On my latest trip I wanted to be able watch the World Series. I didn’t want to buy a TV or check into a KOA. I wanted an inexpensive easy solution. Since television went digital HD signals for the “free” stations are broadcast by your local network affiliate. You just have to be close enough and have the right equipment to receive it.

This is what I came up with. My laptop which is with me when I travel anyway and Windows Media Center. A Avertv Hybrid Volar Max TV Tuner Kit for Windows ($45) from Amazon. An Antennacraft antenna from Radio Shack ($40).

I stopped mostly in rest areas and many of these were near cities. Connect the tuner to the pc via usb. Connect the tuner to the antenna via coax. Turn on Windows Media Center and scan for channels – that easy. I put the antenna in the side window next to the computer. Most of the times I had a least 4 HD channels and I got to watch a great world series!

Traveling across the US is a real pleasure. I wanted to see how many cups of coffee and Twinkies it would take to get there and back but I lost count on about coffee #25. It did take a lot of fuel though. Mileage ranged from 21 to 17 miles per gallon. Most of the trip was 65-70 mph. BTW, I don’t know how you could get a speeding ticket in Mississippi or Alabama unless you are begging for one. There were smokies about every mile (sheriff and highway patrol) just waiting for someone stupid to fly by.

I headed south from Nevada into Arizona to see my son and grand-kids. He has a good level spot for the bus and it is always fun to visit. The border patrol is very busy in that part of the county. Check points have multiple cameras pointing at you; border patrol agents drive slowly along roads looking for tracks. It seems to be a real combination of high and low tech.

Rest areas in New Mexico and Texas are great. In New Mexico you can stay up to 24 hours and have your own covered table. The major rest areas in Texas have wireless and large areas for walking. The further east you go the rest areas are harder to find. In Mississippi, we looked for one the GPS said was there for about 45 minutes finally driving on and stopping at a Cracker Barrel for the night. I asked if we could stay – we could. The next morning I had the worse biscuits, gravy and grits I have ever had. I am sure not all the Cracker Barrel’s are like that.

Hello! Loved the warning signs for snakes and later (Utah) for scorpions. Especially in the dark! A good set of ear-plugs is a necessity in some of the rest areas as the trucks are going in and out all night long. We saw an abandoned dog at a Texas rest area. Presley and I left him food and water and called the authorities. A worker there said he had been there for some time and was real skittish. The dog stayed in one area, looking east. Very sad. I hope the person who left him dies a long, slow, very painful death.

I don’t normally listen to NPR but craving news I tried to tune-in. It seems the entire time I traveled through the South it was pledge time. I would get about 5 minutes of news and 55 minutes of “make your pledge.” Every other station was having bible time so I listened to every song on my Zune 2 or 3 times. Thank goodness I have a lot of songs!

I visited friends in Jackson Beach, Florida; spent the weekend with Debbie in Orlando; stopped to see cousins in Louisiana and went to a class reunion at NMMI. Plus saw grand-kids in Arizona and Colorado. Covered lots of miles and had a blast!

This was a great way to start a trip. Two days of hiking and hanging around the campfire. I would not attempt to camp here except in early spring or this time of year as it gets very hot in the summer.

It is a beautiful place with lots to see. There are full hook-ups at one of the campgrounds but the other camp ground is great also as you can walk up and use the showers anytime. Finding the internet or cell phone coverage is a problem without moving around but it can be done.

The Sportsmobile crowd, including me, and a couple of guests had a great time. There were a lot of dogs, at least 2 cats and all got along fine! The campfire bs session’s complete with tequilla were mucha diversión.

I started the trip on my birthday so I put my birthday cards out. Presley and I used this stop as a test of sorts before heading out across the country.

http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm and http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7921

Thursday we are heading out on a 6500 mile road trip. I used Streets and Trips to plan it – that is some cool software.

We will stay with relatives twice, friends three times (2 of those at the Valley of Fire), spend 9 nights in rest areas, 1 night at a military facility (Camp Shelby), 3 nights in hotels and 1 night in a commercial campground. I will see two children and 7 grandkids along the way along with the famed jack-a-lope and the 300 year old alligator (or was that a cat fish?)

I still have to pack clothes but laundry along the way will be needed. Food – hmmm, 20 days of Twinkies might be just a few too many. But think of all the DQ’s along the way with Peanut Buster Parfaits! That reminds me . . . pack the AED.

I have a great new app for my phone that lets me publish to the blog without internet. That will help keep everything up to date.

Lots of fun and saw friends I hadn’t seen in years. Ross Perot was there getting an award. He does amazing things for the special ops community that never make the news. I got my 35 year pin along with the other founders. A couple of Silver Stars and Distinguished Flying Crosses were give out along with several Bronze Stars.

My friend, Jim Butler, gave the keynote address. He reminded all of us how and why the SOA was formed. It certainly has changed over the years and I am not totally sure I am good with that.

Jim, Larry and I (friends since B Company, 1st Special Forces in Okinawa, 1968) along with one of Jim’s daughters, Lindsay and some strap hangers closed the bar and at 2am. Presley and I found the bus and headed out for the first rest stop about an hour away. When we got up that morning there was just one truck there with us and the rest stop was totally under construction! They said they were working at the other end and decided to just let us snooze away. Thanks for that!

Took the 5 home and kept the speed right at 60. I cannot believe the cars travelling at 70 or 90 right on the bumper of the car in front. Even saw one of those tiny smart cars. The tiny wheels looked like they were revolving about a million times a minute.

Presley was tired! He is not a party animal. He slept the entire way home. I wish I could have.

We averaged 19 mpg on the way home. I think  that it is uphill from Bakersfield to here but we’ll get a chance to do better next month when we do . . . “The big loop.”