Unfortunately every time that we changed time zone, from Western, to
Mountain, to Eastern, we lost an hour, which was not good when we had to
cover such large distances in a day.
One other thing helped to keep us entertained during our long drives; road
signs. We passed such classics as the enigmatic 'Thing' advertised in
Texas...did it prove how little there is to see in this vast state? As in 'look,
look, I've found someTHING here at last!' Actually, it was the name of an
attraction. Other adverts on billboards beside the road included 'Famous
Dateshakes' (in a place improbably named Dateland); 'native pottery,
rattlesnakes, wives'. Fast food establishments had such names as 'Blimpie'
and 'What-a-Burger', and reassured us that claims about increased obesity in
the USA are unfounded. The most unexpected advert was surely the one for
'vasectomy reversals'. ‘Oh yes’, you would think as you drove past the sign,
‘that is what I need’.
As well as adverts we passed some unusual warning signs too. First
the scary 'Prison facilities in this area. Please do not pick up hitchhikers', and
then the very clever 'Littering is unlAWFUL.'
Of course, sometimes we did stop driving - not for hitchhikers though or for
littering - and this too provided further distraction. I would say that these
breaks were a breath of fresh air after being in the van, but seeing as our
stops were often to visit restrooms, 'fresh air' was in short supply. Please feel
free to visit any gentlemen's public toilet for verification of this statement.
During 13 weeks travelling we obviously had to answer the call of