(Photos: John and his van and a photo
John took of Main Street in Riverton, Wyoming.)
Growing
up in Cordova, Alaska, John Ekemo (Linfield Class of 1969) had a yearning for
travel.
“Cordova
has three roads -- one each of three, six and 25 miles – none of them
connecting to another town. The only way into or out of Cordova is via Valdez,
a six hour ferry ride away. From Valdez it’s an eight hour drive to Anchorage.
So, when opportunities to travel arose while I lived in Alaska I took advantage
of them,” John said.
For
instance, in 1972 he traveled to Spain and Portugal; in 1974 to New Zealand,
Australia and Tahiti; and in 1975 he took a trip during which he visited 26 states.
“After
the 1975 trip, seeing more of the U.S. was on my bucket list. But I didn’t get
to ‘seeing more of the U.S.’ until after I retired in Seattle in January 2019
after 50 years of work including 35 years in real estate appraisal.” His career
also included banking and real estate.
Starting
on March 23, 2019, and ending Sept. 15, 2019 -- that’s 177 days -- John
traveled in his van through 48 U.S. states, 8 Canadian provinces (British
Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, Nova
Scotia) and Mexico.
Including
six ferry rides (three each in the U.S. and Canada) he traveled almost 30,000
miles.
During
the time John (who has three sisters) was live-in caretaker for his mother, May
Ekemo, in Seattle he started planning for a van trip. After his mom passed away
(Alzheimer’s) at the end of October 2018, the trip was possible.
He
traveled in a 1995 GMC Camper Van which he bought for $8,000 and put about
$2,000 into so it was “road ready.”
His
trip started and ended in Welches (Clackamas County), Oregon, in the Mount Hood
Corridor.
“One
of the criteria of my trip was to avoid freeways and take minor less traveled roads.
Probably just 500 or so miles on my trip were driven on freeways. Another criteria
was to avoid major cities,” he said.
John
“enjoyed living in the van and having freedom to go someplace on the spur of
the moment. I’ve decided to keep doing it while my health is still good and I
am able. At some point I will move into a house or apartment, but right now I
consider myself houseless rather than homeless.”
When
John started his trip on March 23 he “knew there were some places and people I
wanted to see, but other than that I had no itinerary,” he said.
In
a Nevada restaurant, while he had breakfast, he decided plan each day the night
before. Find “someplace about 200-300 miles away and drive there. Get on the
road about 9-10 a.m. and try and be off the road by 4-6 p.m.,” he said.
While
in Nevada he drove south to Arizona. In Arizona he crossed the U.S.-Mexico border
into Mexico for a quick visit. There he saw immigrants legally crossing the
border and construction of some of the border wall.
When
he departed Oregon on his trip he wasn’t planning to visit 48 states and 8 Canadian
provinces.
The
decision about 48 states was made in April while he was in Mississippi. There he
counted the number of states (10) he had visited to that point. Then he looked
at a map to see how he could travel to the other 38 states. It could be done
and he was going to do it.
Adding
8 Canada provinces happened because Newfoundland in Canada was on his bucket
list of places to see.
“But,
I had no idea that it was going to be a 3,000 mile, two week trip to get to
Newfoundland and back from Maine. That included ferry rides of 12 and 16 hours,”
he said.
Newfoundland
was his favorite of all the Canadian provinces he visited because of the
variety of landscapes, icebergs and the historically important airport in
Gander.”
When
it opened in 1936 it was the largest airport in the world. During World War II
the Gander, Newfoundland, Airport was the main staging point for the movement
of Allied aircraft to Europe during World War II.
Gander
played host to thousands of airline passengers stranded at its airport when
American airspace was closed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Expectations
before making the trip? John had none.
“I
let it unfold. Every day was something unexpected. I didn’t always follow the
route I had planned the night before,” he said.
His
frustration during the trip was usually directed at his smartphone. “I relied
on it to find RV parks, cheap gas prices and roads. When the phone wouldn’t do
what I wanted it to, I would be frustrated, “John said.
Unexpected
happenings during the trip included:
--On July 3 while
visiting Niagara Falls, New York, he was overcome with heat exhaustion and
dehydration in the 95 degree heat. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital
where he spent five hours being rehydrated.
--In Wyoming his van engine blew up. He
coasted the van five miles to a garage in Riverton, Wyo. There he learned mechanics
doing van air conditioning work earlier in the trip in Delaware didn’t install
the two bolts holding the air conditioning bracket to the van firewall. He spent
18 days in Riverton, “a very friendly town of 12,000 people” — until his van was
repaired.
John
said, “It was a truly remarkable trip, beyond my wildest imagination. I
encourage everyone to explore the U.S.I proved there are ways to do it without
it costing an arm and a leg.”
The
beauty and diversity of the country and of the National Parks constantly amazed
John. “We truly are the breadbasket of the world with our vast farmlands. The
300 year old history of the East gave me an understanding of what ‘Old Money
and Privilege’ mean. We are blessed with over 3,000 miles of white sand beached
from South Padre Islands around the Gulf of Mexico and up the East coast into
New Jersey. There is history everywhere in the country.”
Would
he take such a trip again? “Yes, parts of the country I would like to see
again. However, “I would like to travel with a partner. I got tired of making all
the mistakes!,” he said.
POSTSCRIPTS
--
--Currently
he’s at home in his van in Quilcene, on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsulas.
He’s encamped on five acres with 200 feet frontage on a bay.
--
Welches is where John’s Linfield classmate, Dick (Class of 1970) and Kathy Bushnell,
live. During his trip he enjoyed visiting Joe (Class of 1969) and Suzy
Robillard in Edmonds, Oklahoma.
--John
visited nine cousins from Texas to North Carolina during the trip. He also saw
friends from Alaska who now live in other states.
--A
major expense during the trip was gas for the van. It probably averaged around
$2.70 a gallon. A spot in a RV park ranged from $9 (Arkansas) to $110
(Florida), $30-$50 was the average. A Good Sam (RV club) or other travel
memberships saves money. A U.S. National Park Service Senior Pass is a must, said
John.
