John Robb

Today I cruised. For some reason I left the camera in the boot of the car and just drove across part of Idaho and Oregon and observed the world.

I pass a steady stream of trucks travelling in the on the interstate highway. When you are on the interstate you realise how much of America moves by 18 wheeler. Amongst things I see are a fleet of FedEx trucks – probably filed with all those white FedEx boxes.

SUV’s are the transport of choice in areas like Idaho. Some run huge double tyre back axles the make them even wider. Some are so tall I could drive under them. A Collie dog sticks its head up out the tray of an SUV to check that the 75 mph wind still hasn’t subsided.

The highway travels past RV sales yards. Rows and rows of white boxes on wheels awaiting the nuclear family to take them on a holiday adventure. It’s strange that there are any RV’s in these yards since I seem to past hundreds on the road each day.

A motorcyclist rides past – hair from a helmet-free-head flowing in the breeze. Idaho certainly does have strange freedoms including the freedom to drool uncontrollably as your family care for you in hospital.

Johnny Cash and U2 play on the satellite radio as the Mustang consumes more gasoline at non-to-economical rate and becomes more encrusted with the bugs that signal the start of summer in the Idaho fields. The fields themselves are tended by the gentle spray of water from irrigation gantries that from thousands of feet above create giant lilypads of green.

The sight of a few U-haul trailers and trucks make me wonder if people in these times are moving more and more in hope of a new beginning. I wonder if it’s a new millennium version of the journeys that Steinbeck wrote about..

I drive through a small town and get my car filled up with petrol – I’m not sure where in Australia you can get driveway service but it comes as refreshing change. You can’t get travel tips from a fuel pump but you can from Max as he rejuvenates the windscreen to a bug free state.

I pull out and continue to my way as perfectly random small fluffy clouds float above in the sky. The white mountain peaks act as distant beacons of guidance for travellers. This traveller cruising the roads on a journey of new experiences.