The Trip

I’m going to write a little bit about a period of history that saw astounding technological leaps accompanied by the worst atrocities ever committed by Humanity: World War II (through the lens of my visits to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museums

Wait… I want to add something to what I wrote earlier. I don’t want to give the impression that the country is full of stupid, insincere people who will spit in your pancakes. I met a lot of nice people traveling

Some statistics: Total miles driven: 5,798. Average speed (according to Jenny:) 69.2 mph. Fastest cruise control setting: 95mph, late night in Utah. Total number of traffic stops: 0. Average gas mileage: 31.9 mpg. Hottest temp: 103, somewhere in the middle of

I woke up late after a solid sleep at the Hampton Inn in Richfield, Utah. I hurried through my morning routine because I was pretty sure I could make it all the way home today. Google Maps said I was nine hours away. What&

(Written a couple of days after the fact.) I think my numbers were a little off, going from Columbia, Missouri to Richfield, Utah. I think it was more like 20 hours to go 1,188 miles. On this day, I travelled through Missouri, Kansas,

I want to talk about some folks in Kansas, and the roller coaster ride known as the Rockies, and why I drove 17 hours straight to get to beautiful downtown Richfield, Utah, but Google tells me I’m only nine hours away from

Okay, I didn’t set out to do this but… 17 hours. 1,188 miles. More in the morning when I’m awake (what is “awake?”)

Sometimes, you just get in a groove. I just drove 1,064 miles in 17 hours breaking only to get gas and pee. I went through parts of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. (Click any picture to embiggen.) Nuclear Family.

I find this piece of Southern wisdom to be quite true: “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” And when it gets like it’s been the last couple of days in Washington, D.C., where one

Today I visited the downtown Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Entering the main gallery, I was surrounded by so many of the actual artifacts I’d been reading about since I was a little kid… I had goosebumps. I thought I was

It hit me today, the first pangs of real homesickness. I’m not sure when I’ll start home yet. Don’t get me wrong. Washington is incredible, and John and Jess have been over-the-top accommodating. However, I hear my kittehs

Hey, if this is a mall, then where’s the Banana Republic? Thank you! Tip your veal, try your waitress! I’m here all week! I was going to write some more about the Air and Space Museum today, but I realized

This was quite the “kid in a candy store” day for me. A few years ago, the Smithsonian created a new museum out by the airport for all the planes that were too big to display at the original Air and Space

Sorry for the late post. I drove across Virginia (the long way) yesterday to get, finally, to my destination. I started off in the mighty metropolis of Wytheville, Virginia, “The Centerville of the East.” Exciting Downtown Wytheville It was weird. Everyone was

And now, today’s randomly selected verse from the Gideon Bible left in (almost) every hotel room in America. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out

“For reasons I can easily explain, there’s no part of me wants to see Graceland” – not Paul Simon. I thought about it. Oh, believe me I did. There’s a very realistic chance that I will never be

And now it’s time for today’s randomly chosen verse from the Gideon Bible left in my hotel room… no? It’s not in that drawer? How about there? In the desk??? In the closet? Nowhere??? I’m

What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Here are my pictures, taken this morning around 9:20, just a few minutes after the time the building collapsed. It was quiet. There weren’t many people around. It was kind

This morning’s randomly chosen verse from a randomly chosen page of the Gideon Bible left in my room: (punctuation as written) And the land of Egypt shall become desolate and waste; then they will know that I am the LORD, because he

(Click any image to embiggen…) As I write this in my hotel room in Oklahoma City… Tornado Watch! I have entered a section of the country where, when the news is about the weather, it’s serious. No “We have

I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. Every morning, I’ll close my eyes, flip through the ever-present Gideon Bible, and post the random verse my finger points to. Let’s learn together, shall we?

So as I’m leaving the TGI Friday’s to go back up to my room, several trucks pull up with all sorts of weather gear on top. One even has a giant radar dish. Storm chasers! As I walk through the

Well, it’s right downstairs, and since I don’t have to drive…

I didn’t take any pictures on the road today. I think I’ve already covered “vast, flat expanse” elsewhere. So here are some pictures of my cats, taken by Tammie Smalls, who is looking after them in my absence.

Driving through Arizona, I saw a couple of “impeach Obama” bumper stickers, some teabagger billboards… Even a giant McCain/Palin billboard, sun-bleached and dozens of miles from any civilization. I passed a number of rest stops that had big CLOSED signs