US Hwy 70: Carolina Rain

After enjoying beautiful weather all weekend, I woke up to a solid, steady and cold rain. Happy had her breakfast and took care of business on the shortest possible walk, then put her paws on the door to her truck lair and gave me a look that clearly said, “Hurry up! I want to go back to bed!”

Although I made quick, efficient work of getting my rig ready to roll, I was soaking wet when I climbed into the driver’s seat. Happy was already curled up with a paw over her face, barely acknowledging me with one raised eyelid. I laughed out lout, which earned me a single thump of her tail.

Heavy rain precluded me from taking any road photos, but I can describe US70 west of Chapel Hill, NC, as a consistently good two- or four-lane affair as it rolls through a variety of small towns.

I stopped for lunch just past Salisbury, at a classic “family restaurant” and had a tasty bowl of spaghetti that only such a place can offer. Lunch is often my big meal of the day!

This is probably a good time to point out one challenge of towing a trailer: Parking. Although my rig is about as small as it could be, it’s still too big to park on most small-town streets or in small parking lots. Accordingly, I often stop at rural family restaurants or truck stops, and that suits me just fine!



After lunch, I drove just a bit farther west to Statesville where I've camped for the night. The rain has let up a bit, so Happy got a good walk before settling back down for her afternoon nap. What a life!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

US Hwy 70: Eastern North Carolina

Heading inland from the coast, US70 is a boring but benign divided four-lane thoroughfare. The roadway is almost entirely flat as it passes through expanses of sparse southern pines and the occasional crossroads town.

I was happy simply to be on the move and listening to my current book on tape. (I’m finishing up an excellent reading of David Copperfield)

There wasn’t anything on view outside that warranted a photo, but I couldn’t resist grabbing an over-the-shoulder shot of Happy in her backseat lair.

It’s a little blurry, but you can clearly see that she quickly settled into her own “road mode” in which she was lights out within minutes and stayed that way for the entire day’s drive. What a road dog!

We stopped in the Chapel Hill area and have spent a very nice weekend with my brother and his family.

Yesterday morning, I watched my brother “herding kittens” as he refereed a nine-year-old girls soccer game.

After that we had the requisite barbecue feast and recovered from our food comas all afternoon.

We hung out together today, and I took full advantage of their offer to use their laundry room! This evening we had an excellent dinner at The Eddy restaurant, which is located in a repurposed old textile mill. Jessica took very good care of us as we gobbled up sous chef Dakota Marcoplos' delicious creations!

Happy and I will be continuing inland tomorrow... Stay tuned!

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US Hwy 70: Beginning At The End

In the sleepy little coastal town of Atlantic, NC, a single sign indicates the terminus of US Highway 70: “End”

There’s no corresponding “Begin” sign facing the opposite direction, as if to assume that nobody would begin the route here.

Also absent is any sign about the opposite terminus that one sees on other cross-country routes. Nothing to note that Globe, AZ, is some 2,385 miles away.

Beyond imagination would be a sign to inform travelers that US70 was once called the “Broadway of America” due to its status as one of the main east–west thoroughfares in the nation.

Thus, I find myself beginning at the end with little fanfare, but eager to embark on yet another cross-country expedition.

The area is appropriately coastal in feeling, with vast marshlands frequently punctuated by various fishing marinas, seaside communities, beaches and the like. I’m thankful to be here well ahead of the season, when it is evident the area will be overrun by weekenders, tourists, etc.



As usual, I know practically nothing about the route I will drive, except for what it looks like on the map. I now know the first few miles are a rural two-lane, yielding to a divided highway as it heads inland. After that, your guess is as good as mine... Stay tuned!



Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

Glancing Back, Looking Forward

Glancing back, I have to admit that the past year and a half have pretty much been a bust for me.

Following the October 2012 debacle of having my truck stolen, I spent the nastiest weather winter ever in the Pacific Northwest. Eager to get away from that, I hit the road last April 1st and spent two months slogging my way through blizzards, winds and hail storms on US 20 from the Oregon coast to New York.

What I thought was going to be a brief detour to Pennsylvania turned out to be a seven month campaign, and it was winter again before I could get out of there. I never got back up to US 20 to finish the route to Boston, so I’ll have to find a way to do those miles on some future expedition.

This past new year, I repositioned to Maryland where I have enjoyed three months of work with an old colleague and friend, despite it being another pretty miserable winter.

If you add it all up, I’ve had barely two months of exploration in the past eighteen months, and those were more of a hardship tour than a proper expedition. You can imagine that’s not a ratio I’m happy with. Speaking of Happy, she and I have been together for over a year now, and she has definitely been a consistent bright spot in an otherwise dim era.

Looking forward, it’s time to get moving again! The first of next week I will hit the road south to the North Carolina shore, where I will begin a long western trek on US 70. Here’s the basic map:



I will make a very brief detour to Atlanta (for a couple of fun events that I’ll tell you about later) then continue on US 70 through Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and well into Arizona. I’ve now driven four of the northernmost coast to coast routes (2, 20, 30 and 50) so it will be a fun change to be a bit south. I’m also hoping, frankly, that the weather will be better!

Although US 70 doesn’t go all the way to the west coast, it will qualify as an end-to-end road trip for me. When I reach its end in Arizona, I plan to turn north and drive US 95 border-to-border from Mexico to Canada. Here is that basic map:



From the end of 95 at the Canadian border, it’s a nice little drive across the North Cascades to the Pacific Northwest, where I hope to arrive sometime this summer. I’ve got some things that need doing in the Seattle area, and some pretty cool prospects for fun in the Puget Sound region.

