Author: lew1994

I decided to take the northern route home through Arkansas and Oklahoma. It took me back up through Mississippi which gave me the opportunity to try hot tamales. I chose Solly’s Hot Tamales in Vicksburg Mississippi. It took me a few passes to find the place. Delta hot tamales are kind of like Mexican tamales except they are thinner and instead of being steamed, they are cooked in sauce. I enjoyed them – but they are certainly no Gonzales family tamales!!! 

I didn’t make any other stops except to sleep and eat. In Amarillo I stopped at Big Texan to eat and park for the night. It was awesome. The food was just meh. But the scene was everything. I had no cash – none – so I couldn’t tip the roving band to play a song for me. Big regret. Then I stopped in Albuquerque at Mary & Tito’s Cafe for a sopapilla covered in red chili sauce. They’re the best….period. 

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As I drove I listened to NPR and music up until the return trip. Then, I turned my murdery side free. I listened to podcasts – nonstop. I started with the first season of Serial. Then on to My Favorite Murder – I love those girls. We would totally be friends. Finally I started in on Last Podcast on the Left. These guys are everything! They actually research killers and have good facts. They’re also twisted comedians who are so vulgar. I love it. I’m currently listening to John Wayne Gacy and then Jeffrey Daumier. I don’t think I’ll finish before I get home but….

I woke up in Gallup New Mexico Sunday morning and it was cold! I got CBS and so snuggled under the covers to watch “should be president elect” Bernie Sanders on Meet the Press. I only had an easy six hour drive home. 

I got diesel and hit the road stopping once to pee and make a sandwich and once to get gas. I also gave Bird a quick wash at a do-it-yourself place with tall bays. She had some gnarly bug guts. According to gps I was to get home at 3:45pm. 

Suddenly my eta changed to 5pm. The distance stayed the same. Gps gave no explanation for the sudden change. It became apparent soon enough when an overhead sign warned of a car fire in 20 miles. That accounted for the now 1.5 hour delay. I sat in traffic that long. I did snap a photo of the wreckage as I finally passed. It looked pretty good – worthy of the soul crushing traffic jam. 

This is all west of Flagstaff. So I jig on towards home. I’m thinking of all the things I’m looking forward to….a shower followed by a bath. Cooper most of all. Cooking. TV. I had Larry tape the new Christmas movies on Hallmark. Those who know me best know that Christmas movies are my guiltiest pleasure. The sappy ones, the unbelievable ones, old ones, new ones, cartoons….. 

So I was looking forward to getting home. I like driving west at sunset. It’s like you’re chasing the sun. I was thinking about my final blogs about this trip and how hard it will be to write once I’m home. So many distractions and other, more fun things to do. 

As I rounded the corner about 10 miles from the Hoover Dam and 45 miles from home there is a scenic pullout where you go up a hill. I really wanted some last pictures showing how beautiful it is right where I live. 

As I went to get back in Bird to leave, I thought I’d check my tires. The road had been very bad and I hit a few bad potholes hard. I’m constantly worried about my tires because I’ve had four (4!) blowouts since I’ve had Bird. It’s a problem. And, as I was driving I felt a shimmy. Sure e-FUCKING-nough I had another flat. The 3rd time the same tire has blown. 

So. What to do? It late on a Sunday. Tire stores are generally all closed on Sunday’s. I could drive with the flat home. It’s the outer tire in a dually set so I could drive on it. But it’s not the best thing to do. I thought maybe Larry would offer to come get me then we could come back tomorrow to deal. But he never offered so I’m staying the night here.

Meow mix. I was sooooo close to home. Oh well. What’s one more night after 72? Bird really does feel like home now. The only problem is that it is so hot I can’t sleep. Good new is I had time to write all this delightful prose! I’m waiting at Discount Tire for them to replace FOUR tires. And all my extension stems which they think are causing the problem. I also lost a hubcap! Booooooo. 

So, that’s the super “fun” end to my super fun trip! I’ll do some postmortem blogs about my trip over the next couple weeks. I also want to keep writing about my life and things I find interesting. We shall see. 

