Roughin' it for the next 3 days..

Driving to Yellowstone National Park today. May 30, 2010. EMBRACE THE OUTDOORS!

<--(the pic is from our splunking adventure yesterday, blog will be coming soon! )

6 days with the luxury of soft mattresses, air conditioning/ and or heat, sealed walls that protect us from creatures that range from mosquitos to grizzlies. We will be in for a rude awakening, a definite change of atmosphere, and most of all my knitted snow hat might NOT be my most unnecessary item I schlepped along in my bulging, overloaded duffel bag. With low temperatures in the mid 20's, sleeping on a rock ground, surviving on trail mix & granola bars for the next couple days.. this will sure test our friendship.. we can either a). have a bonding experience that will bring us all closer (especially with the body warmth of 5 of us as a form of heat) or b). be uncomfortable, agitated, and freeezin' as a result this can cause a few tifs and scuffles, SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST!

ps. We didn't foret about day 6... we will post that day of adventures ASAP. Perhaps, today if we can swing it somehow. Otherwise, once we get back into civilization. In the meantime, enjoy your memorial day weekend, go out bbq & throw back some brewski, bask in the sun... cause in the last 6 days, if we learned one thing it is...... WE ARE PROUD TO BE AMERICAN!

God bless,

Tric

Day 5: 10hr Drive & Near Death Experience

We try to write during the drive so we can post when we get to where we’re going, but since I was driving today, I have to bang out a little hypothesis now at 12:30am so I can hit the sack. We have to be up super early tomorrow…I’m really excited about tomorrow! I won’t write about our plans now to save on time – I’ll just reflect afterwards. Anyhow, along the drive today….I got to control the iPod for a solid 10 hours. I threw on a mix of everything but we had a pretty solid worship sesh which I thoroughly enjoyed. The sun was setting across the wiiide open spaces of South Dakota which allowed me to just bask in the big guy’s glory. He’s quite the artist. Aside from the beauties of nature, I was also smitten with the beauty in the far back seat of the Durango – Tricia Arline Poore…waving her arms and singing her little heart out. We smiled at each other for a solid hour via the rear view mirror as we killed every song with our horrible voices…but I’m sure it sounded angelic to JC. Cobra joined in throughout while Kris kept her earplugs in and Billy clapped along.

We had one very memorable detour within our 11 hour trip. We swung by the Badlands. It was a race against the sun...We pulled up about 40 minutes after it disappeared from our sight but the sky still held just enough light for us to FREAK OUUUUT when we finally pulled up (we WOULD’VE been there with time to spare if Kris didn’t HAVE to see the CORN PALACE.) Anyhow, we finally parked and explored a bit. Just as we were about to get back in the Durango, another car pulled up to us. I guess that doesn’t seem that weird, but we were just pulled off to the side of the road (not in a designated parking area) and we had only seen 2 other cars back there the whole time. Three people emerged from the car. A Native American dude with shoulder length hair, an older woman who seemed to be his mother, and a white chick who didn’t smile or respond to any of my friendly attempts. The guy started walking towards our car as we were getting in so of course we started up conversation and I remember nervously fidgeting for my buckle. We were all kinda saying “Let’s go” and “Get in the car” under our breath as we continued to chat with him, closed the doors and started up. He said, “Your tire’s goin’ round and round” as he pointed at our tire like something was wrong with it. I thanked him and stumbled over my words as a I drove off and we all kinda freaked out for a while after that. Since it took us a good 45 minutes to get back to a main road, we all kept talking about what was going through our minds and exaggerated every scenario to the max. Kris thought he was going to “get a bow and arrow out and shoot all our tires” (this was said with GENUINE SERIOUSNESS). Billy still has YET to let it go…He just said, “Who wants to go to the Badlands tomorrow??” and while we were driving he pulled out his iPhone and said, “BREAKING NEWS! FUGATIVE ON THE LOSE!!!”

We didn’t get a photo at the entrance sign in hopes of getting decent sunlight for the

actual badlands, so we planned to get one on our way out. As we pulled up to the sign, Kris started freaking out and refused to get out of the car insisting that a drive-by pic of the sign would do just fine. We all ignored her initial attempts but as she got more frantic, Tricia started freaking out too and jumped back in the car. I grabbed the camera and snapped the shot of the boys while Kris continued to scream from the car. When we all finally got back in she said, “He gained 3 minutes on us.” (Again…..COMPLETE SERIOUSNESS). Well, the entire trip back was laced with jokes in reference to our Native American friend and the fact that we narrowly escaped death.

