What follows first are the intriguing transcripts of emails I sent to friends and family as I matriculated across America during August 2005 from San Diego to Washington DC. After 27 years on the coasts and a short-lived career as an educator, I wisely moved east, eventually winding up in the Midwest the following year on a permanent basis. Hope you enjoy some of my musings and introspections from this journey I undertook (mostly) with a friend who flew out from New York City to accompany me.
August 19, 2005
Internet has been difficult to come by thus far on my cross-country journey, but I am proud to say that I have emerged from the high desert and the Rockies and now sit in a Ramada just east of North Platte, Nebraska off Interstate 80 in the extreme western part of the Cornhusker State. This is America -- at nearly its most central, if you will.
The "major" cities I have hit so far include San Diego, Phoenix, Albuquerque and Denver, while the "mid-major" cities include Flagstaff, Gallup, Santa Fe, Colorado Springs and The People's Republic of Boulder. The serene, smaller towns and areas of note have been Winslow (stood on the corner again as I did last winter, though it was pouring this time), the Sandia Mountains (in Albuquerque), Estes Park (CO) and many others of intrigue.
Sports include a Colorado Rockies game Friday afternoon and an Albuquerque Isotopes minor league game a few nights back. I'll revisit Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha on Saturday, as well as Des Moines Sunday.
My only comments are that, like I saw in June, the Rockies and the lakes and sights that surround them are beautiful, all the way down to Arizona and New Mexico. Santa Fe, however, was AWFUL. To me, it’s the classic artsy/hippie/trendy, $5 imported water town that I simply despise. Even their state capital, though it had a nice interior, was a disappointment. No oval dome, etc. I'd have expected more from a 400 year old city, America's third oldest. But the Spanish didn't make 'em out west as they did back east (Saint Augustine, America's oldest settlement).
Overall though, the weather has been awesome and will apparently get even better: mid to upper 70s and sunny (along I-80 thru Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois) until Wednesday, when I will be somewhere in Indiana.
Again, I'd encourage everyone to drive across our great nation at least once in his or her lifetime.
August 22, 2005
“Corn, Cornbread and two more sides”
Those were the words of Dave of "Famous Dave's BBQ" in South Omaha a few nights back. Needless to say, the food and quantity met my and Matt's expectations.
I found a lobby computer here near Dubuque, Iowa, so I figured I'd update all of you good folks.
Saturday's drive across Nebraska on I-80 certainly won't confuse anyone with the PCH/Highway 1 along the central coast of California , Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Michigan's UP, nor the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, but after a night near Omaha (and my Rosenblatt Stadium redux---not quite like the CWS in June), it was bucolic, if nothing else, as we crossed the farms, cornfields and hills of Iowa.
We took in a 1pm game yesterday in Des Moines between the Iowa Cubs and Memphis Redbirds, replete with Boy Scouts, families and the gleaming Iowa State Capitol in the distance. True Americana on a Sunday afternoon . Far from San Francisco and SoHo. I wasn't complaining.
This morning and afternoon, Matt and I threw the ball around "Field of Dreams" in Dyersville, Iowa. I made a running snag and the momentum took my right behind Shoeless Joe and Terrance Mann into Ray Kinsella's corn. Yes, I was a "guest in his corn." Luckily, I found my way out. I bought my dad a shirt that said, "Dad...wanna have a catch?" I can see him sobbing right now.
Later on, we did Galena (IL), a quaint and historic town ten miles or so over the Illinois border, then came back to Dubuque (IA), along the Mississippi, thru Wisconsin. See a map.
Dubuque is interesting. Nice architecture, the river and a 300-foot incline railway/elevator that gives you a view of three states, the downtown and the river. Similar to Chattanooga , Tennessee. Like the Chattanooga area and its Lookout Mountain, it has a great history as well.
Dubuque is the oldest city in the state of Iowa and among the first settlements west of the Mississippi River. Its architecture, manufacturing jobs and hills have contributed to making Dubuque one of America's "best" cities for things like commute, small businesses and short commutes. The city, believe it or not, is growing rapidly. It's a truly "All American City."
August 25, 2005
"Give me Liberty or give me death."
How do you do?
I'm currently at the County Public Library here in Liberty, Indiana, just about ten miles northwest of Oxford, Ohio, home of Miami University.
Thought I'd give another update—-and perhaps my last one--before I reach D.C. sometime on Monday or Tuesday, though I guess there is an outside chance I'll find a computer in "Appalachia" aka Western PA/West Virginia this weekend.
As I recall, I left you in the wonderful port town of Dubuque, Iowa. Well, after that, Matt and I crossed back into Wisconsin and spent a few hours at the University of Wisconsin. Lovely campus, lovely people overall, lovely state capital.