Onward ♋+♊

Turn out the lights….the party’s over. For me. And I guess the democrats for a bit. Today was my last day in New Orleans. I ate the most of it. Yeah, ate. I can tell I’m on the tail end of my trip and oh so tired….I hardly took any pictures. And of all the places I’ve been, New Orleans is so photogenic. Oh well. Gives me yet another reason to come back! 

I got here on Sunday night and Buddy and Shelby (my friends from Portland) drove their van to my RV park because it was within walking distance of all the stuff. I was ready to party down! Them? Not so much. Shocking! Seriously….I’ve seen them really party. But, we did have fun. We walked all over. We stopped for beignets and coffee at cafe du monde which was delicious! And messy. I went back later in my stay and didn’t enjoy it as much. I think they needed to change their oil. But that powdered sugar is everywhere. Even the pigeons had white beaks!

We went on to where I was told we could find live music and that’s exactly what we did. There was a fun band playing with a trombone. We stayed and drank a bunch – then walked back to Bird and they took off. I’m really glad I rushed to see them – it’ll be a lifetime memory. 

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I was on my own Monday thru Wednesday. Monday I went out to get a late breakfast but it took forever to find the place I wanted to go because it was POURING. Not raining. Pouring. All I had was a hat and it was soaked so fast. I skirted from awning to awning. By the time I found Brennan’s, they were closing (2pm). So I researched and decided on another place – but went wrong. It wasn’t until I got my crab cakes that I realized my error. They were inedible. Like eating play dough. Red beans and rice are a traditional Monday Cajun meal – but mine were so salty I couldn’t eat them. My bad. I didn’t make that mistake again. I did go to Verti Marte and picked up a muffuletta to take back for dinner. It was delicious and huge. I cut it into four pieces and didn’t finish it until Wednesday. 

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By the time I made it home, even my underwear were soaked through. I stayed in Monday night – and dry. I got up early Tuesday and made it to Brennan’s. Best breakfast I’ve ever had. Eggs Hussarde was the dish – housemade English muffins, coffee cured Canadian bacon, hollandaise, marchand de vin sauce. The Marchand de vin sauce was something I don’t think I’ve ever tasted – or at least tasted this well done. I had several drinks, too. 

From there I toodled around window shopping. I did buy two Christmas ornaments. One is a real bayou alligator foot. The other a hand painted frog that cost way too much. 

I did learn real fast to have a bunch of folded up one dollar bills tucked around for tipping. There is always someone doing something to get money out of you. If you open your wallet they will try to talk you out of everything you have. If you pull a folded up dollar out, they take it and move on. Serious tip there. 

 
The bartender at Brennan’s had suggested that I go to Jacque-Imo’s for dinner and then to the place next door for music. I decided that I’d take a nap and then go out later. I slept longer than I wanted and when I woke up the election results were coming in fast. That jolted me awake like a cattle prod. I seriously could not believe my eyes. Of course all dinner/music plans went right out the window. I stayed up until 3am watching, stunned. 

I don’t know if anyone else saw this – but on NBC Richard Engel showed up on air in the middle of the night. I totally respect him. I think he’s a great foreign correspondent. But on election night (early morning after) he was crazy. Maybe drunk. It was highly entertaining. I ain’t gonna lie…..I was entertained by the media’s shock. I’ve never heard the media audibly gasp when states are called on election night. They were so sure they had it right – I guess most of us did. 

I keep thinking about Eddie Murphy’s Delirious when he does a skit about voting for Jesse Jackson. It’s not the same but kinda is. He won? 😝

Yesterday (Wednesday), it was all I could do not to go back to Brennan’s. Instead I went to The Stanley. It was really good, too. I had boudin for the first time. It’s a sausage made with cooked rice and meat. Yummmmmm. I had more beignets (well ate one, left two). I bought two kinds of pralines to bring home. 

I met an artist whose work reminded me a bit of Chris Haberman’s. He uses hinges and cabinets – all stuff salvaged from Katrina. He said he used to live in Portland and knew Chris. Small world. Yes, I know some people will say anything to sell their wares. 

I sat and listened to this guy playing a kora – this insane looking African (?) guitar thing. He was sooooo good. 

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Finally, I went to Sammy’s Po-Boys and got a roast beef. I should have eaten it there but I was full and they were shooting a tv show so there was no room to sit. It didn’t matter. That was a dank sammie. Just dripping wet – but somehow that French bread crust maintains its structure allowing you to pick it up. 

