The Art Of Road Tripping

“I’d been to California once or twice, been all over the East Coast, but I didn’t really know the country in between. So, my goal was to really see America. And that was the frame for the journey. It was the first great journey of my life and it was the most important experience of my life in terms of shaping who I am.” (Josh Foer, Atlas Obscura, 4/3/19)

No matter what age you are, the experience of embarking on an American road trip can significantly help you embrace living life to its fullest . In our country today, busy people receive their daily fix of news from either television or the internet. Why not sample authentic America from different regions of our country for yourself this year? As I embrace the bright awakenings of springtime with my wife on our present nationwide road trip, consider the following personal questions.

(1) To what extent are Americans so divided as politicians say they are?

(2) Am I so different from those who are portrayed as opposed to my point of views?

(3) Does the immigration issue really call for building more walls in this country?

(4) What new friends made on social media can you meet face to face on road trip visits?

(5) How will your exposure to the stillness of wide open spaces in the American West impact your present state of mind?

(6) If you realized you had only a short time to live, how might a cross country road trip impact your end of life, spiritual understandings?

Perhaps the road trip artistry expressed in a 2003 poem by the late Kurt Brown might inspire you to “move the needle” for seeing for yourself, your own version of the American dream.

“The new road runs along the old road. I can see it
still imprinted on the earth, not twenty feet away
as I drive west past silos and farmsteads, fruit stands and hogs.”

“Once in Kansas, I stood in a field and watched
the stars on the horizon revolve around my ankles.
People are always moving, even those standing still
because the world keeps changing around them, changing them.”

“When will the cities meet? When will they spread until
there is a single city—avenue to avenue, coast to coast?
What we call “the country” is an undeveloped area
by the side of the road. There is no “country,” there is no “road.”

“It’s one big National Park, no longer the wilderness it was.But the old world exists under the present world
the way an original painting exists under a newer one.
The animals know: their ancient, invisible trails cross
and re-cross our own like scars that have healed long ago.Their country is not our country but another place altogether.”

“Anything of importance there comes out of the sky.
In Amarillo the wind tries to erase everything, even the future. It swoops down to scrape the desert clean as a scapula.”

Other Reference:

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/road-trip

April 8, 2019 0

Endless Detention In Hell

OLD IDAHO PENITENTIARY OVERVIEW

“Between 1872 and 1973, this infamous prison would house over 13,000 “most wanted” inmates behind these Boise sandstone walls. Constructed in large part by inmate labor, it stood as a chilling reminder of Idaho’s “Wild West” past. The sandstone that formed its walls was a plentiful and inexpensive building material, but it also intensified the temperatures inside the cells. In the hot Boise summers, the sandstone retained the heat, creating a stifling oven effect; in winter, the walls held the bitter cold, chilling the prisoners for months.” (Travel Channel)

MY TOURIST IMPRESSIONS

Prisons typically present a relatively pleasant presence for me. I have sailed the picturesque cruise route from San Francisco Wharf and been captivated by spell-bounding stories of prisoners residing in the cold iron cells of Alcatraz Island. I’ve enjoyed hillside camping strangely abutting the heavily walled Men’s Penal Colony in San Luis Obispo, California. On our present road trip, I will soon leisurely slow my vehicle to admire the castle- like prominence of San Quentin Penitentiary overlooking beautiful San Francisco Bay.

Thus it seems apparent that I would be equally contented to complete a self guided tour of the “Old Idaho Penitentiary” in Boise, Idaho on day 27 of our road trip. Notably however, my two hour visit here would surprisingly become more than a routine tourist visit as it provided a repulsing wake up call against the arguable inhumanity of prisoner mistreatment that occurred here in the past. The photographs below thus depict an authentic look at this nightmarish legacy of “Old Idaho Penitentiary” history.

From the outside, the sturdy exterior of the prison compound seems relatively calm. It’s pastoral hillside location seemed more reminiscent of a park than a prison. As teenagers flocked innocently to the entrance, I wondered how well they would emotionally cope with the brutality of prison exposure during their visit.