Random Snippets:

*We recognize that most/some of these will have absolutely not relevance to you or make sense to you but enjoy what you can make sense of.

-Tric: “I haven’t had a cold soda in months. Mmm this is DAMN good.

-Kristina: “Tric, what are you wearing today?” Tric (with a completely straight face): “……….Apple bottom jeans. Boots with the fur.”

-Me updating Sethy on our travels: “We’re in Minnesota, Missouri right??”

-Billy looking at Kyle buying a beer: “I thought this was supposed to be a DRY trip???”

-Me: “Wait, #13’s important too right?” Tric: “THAT’S A-ROD.” Me: “Hey guys! A-ROD’s HERE!!”

-Tric: “Peeling PEGGY.” Me: “Tric, were simply talking about exfoliation.” Tric: “Ohh, I thought we were talking about ALLITERATION”

-Me: “How many miles are we goin again?...Like 24,000 right??” (apparently it’s only about 9/10,000 – I don’t have very good comprehension for numbers – hence the finance major.

Much love

a.hendricks

DAY 4-5: JC'S Ball & Chad to the Rescue!

This morning was pleasant…Woke up to a hot continental breakfast – I opted out on the chocolate Belgium waffle in an attempt to watch my figure….only to chow down on EVERY OTHER THING at the buffet (one cheese omelet, a few tatertots, a sausage link, a yogurt, oatmeal and a cup of OJ…grabbed a muffin, bagel, apple and banana for the road). So much for watching my figure….But then again, I’ve never been able to turn down free food. We each paid $24 bucks for the night at the Hilton which included dinner and breakfast….AND no one had to sleep on the floor. If that’s not a deal, I don’t know what is! (Hollar to Kris – DD’s administrative assistant!) After breakfast, we ran upstairs to get a quick shower so we could get on the road for our longest day yet – a projected 10 hours from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Keystone, South Dakota. As I lackadaisically strolled out of the Hilton a few minutes behind everyone else, I spotted the Durango about 50 yards away with the hood popped and the rest of the Drifters hovered over the engine. Ut-Ohhhh. Somehow I wasn’t too concerned though. Did we really expect to drive 10,000 miles without any hiccups? (PS I just asked “Wait, how many miles are we going again? Like 24,000 right??”…apparently that was funny.) I knew it’d come so my attitude was immediately “embrace the experience” but I didn’t think I’d be embracing this experience on DAY FIVE. Anyhow, Billy (a hotel shuttle driver) immediately pulled up his white Pontiac to give us a jump. After he hooked up the jumper cables, he got a call for a shuttle run and said, “Just park her and leave the keys at the front desk when you’re done.” We all thanked him and just stared at each other in awe of his hospitality. He was leaving his car with COMPLETE STRANGERS. I have been BLOWN AWAY by the people we’ve encountered along this trip. The first time it hit me was in Iowa when we stopped for lunch at Country Junction. The waitress didn’t simply walk up and say “Hi, what can I get you?” She engaged us and created conversation….something I could tell was foreign to us by Billy and Jorge’s slightly confused countenance. This morning I made quick eye contact with an older man and while expecting him to quickly look the other way or stare down at his cell phone, he smiled big and said, “GOOD MORNIN’!” Now THAT’S not typical of Fairfield County…A while back I did my own little study: While running through the streets of Fairfield, I smiled and said hello to every person I passed. Most people simply looked away, others even winced and I’d say about 2 out of 20 people acknowledged my existence at all. I don’t like that. We’ve met a lot of people along the way (i.e. Mohammed, our cab driver; Bobby & Angela, our neighbors at the cubs game who were super nice; the 711 Road Trip Crew; Mary & Sue, nice ladies who took our picture outside of Mall of America & stuck around to chat; girls on the train that we sang and danced with after the game, dude at field of dreams who shared his bat and ball so we could play)…Another person that really jumped out to me was the hostess at the continental breakfast – and while yes, I know it is “her job” to make my stay a pleasant one, she went above and beyond. She could’ve simply smiled and greeted me, but she ignited further conversation and she ended up asking about our trip and telling me how she was just reunited with her brother and sister in NYC after 7 long years. That just doesn’t happen back home. There is just a warmth about these people that I really admire. Even my Starbucks barista was sweeter than lemonade on a hot summer day (and no, I’m not just saying that cause she was handing me heaven in a cup.

