My July 3–10 stay on Lake Hartwell strikes me as one of the most meaningful transition points of the entire 160-day journey. It was not simply a stop on the road—it was a week where friendship, patriotism, nature, and preparation for the adventure ahead all came together. I split my time there between the homes of two lovely friends – Michael Doane’s and his lovely wife Renee “aka Neh Neh” and Ron and Michele Silagy’s home.
🇺🇸 A special way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday
Spending Independence Day with great friends on Lake Hartwell gave the beginning of my journey a very appropriate setting. Rather than simply passing through another destination, I had the opportunity to slow down and celebrate – to enjoy the company of people who mattered to me while marking the extraordinary occasion of America’s 250th birthday.
There is something especially fitting about beginning a 160-day exploration of America during its 250th-anniversary year. My trip itself became a kind of personal celebration of the country: its landscapes, communities, history, friendships, and diversity.
🌊 Lake Hartwell provided the perfect pause
After the preparations, logistics and movement surrounding the beginning of the expedition, Lake Hartwell offered something I needed: space to breathe.
The week was a wonderful balance:
- peaceful mornings and beautiful lake surroundings;
- time with close friends;
- pickleball matchs;
- the celebration of Independence Day;
- unhurried conversations and fellowship;
- time away from the demands of the road;
- and the satisfaction of accomplishing important projects.
It was the calm before the adventure accelerated.
☀️ Turning the rooftop tent into a more capable home
The week also represented an important practical milestone. With my good friend Michael Doane, I used the time to install the 100-watt solar panel on my Roofnest Sparrow Eye rooftop tent, turning the tent into more than simply a place to sleep.
That installation was part of a larger transformation: my Ram 1500 was becoming a genuine mobile expedition platform.
The solar system would help provide energy independence while traveling and camping, particularly for the refrigerator/freezer, electronics and other equipment I am carrying.
🪵 Building the refrigerator/freezer platform
Perhaps equally satisfying was the hands-on work of building the wooden frame in the truck bed for the 75-liter refrigerator/freezer.
Along with my good friend, David Christman aka “Diamond Dave”, this project represented something bigger than just constructing a piece of equipment.
We were effectively designing my own mobile kitchen and provisions system – figuring out how to use the limited space in the truck efficiently, securely and practically. Every modification made during this week would eventually pay dividends during the months of travel.
There is also something wonderfully appropriate about doing this kind of work while staying with friends rather than trying to accomplish it hurriedly in a parking lot or campground.
⚙️ Productive without feeling rushed
What makes this week stand out is the combination of productivity and tranquility.
I wasn’t merely taking a vacation from the trip preparations, I was spending the week obsessively preparing for the road. I found a middle ground:
Enjoy the lake → celebrate with friends → work on the truck → improve the expedition setup → relax → prepare for the next leg.
That is probably one of the healthiest rhythms to establish for a journey lasting five months.
🧭 A symbolic beginning to the expedition
Looking back, July 3–10 can almost be viewed as the first chapter of the expedition itself.
I arrived with a truck, rooftop tent and a vision.
I left with:
- stronger memories with friends;
- a more capable camping system;
- solar power installed;
- a dedicated refrigerator/freezer platform;
- the confidence that the equipment was coming together;
- and a week of genuine rest before continuing westward.
And perhaps most importantly, I began the trip surrounded by friendship rather than simply miles.
happy birthday America