Horse thieves, moonshiners, bank robbers, and assassins alike all called this penitentiary home. For the prisoners below, death row and public execution here became their ultimate fate.

Walking silently through double tiered, cell house rows, I cringed at the daily reality of oppressive rules and inmate living conditions inside these prison walls. For those fortunate inmates who obediently behaved, I observed a strictly scheduled, daily routine included work duties, mealtimes, and limited free time privileges.

The solitary confinement building known unfortunately as “Siberia” punished those for months who broke prison rules. Stepping hesitantly into one of these dark cells, I felt nervously entombed in this cramped and dirty chamber.

Heading toward the gallows room, where public hangings once took place, I noted the cold, mechanical efficiency of this trap door apparatus. How odd that prisoner executions also took place in the pleasant atmosphere of the prison rose garden.

The normalized presence of contraband weapons and freakish inmate tattoos provided an eerie atmosphere for “love of violence”that pervaded throughout my visit to this prison.

April 6, 2019 2

Magnificent Mesa Moments

“Capitol Reef is filled with geology that takes shape, color, and dimension to a level beyond comprehension.” (Stefanie Payne, A Year in the National Parks: The Greatest American Road Trip)

Upon leaving snowy Steamboat Springs as week three of our roadtrip began, Ruth and I veered southwest into the barren canyon lands of Southern Utah. While the village of Moab would have made an ideal location off the Interstate Highway to plan suitable hikes in popular Arches- Canyonlands National Park, we instead opted for a high desert path along smaller roads for a two day stay in tiny Torrey, the gateway town for Capitol Reef National Park- Goblin Valley State Park further west. Amidst this visually captivating land of towering cliffs, massive domes/arches and twisting canyons, an amazing showcase of photographic images would soon unfold from our motel location and on day hike adventures.

Stepping out into the frigid, 27 degrees air, to begin our 1st day explorations, a massive line of red rock mesas gained my immediate attention. Crossing the street for breakfast, a pair of wooly llamas invited me closer for a friendly pet on the neck.

Entering the west entrance to Capitol Reef National Park, the aptly named attractions of Chimney/Cathedral Rocks soon caught our attention.

At the Castle landmark, Ruth and I climbed a steep hill for a panoramic view of our rugged surrounding. At the top, we posed proudly by a lonely tree stump.

Entering the long abandoned village of Fruita, restored remnants of an 1880s Mormon Community living there along the Fremont River remained at the one room schoolhouse and Gifford House store.

Further east, intricate petroglyph carvings of ancient Indian settlements along steep canyon walls caught our attention. Opposite these cliffs, a herd of mule deer grazed cautiously nearby our human presence.

In the 1st day afternoon, an eight mile scenic drive offered a breathtaking backcountry view of the park. Alongside this well appreciated paved road, multilayered walls surrounding us drew eerily closer. At Capitol Gorge, we then envisioned how the original pioneers in the late 1800s crossed through these narrows under more austere conditions.

On day two of our southern Utah visit, Goblin Valley State Park provided a strange encounter with mushroom gnome, rock formations providing visions of a childish playground in this harsh desert environment.

Having fun here would not happen easily here,however, as we hiked the Carmel Canyon Trail, a steeply narrow maze of directional confusion for our east coast, “life of ease” mindset.

April 2, 2019 9

Savoring Steamboat Silence

“ The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” (Ram Dass)

The experience of inner silence can be a difficult concept to grasp when you live a continually busy life in South Florida as we do. Fortunately, Ruth and I have long found remote Steamboat Springs, Colorado, nestled quietly amidst the Rocky Mountains, to be an ideal vacation respite for calming our most active minds. On our late March visit to Steamboat on days 17-20 of our road trip, we particularly savored a much needed slowdown here from our challengingly long days of driving. Being inspired at first by the the utter stillness of winter here outside our motel window, we proceeded to find additional opportunities on this visit to “zone in” quietly. In observing the following photographs, you thus might imagine the meditative silence we experienced on this visit.