That was my trip to New Orleans. I’m slightly ashamed that I never did really anything except eat and drink. I didn’t get out to Tipitina’s. I never had a fancy dinner. I didn’t go to any cemeteries or churches or museums. I didn’t go down Bourbon street (I crossed it many, many times) – it looked gross. I didn’t take many pictures. I did, however, go to Pat O’Briens for two hurricanes (I’m guessing the reason I slept thru dinner Tuesday)!

I fully intend to come back to New Orleans many more times. It’s a great place. Now I head home. I’m staying in Little Rock tomorrow night and Amarillo at Big Texan Steakhouse on Friday. I’m not sure about Saturday – perhaps Flagstaff. Or!!!! Maybe I’ll take an extra day and go up to Cortez, CO and poke around. I love that town. Regardless, I’ll be home by Monday at the latest. 

Onward ♋+♊

I only did a Memphis drive-by. I had intended in spending three days in Memphis and the blues highway. However, I knew I had some friends so close in New Orleans and if I rushed I’d have one night with them. So, that’s exactly what I did. 
One of my goals on this trip was to taste all the different styles of BBQ. Memphis was an important one and I skidded into the place I chose (Payne’s) at 4pm in the afternoon thinking it would be slow before dinner. It was closed. I was the last customer – which embarrassed me to no end. That being said, I bought a regular sized chopped pork sandwich for $4.75 to go. 

I didn’t eat it until I stopped for the night but it weighed a couple pounds – I swear. When I did get to it….what a treat! The slaw had pickles in it and was very tangy. They had chopped crunchy bits of skin into it. It was really, really good. This place was run by generations of the same family – you could tell. BBQ outside and a regular kitchen stove inside. Real old stove. This place looked like it’d been around for 70 years. 

I did a quick drive by of downtown. It looked really fun. Then I sped by Graceland, twice. That was the extent of my Memphis/Blues Highway experience. 

I did continue on down the blues highway but was in a rush. I pulled into New Orleans at 4pm!

Onward ♋

After leaving Savannah I headed west (nooo) to Atlanta. Hiram GA, specifically, to see my oldest friend, Susie. We’ve known each other since grade school! We lost touch but thanks to Facebook we found each other and it’s like no time passed. You know you have a true friend when that happens. 

Susie is a hospital administrator. Before that she was an ER nurse for years. She is a literal badass. On top of saving the lives’ of strangers, she is also raising her niece and grandniece. Iris is 19 and Adeline is one. Plus she has two dogs and a cat, Betty, Archie and Agnes. She’s one busy lady!

I rolled in and she stopped everything and catered to me like I was a queen. I even got her bed! And it was one comfy bed! The first night we drank two bottles of sparkling wine from Brotherhood winery. I think we got a little drunk. It’s so funny how we both watch the exact same thing. Nightly news with Lester Holt, the Today Show and Dateline. Iris was dying!

Thursday we went to Kennesaw mountain national battlefield park to walk the dogs. It’s unbelievable how vast the civil war was. The eastern US is covered with battlefields. It’s sickening how many of each other we killed. Following a “fun” hike, we ate the biggest BBQ sandwich – too much bread. I thought I’d die I was so full. Then we went to see Inferno. It was ok – they changed the ending to make it more exciting….but failed. 

Friday Susie took me to Stone Mountain. It’s funny – I had intended to visit Stone Mountain because it was carved in part by Gutzon Borglum. He also carved Mt Rushmore. However, I had forgotten all about it. Leave it to a friend to remind me to check that off my list! It was beautiful although deceptively deep and difficult to photograph. We rode a tram to the top and had a look at a very expansive view of the entire Atlanta area. 

I felt bad – Susie is very healthy, in extremely good shape and does a ton of hiking. Not only do I not fit that profile in any way, my foot was still black and blue from my Savannah spill. She had to slow it way down for me!

After our trip to Stone Mountain we went to Ponce City Market. That place is pretty amazing. You can go to a tap room, pick from a mast selection of beer and then carry it around the market. There are stores ranging from Anthropology to Jersey & Bourbon. We were hungry but it was too late for lunch and we had dinner planned. 

