There’s an undeniable allure to embarking on a journey, cherishing the experiences along the way as much as reaching the final destination. This sentiment perfectly encapsulates the magic of classic vehicles, especially an Old Toyota Land Cruiser. While modern cars outperform them in almost every measurable aspect, these vintage machines possess a unique charm and character that contemporary technology simply cannot replicate. Recently, I undertook a road trip from Texas to Alaska in my trusty old Toyota, aiming to reaffirm this very notion. As the miles unfolded, I was confronted with the beautiful, yet sometimes challenging, reality of this truth.
The Land Cruiser stands as a true icon in automotive design. The name itself is synonymous with unmatched capability and legendary Toyota reliability. Alongside other celebrated Toyota trucks, the Land Cruiser elevates the concept of dependability, transforming it from a mundane attribute of everyday commuters into a virtue of exploration and adventure. Built with a robust chassis, a relaxed and durable engine, and components often repairable with basic tools and ingenuity, it lives up to its promise: to get you wherever you need to go. Yes, it consumes fuel with the thirst of a desert wanderer finding an oasis, but once satisfied, it’s ready to roam freely, much like the cattle that share the vast open ranges alongside the magnificent gravel roads crisscrossing the heartland of America. Enthusiasts understand that the Land Cruiser’s inherent limitations are part of its appeal. Driving at a slower pace becomes a form of mindful meditation, and the cost of gasoline pales in comparison to the potential expense and inconvenience of being stranded in a remote location when new, modern parts are suddenly essential.
Classic Toyota Land Cruiser on a gravel road in Texas
Two vintage Toyota Land Cruisers parked side-by-side showcasing their iconic design
Rear view of an old Toyota Land Cruiser highlighting its classic tailgate and spare tire mount
This combination of factors transforms a transcontinental journey into an exercise in embracing a new philosophy, forging new connections, and discovering fresh perspectives even in familiar landscapes. You find yourself naturally gravitating to the slower lane, windows down, inviting conversations. Fellow Land Cruiser aficionados emerge, eager to share their knowledge, tools, and stories while your dogs happily explore the surroundings. Every intriguing, unpaved path becomes an irresistible invitation, demanding exploration until your curiosity is fully satisfied.
Early in my expedition, heading northwest through the expansive Texas panhandle, the scenery dramatically opens up, stretching into seemingly endless flatlands. The first tantalizing opportunities to venture off the asphalt appear as wide, single-lane tracks dividing fields of cotton and corn. Highway speed limits often exceed the comfortable cruising speed of a fully loaded FJ62, especially when battling the region’s persistent crosswinds. The renowned Texas red dirt permeates everything not paved or irrigated, eventually coating every exposed surface in a fine layer of terracotta dust. People here are welcoming and unfazed by the sight of an older truck undertaking a long journey – in fact, it’s quite commonplace. Conversations lean towards fuel economy and odometer readings rather than make or model. While the license plate still reflects a local origin, a large truck laden with gear and bicycles barely raises an eyebrow.
An old Toyota Land Cruiser driving on a red dirt road in rural Texas
Side view of a classic Toyota Land Cruiser with bicycles mounted on the back, ready for adventure
In these vast stretches of the country, where the horizon seems impossibly distant and towns are scattered miles apart, state lines become blurred, often fostering clusters of communities in unexpected sequences. Where Texas subtly transitions into New Mexico, the town of Texline sets an example, encouraging neighboring towns to preserve their heritage, to keep alive their 19th-century brick buildings and magnificent Main Street Art Deco theaters. Here, vehicles that might be celebrated as vintage treasures on online forums are kept running out of necessity, not as a nostalgic hobby. It’s perfectly acceptable to leave the engine idling and the air conditioning blasting for a canine companion while grabbing a much-needed coffee to fuel the journey across even more expansive territories. Indeed, in the small towns of the high desert, most man-made objects enjoy an extended lifespan. They settle into a comfortable existence, their colors softened by the relentless sun, facing minimal environmental stress for the remainder of their long service lives. Even adorned with red dirt from backcountry excursions, the Land Cruiser appears almost too pristine against the sun-bleached backdrop of towns like Clayton, New Mexico. This is especially true when contrasted with the occasional gleaming Escalade or top-of-the-line Silverado, vehicles more commonly seen traversing these areas on routes to regional hubs like Amarillo or Clovis from massive local ranches.
Front view of a red Toyota Land Cruiser parked in a desert town, showcasing its rugged front grille
An old Toyota Land Cruiser parked on a quiet street in a small desert town, highlighting its vintage charm
Close up of the iconic Toyota Land Cruiser badge on the front grille
Dashboard of a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser showing the odometer and classic interior
Interior of an old Toyota Land Cruiser with focus on the simple and functional design
Side mirror and window of a classic Toyota Land Cruiser reflecting the surrounding landscape
Steering wheel and dashboard of an old Toyota Land Cruiser emphasizing its vintage appeal
Front three-quarter view of a Toyota Land Cruiser parked in a scenic desert landscape
After refueling with regular gasoline and strong coffee in Clayton, an hour spent on a high-speed state highway felt jarringly rapid. Central Colorado was my intended destination, but neither I nor the Land Cruiser were eager for a day of tense, straight-line driving battling roaring winds and the anxious hum of an engine working too hard. It’s far too easy to dismiss the grasslands of the southwest as monotonous if you simply rush through them on the most direct route, instead of taking the time to truly explore. A couple of enticing gravel roads appeared and vanished too quickly, even semi-trucks seemed impatient behind my unhurried pace in the morning sun. But finally, a promising trail emerged early enough to allow me to slow down, signal, and turn right, venturing onto the seemingly limitless plains punctuated only by distant hints of plateaus.
