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TheMotherRoadwithAHoboStoveByMikeMarino&SandozDiegoCerveza(ExcerptfromThePeyoteCoyote)

Thetimes,theywereachangin'inthepurplehazedanddoubledazeddaysofthesparechangeSixties.Politicalandsocialchangewerewagingwaronthestatusquoandoldiconswerebeingreplaced.EvenRoute66waschanging.Atonetimeitwasthemainveintwo-laneconnectingtheMidwest,whereIamoriginallyfrom,throughthedesertsouthwesttoCalifornia,whereIwaslivinginHaightAshburyatthetime.Theoldroad,onceproud,wasnowbeingreplacedsectionbysectionbythenewinterstatesandfastbecomingafadingmemoryreminiscentofNormaDesmondin"SunsetBoulevard."BeingthevagabondthatIwasIwasfortunatetohavetraveledthroughthedesertsonRoute66bythumbandbymicrobusbeforethelastasphaltcurtaincall.

Route66kicksthedoorsofperceptionandimaginationofopenroadfreedomintofuelinjectedhighgear.MainstreetUSAhascarvedoutit'sowniconicnicheworldwideastheultimatelongandwindingroadbyusingit'smacheteofnostalgiatocutanasphaltpaththrougheightstatesincludingthesouthwestAmericandesert.

Morethanjusta"road",It'sinyourfaceroadsideculturethatwearstheintoxicatingperfumeofnostalgiaandautomotivehistory.Phillips66gasstations,HarveyHouseandtheHarveyGirls,olddinersandcafes,motorcourts,roadsidea

ndnaturalattractions,alongwithenoughmotelsbathedinpastelneonstolightuptheVegasstrip.

Yes,youdogettotravelacrossthecountryontheoldconcretegirl,butalsobackintimealongJohnSteinbeck'sRiverofImmigrants,asitmeandersthroughthecactuskingdomofthegreatsouthwest.The2,200plusmileMotherRoadisamotherlodeoflegendandlore,andthedesertstatesitspanshasalltheinnatebeauty,etherealeleganceandmaddeningmysteryofIngridBergman.

HitchingridesontheMotherRoadalwaysbroughttomindthecharacterofTomJoadandthedaysoftheGreatDepressionIhadonlyreadabout.Steinbeck's"GrapesofWrath"publishedin1939wasamirrorofthedauntingtimesofdustbowlersloosingeverything,packinguppossessionsandheadingwesttothegoldencoas

tofCaliforniatorich,lushfieldswithacornucopiaofcropsthatneededharvesting.ThemaincharacterisTomJoadportrayedbyHenryFondainthefilmversionreleasedin1940whoalongwiththerestoftheJoadsheadwestalongRoute66fromOklahomatothepromisedlandofCaliforniaforapieceoftheAmericandreamandinsteaddeadendonaonewaystreetofprejudiceandbrutality.Boththebookandthefilmwereconsideredsocialistpropagandaatthetime,however,thebookwonthePulitzerandthefilmwonOscars.HoorayforHollywoodandthreecheersforTomJoad!

Inthepost-warbabyboomColdWarera,thenewprosperitybroughtnewlifetotheoldroadasAmericaheadedwestonvacationtoplaceslikeDisneyland,theGrandCanyon,andthePetrifiedForest.That'swhenfamilytravelwasafamilyadventureandisbestexemplifiedinparodyinNationalLampoon's"Vacation"asChe

vyChaseandfamilymaketracksfor'Wallyworld."TheSixtiesburstlikealavalamponsteroidsandthepost-Kerouacrucksackrevolutionwasliterally,ontheroad.YoungpeoplefromacrossthecountryhitchhikedRoute66orwhatremainedofitasitwasfastbeingreplacedbyEisenhower'sInterstateSystem,sectionbysection,toCaliforniaandthenupthecoast,north,tothepsychedelicDisneylandofHaightAshbury.

Iwaslivingatage15onthebeachinHonoluluandby16in1965hadreturnedtothemainlandlivingontheSunsetStripinLA.EventuallyImovednorthtobeginmytie-dyeddaysinHaightAshburyfromearly1966untillate1968andhadop

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portunitytothumbitontheMotherRoadheadingeasttovisitfamily,thenwestagain.SleepingonthesideoftheroadoutsideBarstow,CaliforniaorWinslow,Arizona,Icanstillseetheskyfullofstars,hearthesweethowlofacoyoteinthedistancewhilesittingbymysmallcookfiresculptedwithavailablescrubandcreosotebushes,thensettlinginforthenightplayinganoldbeatupharmonicaIfoundonthesidewalkinNorthBeach,ItwasoneofthefewpossessionsIcarriedwithmeonmytreksandtobehonestIwasn'tPaulButterfield,butthecoyotesseemedtohowlbackatit,andthatwasallthatmatteredatthetime.

