I figure it must have been back in 94 when we got the Thule Weekender. I've never been a big fan of cargo boxes on top of cars. I had spent eight months hitchhiking around the States and Europe back in 83 with just my trusty old blue backpack, which I still have. But when you get married and settle down, you need a little more space.

We had a 1991 Ford Escort wagon. That was a great car, but with a four year old and a one year old, we just couldn't fit everything we needed in the back for a long weekend of camping at a folk music festival.

People who have been reading this blog for a long time know that pretty much every year, I head to the Falcon Ridge Folk Music Festival for a long weekend of fun, camping and listening to great music.

Every year, I've dragged out the Thule Weekender, strapped it on the top of the car, filled it to the brim, and set off. Since that time, we've been through several cars. I've bought new footings for the Thule rack to fit the new car, and packed the Thule Weekender the same way, year after year. We also used the Thule for other vacations.

After a divorce, remarriage, and a third daughter crammed into the car, we settled into a yearly trip to Cape Cod as well, and the Thule Weekender would again, get packed and come along with us.

Along with the new cars, the new wife and daughter, has come a couple new houses, and the Thule Weekender has made many trips between old houses and new houses.

Now, twenty years is a pretty long life for a cargo box seeing heavy use and a few years ago, one of the hinges on the front broke. I used duct tape to hold things together, and we got several more years out of the Thule Weekender as a result, although I always worried about when the duct tape would give way. I had visions of camping stuff covering a highway.

Last fall, my mother died, so I'm back at moving stuff from one house to another, as I help prepare her house for sale. I put the Thule Weekender on top of the Prius and headed north. It was empty and I didn't reinforce the duct tape. Heading up Route 8 in Connecticut, not far, I believe, from Thule's North American headquarters, I heard a racket on the roof and saw something black flying on to the highway behind me. The Thule Weekender had taken its last trip. I pulled the car onto the highway and backed up. I pulled the top half of the Thule Weekender off the highway. The bottom half was still firmly attached to my car.

I don't think they make the Thule Weekender anymore. They now have the Sonic, Force and Pulse lines, as well as the Sidekick, which seems closest to the Weekender. I guess I can keep the bottom of the Thule Weekender as a cargo basket now, but I really need to get a new cargo box, or at least a new cargo bag.

With money tight these days, I just hope I can find a good deal on a cargo box and that my next one lasts as long as the dear old Thule Weekender. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.