The initial mile revealed a world of detail, though initially appearing devoid of life. At a more relaxed speed and intimate scale, the subtle color variations in the grasses and the gentle contours of the rolling hills unveiled an ombré effect, lost when viewed at 85 mph, which otherwise presents a uniform and somewhat bleak impression. Weathered barbed wire fences added a poetic interruption to the expansive horizon, and my dog Hank’s heightened senses detected a symphony of new scents, hinting at a rich, hidden ecosystem within the hills nestled between the Kiowa and Rita Blanca National Grasslands. While the designated borders of these protected areas are politically defined, nature itself seems to disregard such distinctions. Occasional homesteads punctuated the waves of swaying grasses, and finally, rounding a bend, the anticipated splendor unfolded as the highway noise faded into silence. A wild pronghorn antelope observed the Land Cruiser with curiosity before resuming its early morning grazing, and further along, a herd of cattle sent Hank into joyful excitement. Soon, we encountered the rest of the pronghorn, and beyond them, an eagle and a prairie dog appeared to be engaged in a face-to-face standoff.
Toyota Land Cruiser driving through a grassy plain with pronghorn antelope in the background
Close-up of a pronghorn antelope looking towards a Toyota Land Cruiser in a grassy field
Eagle soaring above the grasslands near a Toyota Land Cruiser
Prairie dog standing alert in the grasslands, with a Toyota Land Cruiser visible in the distance
Scenic view of a Toyota Land Cruiser exploring a vast grassland landscape
I experimented with several different tracks heading in my desired direction, though many ultimately dead-ended at fences or dissolved into fields devoid of discernible tire marks. Finally, zooming in on a detailed map, I located a viable route back to the highway, promising another dozen miles of gravel road driving. These twenty or so miles covered at a crawl passed by far quicker than the subsequent hundreds on the highway. Every vehicle has its intended purpose, and the FJ clearly prefers navigating grasslands to speeding down highways at its maximum capacity. I felt compelled to indulge its preferences whenever possible.
Of course, there are moments when a vehicle’s inherent design makes it a somewhat frustrating companion. The sheer scale of the journey ahead meant that for every blissful gravel road detour, there were countless hours of relentlessly accumulating miles on the highways and byways connecting the immense American Southwest. The tires generate a constant roar, the engine works against headwinds and speed limits that challenge its aerodynamic limitations, and fuel disappears at an alarming rate. And yet, it never hesitated to start or faltered in its commitment to carrying me onward. It is inherently under-stressed and over-engineered, qualities that provide immense reassurance in such vast, open landscapes. Before software could convincingly mimic hardware, machines were simply built to function reliably, and in the case of the Land Cruiser, they were also designed for easy repairs, often achievable with basic tools and common items.
Toyota Land Cruiser driving on a highway with vast open sky and plains in the background
Side profile of a Toyota Land Cruiser on a paved road, highlighting its classic boxy shape
Rear view of a Toyota Land Cruiser driving away on a long, straight highway
Close-up of the front wheel and suspension of a Toyota Land Cruiser emphasizing its rugged build
Detail shot of the robust tires and wheel well of a Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota Land Cruiser climbing a rocky trail in the mountains
Toyota Land Cruiser navigating a dirt trail through a mountainous landscape
Toyota Land Cruiser parked on a mountain trail overlooking a valley
Toyota Land Cruiser driving on a winding mountain road
Toyota Land Cruiser parked at a scenic overlook in the mountains
As the seemingly endless grasslands transitioned into dramatic mountains, Hank and I found ourselves constantly drawn to the numerous paths and trails branching off the winding two-lane roads that crisscross the Rockies. The same day that began near Texline was now filled with alluring trails high in the mountains, countless double-track routes ascending towards the jagged peaks. Despite these detours, time zones were on our side, allowing me to reach my day’s destination only a few hours behind my initial, conservative estimate. We spent a long weekend exploring the Roaring Fork River Valley in Colorado, fly fishing for trout and impulsively turning onto gravel roads that often proved to be nothing more than scenic, state-maintained driveways for a secluded home or two.
Trucks with such visceral character transform every opportunity to engage four-wheel drive into an addictive thrill – the sensation of tires gripping and clawing for traction, the resonant hum of the inline-six engine effortlessly pulling against tons of steel, and the subtle tilt of the body registering on your internal inclinometer. Above all, there is the compelling curiosity: these aren’t quite designated roads, but they clearly have been traversed before and remain passable by the right vehicle. Something within me deeply desires to know where each and every one of them leads, or at least what awaits around the next bend, simply because I have the capability to explore. Rubber meets loose rock and mud in those liminal spaces where human progress and the untamed forces of nature reach a temporary truce. The outcome is brief, intense bursts of adrenaline and the invigorating scent of dusty, fresh mountain air.
Toyota Land Cruiser parked on a mountain road with fishing gear visible, ready for outdoor adventure
Stay tuned for the next installment of this journey, where Hank and I will descend from the Rockies into the red rock landscapes of Utah.
You can also follow John’s travels at his website, johntesi.com, and on Instagram @john_tesi
