Back to the Future – A retro look at a 1995 Road Trip to the West Coast

Guest · 24 May 15, 07:07 PM

Back to the Future – A retro look at a 1995 Road Trip to the West Coast

Prologue:

Recently I’ve been “chatting” with Mr. Tom Morrow about West Coast road trips. I know many on the DIBB ask about them and read the various reports that I and others have posted – the intrepid few who have taken the step to cross the US and try its other coast! It got me thinking back to the first one that I and my partner, Darrin did back in 1995. I thought it would be fun to go back and treat it as if it were a present day holiday that we had just taken and that I was reporting on it blow by blow. To jog the memory I dug out the scrap book from then. It was “literally” one of the old paper scrap books. It’s falling apart and I really must re-do it. It has enough photos (which I will scan), leaflets and souvenirs to re-construct the trip.
Our first two visits to the USA were 1992 and 1993 and both were to Orlando. The first one was a split holiday that Virgin promoted back then. A week in the Land of Mouse followed by a week in the Florida Keys. It was this holiday where we met our friends of 23 years, Jacqui and Adrian who were on honeymoon – we are (fairy) godparents to both of their daughters.
1993 saw us hit Orlando again but then we followed it with a flight up to Boston and via car to Stowe, Vermont – with a day by train to Montreal, Canada. It was mid - December and the St. Lawrence river was totally frozen over.
So when we started planning for 1995 we decided we wanted to see what California was all about. It was a big step to take. I don’t drive so the burden of that would fall to Darrin. There was no such thing as Google Maps so it was all planned from a USA road atlas that I bought from Stanfords in Long Acre, London. That shop draws me in every time I pass by. There is something about maps and travel, don’t you think?
With the use of cotton I tried to calculate the length of routes –eventually we would discover I was 530 miles out. This becomes significant from two points - the extra driving Darrin had to do and, as we had to buy mileage in 500 mile blocks, there would be some extra expense supposedly.
My spreadsheet was hand written – none of this computer new fangled Excel for me!

Planning was by the ton. It wasn’t just a case of hiring a Recreational Vehicle (R.V. – posh camper van). It was where we would park it at night – National Parks proved to be so geared up for this and we got discount for booking a shed load of them. What would we visit? I read guidebooks until my eyes were red and tired. Eventually, it all pulled together and on 5th October we took BA flight 285W from Heathrow……………………

INDEX: http://DIBB.in/10675268

TractorBoy · 24 May 15, 07:51 PM

Looking forward to this young Geoff

Going to be a fantastic blast from the past

Pussycat Doll · 24 May 15, 08:33 PM

Brilliant Geoffa, I have a very similar scrapbook (several actually) from our California road trips, the first was in 1992. We did lots of trips, driving over 3,500 miles at one point over to Yellowstone and back. Can't wait to read your report and relive some memories! Pussycat

Guest · 25 May 15, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Pussycat Doll

Brilliant Geoffa, I have a very similar scrapbook (several actually) from our California road trips, the first was in 1992. We did lots of trips, driving over 3,500 miles at one point over to Yellowstone and back. Can't wait to read your report and relive some memories! Pussycat

3,500 miles! Wow!

One claim I can make is that we have covered every mile (roadwise - 1255 miles) from Seattle to San Diego - almost the entire American West Coast. This has been done with several trips - not all in one go, I hasten to add.

Yellowstone is very much on our to do list.

letty · 25 May 15, 06:02 PM

I absolutely love your reports so am so looking forward to reading this one.
1995 was my first trip to the USA …2 weeks in the Marriott ( now Wyndham on I Drive)

It started my 20 year love affair with the states
( 9 trips to Florida,4 trips to Vegas and one to NY)

The west coast is pencilled in for our 25th wedding anniversary in 2018

abiknox · 26 May 15, 04:01 PM

Oh amazing, a retro trippie.

I love that you measured with string and were 500+ miles out, it really does show how much we all rely in the internet now! It makes things oh so simple.

**kevbrydon** · 18 Jun 15, 09:49 PM

This will be interesting... thanks for taking the time and effort to pull this one together couldn't have been easy...

24 May 15, 07:07 PM	#1
	24 May 15, 07:07 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	Back to the Future – A retro look at a 1995 Road Trip to the West Coast Back to the Future – A retro look at a 1995 Road Trip to the West Coast Prologue: Recently I’ve been “chatting” with Mr. Tom Morrow about West Coast road trips. I know many on the DIBB ask about them and read the various reports that I and others have posted – the intrepid few who have taken the step to cross the US and try its other coast! It got me thinking back to the first one that I and my partner, Darrin did back in 1995. I thought it would be fun to go back and treat it as if it were a present day holiday that we had just taken and that I was reporting on it blow by blow. To jog the memory I dug out the scrap book from then. It was “literally” one of the old paper scrap books. It’s falling apart and I really must re-do it. It has enough photos (which I will scan), leaflets and souvenirs to re-construct the trip. Our first two visits to the USA were 1992 and 1993 and both were to Orlando. The first one was a split holiday that Virgin promoted back then. A week in the Land of Mouse followed by a week in the Florida Keys. It was this holiday where we met our friends of 23 years, Jacqui and Adrian who were on honeymoon – we are (fairy) godparents to both of their daughters. 1993 saw us hit Orlando again but then we followed it with a flight up to Boston and via car to Stowe, Vermont – with a day by train to Montreal, Canada. It was mid - December and the St. Lawrence river was totally frozen over. So when we started planning for 1995 we decided we wanted to see what California was all about. It was a big step to take. I don’t drive so the burden of that would fall to Darrin. There was no such thing as Google Maps so it was all planned from a USA road atlas that I bought from Stanfords in Long Acre, London. That shop draws me in every time I pass by. There is something about maps and travel, don’t you think? With the use of cotton I tried to calculate the length of routes –eventually we would discover I was 530 miles out. This becomes significant from two points - the extra driving Darrin had to do and, as we had to buy mileage in 500 mile blocks, there would be some extra expense supposedly. My spreadsheet was hand written – none of this computer new fangled Excel for me! Planning was by the ton. It wasn’t just a case of hiring a Recreational Vehicle (R.V. – posh camper van). It was where we would park it at night – National Parks proved to be so geared up for this and we got discount for booking a shed load of them. What would we visit? I read guidebooks until my eyes were red and tired. Eventually, it all pulled together and on 5th October we took BA flight 285W from Heathrow…………………… INDEX: http://DIBB.in/10675268 Edited at 07:31 PM.