Anyhow, I just realized I never actually finished writing about what happened with the Durango not starting….OH THE SUSPENSE!!! We got it started with Billy’s Pontiac, and drove it a whopping 250 yards across the street to the Mall of America. We knew we should let it juice up, but we figured if worse came to worse we could always call AAA. Well, worse came to worse…as soon as we shut off the car, the automatic locks already weren’t working and we called AAA on the way into the mall. They said they’d be there in about 40 minutes so we were elated with our situation – what better place to have car issues than at the Mall of America!! Not only does it have EVERY store you could ever imagine, but it also has a full-blown AMUSEMENT PARK in the middle of it!!....but to be honest, that was the last thing on mine and Tricia’s minds….We had one mission – STARBUCKS. It turns out Iowa and Illinois don’t have Starbucks every couple miles...Instead there’s FARMS…imagine that! I said a little serenity prayer & got through the day with very little withdrawal symptoms. They say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” – how bout taste buds? Cause my Venti Toffee Nut Iced Coffee never tasted so goooood.

Chad (our mechanic) called right on time and after he wiggled our spark plug, the car was started in 10 seconds flat – apparently we just have a lose connection. His remedy? Loosen the bolt and pour a little coca-cola on it. We snapped a shot with him & pulled around to the front of the mall to take a Drifters’ photo in front of Mall of America sign where we met our friends Mary and Sue from Cali! We were about to set up for a self-timer pic and they sweetly said, “You guys want us to take your photo?” Afterwards, we got chatting and I suggested a girls’ pic with our new friends – “all the single ladies!” I hollered out and Mary said, “Haha ohh no honeyy, I’ve been married for 40 years!” What a doll! Good people…

Let’s see, I guess I should rewind a bit to recap otherwise. Yesterday was the Yankees vs Twins Game at the new Target Stadium. They had super cool new features like charging stations for phones & a water conserving flushing system (up for #1 an down for #2) which I especially loved after recently watching a documentary on water with John and Kate (“Do they not know that water IS A NATURAL RESOURCE!? [insert Indian accent here]). We had seats in the upper deck, but we were there for a solid 10 minutes. The rest of the time we stood down below for a closer view and to get the full experience. We rocked our Yankees T’s that were donated by Uncle Danny & Uncle Timmy, and as I’m sure you could imagine…we got heckled quite a bit for being the odd ones out. By the end of the night, I had finagled a free Twin’s t-shirt and hat which I threw on. If a Yankee’s fan came by, I simply lifted my Twin’s shirt to reveal my Yankee pride...I’m a people pleaser! While my family is traditionally Yankee fans, I could give a hott damn – I’ll go to a game cause I love sports and anything that involves people I care about or getting out and living life. The rest of the Drifters, on the other hand, are avid fans. Kris and Cobra root for the Yanks while Tric and Billy ride or die for the Mets. BUT!...after 23 years of loyalty, Tricia converted to the Twins. We spent the last inning of the game right over the bull pen. While I watched the relief pitchers take turns keeping their arms warm, Tric blew kisses and hollered at them. A few minutes into her shananigans, a little boy next to her unfortunately told her one of their names, Jesse Craine…unfortunate for Craine that is. She spent the rest of the game screaming “JESSEEEE!!!” and “JC!!” I guess her persistence paid off because just as the last out was made, Craine looked up and tossed her a ball. Since she had a few beers, I was concerned with her hand-eye coordination and reached in to ensure retrieval. Mission complete….& as I handed Tric the ball we screamed like little girls, jumping around close to tears.

