October 15, 2020

Economics major

from Fredericksburg, Virginia


COVID-19 may have cancelled his summer internship plans, but David King III ’21 turned his disappointment into the trip of a lifetime.

After converting his 2004 Chevy Suburban—nicknamed the Brown Bomber—into a “condo on wheels,” David hit the road for 70 days of socially-distanced scenic touring and fly fishing through the American West.

And as every Hampden-Sydney brother can attest, he never wanted for a fellow Tiger to join him on his epic adventure. Whether it was fishing with Joel Williams ’21 in Lake City, Colorado, or catching up with Zach Ayotte ’20 at a fly shop in Bozeman, Montana, David found that the H-SC brotherhood extends far and wide across the nation. For a detailed account of his trip and the friends he met along the way, read David's full recap...

“9,900 miles and 605 gallons of gas later, I learned that I do not need much to be happy and that I don’t want to take anything for granted.”

~David King '21

  • David King '21 holding a trout

    David King '21 proudly holds the Rainbow Trout he caught in the San Juan River in Creede, Colorado

  • Boulder River Livingston, MT

    Boulder River in Livingston, Montana

  • a Suburban truck in the sun

    King's brown Suburban—affectionately called the Brown Bomber—in all its glory

  • The trunk of a Suburban loaded with fishing gear

    The trunk of King's "condo on wheels" loaded with gear

  • David King III '21 Joel T Williams '21 Billy Wilson '21 in front of a river

    Tigers David King III '21, Joel T Williams '21, and Billy Wilson '21

  • David King holding a Trout

    David King '21 holding the Brown Trout he caught at Cliff Creek in Crested Butte, Colorado

  • Joel Williams '21 hiking Los Pinos Creek

    Joel T Williams '21 hiking at Los Pinos Creek in Lake City, Colorado

  • West Willow Creek Creede, CO

    West Willow Creek in Creede, Colorado

  • Butler Bennett '20 holding a Rainbow Trout

    Butler Bennett '20 showing his Rainbow Trout catch at Boulder River in Livingston, Montana

  • Zach Ayotte '20 and David King III '21 hiking a road in Bozeman, MT

    Zach Ayotte '20 and David King '21 making their way up the road in Bozeman, Montana