798 CON SAFOS --A CHICANO'S JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE IN CALIFORNIA Trip to the Kangaroo Court: Southwest --Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, El Paso 1983 I was commanded by the high muckety mucks of the American GI Forum to attend the 1983 national conven­ tion at El Paso, Texas so they could have a Kangaroo Court and throw me out of the organization. n the orders of Joe Cano, national chair man; and Louis Tellez, national executive 0 secretary; both very sad excuses for offic- ers of a national organization purporting to be a civil rights group, but that is another story, for another chap­ ter elsewhere. I decided to take the scenic route to El Paso. It might be the last chance we would ever have to see parts of this country that we had never seen. Most of our long trips involved going to and from the Ameri­ can GI Forum national convention, and if they were going to throw me out, this might be the last long trip of our lives. I had always wanted to drive across the desert from Reno to Salt Lake City, and here was the opportunity. I could tell by looking at maps that there was very little or nothing between Wendover, Utah and Salt Lake City but fl at ground, salt, and sagebrush. And in some areas, not even sagebrush. A thought which crossed my mind as I looked across the desert after leaving Wendover was that it might be very easy for a person with criminal intentions to 0o-e t the idea that way out here in the desert, he could just about do anything to anyone and get away with it. No signs of civilization anywhere. You could easily get the idea that SACRAMENTO if you had a gun, you could command people to do your Whenever we are going on a long trip, I get anxious bidding, and there wasn't a helluva lot they could do to get underway, so for this one, we decided to leave San about it. By the time they called law enforcement au­ Jose on Friday night, drive to Sacramento and get an thorities and they could come to the scene, you would be early start the next morning. hundreds of miles away. A crazy thought. I was also trying to time my driving so that we Taking the long way around also gave me a lot of could cross the desert between Wendover, Utah and time to think about what was happening to me, and why. Salt Lake City in the early part of the day. It didn't I decided to keep a daily log of times we began the work out that way. I greatly underestimated the day, the mileage on the car, and money we spent for gas. distances across Nevada. I was going to submit a claim to my insurance company After staying at a Motel 6 in Sacramento, we got up for these expenses, and hope for the best. very early and were on our way at 4:20 AM. CON SAFOS --A CHICANO'S JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE IN CALIFORNIA 799 ! said a silent prayer. I had had David Rodriguez look getting hotter! No kidding! After we bought a cheapie over my '79 AMC Concord, do what had to be done to plastic visor we got back on the highway and on past it, so I could make it safely to El Paso and back without Winnemucca, to Elko. having to worry about car problems. ELKO, NEVADA I purchased an extra set of fan belts and extra radiator We arrived in Elko about 6 PM, drove around town hoses, packed two containers of anti-freeze and one of for a little while, just seeing the place, and then found a fresh water. We also had a large ice chest and reminded room at the Thunderbird Lodge. Then we went into the Gloria that we must always have Jots of fresh water with casino, got a bite to eat and I went to bed, dead tired. us. It is no fun being stranded out in the desert without Gloria went to try her luck in the casino. water. I've never experienced it, but the AAA literature At 5:00 AM the next morning we headed further east, barreling toward Wells. I tried start­ ing conversations with Gloria, but she wasn't interested. I commented on the scen­ ery, the speed of the trucks whizzing past us, but got nowhere. She just wanted some shut-eye. "Where are we going to have break­ fast?" she asked. "Let me know the next time you see a place that you like," I said, sarcasti­ cally because there was nothing on the highway except telephone poles, an oc­ casional railroad track, some sagebrush, and nothing else. We finally stopped at a tiny casino in Wells to have breakfast. Trying to start up a conversation with the dumpy waitress who served us, I asked her how far it was I read all the time harps on that constantly. to the Nevada state line. Be prepared. Have water ... and food .. with you "Damm if I know, honey," she replied, "I've only all the time when you are driving the desert. Also, been in this town two days, and when I get paid, I'm some warm clothes, no matter if it is 115 degrees in mavin' on!" the daytime. It can get colder than hell on the desert We reached Wendover at 7:05 in the morning, at night. gassed up, and pressed eastward across the Utah salt That was probably the only time the Sierras are flats. going to roll through Reno without stopping. I thought At lots of places across the desert you could see I was going to have to fight Gloria to go through without where motorists had gotten off the highway and sped off a stop at one of the casinos. I thought for certain that she across the desert, joyously driving without regard for was going to make up an excuse to go in and gamble for anything. There isn't anything to hit, except an occa­ a few minutes. No such problems. We were roaring east sional sagebrush plant, and if you've had a couple of on U.S 80 when we stopped to gas up in Sparks, Nevada beers to break the monotony of that drive, you probably at 8:25AM. Then we got back on U.S. 80 and hauled ass wouldn't worry too much about colliding with sage­ for Winnemucca and parts unkown. brush. We stopped for a picnic lunch outside a little school I have never in my life seen trucks hauling ass as fast in Lovelock at 10:15 AM. Then we spent some time as they seemed to be going across those Utah salt flats. searching for a hardware store to buy Gloria a sun visor I tried keeping up with one Greyhound bus, but I swear because she was complaining that it was hot ... and he was hitting 85 and I didn't want to drive my car that 800 CON SAFOS --A CHICANO'S JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE IN CALIFORNIA fast. It was still a long way to El Paso, where I would next breakfast in a small country cafe on the highway, checked see my mechanic, David Rodriguez. the oil on the car, and hit the road. We hit Salt Lake City at 11:40 AM, spent some Some of the most beautiful country I have ever time driving around town, saw the Mormon Taber­ seen. Rock formations are very inspiring. Some of nacle, home of the Latter Day Saints, and headed them shaped like battleships, airplanes, trees, etc. south to Provo. Every hilltop provided a new awe-inspiring vista. We gassed up in Provo at 1:00PM. We went by to Sometimes you can see for miles and miles. see Brigham Young University (Bring 'em Young! we Between Salina and Green River there is NOTH­ used to say in high school). What a beautiful setting for ING. Maps indicate that no gasoline is available for at a university. least 100 miles. Be prepared. Someday we want to go see a football game in their We rolled through Green River, and on to Grand stad ium, with the Wasatch Mountains in the back­ Junction, Colorado, near the headwaters of the Rio ground. A beautiful sight! Grande River. Beautiful country. Went through We got off the beaten path somewhere south of Montrose, Colorado, my friend Tony Gallegos' home Provo, struck town. out across the Had a picnic lunch in country on a the city park. It is Tues­ much less trav­ day, a week day, and still eled highway. there are lots of people We stopped in rafting on the Arkansas tiny Nephi, Utah River. We tend to forget to use their city that this part of America park for a lun­ is a very popular vaca­ cheon of balo­ tiondestination. We were ney sandwiches listening to some soft and milk. Then music tapes, including c o n t i n u e d "Springtime in the southeasterly across the rolling countryside. Rockies" as we rolled on toward Gunnison, and then There was a lot of funny weather happening out on beyond to Monarch Pass. the desert. There were signs out there cautioning motor­ At an elevation of 11 ,312 feet, it is one of the highest ists to beware of flash floods. At one point, we watched mountain passes in the United States. My '79 AMC a very dark cloud approaching.