Bill And Linda's Most Excellent Adventures...Continued

In the 6 years since their son’s passing, Linda says she has found solace in getting out on the open road with Bill, calling it her “escape therapy.” The couple agrees that what gives them the greatest pleasure is taking off to go driving. They also enjoy their affiliation with the Cal-Rods of the San Gabriel Valley. Meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month, plus there’s a Twilight Cruise the first Wednesday of every

month; both events are at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. In addition, the Seals are members of the So-Cal T’s in San Diego, part of the National T-Bucket Alliance.

What Bill is most proud of, however, is that Linda shares his passion equally. “There are many wives that don’t accompany their husbands at car club events because T-Buckets have no roof and they don’t want to mess up their hair,” he says, noting that Linda cut her waist length hair “short” because she loves the freedom of the T-Bucket.

“We used to ride a Yamaha motorcycle, but we had to wear helmets, so we sold it,” she says. “The T-Bucket—and the old Jeep we use for playing in the desert—are both topless and I love the way it makes me feel… you know, the wind in your hair and the bugs in your teeth. It’s wonderful!” says Linda with a mischievous smile. Linda is equally enthusiastic when it comes to documenting their adventures taking as many as 800 to 1,000+ pictures during trips.

They log about 6,000 – 7,000 miles a year on trips that may last for six-to-eight weeks, some of which as long as 4,500 miles. As a result, the Seals have learned to be ready for just about anything while on the road.

                Since the T-Bucket is a two-seater with no storage, they hitch up a three-foot by four-foot trailer that carries a tent, inflatable beds, sleeping bags, clothes, dishes plus dish pan, raincoats and an inflatable raft. Then they head to the beach, mountains or desert—south to San Diego or north to Oregon—and almost everywhere in between. Bill being the “official” trip planner, often surprises Linda with a night at a luxury hotel or a beautiful rustic cabin with a spa on the porch. “He knows that sometimes I just need to soak in a hot tub and sleep in a soft bed,” she says.

        “There’s nothing like wandering up little two-lane roads, cruising the back roads of places like Julian, or heading up Highway 1 to Lompoc and even up to Happy Camp in Bigfoot country,” says Bill. “We like to take our time, because every side road is interesting and each has its own unique story.”

        Linda adds, “We may go to many of the same places, but we never go there the same way. As a result, we’ve traveled some of the most awesome roads imaginable—and our favorite place is every place we visit, because we always stop to enjoy and savor where we are at that moment.”

Bill retired eight years ago as an engineer building antennas for TV towers, and Linda, a Food Service Operations Manager for the Charter Oak Unified School District retired just two years ago. On the first day of school she surprised her colleagues with a picture posing at a lighthouse above Eureka. The caption: “I know what I’m doing the first day of school, what about you?” In addition to their road trips, the Seals have a three and

a-half-acre “back yard” that keeps them both extremely active. So, when they’re not out cruising, there are weeds to pull, fences to build, and a menagerie of animals to care for: six dogs, three cats, one goat and a pet squirrel. Plus, both agree that it’s the three live-in grandchildren—ages four, six and 11— and their other two grand daughters ages 14 and 16, who keep them on their toes.

Most significantly, the Seals are friends and partners in every one of their adventures. More often than not, they can be found working side-by-side on the T-Bucket, maintaining their property or playing with the grandkids. Bill, who’s 76, affectionately refers to Linda as his “partner in crime.” Linda, 65, says she never envisioned her retirement years to be so full and exciting. And both are delightfully young at heart—and quite determined to stay that way!

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