So, we went to this little bar called El Super Pan and had a snack. I think some of the best food I’ve had on this trip. The pork belly slider was on a steamed Asian style bun and had a spicy sauce. Oh man it was tasty! The thing that put the food over the top was their infused vinegar – one had tamarind. Mmmmmmm. I asked what was in it and our server told us that the chef makes it behind closed doors. Nobody is allowed to know the recipe so if they run out – that’s it. I drank it. Yes I did. 

Susie made us filet mignon and kale salad for dinner. I ate kale salad. Let that sink in. 

I love Susie like she my insides. I now believe that my prize for selling Jam was not getting Bird and taking this trip — but having the time to reconnect with Susie. Seriously. 

My favorite part of this visit was meeting Iris and Addie. Iris was pregnant and in a bad place. Susie went to California, brought her home and has given her an opportunity that so many young ladies never get. And the thing is…..I think she gets it. I hope. She is extraordinarily smart and beautiful. Her baby is perfection. A smiley happy baby. Iris has just begun college. She is facing the difficulty of group work in a junior college (hell – but part of a solid scholastic future), a part time job, responsibility. At 19 that’s a tough reality. HOWEVER, her Aunt Susie has her back. With that force of a woman behind her, she simply can’t fail! 

I got up Saturday morning and headed for Memphis. 

Onward ♋+♊

Savannah wins for trees and architecture and squares and weirdos and….

Savannah is so, so beautiful. What I liked best about where I grew up in Red Bluff, California were the oak trees. Savannah has indescribably magnificent oak trees. Huge branches sweeping so low sniffing the ground. Many but not all have moss hanging so pretty – as if Martha Stewart herself decorated them. 

My favorite square was Reynolds’s Square. It was very small but the trees were a tangled masterpiece.

I celebrated Halloween by taking a ghost tour. Before catching the trolley I toured the riverfront. I had a cup of crab stew at The Cotton Exchange for dinner and had a sour apple daiquiri for dessert – then the tour. It really was lame. Oh well. 

I got home last night to no air conditioning. And it was hot. And humid. Nearly 100% humidity. I made it through the night – and this morning everything inside Bird was moist (yes, moist). And stinky. Did I mention that my refrigerator broke two days ago? Fuck that thing. This will be the third time I’ve had to throw food away. I’m not doing that again. But — back to the a/c…..that — I can not live without. I called a repair guy and he suggested I check the breaker. Sure as shit – that was it! I used my blow drier before going out last night and that must have done it. I literally slept with sweat dripping on the fuse panel. Duh. Duhduhduh. 

This morning I went into town and started with breakfast at B Matthew’s and had shrimp and grits. Yummy. I had no intention of walking today. I wore the least amount of clothing I could pull off – including non-sensible sandals. I was going to take a trolley tour. But, after last night I was kind of sour on the trolley. I read that the bus is free downtown so thought I’d use that. Of course I ended up walking everywhere. Savannah is great in that every couple of blocks there is a gorgeous square with shade and benches. I walked and rested and walked and rested my way all over. 

Hurricane Matthew did serious damage and they’re still cleaning up piles. One of my Uber drivers filled me in on how the city can’t pick up all the piles. Certain trucks are for certain piles and nobody knows which is for what. He also pulled me in close and whispered that everyone in Savannah is “batshit crazy”. Hahaha. I really do love it here – except that humidity which I know you get used to. 

 I saw the outside of the Andrew Low House – I saw the inside last night.

I saw the Mercer House (Jim William’s House) on the outside and went into the carriage house. I also saw Clary’s. I feel like I saw quite a few places in one of my very favorite books, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I got my love of reading from my grandma, Nanny. She was a librarian. That was the only book I ever gave her to read that we disagreed on. She thought it was too naughty and I couldn’t get her to understand that it was a true story! I miss Nanny. 

I followed the steeples on the horizon to find the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. So pretty. 

I had a beer and another cup of crab stew at Crystal Beer Parlor. It was better than last night’s cup but both were superb. 

