(2) What to call this ramble about a ramble...

Ready for the Road

I struggled with the title for this journal. I had quite a few ideas rolling around in my head (there's a lot of empty space up there) but I wanted to find something that would be catchy, that I didn't have to explain (too much) and that would entice the reader, arouse curiosity, and provide an idea of what this journal was all about.

One of the books I read in preparing for this trip was: "The Family Flivvers to Frisco", a 1927 account of a family's transcontinental trip on the Lincoln Highway written by Frederic van de Water. I enjoyed the humorous presentation of the book and thought about calling this journal "A Flivver Flees from Frisco", but even though the car we will be driving is an old Ford I don't think of it as a "flivver" and I was worried that if I used that title I would have to explain just what a flivver is and, perhaps worse, the rest of the title might be interpreted as making some sort of political statement about the city of my birth. My other problem with that proposal was with the word "Frisco" which was an obscenity in the house I  grew up in. Mom wouldn't allow it and would scold any of my friends who dared utter the offensive word. Catchy or not, respect for Mom and a risk of confusion wouldn't allow that title.

After considering and rejecting several possibilities, my friend, Dave Frazier suggested: "A Ford on the Lincoln" which is a catchy title, should only take a minimal amount of explanation and avoids misleading people into thinking that this is some sort of a political tract.

Although I considered the suggestion to be very good, I still was not sold. My problem with the title was and is that it shortchanges the Yellowstone Trail which is also a significant transcontinental road of the early 20th century and on which we will be spending nearly 50% of our time. This second concern explains the subtitle: "A Honeymooning couple's adventures on the Lincoln Highway and Yellowstone Trail".

Although Linda and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary on this trip, I believe that we are still a honeymooning couple. I hope the honeymoon will continue even after a summer on the road together.

Linda on one of our early camping adventures