Later, after the regular baseball season had started, I sat with General Motors officials at one of the first games at Anaheim Stadium, watching the Angels take on the Texas Rangers. With sales up and positive press out about their new lineup of large SUVs, they were a cheerful lot. Early returns on the Tahoe were so positive, in fact, that GM was cautiously hoping that this vehicle, along with brothers such as the GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade, would spur their turnaround and bring luster back to the brands.

The talk made me think of apple pie in Julian, spring training games, real beef hot dogs, and Arizona sunshine...and whether Chevrolet had recaptured the magic with its new Tahoe. Maybe, I thought to myself. It’s that good, the SUV is that good, and such a strong example of American engineering, with its large and powerful engine, spacious interior and smooth design. Save for a few minor nits, it drove like a dream, with responsive rack-and-pinion steering, excellent interior design and plenty of room. People could really get excited about this vehicle.

Perhaps. But then I thought of a number: Thirteen point nine.
From Riverside County to Julian, through the desert to 29 Palms, Tempe, Tucson, Calexico, San Diego and back to Riverside County, the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe averaged 13.9 miles per gallon. At three bucks a gallon -- and climbing -- along with a 26-gallon tank, that’s almost $80 to go about 360 miles. In an old America that eats, drives and does what it wants, in an America that celebrates largess no matter what the cost, this means little. In today’s America, however, where heroes are drug-tested and kids are obese, where the amount of oil in the ground and the distance your car can go on one gallon matters – a lot – that tattooed 13.9 on the hood of the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe is just not coming together for what people in the good ol’ USA really need.

Photos by Patrick Neeman, Brian Chee, General Motors, City of Julian, AARoads