That’s my plan, insofar as I have one. Happy and I hope you will ride along with us. If you live anywhere along the route or have suggestions of things for us to see or do, please let us know. Otherwise, as we always say… Stay tuned!

Frederick, Maryland

I went to Frederick, MD, for this past long weekend. I’d heard it is a very nice little city, an opinion which I am happy to confirm in full.

Like many little cities in the area, Frederick is an old town with a lot of history. I enjoyed touring the Civil War Monocacy Battlefield and the informative — though slightly creepy — Museum of Civil War Medicine. The city boasts being the home of Francis Scott Key and many other notables, most of whom can be found in its Mount Olivet Cemetery.

From a more contemporary perspective, Frederick has a number of very nice parks, especially the attractive Carroll Creek park which winds its way through town. There are also numerous fine dining establishments, cozy wine bars and other tasteful establishments. Unlike many other old cities in the area, Frederick is clean, tidy and comfortable to wander around.

My favorite attraction, I must admit, is the Road and Rails Museum. Housed in what was originally the town’s first power generating facility, the Museum’s main display covers well over a thousand square feet and is densely packed with all manner of scale model trains, trucks, cars, buildings, etc.



Everywhere you look are themed areas depicting history and eras of popular culture. The detail is exquisite, and the curators’ delightful humor can be found everywhere. All around the display are lighted buttons which you can press to set things in motion. Fun for all ages, believe me!



Besides being an enjoyable viewing experience, the museum is an inspiring testament to the founders’ passion, vision, dedication and hard work. It’s also a powerful reminder that if you follow your bliss, there’s no limit to how you can make your living! Kudos to you, gentlemen!

If you find yourself in the area, Frederick is well worth a couple of days at least... Stay tuned!

Happy: "I’m Under Cover!"

One of the best things about our current location near Annapolis, MD, is that I get to visit with my favorite USNA midshipman Max! I slept in my truck-house while he and Macgellan had dinner last night, and when he came back he put his “cover” on my head... Bravo Zulu, Max!

Snow Day!

Like many of you, Happy and I have had a snow day! Here's a view from our morning walk...
(Quite different from the photo below that was taken at the same place!)

Relocation

After seven months in south-central Pennsylvania, I’ve finally moved — or at least relocated — a bit south to the Annapolis, MD area. I’ll probably write some more about the reasons behind all that in a future post, but for now I’ll just report that Happy and I have settled into a nice new place for a while.

As you can see, our rig is situated in a well wooded campground, with ample facilities nearby.

You can also see that Happy has a new igloo-type doghouse!

Over the past year we've been together, she has made it very clear to me that she greatly prefers to spend most of her time outside rather than in my camper.

She’s been an outdoor dog her whole life, and while we enjoy some indoor time together to read, watch TV, take naps, etc., she gets very restless when she’s been inside too long.

Whenever I think it might be too cold outside, I remind myself that the coldest temperatures we’ve had are at least fifty degrees warmer than what she’s used to!

Between her fleece jacket, her thick, fluffy, insulated bed and the coziness of her igloo, she’s obviously quite comfortable… and sometimes even a little reluctant to come out!

The campground we’re in is a big place, with a number of long-term residents in a few year-round sections of the park. Mostly, though, the place is empty and offers many acres of woodlands in which we often walk, run and play. The park is quiet and tidy, just the way we like it!



Happy hasn't found any new boyfriends yet, but she doesn't seem to miss her recent boyfriend Gus at all. Such is the life of a free-spirited Happy dog!

I've got a few friends in the area, and the prospect of some interesting work for a couple of months... Stay tuned!

Living Art America "Bodies as a Work of Art" in Atlanta

Earlier this month, I went to Atlanta to attend the Living Art America “Bodies as a Work of Art” body painting competition. I posted pretty extensively in real-time via Facebook, but I wanted to post an entry here for the record.

Happy and I had a pleasant drive/sleep (i.e. I drove while Happy slept!) down to Atlanta, and arrived a couple of days early to hang out with good friends who were organizers of the event.

The artists spent the entire day of the event producing their work, and the models showed amazing patience as they stood still for literally hours at a time. One of my personal favorites was a woman painted to look like an owl, including some striking — almost spooky — contact lenses.



My friend Lisa flew down for the event, and she will vouch for the fact that it was a mind-blower right from the entrance... There were painted women everywhere!



The competition itself was simply awesome. One after the other, models displayed the stunning art they had become in stylish combinations of catwalk strut, artistic dance and fearless exhibition.



I’ve been following body painting as an art form for a few years now, but after seeing it in person I can tell you it is a “real thing” and predict that it will become a major art movement, possibly even an art revolution. Combining fine art with living canvases, it is ephemeral, evanescent, edgy and even a bit exotic… Stay tuned!

Happy: My New Jacket!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy about my new jacket!

My "management" has decided that I should wear a fancy jacket when I do all my presentations.

So, Macgellan and a really nice lady named Devanna have worked together to design my very own custom jacket. We've had several fittings so far, but today I got to try on the real thing.

I like it so much I flashed them one of my best smiles! Pretty sweet, eh?



The next step is to have my logo printed on the sides, then I'll be all decked out... Stay tuned!