After settling in at our favorite motel, Steamboat Mountain Lodge, our room offered stunning views of a mountainside, winter wonderland. Opening the window, a meditating calmness of steadily dripping icicles and crackling snow dampened our urge to turn on the television then. Additional calmness settled in as we listened to the shrill whistle of approaching trains and the frantic calls of migrating Sandhill Cranes.

On our second morning we took a leisurely walk along the Yampa River Core Trail. Following a winding trail lined with towering snowpacks, our senses embraced nature’s slowdown in the dead silence of winter. Taking a closer look for subtle signs of springtime awakening, steady river flows and occasional bird sightings would further relax our mind.

Looking for a suitable excursion, the next day we would drive a lonely county road north to Steamboat Lake Park. Along the way, we noted the welcoming appearance of snow whitened farm houses/adjacent pastures, and slow oozing brooks reminiscent of a seasonal Hallmark Holiday card. Even the cows hovering contentedly in the fields seemed unaffected by the perpetual cold.

At Steamboat Park, we then found snowshoeing to be a relaxing way to spend our second morning. By observing my breath rise and fall as I walked slowly alongside my wife on the snow packed path, such meditative calmness helped me to more confidently keep my balance as needed. For a fittingly serene encore, we then enjoyed stunning panoramas of the mountains over lunch from rocking chairs at the park visitor center.

As an isolated western town, Steamboat Springs seems surprisingly cosmopolitan in cultural awareness. Thus the Steamboat Library’s weekly film showing, “Mantra: Sounds Into Silence “ on day three of our visit would offer us an engaging look at Buddhistic chanting as a new way to find “inner peace and enhance our yoga practice meditation in the future.

March 28, 2019 9

Great Plains Obstacle Therapy

“Then I discovered the prairie, and a slow healing began.”(Stephen R. Jones, The Last Prairie , 2000)

As we crossed the Great Plains of Nebraska and N.E. Colorado on days 13-15 of our road trip, I envisioned those hardships faced by west seeking pioneers crossing the Oregon Trail by foot and wagon during the mid 19th century. The seemingly endless void of grassy flatlands here seemingly offered little relief from the boredom experienced by the monotonous dust filled paths ahead. Extreme winter chills, hostile Indian raids and treacherous river crossings further dampened their spirits then. Yet clearly they must have enjoyed a strong sense of adventure in traversing the Great Plains environs. These wide open spaces no doubt “cleansed the soul” as well for many at times as they pondered life’s unknowns under such hazardous conditions.

Ruth and I too sought ways to pass the time positively along this vast prairie on these long days of travel. Yet our late March visit happened as winter’s snow thaw brought serious flooding adjacent to the North Platte River. Resultant interstate highway closures and mud filled side roads required finding alternatives routes to reach our intended destinations while far and fewer rest stops meant gauging our driving times more mindfully. Feeling thus much like that modern day pioneer in such times of crisis, the Great Plains provided a similar incentive to seek self enlightening therapy in this region to fill our inner souls.

Birdwatching brought captivating moments on our spring visit as flying sandhill cranes and other avian species flocked to watersheds in Central Nebraska then.

A college baseball game slowed our busy minds on a frigid night as we conversed happily with close friends.

An interesting exhibit, “Prairies To Peaks”, at the Great Plains Art Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska exhilarated our emotions as we observed colorful landscape paintings of a local artist in residence, Erin Jones Graf.

As our arduous path of the prairie ended at Fort Collins, Colorado, we experienced a new sense of adventure at a first sighting of the Rocky Mountains in the distance.

March 26, 2019 2

“ Great War” On Full Display

“We cherish too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led
It seems to to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies”
(Moina Michael – 1915 Poem – Response To “In Flanders Field” )

As a former history teacher, I am always eager to restudy the past firsthand in my travels. Clearly, the National World War I Museum and Memorial would thus satisfy my “authentic history” standard on an afternoon visit to Kansas City, Missouri on day twelve of our road trip. For my two hour tour of its west and east galleries would well document the destructive horrors this 1914- 1919 conflict in a personalized manner. An audio tour headset proved practical on this visit as well as I listened intently to each numbered exhibit along the way. Other gems of this museum included Memory Hall and a panoramic look at greater Kansas City along the outdoor patio walls. Take a look at my favorite photos below.