I walked through cemeteries with tombstones too old to read and finally Forsyth Park. Just before I crossed the street into the park I broke my rule. I looked up at a house while walking. And ate SHIT so hard. Savannah sidewalks are old oldie old and just waiting for a fool tourist to look up so they can have knee skin for dinner. It’s I good thing I’m done for a few days. I plan on sitting and visiting with Susie for the next few days. 

My friends Buddy and Shelby from Portland are in Tennessee and may meet up with me to go to New Orleans! Can you imagine how ugly that could be? I guess only those of you who know Matt Rhoads and Shelby…..and me! Oh I hope it happens!  
Onward ♋+♊

Virginia is for lovers. And traffic. And carcasses. Short of rush hour in Los Angeles I have never sat in traffic longer and for no apparent reason than in Virginia. I’ve done it twice now thanks to prescriptions I had to pick up at a Kroger pharmacy. You would think that all the dead deer would be the reason for the traffic but people just keep hitting them until they’re pancakes. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’d say that they don’t have anyone picking them up – but how could they? Anyone blocking a lane in that traffic would be Chris Christie-ed out of a job (or human roadkill)!!!!

I really didn’t want to put any money into the North Carolina economy (I’m a huge supporter of human rights – including LGBTQ) but did stop to get my first legitimate taste of Carolina BBQ. I’ve gotta say that I like it. It was a buffet (everything is here for some reason) and I don’t love buffets. So, I ordered off the menu – a combo plate with fried chicken, chopped pork, coleslaw, beans and “stew”. The fried chicken was unapologetically greasy and delicious. It almost had a tempura feel. I doused it in their vinegar sauce which I could drink. 

The chopped pork and coleslaw were the best – the consistency of baby food – but in a super good way. Again, doused in vinegar sauce. The stew was corn, lima beans and what I’m guessing was more chopped pork – tasty but weird. If I sleep tonight it will be a miracle – I drank a gallon of unsweetened tea. When I left, the gal serving me chased me down with a huge styrofoam cup to go (made me think of my friend Brenda)!

That was the only money I spent in North Carolina. But I did see my first – for real – cotton field. It took me a minute to figure out what it was. I always tried to identify crops that I drive by and I’d never seen such a white one! I was hauling ass by so didn’t get a picture.

I broke my rule and drove in the dark. I really wanted to make it to Myrtle Beach today and Virginia traffic fucked up my program. I’m camping in a Walmart tonight and it’s too hot to sleep (not to mention the tea). I anticipated this issue and made reservations awhile back for the next three nights in Savannah. 

I am approaching the conclusion of my journey and have decided that from this point on I’m not killing myself to get an education everywhere I go. I’m partying down! In Savannah I go on a ghost tour and may break my buffet repulsion to go to Lady & Sons (think Paula Deen). I’m going to try to go to places that we’re in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I just can’t believe that The Lady Chablis died last month!!! It makes me sick that I didn’t get to see her perform. I’m still going to Club One for a drag show.

Then on to Atlanta to see Susie. I’ve managed to hold onto three bottles of wine I got in New York for our visit. And then…..New Orleans where I made reservations at the only RV park literally in the French Quarter. No more commutes for this old lady. I’m right in the thick of it. I’m drinking, eating and jazzing until the break of day.  I fully intend to do at least one walk of shame in New Orleans – I expect you to hold me to it. 

Speaking of Jazz….one of the biggest reasons I like to travel alone? I get to listen to Jazz. Crazy, doesn’t-make-sense Jazz. It’s what my brain likes more than any other music. My heart loves rap, pop & country – but my brain digs Jazz. Jazz is music that is hard to play for a crowd. Nothing brings down a popping party faster than putting on Miles Davis. But driving down the road by myself? It’s perfect. I’ve played every Spotify playlist to death. I’ve banned it for the last month so I wouldn’t be jazzed out before I got to New Orleans. Today I allowed myself some Blues…..but that’s a slippery slope right to Pat Martino. 

Onward….♋+♊

I went on a night tour of DC monuments. It was beautiful and long. Here are the highlights:

White House

Andrew Jackson

Jefferson

Washington. It’s the best – you can see it from all the others. It’s also the tallest freestanding stone structure in the world. It’s taller than the biggest pyramid. 

Dr Martin Luther King Jr

Korea. It’s really beautiful. A troop moving through a field. 

