Readers, this a fictional road story set in the 1980's, before cell phones and the internet as we know it today. There is pot smoking and use of "Magic Mushrooms" in this story All sexualized characters are fictional and over 18. This is part twelve of what I hope will be a many part series. I hope all have enjoyed it so far.
Lou and Molly awoke to the 5:30 AM wakeup call with a start and raced for the bathroom, both having slept through the night after all their fun last night. After a quick pee they quickly dressed for the hotel breakfast so they could get on the road quickly today.
They ate quickly and after a stop back at the room to get fully ready for the day they were on the road shortly before 6:30. Lou joining in with the line of semi's pulling on the highway and doing a little over the 65-mph speed limit in a few minutes.
There were more than a few Highway Patrol officers as they cut through parts of Oklahoma and Texas and did not spark up any morning doobies. The truck traffic was heavy, and Lou did not even try the cruise control for his three-hour leg.
A quick stop for gas and bathrooms just before leaving Texas and to gather many brochures from that huge state. They crossed into New Mexico with Molly looking to run a couple of hundred miles down after her long nap and with a strong cup of coffee in the holder.
Lou started to read a book for a few minutes, but he was asleep within ten pages. He awoke to a now very different landscape then what they had left in the plains this morning. The traffic had thinned, and Molly said she had not seen any cops for a while and on this stretch of road they had nowhere to hide so Lou got out their half joint from their walk in the fields last night and they shared that rolling down the roads and gaining altitude.
By 12:45 both had their stomach growling at the 30 miles of truck stop billboards before they finally arrived at the crowded lot. Molly spied an opening spot twenty feet from the door and with "Sugar Magnolia" blasting out of the speakers, and open windows, she warped the large station wagon into the spot with a loud "WOOHOO Lunchtime!" drawing the attention of a couple of the truckers seeing her roll in. Lou held one door for her while one of the truckers held the other door before they got a couple of seats at the counter and were looking at the large burger and fry plates roll past with eager eyes. Breakfast had been over six hours and 420 miles ago.
It was a quick and very good meal leaving them making a mental note to stop here again. Topping off Andromeda they were back on the roads west. The sign at the exit said last gas for forty miles and they knew to keep her full in these open places. Andromeda had topped 65,000 miles early this morning, was running great and had a range of about 500 miles on the highway, but they knew it was best to keep her filled for these trips, along with all the water they carried. Camping could get a little primitive out here possibly and they planned to work hard tomorrow and would need several gallons for themselves to drink and possibly wash after.
Lou got another 220 miles done before it was break time at last gas for fifty miles in the now open areas. After a stop in what Molly called the nastiest bathroom since Hartford she had them crossing the border into Arizona, being careful not to enter in any way the Petrified Forest National Park. They were going to a legal dig site and did not want it to look in any way like they had been poaching in the park. Federal Prison would ruin their trip!!
They were soon sharing a package of cookies and seeing what cassettes they had not listened to in a while. Lou put in the Beatles, White Album, that neither of them knew where it had come from, but it worked and Molly drove them for the next hundred miles until they turned off at the exit for the approximate fifty-mile trip on very dusty two-lane roads doing between 35 and 55, watching for cops after each slow down.
It was a beautiful sun grew low on the horizon that they drove alongside heading north-east now for an hour and a half hoping to get to the campground before dark and that there was some food around. Hot dogs would do but they were hoping for either dinner at a restaurant or a store to buy something to cook.
They went miles hardly seeing a car or building on the long road to the campground. Molly asked Lou while driving. "How hard would it be to have a CB radio put in here Lou? I think it would give us some added safety on the road and we might have some fun talking to people out here."
Lou thought for a moment and agreed quickly that it was a good idea to add one. "The only problem I see Molly is I would want to have the shop that did my stereo and all my hidden compartments put it in. They could install it so it worked with the stereo speakers I bet, and they could hide it well and not interfere with Andromeda's secrets. I would get an antenna with a magnetic base, to be able to put it away in the lots and when we park for the night."
"How much do you think it will cost Lou?"
"I don't know but I think the CB will be around $100 to $150 for a good one and about another maybe $200 to install it all. I got his card, and I will call him from California and set up a day for him to do it when we get back east. If he's got some head's up he will be ready and get it done quick and if I've got any other problems like a dead speaker I'll have him fix it then too."
"She is also going to the shop where my buddy did all of her original work for an oil change and any other work she might need. We will have gone as much as 10,000 miles by then from when I left home."
The landscape was painted in deep gold and red hues when they finally arrived in a small dusty town, with two gas stations, a small store and two restaurants, along with half a dozen other shops and a few empty storefronts. They stopped at the first gas station to top off and saw the signs for their campground and dig site on a billboard next door.
After a quick stop in the store for some kielbasa and some easy side dishes, they took off down the now dirt and gravel roads to the campground. Both watched strange patterns of dust now build up on the white hood of the car laughing that their New Jersey car wash was officially done now, and they hoped all the wax was protecting the paint.
The campground was not with Lou's usual chain and when they said limited facilities he was concerned there would be a fire circle and Porto-johns for bathrooms. They were pleasantly surprised when they pulled up to the modern building with a small store, laundry, and good showers.
It was off season still and there were only four other campers in the thirty-place facility, and it would likely be a quite night. There were three RV's with older couples all hanging out with grills going and talking and one tent like they had with a younger couple at the far end of the without the electrical hookups.
Lou pulled up slowly to keep the dust down and they took a spot near the other young couple who looked to be about their age and were grilling some hot dogs. They said hi and shared some a beer with them over the 45 minutes it took them to set up and get the Kielbasa and water for instant potatoes going on their grill. Lou went and started some laundry while they had the chance to get some done. Once the tent was up they also got all their other tarps out to finally fully dry from the downpours in Chicago.
Molly asked if thy smoked pot and if it was cool around the campsite?