The End of the Road

WE MADE IT!!! We all arrived safe and with NO BREAKDOWNS about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Western Terminus of the Lincoln Highway on the edge of San Francisco, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Golden Gate Bridge to the east. It was a beautiful, clear day, about 64 degrees, with a gentle breeze. We have never been so grateful for police escorts! There were 32 motorcycle policemen helping us through the enormous amount of traffic over the Bay Bridge and through the hills of San Francisco. The drive was a challenge for the drivers and vehicles with the steep grades, and it took us over an hour each way to negotiate the escorted drive from our rally point at the Alameda Naval Air Station (NAS) Museum across the bay. We had stopped in Alameda for all chase drivers to jump into the military vehicles for the final leg into San Francisco. Again, we were cheered on by waving crowds and lots of picture taking as we made the final climb to our destination.

The last 3 days of the trip found us traveling through such a variety of landscapes. Monday was a special day for me. I got to ride all day with Den in Jezebel while one of the extra drivers took our suburban. It was one of our most picture perfect, scenic days. We lunched beside beautiful, blue Lake Tahoe and then traveled on to Pollock Pines, CA for our night's stop. We were treated to one our most delicious and enjoyable dinners, grilled lakeside, at the Sly Recreation Area. It was another lovely setting with pine trees down to the water's edge - it was a real treat for our campers. Gold was discovered near this area of CA.

On Tuesday, we started our descent to the coast and we traveled through vineyards and orchards, eventually leaving the tall pine trees. We stopped in Sacramento for lunch at the Tow Auto Museum, driving past the state capitol on our way out of town. We had no escorts in Sacramento, so exiting that city became one of our hardest challenges, especially for Den's crew at the end of the convoy. Den even had to round up some of my lost chasers, but we eventually regrouped and made it to Stockton for our overnight stop. Lots of folks greeted us through the small towns on our way that afternoon.

Wednesday morning after leaving Stockton, we were again led by a Lincoln Highway Association chapter member on our way to Livermore. One of the private land owners allowed us across a brief stretch of his ranch to travel the original, concreted, and very narrow 2-lane Lincoln Highway. We then wound through more vineyards, large irrigation aquaducts, and an immense 1,000-unit windcharger farm, ending our rural trek looking up at the "new" interstate as we stopped below on the older road. From there, we had to drive the interstates into Alameda.

Last night, the Alameda NAS Museum hosted our final dinner, and we said our goodbyes. This trip would not have been possible without the hard work of many folks, including Terry Shelswell as Convoy Commander and his wife, Muriel. I am proud to say that Den was a big part of the convoy's success and now, history. He and his maintenance crew were recognized for their efforts in keeping the convoy running and rolling, and I've included their picture taken at the Western Terminus. All 32 vehicles that started the journey with the intent to drive to San Francisco completed the trip. Den logged over 3,600 miles on Jezebel. Also included is a picture of Den holding the MVPA banner which he was asked to fly (an honor) on this convoy. The banner has been flown on similar convoys around the world, including one in Burma.

Leaders surface, teamwork develops, challenges are met, and you bond quickly on an adventure like this. We are proud to have been a part of and to have completed this journey, happy to have made new friends, and we are really ready to see our family and friends. Jezebel is going to need a nice long shower and rest, but what a girl! The convoy crossed America on the back roads, gravel roads, through farmland, and major cities. It overcame heat, humidity, the high desert, rain storms, mountain lightening, muddy roads, hail, and 73 mph winds - all in mostly open vehicles traveling at 30 mph. We've seen monuments to the Pony Express and stagecoach trails on private land; we've traveled the same concrete that LTC Eisenhower rode over and been greeted by patriotic Americans everywhere of every age. Few people will ever experience what we've seen, and we thank everyone for making it possible for us to share in this once in a lifetime event. We hope the 2009 Transcontinental Motor Convoy will be remembered as a fitting tribute to the officers and men of the 1919 convoy. We appreciate you watching after the homefront, sending your words of encouragement, and keeping us in your prayers.

See you soon,
Marilyn and Den