Lincoln. I never knew his hands are signing his initials. Everything on him means something. Also it’s where MLK gave his “I have a dream” speech. There’s a mark where he stood. It’s so beautiful that I lost track of time and had to pound on the bus as it was pulling away. My bad. 

Marine War Memorial (aka Iwo Jima Memorial). It’s the largest bronze sculpture in the US. 

Because I didn’t get home until nearly midnight I’m not sure how much I’ll get to see before I head south. We shall see. 

Onward ♋+♊

Let me begin by saying…. Happy Birthday Kristi! I miss our weekend shifts like a crackhead in rehab misses crack. 

Today I took public transportation into downtown Washington DC. I got off the subway at the National Archives / Navy Memorial and headed to the White House. It was exactly what I expected. White and guarded. 

Everywhere you go in the National Mall area there are classes of kids. What a privilege. I hope someday they understand their experience is one that the majority of people (let alone children) in the United States will never get. I’ve got some thoughts about something I saw – but I’ll tag that rant onto the end of my blog so you don’t have to read it. 

From the White House I caught a bus to the Smithsonian air and space museum. I really wanted to see the space shuttle. Duh. It’s at the other space museum out by the airport. Still, I did enjoy looking around. I’ll try to get to the space shuttle on Friday – along with Arlington and the changing of the guards. 

Then I walked through the National sculpture garden. 

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The last video is a Lichtenstein- completely flat. I know my video is bad but it does capture the remarkably clever illusion. 

Then on to the Smithsonian museum of natural history.  Soooo good. It breaks down everything from beginning to end. There is no way to absorb all of it in a day or even two. I really enjoyed the rocks and gems and jewels, the photography, the butterflies and animals (I had no idea that an aardvark is as big as a regular sized pig!). I skipped humans and ocean and probably much more. 

I left, got a beer and sat a while. I must look like I belong here because people asked me for directions a lot. I like it. I like it a lot. Washington DC is very, very clean and organized. At least what I’ve seen so far. I’m proud to call it my capital. 

You know how to get your bus to come after waiting 40 minutes in the cold wind? For me it used to be lighting a cigarette. Now? Calling an Uber. Tomorrow I’m taking a tour of all the memorials at night. Whoop!

Onward ♋+♊

🏃 Nasty Boys 🏃

Today was a non-holiday regular school day. I guess maybe Boy Scout type groups could all take time off from school – but that doesn’t seem reasonable. So I deduced that all groups of kids were school-related. There were groups ranging from elementary school — 9 & 10 year olds — all the way up to college kids. Most groups were boys and girls – and perfectly normally behaved (slightly rude, unfocused, in your way). My problem were a few all male groups. All male and all white. 

What kind of school would have all white, male students? Religious? Military? Some of these kids had on freshly purchased Trump garb – t-shirts and hats. I just don’t understand. If they go to a religious school, where is the separation of church and state? I assume they’re getting either tax breaks or tax money. 

Military school? I find it hard to believe that a military school would let their students buy political attire during a learning experience. Or be so misbehaved. It’s vexing. 

These were clearly chaperoned groups. The older kids were allowed to choose their museum led by one chaperone. Little kids were herded with like 20 kids and two adults – perfectly reasonable. 

Several groups collided in front of the White House. At first it was interesting to watch this group of prepubescent boys all riled up for Trump. Like watching animals in a zoo. But then a large group of voting aged African American people joined the group in front of the White House. We were all taking pictures and watching peace performers. Taking it all in. 

The little boys started chanting Trump. Then they started aggressively yelling – one side hollered Donald and the other side yelled Trump. I began to feel uncomfortable. Then I realized the people around me were feeling the same way. A few tried joining the chant. One of the advisors looked me in the eye and said we gotta get out of here. 

The kids started grouping up and confronting their elders. It freaked me out. In my life, I have never seen a more disgusting display of racism. Why did these kids think that the people they were screaming at: a) were going to vote for Hillary (some were Trump supporters) b) were an acceptable target at whom to scream c) were going to change their mind because of a misbehaved 12 year old? And shouldn’t their teachers be teaching them this principle?

