Dan's Diary: End Of The Road
How did it come to this? It's an unholy hour of the morning and I'm reminiscing about the good times we've spent on the road, America. Why am I reminiscing? Because it's over! The "Great American Vacation" has packed its bags and gone home … or on vacation, I'm not sure which. The point is that after 12,879 miles, 25 states, eight giveaways (16 in all) and two months on the road, it's time to say goodbye.
I've got to warn you: I'm really bad at keeping in touch, so please don't take it personally if you don't hear from me; I swear I really like you, America. I've got one nit to pick though … turn signals. Come on people, just drop the hand and flick the wrist. I and all your fellow motorists can now anticipate your next move, and we're very thankful for it. With your help we can make turn signals cool again. Really though, you've been a sweetheart. I can't count the number of smiles, waves, hoots and hollers I've received during the past eight weeks.
Reminisce with road trip photos!After my last seven hours on the road, nothing kept me as ebullient and upbeat as a pickup truck packed with fanatical Southerners flailing to get my attention on the highway. Motoring through the heartland, I saw mile after mile of ear-to-ear smiles. This must be what it feels like to be beautiful. Before I get too nostalgic (and vain), I have to tell you about the past few giveaways.
Some time ago I was in Denver. Back then I was naïve; just a boy. I thought I could grasp basic concepts like size and temperature. What a fool I was. As it turns out, it's all relative … to the Lone Star State. Texas is big. I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but it's worth mentioning that it took two days to traverse the ever-changing landscape of this country within a country. I also know how that horse met its demise. It's hot … stupid hot. That's a very technical meteorological term; don't question it. Occasionally birds spontaneously burst into flames mid-flight … it happens; don't question it.
Photos... fresh from AustinI'm also pretty sure Austin rocks … and once again, I'd recommend not questioning it. So that last factoid doesn't have much to do with the string of 100-degree days that glued my ratty flip-flops to the pavement, but I can assure you Austin is in fact a gem. That's probably why we picked it for a visit for a visit from Dave Price and The Early Show. Don't miss Dave in action enjoying the Austin nightlife … he's a real urban cowboy, and quite the ladies' man to boot.
While Dave was getting tipsy on milk and music, I was making TV with the local CBS affiliate KEYE. How I keep ending up on live television is beyond me.
The location chosen for the giveaway was Auditorium Shores on Town Lake overlooking the Austin skyline. It's a park haven for joggers, dog-walkers and families alike. The view isn't too shabby, either. Think of it as a miniature Central Park without any creepy stuff.
We pitched camp and prepped for another early morning extravaganza. Firing up live music and festivities at 5 a.m. might seem a bit forced, but Austin made it feel like the party had never ended from the night before. Dave found his Tex-Mex soul while attempting to perfect his Jarabe footwork to the thrumming rhythms of a Mariachi band. He cut a little rug to the hepcat tunes of the Marshall Ford Swing Band, and he rocked out with Austin's acoustic guitar god, Monty Montgomery. All in all, it was a party right up to the moment when Dave announced
Evans and her green thumb have spent 24 years with the Austin Parks Department, beautifying the city without taking much time off. A single mother and a beloved member of her community, Darla has never taken a vacation with her son Ian. Well, finally, they are going to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., first class… with two friends. I forgot to tell her I've never been to Disney World; she's so ridiculously sweet she probably would have taken me. No matter, I have one more city to see on my own trip of a lifetime.
Voila! I'm in Baton Rouge, La. How did that happen? Here's the short version: I drove.
The real story here is the love affair between Baton Rouge and Dave Price. The citizens of this great city clamored, grappled and groped Mr. Price until I was forced to morph into an impromptu bodyguard. Every time he made a move, the crowd followed. They waited with baited breath for his every peep. They heaved their chests with every passing glance. I think someone may have passed out. I've got to tell you — it was a little weird and endlessly entertaining.
Even the heavens were smiling upon Dave. Nearly every second I spent in Baton Rouge was accompanied by a constant deluge and biblical lightning … until the morning of the giveaway, that is.
The break in the weather made it all the better to see the real star of the morning, the 376-foot Fletcher-class World War II destroyer, the USS Kidd at the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial. Whether it was the history, the bravery or the sacrifice that the ship represented, it made for a majestic and metaphorically appropriate backdrop for our second-to-last giveaway — not to mention one heck of a conversation piece.
This was no showboat either. The Kidd saw missions in World War II that brought her to Wake Island, Rabaul, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands and landings on Bouganville, Aitape, Hollandia, Guam and the invasion of the Philippines. Her days as a destroyer were nearly destroyed when on April 11, 1945, in Okinawa, Japan, a lone Kamikaze penetrated the outer air defenses and struck the seasoned warship. Thirty-eight soldiers perished and the Kidd sustained a lot of damage — but she stayed afloat for another 18 years. She now rests on the banks of the mighty Mississippi, where Dave and crew struggled to contain the rowdy but affectionate citizens of Baton Rouge.
It's absurd how much fun Dave manages to have first thing in the morning. He toured the Kidd, marched and danced with a marching band, made some outrageous jambalaya, kissed an alligator, signed about 200 autographs and celebrated "Dave Price" Day, which was officially decreed by Mayor Kip Holden.
The real highlight, as usual, was when Dave plucked the next recipient of a surprise vacation from the crowd. This was a heart-warmer if there ever were.
Newlyweds Becky and Keith Frey were about to enjoy their honeymoon when a little thing called Hurricane Katrina rained on everyone's parade. Like so many, the Freys lost their home. But instead of focusing on their own plight, Becky dedicated her time to get friends and family out of harm's way. She even organized clothing drives in the midst of doing her real job placing LSU Medical Center interns and residents in other hospitals while finding them places to live.
In the end, Becky touched endless numbers of people but never had the honeymoon she and her new husband deserved. That's where Dave came in and presented them with five days and four nights at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa, in the heart of Sonoma's wine country. They'll enjoy a 40,000 square-foot spa, a golf course, top-notch dining, and wine-tasting, coastal sightseeing and racing school for the hubby.
Becky responded with a moment of pure disbelief, followed by tears of joy and unending thankfulness. As the "Saturday Night Live" character Linda Richman would say, "I got a little verklempt." What can I say, I'm a softy.
Right about now, I feel like a second-grader writing the quintessential back-to-school essay, "What I Did Last Summer". It was that kind of adventure. I remember the giddiness of walking into a classroom in early September with my brand-new Go-Bot sneakers and my He-Man lunchbox, just itching to tell my classmates about the beach or the planetarium or a five-pound frog named Hamburger. I've felt that way all summer sharing my experiences with you, America. … I'm 6 years old again. What a trip. There are too many people to thank … too many places to revisit ... too many memories to recall. I've always been terrible at saying goodbye, so let's not. Who knows, maybe we'll meet again. There's always next year. Take care America — and thanks for the memories!
— Daniel Baruch