After the game, we went to a bar/restaurant where Jorge was in his glory as he chatted with other Yankee’s fans – in particular one who we later watched sock a Twin’s fan in the face and chase off to God knows where. Our buddy Muhammed loved us despite our differing teams and we chatted with him the entire night. We finally headed back to the subway station only to find that we missed the train by 15 minutes and we’d have to wait another 45 for the next one. This inspired a dance party and a workout sess (which included jumping jacks, squats and crunches). Check out Tricia’s videos if you’d like to witness Jorge and my rendition of “Soulja Boy”. The 45 minute trainride back to the hotel included a sing-along with several new friends…one of which knew EVERY lyric to EVERY song we played. We chatted with her, her sister and the rest of their crew for most of the trip. They were originally from New Yoooork! HOLLAAAA! Our girl Cassandra made her way down to our side of the train when she realized we brought the partaaay. She told me how she and her boy were dating for 3 years and 7 years before a mid-relationship breakup during college. She wanted a ring. Soooo we hollered down to her man singing Beyonce’s, “If you like it then you SHOULD put a ring on it.” I think we made progress….and Cass told me she’d be sure to invite me to the wedding J Back at the hotel, Kyle stumbled in the room a few minutes after the rest of us with a bag of cheese Ritz. We asked him where he got them, and he told us there was a “free concession stand” downstairs. Yea, free for sticky fingers – he went down twenty minutes later to pay his debt.

Jorge left us this morning on a 6am flight. He is “back in the concrete jungle…where dreams are made” according to his text. His spirit will be missed deeply but not his 6’3” body J I now have the backseat allll to myself….well except for the bag of difty laundry next to me. Now I’m not sure what I’d prefer….

FIELD OF DREAMS

FIELD OF DREAMS

From Dubuque, Dyersville (Field of Dreams) was about 15 miles. We ate lunch with the locals at the Country Junction. Talk about the middle of nowhere. We could all sense the mid western hospitality. We followed Lansing Rd, which took us to the actual Field of Dreams Movie site. We all took turns at bat, pitching, and playing the field. Only downfall, it is not corn season. The outfield stalks were babies. Here we come Minnesota, on our way to Target field Minnesota/Yankee game tonight … a 4hr ride.

Random Quotes:

“It smells like burnt poop” - JB

“Is it going to get dark out” – TP

“You don’t get any points out of state, you can drive as fast as you want”- Cobra

“Kris what kind of rocks are those”- Billy Po

“Watch out for the kids in the corn fields” – JB

forever young, tric xo.

Wrigley Field

WRIGLEY BLEACHER SEATS

Billy catches a warm-up homerun ball. Kyle is denied a yellow wrist band because of his PA under 21 until…. License. No big deal, ill buy him a beer and give it to him right? Not in WRIGLEY! George, not our Jorge. The bleacher police George escorted both me and Cobra to the big man, who gave us a warning. Pshh. Amy is rocking an Dodger hat, Billy is still smiling about his baseball., Kristina is taking it all in, Kyle is pissed he is drinking pepsi, and well Jorge his is two sheets to the wind making friends with the vendors who keep serving him beer. Mid way through—BLACK OUT. All lights shut off completely for a good 20 minutes. We stayed until the 7^th inning or so, we were off to IOWA. Jorge peacefully fell on his ARSSS walking to the car, it must have been his superchargers too.

ALIEN ABDUCTORS

On the Road again. 10 pm. We wanted to make it out of Chicago, originally we wanted to drive 2 hours. However, with the ghost towns, aliens, and fields of nothing. We wound up nestled in Dubuque Iowa, 4 hrs past Chicago—MOTEL 6… $55 buck a night. Ran into a similar issue, 2 beds and 6 people. Kris took her sleeping bag out from the turtle and slept on the floor.

“Bobby & Peggy”: Day 2- Day 4

ROCKBOTTOM PIT

We ate at last. The rock bottom pit. Some took advantage of the grill and for others the brewery. In any case, everyone was satisfied. Thankfully, cause Kristina was about to eat at the Golden Arches in frustration of finding a place to eat and Amy was walking a few yards behind us to vent. For me, I did a supercharger into traffic or in other words fell on my ARSSS in the middle the street without the pedestrian signal. I survived. Now for our sleeping arrangements, remember how I told you it was a 4-person room. Well that means it comfortably sleeps 4 and uncomfortably sleeps 6. I chose the shortest straw; I was curled up in the fetal position on a cushioned chair. Billy, Kyle, and Amy snuggled in the one bed. And Jorge and Kris slept peacefully in the other. Good Night Chicago.

