Day 5. Orem, Utah to Bonneville Salt Flats to San Francisco, CA. 774 miles

Once Mack and I got everything put away and ready for the day I went into Ready Gunner and just fell in love! I walked in and saw guns, a shooting range, and coffee… I’m not sure if I cried or not, probably had some lip quivering and watery eyes, but I felt so at home and American. I hung out and talked about guns and coffee for about 1 hour. This was so wonderful! We need more coffee / gun stores!

After having my first cup of Black Rifle Coffee Company coffee I knew this company was the real deal. I never support companies unless I believe in them. This company is amazing and has American values and ideals at the forefront of every action. I can always find ways to support these kinds of companies compared to the huge, main-stream anti-American companies operating all over this country.

Upon leaving Ready Gunner I set out to visit Black Rifle Coffee Company in Salt Lake City, UT. They are affiliated and work together as some of the owners are part of both companies. This combination of patriotism and quality products / services is top notch and should be looked at as way to do business in America moving forward. They have unity, a mission, and a purpose people can believe in as I do.

I met Jeff Kirkham and he graciously gave me a tour of the facility and several goodies! Everything at Black Rifle Coffee Company is done in-house and their coffee experts travel the world for the best coffee beans possible. They are such a great group of people creating the best coffee and camaraderie despite all the madness out in the world today. These people give me hope. They also gave me a ton of coffee! Throughout the trip I would be giving these bags away to special people as token of appreciation.

After my stop in Salt Lake City I needed to get on the road again making mileage. I mapped out the route which would take me to Interstate 80 heading west to San Francisco. This was the last day of the trip so I had to make it to the bridge. I had enough coffee at this point to stay up for 2 days!

Little did I know that I would be passing by BONNEVILLE! The Bonneville salt flats is where land speed records are set for vehicles. The salt is flat, long, and provides a perfect racing surface for race at high speeds. I just had to stop in and experience it myself! We turned and in just a few miles the Blazer of Glory was setting a new world speed record for the 5 fueled truck at a whopping 35 miles per hour. There was no sense in blasting the salt for speed since the blazer is computer controlled to 96 mph and the salt would eat away at the blazer anyway. Maybe next year I’ll prepare for speed week to see what we can stir up!

We drove all day and made our fuel stops as needed. The Rocky Mountains provide so much to look at. It was hot, dry, and largely uneventful. My next goal was to wake up and see the Golden Gate Bridge on the day we were to fly the flag. With the GPS set to San Francisco we pressed on and on. Finally at 11:58 pm we saw the bridge! After finding a parking spot right on the ocean, I shut the motor off and was calmed by the waves of the ocean. San Francisco is a cold, and windy city. Being right on the ocean with a cold Pacific breeze at night is something special. The fog was heavy and the bridge had a slightly cold and eerie presence with its yellow lights and red paint. The last thing to do was wake up the next day, walk the folded American flag to the center of the bridge, unfold it, and let it freely fly for the Fallen 5.

Thank you to our sponsors and contributors for making this mission possible!

Mtn View Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Ringgold, GA

Grace Frank Group in Chattanooga, TN

Off-Grid Living & Design – Tiny Homes in Wildwood, GA

Joshua Kapellusch

Day 5, 2018

Day 2. Paducah, KY to Salina, KS. 594 miles

Waking up in the Blazer of Glory is an adventure in itself. Before leaving I picked up a tarp and some large clamps to make a “tiny house” for Mack and I on our travels. Each night after driving as long as I can I stop and try to pick a city with fuel, parts, and a place to park. We got lucky and found a nice place next to a McDonalds.

In the morning we were in the shade luckily, because the sun was warming the day quickly. Mack had fun night of protecting the blazer from evil cats! Someone was feeding them and it seemed to be a cat haven.

This day I knew I had some maintenance to do on the truck. Before leaving I completed some pretty extensive repairs and upgrades. At some point I had to divide up the tasks to ones I could complete on the road. It makes it more fun that way! I’ve brought most of my tools and spare parts to make any repairs as needed.

I arrived at O’Reillys to change my rear differential fluid to a heavy synthetic Royal Purple oil to cut down on the gear noise and give me a piece of mind. Royal Purple is the only oil I trust for racing or any extreme abusive situation. In fact, I only change the oil in the blazer once a year before the trip. After talking to some nice people and getting the work done, we were on our way.

This part of the drive is long, hot, and somewhat non-eventful. I planned out my fuel stops for the day. I would fill up in Saint Louis with Natural gas and propane. The goal would be to drive across Kansas without using any gasoline. The gasoline is actually just a back up….40 gallons worth! I try to use clean, American fuels the whole way. Mack and I just ripped across the country flying old glory for the Fallen 5 using American fuels. It is perfect.

Thank you to our sponsors and contributors for making this mission possible!

Mtn View Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Ringgold, GA

Grace Frank Group in Chattanooga, TN

Off-Grid Living & Design – Tiny Homes in Wildwood, GA

Joshua Kapellusch

Day 2, 2018

Day 2. Paducah, KY to Salina, KS. 594 miles