Then, we "matriculated" to the southeast for a day and a half in and around Chicago and the northern suburbs. Weather was perfect and a good time was had by all. Unfortunately, we missed our scheduled Cubs game at Wrigley as Matt's cousin's car was hit by some flying object on Highway 41 heading into ChiTown on Wednesday. We had to stop to file a report and joke around with a Highland Park police officer. But we did the Sears Tower, Millennium Park, etc.
Yesterday, I headed through the old factory areas of Gary and East Chicago (Indiana), which were key to America's victories during the two World Wars, then the road flattened and became bucolic as I rolled through Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) and then down into the Rockville area, home of Parke County's numerous covered bridges. It's "The Covered Bridge Capital of the World." If you laugh at this, I'd find YOU boring.
Very quaint, very Indiana . Indiana is quite an under-rated state. Many small towns with pristine courthouse squares dotted with historic statues and county war memorials. The state might break into my top five even, and I have yet to see its prettiest portions in the south, Notre Dame in the north, or the foliage during the fall.
I spent last night in Indianapolis, walking around the clean downtown, numerous war memorials and museums, attending a AAA game at Victory Field between Indy and Richmond (VA), then walking by, and into, my seventh state capital on this trip. To each his own.
This a.m. I went east on I-70 to New Castle, Indiana, home of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. I passed (former Hoosier and current Univ. of New Mexico coach) Steve Alford’s All-American Inn on the way. Classic. John Wooden was featured, along with Larry Joe Bird, Damon Bailey, high school Hoosier hoops hysteria, and the boys.
{Editor’s Note: At this time, I had NO idea I’d be a happy resident of the Hoosier State some ten months---and three additional moves---later. But as you can see, I took an initial liking to the place, especially downtown.}
I'll be in Columbus, Ohio, tonight, Cleveland tomorrow, then Pittsburgh and so on. Take care and hope all is well wherever you are in the US of A.
August 29, 2005
I am in the public library in Morgantown, West Virginny, since WVU, of all locales, was surprisingly the first "public" school I have ever visited where you had to be a student to use their precious computers. Anyway, the downtown is nice and very Western Pennsylvania-like, even though I am not in WPA.
I left you as I was on my way to Oxford, Ohio to see Miami University of Ohio. Campus was awesome, very elegant, and the girls were rather attractive. Apparently, Playboy voted them the best in the nation a few years back. Enough on that, though.
I purchased a great sticker that read, "Miami was a University when Florida belonged to Spain." Any dig at Florida, especially the atrocious, third world, have-and-have-not city of Miami, is fine with me.
After such an endeavour, I wound my way through the rains and drek of West Central Ohio for a night at my cousins' in Columbus. I checked off my final state capital on the trip. That would make eight.
I spent much of Sunday with family in the Cleveland suburbs, and yesterday, I enjoyed a wonderful day in the gorgeous city of Pittsburgh. If any of you have never been, or have not been since they "revitalized" it in the mid-90s, GO. Or at least re-read some of my travel writing on this marvelous American city.
I sat atop the West End Overlook on Mount Washington and gazed at what Andy Warhol once called, "the greatest view in Urban America." He was correct in my estimation. Of course, I also caught an afternoon game at the Pirate ship docked at the confluence of the Ohio and Allegheny, known as PNC Park.
Then proceededing southward, I spent last night in Washington, PA (at the confluence of...I-79 and I-70) until I arrived here in Morgantown. Lovely town in a magnificent state. I'm glad West Virginia broke away from Virginia and did not secede from the Union in 1863. As this area is incredible, it's good to have two states share the wealth of beauty.
August 31, 2005 (Arrival)
I arrived in the suburbs outside the area better known as "the District" yesterday after two wonderfully enjoyable weeks on America's roads.
Unlike this past winter, I had a travel companion for a majority of the trip, and I was also wise enough to spend the preponderance of my time east of Mississippi on NON-interstate roads. Since I realize "high" gas prices, even in the summer, add up to peanuts in the scheme of things, I enjoyed a 4,700 mile trip across the country, rather than the 2,800 that most drive.
Whether it was the stoic red deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, high in the Rocky Mountains south and west of Denver, the streams and winding roads of Northern Colorado, the vapid plains of Nebraska, playing catch along the cornfields at the Field of Dreams in Iowa, the lushness of Southern Wisconsin, the broad shoulders of the great city of Chicago, the small-towns and farmlands of patriotic Indiana, the rains of southwestern Ohio, a ballgame in Cleveland, the Appalachian hills of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Western Maryland, the bucolic back roads of Northern West Virginia, or even the late nights watching Sportscenter’s 50 states in 50 days, my trip was all that I expected and (of course) more.
Two others of interest:
MIDWEST BALLPARK TRIPS
TWO WEEKS IN TEXAS