What I Did on My Summer (2001) Trip

by Mike Hoffman

1. I traveled through nine states.
2. I ate sushi.
3. I bought newspapers and TV Guides.
4. I took my teddy bear.
5. I took 63 pictures. Why not take a look at them right now?

Pictures 1-2 (pre-trip, St. Louis)

• Sadie, the good doggy
• A room in shambles

Pictures 3-14 (Los Angeles Area)

• My room in Sylmar
• Joe's room in Sylmar
• The living room in Sylmar
• Santa Susana Pass west of San Fernando
• Another SSP pic; this area is where Charles Manson lived for a time
• A third SSP pic; beautiful land, Manson notwithstanding
• SSP photo the fourth; a road leading to nowhere
• Just in case you didn't know where this was
• Hey, lookit! It's the Pacific Ocean!
• It caught Joe and me off-guard. We were just driving south from SSP, and there it was!
• These shots are to the north of Santa Monica Pier, in case you care
• Back in Sylmar, one of many majestic M*A*S*H-looking hills

Pictures 15-17 (Blythe)

• It's the Motel 6 (room 113) in Blythe, and look who's here!
• The girl at the front desk was also from St. Louis; I didn't ask where she went to high school, through it did cross my mind
• It wouldn't be a Mike trip without being totally obsessed with highway signs, would it?

Pictures 18-25 (Southwest Arizona)

• This is Bouse Wash Rest Area, between exits 45 and 53 along eastbound Interstate 10. Look it up!
• Thankfully, no car drove through the picture
• California doesn't have a hill monopoly, Arizona has a few as well
• Shy trucks hide from the vigilant Mike Cam
• Wow, it's another sign!
• And yet another one! Who'da thunk it?
• I waited until nobody was looking to get this shot
• A last, loving look at Bouse Wash

Pictures 26-32 (Central Arizona)

• A new roll of film, just in time to view another picturesque Arizona rest stop!
• This one's along northbound Interstate 17 south of exit 298, and the sign proves it!
• Just in case you didn't believe this was a rest area, here's the parking lot
• Arizona, noted for its cheery summer foliage
• And, well, here's some more
• If you look carefully, you might see the difference between SW AZ leafy things and their Central AZ counterparts, but I can't
• Vehicles from across the country have left their marks on the parking lot

Pictures 33-36 (Northeast Arizona)

• I'm in the middle of nowhere on US 160, east of Kayenta, where I stopped for gas
• They even have traffic jams in the middle of nowhere, so why don't I take a few photos?
• A shot to the north...
• ...and one to the south

Pictures 37-50 (Four Corners)

• Hey, neato! It's Utah!
• Heavens to Betsy, Colorado is here too!
• New Mexico makes a special guest appearance!
• And saying good-bye for the day, old friend Arizona!
• Four states for the price of, well, 2 bucks
• And the ticket booth entering the place is on the passenger side of all cars! Not that you see that here
• Four Corners under the occupation of the Profiteers
• Trinket booths aplenty at Four Corners
• I did say aplenty, didn't I?
• I got some nifty brochures in the visitors center, the orange signs note the sale of t-shirts and "soveniers"
• Threatening weather in the distance
• If I remember correctly, we are looking into Southeastern Utah here
• On one of these shots, I just missed a cool bolt of lightning. Oh well
• I think there's a rainbow in there somewhere

Pictures 51-52 (Shiprock)

• Shiprock, in Northwestern New Mexico, seems a nice little place
• Except that no matter which direction you turn, you're going to go "south"

Pictures 53-55 (Farmington)

• After a long day driving, even bears need a little rest
• This Motel 6 room (225) is a mirror of the one in Blythe
• Teddy enjoys a delicious meal from Wendy's

Pictures 56-61 (Eastern New Mexico)

• There are plenty of rest areas between Los Angeles and St. Louis, and I found another one!
• This one's along eastbound Interstate 40 just east of exit 300
• More bashful trucks hiding behind the trees, and is that a sign I see?
• Llano Escanado, it says it's one of the flattest areas in the United States
• It is a rest area, after all, some creatures need to rest a bit
• Hey, it's another Missouri car, and in New Mexico of all places!

Pictures 62-65 (Western Oklahoma)

• That's a lovely, rainbow, why don't I take another photo?
• Perhaps I should get out of the car to take more photos
• It starts in the north, crosses Interstate 40...
• ...and finishes somewhere in the south.

EPILOGUE: Well, there you have it. Unfortunately, I was silly enough NOT to photograph anything between Oklahoma City and St. Louis. That's because I couldn't be bothered to get the film out of my bags, put it in the camera, and be on my merry way. Sure, it was a bad idea looking back. Then again, in hindsight, I should have taken longer to get back. You know, an extra day or two, some twists and turns along the way, that sort of thing. All I can say is: Oh, well.