A Relaxing Sunday Drive with Jerry Jeff Walker in my Head

This post is about our drive a few days ago from Kings City to the Sonoma county park, just north of San Francisco.  Outlaw Country fans will understand the reference to Jerry Jeff Walker.   Although this drive was not in Los Angeles, I could not get the song lyrics out of my head. 

"If I can just get off of that L.A. freeway without getting killed or caught

Down the road in a cloud of smoke

For some land that I ain't bought, bought, bought

If I just get off of that L.A. freeway without getting killed or caught"

We planned the drive around San Francisco to occur on Sunday morning so the traffic would be light.  I guess the San Francisco drivers didn’t get the memo!  Being a relatively new RV driver, I don’t look forward to freeway traffic.  Oh well, how difficult could it be?  After going North for an hour or so, I was greeted with some beautiful orange cones lining both sides of my lane.  Oh well, how difficult could it be?  Just concentrate, have tunnel vision, etc.  After a mile or so that was over. 

But then the song started in my head.  Long way to go.  Then the traffic increased, slowed, stopped, etc.  After awhile the traffic was moving again, like one big mass of fast moving lava, consuming everything in it’s path.  Oh well, how difficult could it be?  Just concentrate, have tunnel vision, etc.  After a few miles, that was over.

The song in my head continued.  Wished I could remember the rest of the lyrics for some variety.  Just as the traffic had thinned out a little here came the WALL.  You know, those immovable concrete objects placed along the side of the road just outside of the white line to protect construction crews.  I’m all for safety, however, this crew used their initiative and placed the barriers ON the line!  Oh well, how difficult could it be?  Just keep in my lane, despite the traffic trying to see how close they could come to the driver’s side.  So far, so good, keeping it in a nice straight line.  Finally, clear road ahead with no barriers. 

But then, more barriers, except this time the WALL started on a curve.  Nice turn to keep it in my lane –not sure the driver on my left side thought I did such a good job.  This was accomplished very efficiently because of the high pitched warning coming from the passenger seat in the RV ---WALL, WALL, WALL as the curve approached.

Focus, focus.  I was doing a great job of keeping between passing traffic and the WALL as we approached another curve and an underpass.  No problem, until the great loud thud from just above and in front of me.  Checked the mirrors, etc. and could not see any bodies littering the highway – hard to see though because of the traffic.  Then we saw the fluffy grey feathers peeling away from the windshield.  The RV survived better than the pigeon. 

Finally, we were out of the very heavy traffic as the road opened up.  Just as our heart rates approached normal we saw the challenge ahead and came to the dreaded HIGH bridge. (Remember we are both from Arizona where our bridges are usually dips in the road --except near the Grand Canyon).  I was ready for the loud, high pitched sound of the engine shifting to lower gears to climb to the peak, but I had forgotten the passenger seat warning system --- a high pitched BRIDGE, BRIDGE, etc.  This wasn’t so bad because I had experienced it before, except that time the passenger was driving and had to cross the Florida bridge.  My hearing came back in a day or so.   This time the warning system peaked out quickly and faded into incoherence.  Good thing I had the song in my head to keep me company.

Things went smoothly for the rest of the drive into the town.  We followed through with our plan to top off the gas tank at a Costco that was close to the RV park destination.  Oh well, how difficult could it be?  We learned a great Biblical Lesson.  “It is easier for a Camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to get gas at a Costco on a busy Sunday afternoon in an RV pulling a car”,

We made it to the RV park without consequence after the relaxing Sunday drive.

Now, how do I get that song lyric out of my head?