In 1980, Ken Langley and I set off from Toronto’s then five-year-old CN Tower to drive our 1980 Volvo station wagon, named Red Cloud, around the world in record time, hopefully ending up in the Guinness Book of Records.
We were given miniature replicas of the CN Tower to bestow upon special people on our global trek. We quickly realized the tacky mementos, with cheap, plastic antennas that made a loud DOINNNG noise when flicked, would be difficult to unload.
A knowing glance and a DOINNNG after meeting anyone of importance became an inside joke and a foolish habit that got Ken and me through brutally long days as we sped around the world, not a single CN Tower gifted.
Day 27: Central India. Since sunrise, it had been three parts horn, one part driving, tortured bowels and tattered transport trucks filling the windshield.
That night, we negotiated creeping rickshaws and lumbering buses when a dim neon sign appeared in the sprawling chaos. It read Jackson Hotel.
In the tidy compound, the spartan hotel welcomed us with a clean, cool suite, a treat after a day of sweltering heat.
The hotel owners wanted to meet us, intrepid Canadians on an attempt to drive around the world in record time, so their son led us through room after room until we ended up in a large bedroom.
Mr. and Mrs. Jackson greeted us excitedly from where they sat, regally propped up in bed on ornate pillows.
I discreetly flicked my thumb at Ken. I ran back to Red Cloud, grabbed a tower, thinking, “Finally, a place to unload!”
Back in the bedroom, I resisted giving the tower a quick DOINNNG before bestowing it on the Jacksons. Ken would lose it and tarnish our big-time adventurers’ image.
Genuinely thrilled, Mr. Jackson leapt out of bed, beckoning us to follow him into a luxurious book-filled library.
Excerpt and photographs reprinted with permission from Diven Mind by Garry Sowerby, Editor Lisa Calvi, published by Odyssey International Limited, Photography by Odyssey International Limited.
Road Trip Q & A: Garry Sowerby
What’s the feeling that driving evokes for you?
To get behind the steering wheel of a contraption that can take you almost anywhere on planet earth has always fascinated me. To have had a career that called for driving hundreds of different vehicles around in eighty different countries certainly is something I could never had imagined. But to have filled my life with the people, places and scenes from those travels is over the top. Every trip has a life of its own and that is a reward to strive for.
What’s the key to a good road trip?
A reliable and capable vehicle is essential of course. But research into where you are going, who lives there, a mission statement and contacts along the way all weigh in on the texture of the road experience. Who to take along is another key my wife and business partner, Lisa Calvi, has held. But going solo is something I still appreciate. It’s an escape, solitude in the middle of road chaos. Its a place to think, relax and dream. A sanctuary where I get into, “Getting There not Being There!”
Is family how your passion for driving began?
Growing up, “road trip” was a big part of my life. Mum’s family lived 1,000 kilometers away in Montreal so every year a 20-hour battle of potholes and adventure awaited Dad as he drove us from Moncton to Montreal. Sitting up all night in the front seat with twin, Larry, while Dad ramped up his hero status driving those Buick’s and Mercury’s through the night. Those trips fuelled a passion for the road that has never let up after more than 60 years of motorized wanderings.
How do you make a relationship with a passenger or another driver work (small space, intense driving, time constraints etc.)
Committing to the trip is a commitment to make it work, especially a sponsored trek where you’re spending someone else’s money. So, rule number one has always been, “do what you said you would do at all costs.” With so many things that could derail a global driving adventure, there’s no way an onboard interpersonal conflict should be the fuel of failure. In the case of the long distance driving records, a drive partner is essential for safety and security reasons. While one drives the other sleeps so there has to be a high level of trust and respect going around. If you think you are tired your are. If you question what you are about to do with a vehicle then wait. Stay calm and let go of the mistakes other drivers make.
What’s the greatest lesson that driving across the world has taught you?
Nothing is free, not much is easy and look beyond those pesky potholes on the road, and, in life itself. But my biggest realization is obvious, it’s the people I’ve met along those roads that I remember most.
Best drive in Nova Scotia for a long weekend visitor?
There are so many special drives in Nova Scotia: the Annapolis Valley; Cape Breton Highlands; the beaches along Northumberland Strait all have their special traits. But my favourite area is along the Bay of Fundy where the highest tides in the world have carved out a spectacular seascape that is constantly changing. Head up to Parrsboro then to Advocate Harbour, where you might expect a dinosaur to stagger out of the marshlands.
This original article first appeared in the WINTER 2025 2026 issue of City Style and Living Magazine.
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