about molly | art | writings | contact | home   Roadtripping I was a little slow off the mark with the whole driving thing, partly because I was a starving artist who could not afford a car, partly because I thought the world did not need another bad driver. Moving to Silicon Valley changed the starving artist bit, and bicycling 12 miles to work everyday made me realize I couldn't be any worse than the lunkheads already out there. So, at age 26, I enrolled in driving school. After a breezy three lessons, I took my DMV test and maintained a perfect score until the end, when a little mixup with the gas and brake pedals in a DMV parking spot knocked me down to 97. Still, I was reassured that I wasn't a wretched driver, and four months later, for my 27th birthday, I treated myself to a slightly used Honda del Sol. I'm not overly fond of commuting (fortunately, mine is through the country, and then a straight shot down the freeway) and running errands around town is a drag. But I love to drive. I am a motorist. I took my first solo roadtrip in June 1997. I drove to Los Angeles from Palo Alto, California, for a girlfriend's wedding. I had always been hooked on the open road, and had ridden shotgun extensively across the southwest, but there's something different about doing it solo. I could stop where I wanted, for however long I wanted. If I wanted to rethink my route, I could. If I wanted to eat nothing but cashews and strawberries for two days I could (...er, but I don't recommend this, believe me). I could listen to the same CD over and over -- heck, the same song over and over if I wanted. Roadtripping with friends or a close companion is wonderful -- I'm ready to go in a second -- but doing it on your own is sublime.   Excellent Road Tunes Ocean by Neil Young (I once drove from LA to San Diego with this tune on permanent repeat [PR]) Disc Two of Weld by Neil Young Fisherman's Blues by The Waterboys the banana album by The Velvet Underground Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen (I like this at night) any Nick Cave anything by or produced by Daniel Lanois (also good at night) Love Supreme by John Coltrane (at night) Super Chief by Count Basie any Portishead (again, great at night -- It's a Fire on PR) What's the Story . . . by Oasis (Wonderwall on PR) any Jandek (at night, or during the day on the interstate) any Dwight Yoakam any Jimmie Dale Gilmore   Some Favourite Roads (western United States, not exhaustive) Highway 1 (especially along Big Sur) Highway 33 from Coalinga to Taft, CA Page Mill Road (west of 280), Palo Alto, CA Niles Canyon Road between Fremont, CA, and 680 La Honda Road -- especially the stretch between Skyline Road and La Honda, CA Highway 178 from Inyokern to Bakersfield, CA (in that direction, preferably) El Campo Road out of San Diego, over the Tecate Range The Box Canyon Road from 10 to Mecca, CA Highway 395 from Lake Tahoe to the Highway 58 intersection Pacheco Pass Road out of Gilroy, CA Titus Canyon Road, Death Valley, CA Saline Valley Road, Saline Valley, CA Warm Springs/Butte Valley Road, Butte Valley, CA Old Spanish Trail Road, from Nevada to Tecopa, CA Highway 379 into Duckwater and up to Eureka, NV The Jungo Road/SR 49 out of Winnemucca into Gerlach, NV Highway 86 from Why to Tucson, AZ Old Spanish Trail Road, Tuscon, AZ Highway 18 across the Coconino Plateau, AZ   Selfportrait. Silurian Valley, CA. April 1999. Very Lempicka. Autoportrait. Why, AZ. August 1998. Here are some safety precautions to take if you're roadtripping, especially solo, and as much as I am loath to say it, Particularly if You are a Girl. Know how to remove a wheel from your vehicle, mend it if possible, re-inflate it, and put it back on. (Instructions in your vehicle's owner manual are generally very good. You may want to keep an extra rod handy for leverage if your wheels were last tightened with professional equipment. Get a can of Fix a Flat or a tire mending kit for punctures.) Keep a spare tire and rim ready. Don't let the gas tank run too low. Try to keep it at halfway. Read the instruction manual that comes with your vehicle. Keep your vehicle in good running condition and have a tune up before a major roadtrip. Know where you are going -- what is the weather going to be like? Is there a tollfree number to call for road conditions? Will there be motels available along your route? For a long roadtrip, let someone know where you are and where you're heading -- even if it's calling your own answering machine or voice mail at work. Know how to read a map. Make sure you have good maps (like DeLorme or AAA or Rand McNally) for the places you intend to travel. Know how to give your vehicle a running start. (No good if you drive an automatic.)   Autoportrait. Alabama Hills, CA. August 1997.   Keep some water, matches, sunscreen, an inflater, a wrench, some pliers, a hat, a sweater, a blanket, a tarp, some work gloves, and a flashlight in your vehicle. Notice the vehicles around you. Has one car been following you down an otherwise quiet stretch for some time? Pull off at a gas station or fast food place. Could be coincidence (I've followed someone who I could tell had cruise control & radar all the way to LA) but you can never be too careful. If you get sleepy, find a well-lighted, busy rest area, push your seat back, lock yourself in, put on an old floppy shirt and a baseball cap over your face, and have a snooze. If you are driving in the sun, wear sunscreen, a light, longsleeved shirt (like a man's office shirt), and a baseball cap to keep from overheating. Drink water. Dress neatly and comfortably, but don't wear too much makeup, jewelry, or flashy clothes. You want to keep a low profile. If you break down in a remote area (desert, mountains) stay with the vehicle. Try to make shade or stay warm. If a day or so goes by, you can always ignite your spare tire (away from the vehicle!) to call attention to yourself. Other than that, drive fast, and take chances . . . updated January 30, 2005