NAVY PIER

Good morning Chicago, it is a beauty day! So far the weather has been nothing but sunshine.We took a stroll at Navy Pier, bunch of shops, restaurants, and a Beer Garden. Next stop WRIGLEY FIELD, the home of the CUBS! 7:05 game start. We found easy out parking for $40 bucks, (after Wrigley back on the road). A parking lot slapped in right field. Listened to Amys Iphone speakers, played a game of wiffle ball, and sipped on a few cold ones. What more can you ask for? On the other side of parking lot gate sat a 7/11 with RV’s and an advertisement car that read www.711 roadtrip.com. It was a crew from LA who were roadtripping for 2 weeks filming for the 711 roadtrip. CHECK EM OUT! They are super cool people.

forever young, tric xo.

“Bobby & Peggy”: Day 2- Day 4

CHICAGO

Durango sits in its first bumper-to-bumper traffic just in time for rush hour J. The windy city. Kris the reservationist is calling for the cheapest hotel rate (voted against hostels), Cobra is taking pics of the skyline, Jorge is driving like he’s back in the NYC, Amy is catching up on her reading (high on Starbucks and or life,) Billy is being Billy, and for me I am in the back seat behind the drivers seat boxed in by coolers and bags and more bags. I’m not complaining though. It’s my own little cubicle. As a matter of fact, space has not been an issue YET. We already have the pack up routine down, skeet skeet bang bang. Kris booked us at the Holiday Inn express in the financial district; obviii the scavenger is more inclined to book at super savings hotels. This meant Amy and I had to walk around Chicago as the rest of the team was checking in, because it was a 4-person room. But luckily for our brilliant minds, we drew up a plan—I will dress up as a plumber and put on a blue jump suit and push my work cart, as for Amy she will hide inside the work cart. “I was called for maintenance in room 426.” It was funny at the time, I swear. Incase you were dying to know; we successfully “snuck” in the room with the rest of the drifters safely and soundly. Ironically enough, our toilet did overflow, and we did need the maintenance man who failed to show, which means our hotel rate was cut in half. HOLLLA.

Jorge did not hesitate; it comes second nature to him—a 30 pack. And from there we tore up DOWNTOWN CHICAGO, showed them what the NY swagger is all about. Thanks to Mohammed, our taxicab driver. First thought on some minds was FOOOOOD and well others…brewed beer. After the repetitive circles of trying to find a pub/grill for the youngin’ under 21/ and the irresponsible one who forgot their license in their home copying machine, (who will be receiving hers in our Minnesota hotel on Thursday, thanks to the mailing system and mamma Hendricks.)

forever young, tric xo.

goodbye buckeye, hellooo hoosier!!

we're back on the road...! back to our 14-inches of leather. any personal space is filled with coolers and bookbags, but somehow i like it. comfycozyy! (we'll see how long that lasts.) i'm camped out in the back right next to kristina. cobra & TP are right in front of us, jorge is behind the wheel (lord, be with us) & billy's ridin shotgun with his hair undone.

we arrived at cedar point around 5 last night ("...just in time for happy hour"-tp.) we tossed our things in the room & went for a long walk to loosen up & get a little energy out after being cooped up for 7 hours. since our hotel was right on the amusement park's premises we stumbled across the ripcord skycoaster - a bungee type contraption that hoists you up suuuper high & drops you, leaving you swinging hundreds of feet in the air. tric, jorge & i jumped on it once we calculated it would cost us a mere $14.67 each if we all went together. (drifter gossip: billy said "they're already in the hole 15 bucks")...unfortunately i cannot reveal who i received this information from but a word for billy: I ATE $2 BAGS OF VEGETABLES AND OATMEAL FOR A YEAR SO I COULD EXPERIENCE THIS TRIP. anyhow, the view from the top of the ripcord was beauuutiful -- overlooked lake erie & the whole park. we hit the jacuzzi when we got back & then tric joined me for a jog along the beach :) walked to TGI fridays right off erie for apps. kristina sipped on a water and anxiously awaited the grape poptarts we had back at the room. she is undoubtedly in the lead for least money spent (frugal franny award)...coming in with a whopping SIX DOLLARS. we officially nicknamed her "the scavenger" after she slipped away to use the restroom & we found her rummaging through the restaurant dumpster.......just kiddiiiin. in the meantime, cobra was hit on by liz (our waitress) - she caressed his shoulder and pretended to be an avid sports fan just to stand by his side watching the game & making passionate comments whenever the celtics missed a shot. apparently the party wasn't over for uncle jorge and cobra cause they headed back to friday's later on that night as the rest of us rested up.

