Trans-Atlantic Travelogue
Clayton Trapp and his family (including Blackberry the dog) will drive all the way across the U.S. to Grandma's house in Vermont, then down to Miami where they'll take a cruise ship to Barcelona. From there, they'll be following the ATP tennis tour which will lead them from Spain to Germany, to France, the Netherlands, England and finally Italy. In between they'll be spending time in Denmark, the Netherlands, and God only knows where else.
Clayton Trapp has been published internationally on subjects including travel, tennis, politics, and religion. His debut novel, Choose Denial, will be available from May 2001 on VanGoach Books. Feel free to drop Clayton a line at claytononboard@yahoo.com.
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September 5: The Landing Gear is Out. Arrivederci!!
It's been a long and glorious run, and it's time to recharge the batteries for the
next run.
Catch Up On The Journey
August 5: We Cross the Channel!, Lose our Passports, and Come to a Rest Near a Plethora of Lily Pads!
Jumping on and off ferries, trains and taxis with two adults, four children and 18 bags takes its toll. However, a pond full of lily pads is just the balm needed to sooth frayed nerves.
July 8: Singin' in the Rain, and a hopelessly Superficial Exploitation of Ulysses
Continued engine problems mean England will have to wait until mid-July. This leaves plenty of time for 500 Run Rummy and reading books.
June 27: The Festival of Music and the Muskrat Lovers
Every year on the summer solstice musicians gather in town squares and strut their stuff, due to the Minister of Culture. America should have a Minister of Culture, I hereby nominate Kurt Vonnegut.
June 13: The Friendliest Campground in Europe
The best way to experience the rich, subtle, French experience is to blow up your engine
and get stuck somewhere in France.
June 5: We Blow Our Second Engine of the Tour, and Try to Drive to England Anyway
We're not having a great deal of luck in vehicle-related matters. Sweet Pea (the VW bus) blew most of her engine about 100 miles south of Paris.
June 1: We're Saved by a Jehovah's Witness
...albeit one who knows a lot about the Rolling Stones, and Nirvana. He seemed genuinely disappointed when it turned out that we didn't need any more help.
May 24: The Joker from Berlin
We have transport! It's a wonderful pea green color, has a bit of rust, several significant dents, quite nearly ubiquitous scratches...she's about perfect.
May 16: We Disembark, are Accosted by Gypsies, and are Unable to Purchase a Car Due to Concerns Over Possible Terrorist Connections
As you might guess, things aren't going quite to plan at the moment. However, in a situation that demands changing answers our strategy is flexible...or foggy depending on your perspective.
May 7: We Cross the Atlantic, Appear in a Talent Show and Listen to Jumpin' Jack Flash
After five days of nothing but beautiful water, the crew and passengers are getting a bit restless, and things aren't quite as cheerful as they were.
May 1: We Take to the High Seas, and Eat a Lot
There aren't a lot of things in life guaranteed to get your happy heart a-yippin' like boarding your first cruise ship.
April 22: Death of an Engine, but Spring finally catches us by Train
The car problem proved terminal, and after 2 hours on the train, everyone is excited to get their own room - in the tent.
April 16: Trouble in New York
The car won't start and everyone is sick. Nothing a trip to grandma's and a plate of gravy fries can't fix.
April 8: Yellowstone, the Gilded Coral Snail and 2120 South Michigan Avenue
The state count is up to ten and we've seen prairie dog graveyards, Yellowstone and Clayton's Mecca. We didn't see Mt Rushmore though.
April 1: Italia or Bust
We're already behind schedule and over budget, but the excitement is really building and we're almost into the rhythm of the thing.
