would cheer as loud as possible as the NC State Wolfpack took on the Clemson Tigers in the annual Textile Bowl. Half-time score was 7-7, with State set to receive the second half kickoff.
The game as a whole was good, but the final score was 14-14. We’re headed to overtime. First overtime ends tied 21-21. State goes ahead first in the second overtime, but fails to convert a 2pt conversion. Clemson fails to convert on their 4th down attempt and NC State wins the 2021 Textile Bowl, breaking Clemson’s 36 game winning streak against unranked opponents. After the game, we had an early dinner of chicken thighs with mushrooms and gravy over rice while watching “November Man,” starring Pierce Brosnan.
Back on the normal routine, we started today with a walk. We were hosting a dinner party tonight, so we went to the store around 10am for supplies. After enjoying another lazy Sunday watching football, I joined Uncle John in the kitchen to help prepare dinner for our guests. After a short cocktail hour, we dined on linguine with spinach and cherry tomatoes, served with halibut cooked in a lemon caper sauce. It was a wonderful evening spent in the company of family and friends.
The work week beckons. After a short walk and cereal, I had some catching up to do on writing and posting articles. After lunch, I caught up with the shop to see what the damage would be and a timeline of what needed to be fixed. Best case, it would just be a new driveshaft and yokes, plus u-joints. Not so bad, but that was after a precursory investigation. I would keep my fingers crossed. Immediately I began to plan out my route east. With the time left, where would I go, what would I see? There is much to dream about and with a little hope I could be back on the road soon. The rest of the day passed fairly quickly and soon we were having dinner and enjoying a film by Anderson Cooper focusing on his Mother, Gloria Vanderbilt.
Today was started with a walk before breakfast, then I would head to the shop after they opened. Talking with the guys, we went over what they have diagnosed, but would want Toby, the owner, to go over everything after a final check. I headed back to town for a final haircut and beard trim at Phil’s Barbershop. Getting a call while waiting, I headed back to speak with Toby afterwards. The diagnosis was not good, but not fatal either. The estimates are a bit higher than I was thinking based on damage, so I needed to think about it over night. Talking with Uncle David, I determined that the best course of action would be to ship Pearl home and take care of the repairs in North Carolina, while continuing my trip as planned to meet Mom in Kentucky. Next step, figure out the logistics of shipping my Life back east. Concluding the day, we ate the best crab cakes, broccoli and rice while enjoying “Olympus has Fallen,” before enjoying a quick soak in the hot tub.
Coffee. Walk. Breakfast. This is becoming very routine. My primary goal today was to get Pearl back to the house and make plans to ship her home to North Carolina. AAA has come in very handy this summer. I thanked Toby and the guys for all the work they have done this summer to keep us moving and said I would be sure to stop in the next time we were out this way. I plan on coming back for Concours and putting Pearl in the show downtown Pacific Grove. Stopping by Victorian Corner for Lunch, I got in touch with Kevin, who owns the shop I bought Pearl from and spoke with him about shipping her back. I got some good info and would soon have her scheduled for pick up. After spending the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sunshine on the front porch, we had ravioli and watched “Angel has Fallen.”
A deviation in the routine, we concluded our walk with a visit to First Awakenings for breakfast. I would spend much of the day on the porch again, which has become my de facto office. Continuing my trip as planned to Kentucky would now take a deviation of its own. Flights and a rental car. Lucky enough, I had accrued many points and booked everything at no cost to my account but the points I used. Closing out September, I was nearing the end to the journey which I set out on in May. It was bittersweet for sure. I accomplished much of what I set out to do, but have left plenty of adventures for future trips. Pearl and I had a pretty good ride across the Nation. We ventured to twelve states and drove over 12,000 miles in just over 4 months. Conquering the Pacific Coast Highway and tackling the Rockies, crossing the Continental Divide many times; we visited old friends and made new ones, we spent time with family sharing and making new memories. This was the summer of Pearl and I will cherish it forever.
Until we ride again….
Week 19 Mileage –