IwouldhitchhikesouthfromtheBayAreaonHighway99toBakersfield,hopontoHighway58pastTehachapiandonintoBarstowwhenheadingbacktotheMidwest.ThenorthernmountainroutecouldbeSiberianatnightatthehigheraltitudesbutthedesertrouteofferedcoolandcrispnightsunderthecanopyoftheheavensbutnotcoldenoughtotransformyouintoahypothermicposterchild.Route66wasstillheavilytraffickedinthosedayswithautomobilesandbigrigshighballingittothetuneofDaveDudley's"SixDaysontheRoad"gearjammingitallthewayfromLAtoSt.Louisinrecordtime.OnonetripIwasdroppedoffinBarstowwhichislocatedinCaliforniaonthewesternMojaveDesertontheriverofthesamename.

YouhadtowalkthroughtowntotheothersidebeforestickingyourthumboutagainasthelocalpoliceviewedlonghairedhitchhikerswithsuspicionasBolsheviksorworse,liberalDemocrats.Onceoutsideoftownanoldbeatuppickuptru

ckdrivenbyaNavajogentlemanstoppedandtookmeabout20milesoutoftownpastDaggettandannounced,"GottaletyouoffherebecauseIliveoverthere,"pointingupasmalltwotrackdirtroadthatheadedupintothehills.Thankedhimandgotreadytoputthatpracticedthumbtoworkagain.Itwasgettingclosetoduskbythistimeanddecidedbetterwaituntildaylighttobeginagain.Neverknowwho'llpickyouupatnight,andIhadn'tevenseen"Deliverance"yet.

SettingsailonfootinthehighseasofdesertsunandsandwasnotfortheEddieBauerchic.Agoodpairofwornhikingboots,anoldflannelshirt,denimpantsandacanvaspackdoesnotafashionistamake,buttravelinglightandsturdywasaholymantra.AgoodhikingstickhasasmanyusesastheSwissarmyknifewhilehikingthedesert,woodlandsortheroadsofAmerica.Itaidsinprovidinganextraboostwhilewalkingupsteepinclinesandcanhavetheeffectofshif

tingintolowgearwhentraversingdownhilltoyoudon'tpullaJackandJillandgotumblingdownthehill.Thedesertisalivewithwildlifethatcanbedangeroustoyourhealth.Yes,youaretrespassinginthehomeoftherattlesnakeandscorpion,soahikingstickcanbeused,deftly,todeflectanattack,well,mosttimesanyway.Ifyouarehikingthewoodlandsyoucantieagoodpieceofstringtotheendwithasafetypinattachedalongwithanythingyoufindtouseforbaitwhenyoucomeacrossasmallstream,river,lakeorpondandyou'rewellonyourwaytohavingasmallbassorfeistybluegillonthefirespitbeforeyouknowit.Thestickcanbeproppedoveracampfiretoholdthekettleovertheflametoboilthatbouillonandmostimportantly,it'sacompanionandyourbestfriendwhentravelingalone.

Waterisworthmorethangoldinthedesertsoagoodcanteenorlighterweight

botacanbealifesaver.FindingwaterinthedesertalongRoute66canbemilesapartwhenhikingthoselonglonelystretchesandit'sasearchthatwilltesttheIndianaJonesinallofus.

OnetechniqueIlearnedwastoconstructasimplesolarstillusingasmallsheetofplastic,amessskitcuporothercollector,andwithalittlepatienceandgoodkarma,youcanextractwater.Therearemanyblueprintsonlineandinthelibrarybutbasically,youdigaholeinthesandandinthebottomoftheholeplaceyourcuporjar.Placetheplasticoverthetopoftheholeyoujustdugmakingsurethebottomoftheplasticintheholegoesdirectlyoverthecollect

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oropening.Puttingasmallstoneinplacewillmaketheplasticpeakdownwardsovertheopening.WeightthesidesoftheplasticdownontheouterrimoftheholeandwaitfortheMotherRoadsmothernaturetotakehercoursecallingupontheforcesofcondensation.

Iflunkedsciencebutinanutshellcondensationwillformontheplastic,rundownitasitgathersanddropletswillthenfallintoyourcontainer.Don'texpectNiagaraFallseitherasitwilltaketimebutyouwillgetenoughtokeepyoualive.Ifyouarehikinginmonsoonseasoninthedesertandhaveapieceoftinfoilyoucanfashionthefoilintoafunnelrunningintoyourcanteenorbota.Yes,basiccisternlowtech,butitworks.