The architecture of the museum and surrounding grounds provided an impressive visual display.

Amassing support for a wartime effort required powerful propaganda efforts.

Millions of lives were lost in the stalemate of trench warfare along the Western European battle line.

New weapons of modern warfare brought mass casualties on the battlefield.

Here are some memorable quotes about the nightmares of war that filled the galleries.

Notice the map/mural studded walls of war torn Europe along Memory Hall.

Our captivating view of Kansas City from the patio balcony on this frigid afternoon.

After our museum visit, my wife and I enjoyed a birthday feast at nearby Jack Stacks Barbecue – Freight House.

March 22, 2019 7

Water Wonders Everywhere

“Here nature calls from fortunes frown her children of disease . And bids them throw their crutches down andgo where’er they please”( John C. Hale, bathhouse owner, 1847)

Moving into week two of our road trip , Ruth and I crossed over the spring flood swollen waters overflowing the banks of the Mississippi River into Central Arkansas for a two day visit to the historic town of Hot Springs. Known as the “Valley of the Vapors”, Hot Springs has long been a popular tourist haven known for its therapeutic spring waters, celebrity sightings, and illicit “underworld” presence. Armed with such knowledge, our leisurely walking tour downtown and short drive to nearby historic landmarks would reveal convincing evidence of Hot Springs’ illustrious past. My favorite photographs of our visit are thus presented below.

OZARK REGION ACCOMMODATIONS

Booking our first Air B&B apartment of this road trip along a steeply wooded ridge would provide a well deserved respite from our long driving days on the road. A short drive away, we discovered the inconspicuous presence of ex. President Bill Clinton’s boyhood home.

BATHHOUSE ROW – OUCH! THAT’S HOT

Walking along the “Grand Promenade”, traversing old downtown from above, we observed a series of ornately built, thermal bathhouses built in the early twentieth century Taking a closer along the grounds of several of these now defunct facilities, boiling hot springs still spewed forth to tantalize our curious mind.

HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK

The restored Fordyce Bathhouse has been restored by the National Service to its original condition. On our tour of the 23 rooms in this complexly designed facility, we gained a realistic picture of traditional hot water treatments for obtaining physical/emotional cures in the past. Interestingly, recent scientific studies now question the medicinal qualities of hot springs water treatments as ultimately effective. Interestingly we later read that movie celebrities, sports heroes, and organized crime bosses had been frequent recipients of such spa treatments there in the past.

OLD ARLINGTON HOTEL

Alongside Bathhouse Row, this famous tourist accommodation stands as out prominently as an authentic time testament to the “heydays” of Hot Springs’ gloried past. Upon entering, its luxurious lobby, an authentic anniversary exhibit of this hotel from 1925- 2000 captivated our attention. Witness also that Al Capone and his “mob” entourage were frequent room occupants here.

GANGSTER MUSEUM OF AMERICA

In a town filled with past gambling, bootlegging, prostitution, and other illicit activities, a visit to this museum sounded tempting. Unfortunately the $14.00 entry fee, “tacky” tourist trap” look, and lack of nearby parking dissuaded us from visiting on this particular visit.

