It all started one night....

[Taper Ron]

in July, 1966.  My friend Doug and I were riding around in his 1950 Ford (painted bright yellow with 50 Spray cans). Her radiator had a pinhole and not a whole lot of tread on the tires.  We were talking about what a great old car she was, "if ya kept water in 'er, hell, she'd make it to CALIFORNIA".

 

Three days later, Doug, his big brother Bobby and I were on the road.  Bobby had (Hells Angels) friends in Oakland.  We left Topeka LATE in the evening, with several gallon Jugs oowf water and a supply of recycled oil,  Sometime around Midnight we made a pit stop in Salina, KS.  We refilled our water jugs, topped off the radiator and added some "Barr's Stop Leak".  Let me tell ya' friends that stopped the leak!  About halfway between Salina and Russell the top of the Radiator departed.  We didn't realize she had a bad head gasket, with the leak plugged it built up pressure and BOOM no more radiator!

 

We could see a Rest Area a little ways ahead so we pushed Ol' Yeller into it.  People in the Rest Stop were very nice to us, one elderly couple gave us some cookies and someone else gave Bob a ride into Russell.  He went to a Junkyard and bought a 1956 Ford Station Wagon for $25.00.  Bob cleaned & set the points (for you youngsters that's part of the ignition).  He said when it started it black smoke - but it started.  On the Road Again!

 

The rest of the way there was pretty uneventful.  Between Denver and Sacramento we drove Hwy 40, I guess there were some stretches where it was four lanes but mostly it was narrow, winding & steep grades When it wasn't there wasn't much (Utah, Nevada).  Long and Lonely.  I remember the first time I heard the song San Francisco Nights (The Animals) was on that Highway.

 

We got into Oakland late at night.  Bob had a friend meet him, parked on Foothill Blvd, not far from the Hells Angels club house.  His "friend" had a Corvette since there wasn't room in his car I had to wait there. For those not familiar with Oaktown, NOT the best place for a naive country boy.  The Police came along and wanted to know what I was doing there.  Don't know where Bob and Doug went, but they had more money when they came back.......

 

Never did meet any Hells Angels.  Spent most of the next two weeks hanging out in Oakland, lived on Kasper's Hot Dogs and Lucky Lager. We slept in the station wagon most nights but every few days we would get a two dollar a night hotel room.  We did spend sometime in "Hashbury"  I learned how to panhandle and smoked weed for the first time on that trip, like I said I was a naive country boy, had never heard of the Grateful Dead. 

 

After two weeks we were out of money, (I say we I didn't have much to start with). The transmission in the old Ford was starting to slip, didn't like San Francisco's terrain.  I borrowed a Phillip's 66 Gas card from my dad and we headed home.  By the time we got to the Rockies the tranny was slipping so bad we would have to get going as fast as we could down hill so we could make it up the next.  From Denver east to Topeka it is predominately down hill.  We knew then we were going to make it home.  BANG - the engine locked up.  Just east of Limon, CO our Junkyard extrication breathed her last,  After several hours thumbing Doug went back to his grandma in Denver.  After a short while a car stopped for Bob and I caught ride with a family of four, with us it was a car load!  They took us all the way to Topeka, dropped me off at my parents and Bob where he wanted to go.

 

This was not my first road trip "on a whim" and not nearly my last.  It was the only time i asked for financial assistance.  It was at the beginning of "A Long Strange Trip"

 

I'll shut up now.

[chuckvegas]

Now that is a road trip tale!!! And I imagine it was the prime Hashbury time before the deluge in '67! 

[GoingBackTo Where....]

:)!!!!  more please