Cross Country Cameron - Part 2

Driving all these miles has given me lots of time to think.

I know another thing I like about wrestling - you beat the tar out of each other, get sweaty then you shake hands and are friends after. Where else besides combat sports does that happen? What a way to make a friend, eh? 

Going into a match you usually know very little about somebody, especially at a wrestling film shoot or live event. It's a room full of (mostly) strangers. You get paired up with someone you just met. Sometimes you chit-chat a bit about wrestling ideas then you get in the ring or on the mat and go at it. When the action is over that's when the real conversation and friendships start. 

Maybe that's what happens with most combative things. I've been in very few fist fights in my day, but I recall becoming friends with almost everybody that I had an altercation with. I'd be curious to learn more about why this happens...am I just the exception and a moron for befriending dudes that kick my ass?

I was told this blog needs more shirtless pics, so here you go.

BACK TO THE TRIP

I wandered from Dallas to wide-open West Texas into New Mexico. Boy, was that route filled with debris. I don't know if it's the constant wind flinging trash around or just careless human-beings but the beautiful sights were ruined by countless (legitimately, countless, I tried and got into the 100s) discarded tires and beer bottles. One point, I went many miles with a consistent stream of glass beer bottles lining the road's shoulder. Almost like it was done purposely and as an art exhibit. Maybe it was?

 

Somewhere along the way to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, I ran across some wild horses (or perhaps strays) wandering around a small town. I pulled the RV into a parking lot next to the horses and they came right up to the door.

How awesome of an experience it was. I don't think it's ever happened before except with donkeys down in the Grand Canyon, which pales in comparison but was awesome at the time. My buddies and I spent a half hour feeding those donkeys.

Spent an overnight in a parking lot just outside the caverns in Carlsbad, where I bought my Annual Pass for the National Parks. I plan to put that to good use, so suggest your favorite parks please. 

Carlsbad Caverns were cool and I couldn't help think it'd be even more cooler with some superhero action or as the backdrop for some antique style wrestling action. 

Missed out on the bats as they went to Mexico for the winter, but it didn't make a difference to me.

Was aiming the big rig towards Santa Fe, New Mexico with a stop in Roswell for the night. Figured I should see what the fuss was with Roswell and hoped I could come across some wild AM Radio Host talking crazy tales, but for some reason the radio in the RV won't switch to the AM band. 

Checked into the first RV Park of the trip as it had finally warmed up a bit and wasn't freezing temperature during the day. I know very little (really nothing) about the RV lifestyle, so I had no idea how to empty the toilet or fill the shower water and I got a HUGE SURPRISE when I went to empty the sewer line. 

Apparently there is a thing called a POOP PYRAMID - where if you don't put enough water in your "Black Tank" and don't empty the tank often enough the poop will stack into a pyramid, which leads to bigger problems. The folks in the park were very kind and offered assistance with emptying the poop tank, but they had no success. It looked like I was going to have to have a professional service fix it or get a new tank - neither were going to be cheap.

I watched a few YouTube videos and decided I'd sacrifice the broom handle in hopes that I could force the poop down the tube and out of the tank. What a shitty job I was in store for. Actually, it didn't take long. Less than a minute later the poop gave way. 

The next day, I went to fill up the water tank so I could shower and that's when I found out the tank had a leak and doesn't easily hold water. There goes my showers and parking lot naps. I was back to showering every 2 or 3 days at truck stops or the occasional hotel.

I got a tip from a fan to check out White Sands National Park, so I detoured back south and arrived at White Sands a few hours before the sun was setting. I had little expectation for White Sands and was pleasantly surprised at how neat it was. I didn't get to sled down the sand dunes, but the visual was amazing and I'm glad I made the trek.

I began to feel rundown and like I may be getting sick for the last couple of days, so I opted out of trying to set up a shoot in Arizona. I'm starting to come out of feeling that way but it's been nearly a week. I definitely haven't been getting quality sleep in the RV and I think I've been inhaling some fumes from the exhaust in the middle of the night. 

I aimed for Santa Fe in hopes I could find a hot springs or something to rest in, but upon my arrival I discovered that Santa Fe was in a cold snap too. 

Shortly following this pic (on the area known as Forrest Gump), I ripped off the taillight on the RV. Apparently, I'm not driving a tank. haha

Man, I can't seem dodge the winter weather even in Arizona I hit a snow storm. I had driven from Monument Valley to the Grand Canyon and hit snow flurries the whole drive through the park. Just as I was leaving I caught a glimpse of about 20 elk playing in the snow.

I thought it'd be light flurries until I got out of the mountains. Instead I drove in a full on snow storm where you couldn't see right in front of you for some of it. I eventually decided to turn off the road to check the weather forecast. Seemed I was mostly out of the bad part so I kept on driving another 30 miles to a small town on Route 66 where I past out for the night..

I've been wandering the Arizona, Nevada, California border bouncing in and out of time zone changes. I have no clue what the time is and barely know the day.  I'm about to finish up the trek west in Yuma, Arizona then off to meet up with Ron Sexton from Can-Am.

I'll figure out what I'll do from there. Probably a couple shoots in LA and Vegas. May bring in Reef from Thunders and his friends. Anyone you'd like to see in LA or Las Vegas?

After a week of horrible internet at random hotels and truck stops, I finally was able to download the videos from the South Florida shoot with a few new guys and the return of Donevan. Had to invest in a Starlink set up to do the job. Another good suggestion from a fan. As for the matches, I think you'll dig seeing some new faces. I'll try to get more of them up as soon as possible.

HERE'S ANOTHER SHIRTLESS PIC