ThelandscapeborderingRoute66isapanoramicpaintingofcactusandsucculentsincludingwhatIcall"thepeoplesplant"ortheprolificpricklypear.Ithasabeautifulbouquetofpurplishfruitsandit'sfamiliarpingpongpaddleshapedpadscombineasawildsourceoffoodanddrink.Bearinmindthattheseplantsarenotthespinelessvarietyfoundintheproducesectionofyuppiesupermarketsandthespinescanbebrutaltoextracareandcautionareadvisedtomakesureyouremoveeventheminutestones,orpaytheconsequences.Isharedacampfireonenightwithanotherroadheadwhowastravelingwesttomyeastbutsharedacampfirethatnightatourownindividualpathsjuncture.HewasaformerrodeoclownfromSpokane,andhewasn'tclowningaroundwhenhetoldmethathehadheardthatearlySpanishexplorersandtheNativeAmericansoftheregionusedtofashionthepricklypearpadsintoanorganicbota.I'veneverseenonenorm

adeonebutrumorhasitthatitcanbedone.Ifyou'vemadeoneletmeknowaboutit.Campcookingalongthesideoftheroadcanbearusticfourstaraffair,dependingonyouroutlookandstateofmind.

ThedesertissparseinwoodsoattimesgettingenoughkindlecanbeaproblemsotocircumventthatIpickedupanoldcollapsibleSternostove.Sterno,knownas"pinklady"tothebumsandwinosofskidrowseverywhere,isliquidfireinthedesertandthetrustylittlecontraptioncanclaimthetitleoftheMiniCooperofcampcookery.It'saclassic.Anotherappropriateapplianceforaridregioncookingisthehumblehobostove.

IfirstencounteredonewhilehikingalongtheOregoncoastnearSeaside.Twootherwanderershadmejointhemforascroungedseafoodandseaweeddinnerandam

azinglycookeditoveranoldcoffeecan.Thedesignissimplicityitself.Takeanoldmetalcoffeecan,Folgerswilldo,MaxwellHouse,itdoesn'tmatter.Withthelidremovedpunchholesinthebottomofthecan,whichwillnowbethetopofyourcookstove.Fromthelipoftheopenend,cutalinethroughthemetalthelengthofyourpinkiefingerthen2andhalfinchesapart,cutanothersimilarlinesothemetalflapisstillattachedbutwillopenandclose.

Thereasonfortheflapisthatonceafireisinthecanyoucancontroltheheatoutputbyclosingtheflaporopeningitallthewayforairtostokethefiretogetthewaterboilingfast.BuckminsterFullercouldn'thavedesignedamoreefficientapparatus.

Imademyownstoveandit'suseinthedesertisparticularlywelcome.First,i

tallowsforminimalamountsofsmallwoodandtinder,ofwhichthereispreciouslittleoftobeginwith,andsecondly,youcanputacoveringoverthebottomendandasyouhikealongduringthedayyoucangatherwhatwoodyouneedlaterasyoutravelanditmakesagreatcarrycontainerforthatpurpose.Campfirecookinginacan.Besidesifcampingoffthesideoftheroad,whichmaybeillegalinsomeareas,ithelpedkeeptheflameofthefirefrombeingseenfromtheroadbypassingpolicecruisers,asyoucouldgetarrestedforvagrancy.

Anothertricklearnedwastomakesureyoualwayshadatendollarbillonyou,tuckedinyourshoeforsafety.Mostlawsstatedthatifyouhadtendollars,yo

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uweren'tavagrantandcouldn'tbearrestedforthehighcrimeandmisdemeanorofpoverty.

TodayItraveltheoldstretchesofRoute66thatstillexisttoday,onlynowbycar.Istillcamp,butatrusticcampsitesandonoccasioninaconcretewigwammotel.TownslikeTucumcaritrytocarryonthetwolanetraditionsandthereisenoughnostalgiatogoaroundtokeepthelightoftheMotherRoadalive.EvenwhenIracealongontheinterstateportions,Istilllookofftothesideoftheroadtoseewhomightbecampingoverthere,hiddenintheblanketofdesertbeautyatnight.

TheskyfullofstarsovertheirheadsandthedistantcoyotehowltosingthemtosleeptothestrainsofanoldharmonicaplayingRedRiverValley.Tomorrow,theywouldgetupandhittheroadagain.haikuhobosbychoiceorcircumstance.

Ifyou'retravelinginthedesertandsomesoulhasathumbout,atleastwaveasyoudrivebyforencouragementifyoudon'tcaretostop.Youneverknow,itcouldbetheghostofTomJoad.TheRoadheadChroniclesBookByMikeMarino$19.95ToOrderEmailtheroadhead@yahoo.comIncludesthethreeE-SeriesMarinobooks(TheAtomicHula)(TheSandozCollection)&(ThePeyoteCoyote)