That the Corvette did not make the Pacific Ocean was the trip's major shortfall. That it missed a California visit due to my own failure to keep it on the road remains a major embarrassment. A comment about the "goof" slips into almost every conversation about the trip and I can't find fault in that even though it can sometimes be annoying. It definitely didn't keep me from enjoying the rest of the trip four years ago and it doesn't keep me from enjoying the memories today but it is always part of those memories. To some degree, it's as if I owe it to the car, and to myself, to drive by that rocky drop off and on to Santa Monica.

I owe myself a couple of other things, too. One is at least a peek at the Grand Canyon. Twice I've driven to the west coast and passed within an hour's drive of the big hole. On a couple of other occasions, I've been in Las Vegas where small plane and helicopter tours are readily available. In telling myself that I would someday "do it right", I've prevented myself from doing it at all. I hope to remedy that on this pass.

And there's that arch in Saint Louis. It was less than four years old when I first saw it. That was in July of 1969. After the Eagle had landed but before Neil had emerged to take that giant step. Since then, I've been to and through Saint Louis a few more times but was always too busy to be bothered with a ride to the top. It's on my "to do" list this time 'round.