woke up early to pack up the durango & fuel up at perkins for a long day of walking and riding coasters. this is where you find me now...kris just found a place for us to crash in downtown chicago. but since we're ahead of schedule, we're taking a little detour to check out notre dame! 3 things im lookin forward to tomorrow!...seeing the sear's tower (where gramps worked most of his life); meeting up with mikey (my buddy i met in FL a few years back and kept in touch with!); and rootin for the cubbies in the mecca of baseball fields!! -- WRIGLEYYY.

random snippets:

-billy has ringworm.

-i forgot my license. momma's overnighting it to minnesota. thank you mommaaaa! :)

-cobra left his camera on the top of a garbage can and ran back 20 minutes later to find it just where he left it.

-"what's the difference between an ocean and a lake??" -TP

-& on a more serious note, there was a horrible car crash while i was snoozin & the rest of the drifters saw a few dead bodies :/ i guess it will inspire us to drive safely.

ta ta for now.

a.hendricks

PEACE OUT PA

Durango Drifters' Pre-Trip Survey: Cobra K sheare

What is the most unnecessary thing you packed?
phone, I rather use the mailing system

What is the most prized possession you packed?
underwear


If you had to leave someone in the middle of the desert, who would it be?
no one, like Poore said a team is a team

Where are you most excited to go on the trip?
Once were out of Pike County everywhere! But looking forward to Cali the most


What are you most excited to do on the trip?
1.) Driving
2.) Hiking
3.) Starting trouble

According to ground rules, if you’re behind the wheel, you dictate the music. What will be playing when you’re driving?
Fab, lil wayne, biggie, jay, foo fighters, green day, most alternative
Who is most likely to get a ticket along the way?
Amy, crazy fast driver, makes illegal u- turns, passes cars on the double line, crazy

Who is most likely to cause trouble along the way?
me and poore, been starting trouble since the 4th grade…… watch out America

If you could bring one more person along, who would it be?
my brother were both crazy people and he would definitely enjoy it too.

Do you think you will lose or gain weight over the 40 days?
I hope gain but no fat put on some muscle

Speaking of eating…If you were stranded somewhere and ran out of food, who would you decide to cannibalize first?
Amy tall, built, food would last till we found our way back home

Do you plan to collect any little souvenirs along the way?
Applications for jobs

What are your 3 biggest goals for the road trip?

1.) get back on the right track in life
2.) take as many pictures as possible
3.) But mostly enjoy the time away, the people im with and see the country one state at a time

Durango Drifters' Pre-Trip Survey: B.Poore

What is the most unnecessary thing you packed?
My toothbrush. It’s overrated.

What is the most prized possession you packed?
My iPhone because there’s an app for that.


If you had to leave someone in the middle of the desert, who would it be?
We would all have to stay together as a team. We left together and we will come home together. We will find a way out together.

Where are you most excited to go on the trip?
National Parks, Baseball Games, and California.


What are you most excited to do on the trip?
1.) Hike Half-Dome in Yosemite National Park
2.) Grand Canyon and Yellowstone
3.) Raft Class IV Rapids on the Colorado River

According to ground rules, if you’re behind the wheel, you dictate the music. What will be playing when you’re driving?
A little bit of everything. The surroundings will dictate the music.

Who is most likely to get a ticket along the way?
A ticket? What cop is going to give the Durango Drifters a ticket? Now Kristina will be the first one to get pulled over, probably going down a one-way street. But we will get out of the ticket.

Who is most likely to cause trouble along the way?
Tricia and Amy will cause trouble with their friendly personality. They will meet and invite the wrong person to come along with us for a day.

If you could bring one more person along, who would it be?
I would bring Casey because she would love California. She should fly out to California and meet us!

Do you think you will lose or gain weight over the 40 days?
Both.

Speaking of eating…If you were stranded somewhere and ran out of food, who would you decide to cannibalize first?
Everyone together in one big slow roasted beef stew.

Do you plan to collect any little souvenirs along the way?
Absolutely! Something small and inexpensive that I will always have.

What are your 3 biggest goals for the road trip?

