When you want to see the stars, find someplace dark
200,000
Another large, arbitrary number… I have rolled the odometer on my 1995 Ford Explorer past 200,000 miles. It occurred when driving back from counting whales along the Akoni Pule highway north of Kawaihae.
The odometer of my Ford Explorer at 200,000 miles When I bought this vehicle it was the first vehicle I had ever purchased new. I took delivery with eleven miles showing on the odometer. It seems so odd to consider 200,000 miles. I try to remember all of the wonderful memories of those two hundred thousand miles… Old mining roads in Arizona, dozens of star parties with the back packed with telescopes and gear, driving past sandstone arches in Utah, snow and ice covered highways, parked underneath a Saguaro cactus having lunch among desert wildflowers, the back heaped with wet scuba gear on a Hawaiian beach, a sunset atop Mauna Kea.
I remember worrying when I bought the vehicle, $23,000 was a lot of money to me back then, would I get to use the vehicle enough to make it worthwhile. Would I end up wrecking the vehicle in the first year? Would it be stolen or experience some horrible break down? Two hundred thousand miles later I can answer that question.
An electrical engineer, amateur astronomer, and diver, living and working on the island of Hawaiʻi.
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One thought on “200,000”
Hi Andrew- Similar thoughts about my mule-of-a-Ford. I bought my Clubwagon van used in ’94 (It’s an ’88) with 77,000 miles on it. Was thinking that it was kind of high mileage for a 6-year old, but now 25 years later I’m within a thousand of 350,000! I tell folks I’ve been to the moon, and am now almost halfway back. Still a joy to drive with no major issues other than that time the front wheel fell off (my mechanic sez the wheel bearings are way under-engineered). Anyway, buying used it was only $7,000, but you always have those nagging fears when getting something new. I think it was the best deal I ever made! -Dean
Hi Andrew- Similar thoughts about my mule-of-a-Ford. I bought my Clubwagon van used in ’94 (It’s an ’88) with 77,000 miles on it. Was thinking that it was kind of high mileage for a 6-year old, but now 25 years later I’m within a thousand of 350,000! I tell folks I’ve been to the moon, and am now almost halfway back. Still a joy to drive with no major issues other than that time the front wheel fell off (my mechanic sez the wheel bearings are way under-engineered). Anyway, buying used it was only $7,000, but you always have those nagging fears when getting something new. I think it was the best deal I ever made! -Dean