AND WHO WAS IN CHARGE???? There were adult men in charge. They seemed pleased with their wards. I hung around for a long time chatting with the fellow manning the White House peace vigil (24/7/365 since 1981). These kids kept up their crap for a full 30 minutes! My biggest fear is that my tax dollars went to pay for those little beasts’ “educational” trip.

I drove thru Pennsylvania Dutch country today. Didn’t take a single picture – didn’t see anything. It’s Sunday. Time to pray I guess. There was horse poop along the road and signs to watch out for horses and buggies. Oh well. I wasn’t looking too hard. I also had a cheesesteak from Tony Luke’s. Pretty good. Long peppers are spicy!

For anyone keeping track, I’ve been to 25 states on this trip…. in order:

Nevada

Utah

Idaho

Wyoming

South Dakota

Nebraska

Iowa

Kansas

Missouri 

Illinois 

Kentucky

Indiana

Ohio

West Virginia

Pennsylvania

New York

Vermont

New Hampshire

Maine

Massachusetts 

Connecticut 

Rhode Island

New Jersey

Delaware

Maryland

Of course some of these states I visited multiple times and some I barely poked a toe into. I have less than a month left on my trip and only six highlights left – Washington DC, Savannah, Susie (Atlanta), the blues highway, New Orleans and Austin. Soon I’ll be headed west again. It unbelievable that I have been traveling for 54 days! I bet Bird stinks…. I’ve gone nose blind!

Onward ♋+♊ 

Today I went to Gettysburg. It wasn’t in my plans and out of my way… but I’m so glad I went. I only had one day but could have spent a week, easily. I started in the military museum and then did a car tour with cds I bought. 

The museum has this thing called a cyclorama – the movie’s predecessor. It’s the largest oil on canvas painting on display in America. It’s in a circle and then they’ve added stuff to make it seem 3-D. That, and I watched a great film about the 4 day battle narrated by Morgan Freeman. with Sam Waterston voicing Abraham Lincoln. It’s was the perfect way to prepare to see the actual battlefields. I went out with fresh history of the many thousands upon thousands who died in the fields I was about to visit. The largest battle ever fought on US soil. 

In the museum they have over a million artifacts that have been collected from the area. Not all are on display – but it’s amazing what they are showing. Can you imagine having your leg amputated with this? Oh and when they got to your leg, the hatchet was covered in the blood of the hundreds of men before you. Bacteria wasn’t a concern just yet. 

Larry (and Trump) constantly bitch about the biased media. Why? It’s been this way since…. there was press? Just look at what the two Chicago papers said on the same day, November 20, 1863, about the Gettysburg Address:

Then off the see the battlefields. It’s overwhelming – the number of statues, memorials, monuments are in the fields and hills and in between trees and next to streams and tracks. There have to be hundreds if not thousands. 

I found the one to North Carolina interesting. Their troop of 32 men all perished. The memorial was carved by Gutzon Borglum – the same guy who did Mt Rushmore.  

There is a wheat field where 100,000 men fought on day 2. The field changed hands three times in one hour. There were in excess of 20,000 casualties. No wonder the top of the wheat is crimson. 

I thought the Virginia memorial was the most beautiful with Robert E Lee high up on his horse, Traveller. Underneath him are examples of all the different men who fought – boys, business men, farmers……  Did you know that Robert E Lee’s home was converted into Arlington National Cemetery? I didn’t. 

Pennsylvania has the biggest monument – fitting since Gettysburg is in Pennsylvania. 

The battlefields are stunning. They all seem to have a slight glow – maybe from all the lost souls. 

Oh… and look who else was in Gettysburg. He pulled right in front of me. I seriously doubt that Trump was on board. Do you think he’s ever seen the inside of his own campaign bus? I don’t. I did see a car with a giant inflatable screw attached to the top of a car. It said SCREW TRUMP. Hahahahaha!! Sorry I couldn’t get a photo. 

Tomorrow I’m going to attempt to get into Delaware so as to check that state off (and buy cheap beer and wine – after noon on Sunday!). Then Maryland where I’ll stay tonight. Monday I hit Washington DC until Thursday and then down to Savannah where I bought a ticket for a ghost tour on Halloween night! In the most haunted city in America! Whoop!!

Onward ♋+♊