1.) Conquer Half Dome
2.) Catch a HR ball at Wrigley
3.) Have Fun


B.Poore

Durango Drifters' Pre-Trip Survey: Kristina

What is the most unnecessary thing you packed?
I feel as though I packed nothing that is unnecessary; my problem is I packed too much of everything!

What is the most prized possession you packed?
My cell-phone; although there is a great chance it will be non-existent in parts of my trip because of how wonderful AT&T service is. However, my cell phone will come in good use when I’m stuck in a car with the same four people for the entire 40+ days! (JK drifters!)

If you had to leave someone in the middle of the desert, who would it be?
I would have to say Tricia or Amy because they are the friendliest of us all and would probably fandangle a way and hitch-hike their way back to society.

Where are you most excited to go on the trip?
1. Grand Canyon
2. Wrigley Field
3. Yellowstone National Park
4. San Diego California

What are you most excited to do on the trip?

1. Rafting down class IV rapids in the Colorado River
2. ATV riding in sand dunes
3. Caves
4. Baseball games cross-country

According to ground rules, if you’re behind the wheel, you dictate the music. What will be playing when you’re driving?
A mix of country, rock, oldies & throw in some 80’s classics…

Who is most likely to get a ticket along the way?
Definitely 100% Tricia... With her record to this date she will have the drill down “license and registration” in the following states: OH, IL, SD, CA, AZ, CO, KS, KY, NC hahahahaha jk. But let’s be honest it wouldn’t surprise us.
Who is most likely to cause trouble along the way?
Easy. Cobra K Sheare. Don’t ask me how, but he will find a way. (Weather at the campground, baseball game or a quick drink at a bar ha-ha)

If you could bring one more person along, who would it be?
As much as I would love to bring one more person along, we have Uncle Jorge week 1 and then the five of us the rest of the way...They say the more the merrier, but in this case, I can settle with what we have.

Do you think you will lose or gain weight over the 40 days?
Considering the last thing I want to spend my money on is food and the fact we will be hiking non-stop. I’m sure I’d lose weight over the span of 40 days.

Speaking of eating…If you were stranded somewhere and ran out of food, who would you decide to cannibalize first?
Tricia, I’m sure we all taste like chicken…but I’d opt-out on that option and not survive.

Do you plan to collect any little souvenirs along the way?
Definitely, I plan on taking something from each place I visit, as well as postcards, t-shirts, shells on the beach etc...


What are your 3 biggest goals for the road trip?
1. Have a fun time; it is a trip of a life time.
2. Beat Amy on the Manitou Incline (HAHAHA) not happening.
3. Not get attacked or bit by a bear, bison, mountain goat, snake etc.

Durango Drifters' Pre-Trip Survey:Tric

What is the most unnecessary thing you packed?

Probably my knitted snow hat… I heard it could be as low as 30 degrees in Yellowstone…so therefore better safe than sorry right? My ears will be warm. :)

What is the most prized possession you packed? My flask! “Hi my name is Tric and I am an….” Jokinggg. I would say my camera; it will be storing memories that will be with me forever.

If you had to leave someone in the middle of the desert, who would it be?

Hmm…I would practice utilitarianism “the greatest good, for the greatest number.” Maximize pleasure and minimize pain for the greater good. If I the situation called for it, I would sacrifice for the team. Yes, guys, I ADORE YOU ALL!

Where are you most excited to go on the trip?

Seriously, EVERYDAY and SOAKING IT ALL IN! I am just super excited to get out and see and experience it all in the 40-day time frame with my wolf pack. I am looking forward to camping and hotels, mountains and beaches, canyons and plains. Oh yeah, and VEGAS with my wolf pack.

What are you most excited to do on the trip?
 The unplanned and impromptu adventures….cause lets be honest Murphy’s law has a way of always saying hello. Ps. Dear God, Please give the Durango that extra push to make it home in one piece!

According to ground rules, if you’re behind the wheel, you dictate the music. What will be playing when you’re driving?
 Probably a mixture of everything, the location will probably dictate a lot of what I jam out to… and sometimes silence.

Who is most likely to get a ticket along the way?

I would say Jorge. I know he will only be joining us for the first 5 days, but if he drives anything like the way he handles Shrondra his black mistress AKA. Dodge charger, we will be hearing a lot of “License and registration please”

Who is most likely to cause trouble along the way?


