PENDLETON – It is no surprise that Rudy Rada is packing to set off on another trip.

Those who know him are used to getting calls saying he is off on a flight halfway around the world or setting out on a road trip somewhere.

But Rada, former assistant superintendent of Pendleton Schools and longtime Pendleton resident, will soon be setting off on the granddaddy of all road trips.

Rada will fly to Lima, Peru, Sept. 1 and meet up with 21 other travelers to make a 23,000-mile trip around the South American continent – in recreational vehicles.

Participants must adhere to several strict requirements. The vehicle must have new tires and be in top shape mechanically. It cannot be more than 33 feet in length and has to have excellent ground clearance. The all-inclusive price covers camping fees and visa processing as well as the services of a bilingual staff member and assistance with border crossings and side tour arrangements.

Rada will be a “tailgunner,” last in line of 11 RVs taking the high and low roads around the continent. He and his partner are designated as the caboose in the line of RVs, making sure everyone is where they should be at all times and that no one gets left behind.

“I have a couple of duties. I help drive and I have a list of everyone’s birthdays and anniversaries – so we can have a party,” Rada said.

The tour, which will take nearly four months to complete, is billed as an “expedition,” and a warning on the last page of the itinerary states flatly that “it will not be a refined trip like our other tours. This trip is designed only for those individuals that are prepared to endure rugged travel conditions.”

“That is what really attracted me to the tour, what it says there on the last page,” Rada said.

Rada said when he was first considering the tour he talked it over with his four sons and they all told him, “Go for it, Dad.”

He is aware that there may be danger involved, having traveled extensively around the world, but he is willing to take a chance for the experience.

“I’ve been shot at and I’ve been mugged, it is all part of traveling,” he added.

The caravan will drive through 14 countries in all, focusing on the outlying areas, not the big cities, another reason Rada said he was attracted to the tour. Stops will include the Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego regions, as well as a week-long cruise of the Amazon.

The rest of the tour already has left from their rendezvous point in McAllen, Texas, and will have traveled through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama before boarding a boat for the trip to Peru (Columbia has been eliminated from the tours itinerary because of political unrest), where Rada will join the group.

Travelers are encouraged to take side trips during the drive, and Rada plans to tour Ecuador shortly after his arrival as well as take a flight to Antarctica when closer to the tip of the continent. He plans to spend some of his spare time pursuing a favorite pastime while making his way around the continent.

“I like to fish and they tell me we’ll get big brown trout there and Peacock Bass on the Amazon – I’m ready,” he said.