It's 1972 - The Vietnam War remains a haunting memory deeply ingrained in the American psyche. Richard Nixon has just orchestrated the Watergate break-in, and Jimi Hendrix has tragically passed away. Meanwhile, Kurt Cobain is just five years old, and Dark Side of the Moon is yet to be born. At this moment, I'm standing at the on-ramp of California State Highway 99, backpack over my shoulder, thumb pointing south...