Cobra. He always finds a way to ignite an altercation or two…

It must be the cobra in him.

If you could bring one more person along, who would it be?
 Reese Nicole, if she was potty trained and off her “Nu Nu’s.” Oh and if she had a fake ID. She will be greatly missed.

Do you think you will lose or gain weight over the 40 days? Well is trail mix and granola bars fattening? I will probably turn into a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, instead.

Speaking of eating…If you were stranded somewhere and ran out of food, who would you decide to cannibalize first?
 hmmm…they would all taste like chicken.

Do you plan to collect any little souvenirs along the way?


Considering I might not be able to afford food and a decent nights rest, I would say maybe like coasters or Mike Tyson’s tiger.

What are your 3 biggest goals for the road trip?

To beat my Manitou incline record

To avoid being eaten by mountain lions an or snakes

To come home in one piece

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Durango Drifters' Pre-Trip Survey: A. Hendricks

What is the most unnecessary thing you packed?
I probably could’ve gone without the FIFTH sundress, but they count as a whole outfit and I only have a few more summers to dress like an 8 year old little girl. I also probably could’ve gone without my perfume for 40 days, but I’m big on smells, so in my mind it’s completely necessary. It’s all about perspective.

What is the most prized possession you packed?
My journal. It contains my soul.

If you had to leave someone in the middle of the desert, who would it be?
Billy cause I feel like he’d be most likely to figure out a way to survive. I’d give the other three about 8 hours to live.

Where are you most excited to go on the trip?
I’ve got a few:

1. The Grand Canyon – It’s pretty much the only major site in the US I have yet to see. The rents took us across the country years ago and I feel like we saw EVERYTHING BUT that. I hear it’s humbling.
2. Lake George, CO – Was just there last summer but I can’t get enough of those vistas, that cabin, and of course UNCLE MYRON!!! My favorite cowboy :)
3. LA – Get to see my big bro! I think the last time I saw him was two Halloweens ago. Yes, he comes home for Halloween but not Thanksgiving and Christmas. He’s a crackerjack.

What are you most excited to do on the trip?
I’m really excited that we’ll be camping most of the trip. I love simple living and escaping the digital world. As for activities, ATVing in the sanddunes makes my heart skip a beat and I can’t wait to FINALLY try surfing. On a broader spectrum, I’m really excited to meet people along the way, hear their stories and get a feel for the people in each region of the country. I’m also reeeally excited to have time to just sit, stare out the window & put my thoughts to paper.

According to ground rules, if you’re behind the wheel, you dictate the music. What will be playing when you’re driving?
I’m on a Train and AAR kick, but my mainstays are KOL & Counting Crows, so they will undoubtedly find their way in the mix.

Who is most likely to get a ticket along the way?
I feel like I should say Tric (considering the ticket she acquired when she drove a whopping 2 hours within a month of travels that prooobably consisted of a solid 30 hours of driving), but I’m gonna go with Kristina on this one. I have a premonition she’s got a steel foot.

Who is most likely to cause trouble along the way?
Cobra K. Sheare. The name says it all…not to mention the drunken brawl and the mid-sleep piss in the tent’s “invisible” toilet while we were in the Catskills. Dear Lord, have mercy on our souls.

If you could bring one more person along, who would it be?
Gramps!!!…he always talks about seeing a lot of cool places on TV that he knows he will never experience in real life and that makes me saaaad.

Do you think you will lose or gain weight over the 40 days?
The combination of my extreme frugality and lack of weights will probably have me coming back a few pounds lighter.

Speaking of eating…If you were stranded somewhere and ran out of food, who would you decide to cannibalize first?
Hmmm…that’s a toughyyy…everyone would be pretty tasty! I’m gonna go with Billy on this one – he’s got a wonderful muscle to fat ratio which would makes for a pretty tender cut. Can someone pack some adobo?

Do you plan to collect any little souvenirs along the way?
If anything, I might collect cool stickers…They’re neither cumbersome nor expensive, but I think I’d rather get a couple locally made shirts or accessories instead. And of course, I’ll be bringing something home for the fam!!

What are your 3 biggest goals for the road trip?

1. Live simpler.
2. Love deeper.
3. Appreciate more.