Cross Country in June...

[Doug Fielder]

Hey Guys and Gals...

So, I am heading to SF for Grad School in Graphic Design and will be making my way West to San Francisco this June and would love to stop in and visit some sign folks along the way.
I am pretty much taking Rt. 80 75% of the way and will be making a stop in Des Moines Iowa for a few days too. I am definately making my way to Colorado next to visit some of the 'heads there, hopefully I can meet a couple of my gilding heroes such as Dan Seese & Kent Smith, as well as anyone else who would be interested!
I was hoping to attend the Cincinatti meet, but now that the gas companies feel that the can screw us for no reason, money will be tighter! If anyone along the way needs or wants a hired hand for a couple days, let me know! Write me here or e-mail me and we can talk some more.
Also, if anyone knows of shops in SF that will or might be looking for an experienced (8 years) and well rounded sign guy, please let me know!

Thanks a bunch and I hope to meet any sign folks I can along the way!

Doug.

[Mike Jackson]

Hi Doug,
Good luck on your trip. To get to Denver, you will eventually need to drop down to I-70 from I-80.

As far as gas prices go, here's a little tidbit worth evaluating.

If you are driving 3000 miles across the US, and your vehicle gets 15 mpg, you will buy 200 gallons of gas. Right? IF gasoline is $1 more per gallon than it was back when you originally planned your trip, you will be paying (only) $200 more to make your trip. If you can get over that $200 barrier, just fill'er up and have fun. Of course, this is more or less a worst case scenario. If your vehicle gets 20 mpg and if gas is only 50¢ more per gallon, the trip would be only $75 higher.

So far, I don't think the Travel and Tourism insustry is going a good job of illustrating how a nice summer vacation might really only cost $75 to $100 each direction more than in previous years. Hardly enough to really stop or change a planned vacation trip, I'd say.

I just returned from a week on the road. I rented a vehicle locally for one week for $135. The car got 30 mpg. I drove it roughly 1700 miles and figured I broke about even ovarall between the gas savings, wear on my tires, and half the cost of an oil change. On my trip, through Wyoming and Colorado, gas prices ranged between $2.75 and $3.10 per gallon. As always, I saw higher prices along the highways and in the remote little tourist towns.

Mike Jackson

[Dan Seese]

Hey Doug,
It's almost June.
When do you think you'll be heading this way?
I would love to have you stop by on your journey. Fort Collins is a short detour from I-80. Hope you have found some other folks to visit along the way as well.
If you go to the Cincinatti meet you'll probably see Kent there. I don't think I'll make it myself. But he's only about 35 - 40 miles from me here in Colorado.
One caveat: Don't expect any "heroics" here. Just trying to figure it out like everyone else.
Call me if you want to at (970) 226-0618 or email me.
Dan

[Doug Fielder]

Hi Dan and Mike...

Thank You both! Dan, you do great work for someone "just trying to figure it out..." either way I can't wait to meet you and Kent!

I haven't heard from anyone else except Brian Born in Harrisburg, Pa. I would love to meet up with more people along the way and maybe help out on a project or 2! If anyone wants to learn more about me or see some of my works, there is www.pinheadlounge.com/FALLOUT There are some works there and I have been working a lot here in NJ with Harry Henkel, mostly doing the "Jersey" thing of airbrushed lettering, pinstriping and dare I say stickers! on boats, trucks and amusement rides! Anyway.... I love learning new things and meeting others in the field, I am also willing to help out in any way I can.

As for Travel dates:
I know for a fact I am leaving NJ on 15 June and WILL BE in Denver Colorado on the 26th of June and have to leave Col on the 29th to arrive in SF on 1 July. Again I am pretty bummed that I can't raise the funds to make it to Cincinatti, since I have a few friends that will be there....

I agree with you Mike, the fuel thing is pretty crazy and I also go to those places just out of the way enough to fill 'er up! I also shop around! The truck gets about 20+/- highway without a trailer, I am trying to minimize so I can pull a smaller trailer and hopefully not use up much more $$$/Gas than I need to.

Logistics are fun.... If anyone is wondering why I am choosing to go back to school, I am doing it to become a professor of Graphic Design and carry on the torch of the one professor, Dan Schroll, that taught me most of what I know in regards to layout, lettering and humor... I will also have the freedom to continue to learn and practice the Art and Craft of lettering, and spread the word to many younger people. I enjoy teaching and am always learning....

Take care,
Doug.