Side Note:

We will be driving close by the flood swollen regions of Nebraska next. We hope to safely lend a helping hand as a volunteer there. Stay tuned for this theme in my next blog. Namaste

March 20, 2019 3

Pure College Town Appeal

“Oxford is not just a town with a great college like Ole Miss, it is a city that Ole Miss alumni thrive in.” (Jamie Bodiford)

Amidst the red clay hills of Northern Mississippi lies Oxford, Mississippi, a quintessential college town experience. At “Ole Miss”, as the university there is commonly called, we would thus find good reason to make a two day stopover on day 6-7 of our road trip. Picture a tranquil setting of traditional academic pursuit on a historically antebellum campus in Oxford, surrounded by “grand” edifices along a spaciously centralized green, – “The Grove.” Or imagine sauntering along a quaint downtown square close by campus to sample independent book stores, quirky cafes, and “offbeat”souvenir shops reminiscent of a mid-19th century setting. You might even step into the world here of a legendary Oxford figure who once enjoyed the stimulating intellectual ambience here as we did on this visit. Please notice then my depiction of such thoughts in my photos below.

“ Spring Break” on campus – An eerily quiet walk

Several landmarks of historic interest caught our attention on our visit.

Our “Old Town Visit” evoked time-travel images of old southern past

We shared a light lunch at a local tavern

We pondered the genius of William Faulkner at “Rowan Oak” Estate and his conspicuous gravesite nearby.

March 17, 2019 6

Roots Of “The King” Immortal

“More than anything else, I want the folks back at home to think right of me.” (Elvis Presley)

On a previous road trip, Ruth and I experienced the legendary aura of “The King”, Elvis Presley at Graceland Estate in Memphis Tennessee. At that time, we learned of Elvis’ humble beginnings at his birthplace of nearby Tupelo, Mississippi. Seeking to learn more about the roots of his musical greatness, Ruth and I thus decided to pay a follow-up Elvis visit to Tupelo on the 5th day of our American road trip. During our two hour tour there, we observed a very realistic depiction of his thirteen year childhood life in Tupelo as revealed in the following pictures.

Elvis was born in this two room shack as an only child of Vernon and Gladys Presley on the outskirts of Tupelo during the impoverished times of the “Great Depression. This shack was lit only by a single lightbulb in each room. Notice the family portrait, which exists as one of the few surviving relics of the family together at that time.

Elvis attended church services regularly in the “Assembly Of God” facility below. His musical roots began here as he learned to enjoy the uplifting spirit of gospel music during lively sermons while Reverend Frank Smith taught Elvis to play the guitar here as well.

As Elvis grew up in Tupelo, a family radio and 78 rpm record player provided additional music enjoyment. Undoubtedly, emerging country, blues, and big band artists that Elvis listened to then broadened his musical outlook during this time.

Although Elvis moved on to Memphis and the world stage to solidify his musical fame, he never forgot his time in Mississippi. Accordingly, he continued to perform in Tupelo and other nearby towns, thereby expressing gratitude to his adoring fans.

This godlike statue at the rear of the birthplace site attests to Elvis’ immortal status as a musical legend in the eyes of the Tupelo community.

March 16, 2019 5

Gimme Jimmy Again

“I want the people to understand my character, my weaknesses, the kind of person I am.” (Jimmy Carter Presidential Campaign Remark)

We headed north through Central Georgia on the 4th day of our road trip. As a history buff, I looked forward to blogging about the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center/Library in Atlanta, Georgia. During Carter’s Presidency, I vividly recall admiring Jimmy’s calm and studious manner of dealing with the “Iranian Hostage and Energy Crises then under political pressure. More recently, I followed with great interest his humanitarian efforts with “Habitat For Humanity” to build affordable housing for needy families in the United States and around the world. I thus composed a brief poem below hoping to (1) recharge my fond memories of his Presidency as depicted at the Carter Center and (2) better cope with today’s ugly political times.

Gimme Jimmy Again

Gimme A Chief Who Radiates A Warm Smile
Not A Villain Who Spews His Venomous Vile
Gimme A Master Who Works Humbly For All
Not A Blowhard Who Serves Self Egoist Call

Gimme A Wizard Who Believes In Truthful Acts
Not A Humbug Who Plays Loose With Firm Facts
Gimme A Scholar Who Aspires To Mindfully Learn
Not A Fool Whose Brain Rots In Tweetful Spurn

Stand Tall My Sweet Sage For In You I Envision
A Leader Who Acts With Sound Heart And Mind Mission

March 15, 2019 11