What a Ride!!!

Consider this the acknowledgements blog. I'm not sure it took a village to make this trip happen but it was definitely more than just my doing.

First off, I have to thank all of you who read and commented on the blog. You really made it worth my while and can't begin to know how much I appreciated your suggestions, reactions, and encouragement. It's ben especially gratifying to hear that perhaps you've been inspired -- to try a blog yourself, to plan a similar trip, or to reach for your own dreams. Do it! This trip so far exceeded my expectations and the memories will truly last a lifetime. I wouldn't have all the details of the whole trip to ruminate over had I not kept writing for all of you.

Next, I couldn't have hit the road for five weeks were it not for Mary and, especially, Shelley backing me up at Sharp & Company. Mary encouraged me to undertake the trip and kept after me to make it happen, assuring me that the office would be fine without me. Miraculously, in May of 2009 Shelley joined our little enterprise and over the last year learned to do pretty much everything I do (except create new problems for everyone). Shelley kept her hand on the tiller and ably steered things so I could galavant about the country. Thank you more than I can possibly express.

Fahim and Shelley, thanks for looking after the girls and the house. I came home to find everything and everyone flourishing.

And then there are my incredible companions on this journey: Monica (2155 miles), Debra (1932 miles), Bonnie (1375 miles), and David (2200 miles and the only other person to drive). Each of you made this a special and particular experience and enabled me to take five trips in one. To any of you who may be considered a similar undertaking, this is the way to go. I found different aspects of myself with each of you and relish your infallible cheer and willingness to go anywhere and try anything.

To those of you who provided relief from the endless hotels -- Richard, Doug, Lorna and Ed, and Lisa, and Ruth -- thank you for taking me into your home and providing fun and relaxation (not to mention laundry facilities and car care). Those visits, along with Jim and Debbie rearranging their trip to Michigan to meet up in LaCrosse, made the trip wonderfully personal. A special shout out to Doug for providing the perfect meteor shower experience. I'll never forget that!

Lastly, to the unsung hero of this whole trip -- my wonderful car. Whether it was zipping along the interstate or winding along a mountain road, catching the rays with the top down or snugly enclosed, the car took it all in stride. No drama, no difficulties, no breakdowns. This morning, after a refreshing run through the car wash, it looks like it never left town.

23 hotels (I'm pretty sure), 5 friends' guest rooms, and many, many, calories later, it's back to reality. Thanks for taking this trip with me.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog

Max and I have made it home. I'm happy and I'm sad. But first, the day.

After a great night's sleep, we rolled out of Ruth's to visit the Lewisburg farmer's market.

It was a cool, crisp morning -- less than 60 degrees when we left the house! Here's Ruth, KB, and David at the market.

And here's Jeff, selling his amazing bread.

I loaded up on tomatoes, peaches, apples, and some other vegetables. Also picked up some Lewisburg honey to try. Everyone knows everyone and they all stop to chat and catch up. It's very comfortable and cozy.

Ruth and I then headed over to the General Lewis Inn for brunch. This has become our tradition and why stop now!?

We had delicious vegetable omelettes with biscuits, my last taste of sin before I mend my evil ways. It was wonderful to spend some one-on-one time with Ruth, something I rarely get to do. For those of you who don't know, Ruth was my mom's best friend and our families spent every holiday together. She was also the other half of my parents' beach place so there's a lot of history and she's like a mother to me. So having some time together to share how life is, how the trip was, and any and everything else was quite special and a nice transition to returning home.

And then, after some more visiting with Ruth, KB, and David, it was time to hit the road. It was a glorious day.

In 15 minutes I was crossing into Virginia. Surprised, I quickly managed this snap.

I'm embarrassed to say that the car by now was so chock full and disorderly that I drove home with the top up. I just didn't have the energy to reorganize!

Well, heck, you all know what Virginia looks like, right? So I'll skip the photos and just say that I-81 was surprisingly truck and traffic free, making the ride much nicer than I was anticipating. Even I-66 wasn't bad. I think my timing -- late afternoon right in the middle of the holiday weekend -- worked in my favor.

And then I snapped the last state sign of the trip.

And before I knew it, I was rolling down Nelson Street and into the driveway. 9237.3 miles and 5 weeks later, I was back home.

I leave you tonight with this sight, the contents of the car emptied out into the family room, being checked out by Mischka and Mello. You can imagine what tomorrow will be about!

One more wrap up entry tomorrow. I'm too tired and it's all a bit too fresh to do tonight.

Just When You Think You've Seen It All

Who'd have thought an extraordinary example of contemporary architecture would be in the middle of horse country? Or that one of the most fun interstate drives would be in West Virginia? That was my day yesterday, beginning in Lexington and ending in Lewisburg.

Phillip picked me up promptly at 9 and we stopped in a funky neighborhood spot for fortifying cups of coffee. Then he drove me through several neighborhoods, explaining their histories, pointing out interesting features, and generally sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of the area. We drove a bit out of town, off the highway along a narrow road, and suddenly we were in a (literally) forsaken gated community. And there, suddenly, stood the Miller House, a stunning home designee by Jose Oubrerie, a protege of Le Corbusier. Its strong concrete, steel, and glass geometry plays beautifully against the natural environment.

You can even enjoy nature while soaking in the steel step-down bath!

The interior space, a series of pods, soars up four (I think) stories. The sense of upward sweep is like that of cathedrals.

Here's Phillip outside, no doubt putting another deal in motion.

He's a gifted artist and talented promoter and it was a privilege that he gave me so much of his time and attention.

We drove back into Lexington, admiring several of the horses that are placed around town as part of a public arts project. Here's the one he did.

It's a project like the pandas were in DC or the I-don't-remember-what in Chicago. Artists are commissioned to do these and they are displayed for about six months. Then they will be auctioned off to raise money for the arts. Phillip is actually prouder of the piece he did for the ballpark -- a parking meter that automatically contributes to the arts. Neat guy.

After doing my part to support the local economy courtesy of a great shop Phillip steered me into, I was off to Lewisburg.

I was surprised at how beautiful the drive was. Open land began giving way to rolling hills.

By the time I reached West Virginia, I was climbing.

The stretch of road from Charleston to Beckley is a marvel of twists and turns as it works its way through the hills (I think I used to call these mountains but after driving through Wyoming and Utah I've reconsidered). I had the fortune/misfortune of hooking up with a pick-up truck driver who obviously knew his way and together we endeavored to set a new land speed record through the curves and climbs. What fun!! And no ticket!!! (If I can make it from Lewisburg to DC without a ticket it will have been a testimony to enforcement cutbacks. That's my only explanation.)

I arrived at Ruth's at 5 on the dot, just in time for us to sit for a minute and regroup on dinner. KB and David are staying with her, which was a delight for me since I can't remember the last time I saw them. And Lauren, Jeff and their kids (Sam and Jules) joined us for dinner in spite of needing to finish packing to leave for Oregon in the morning.

Photos were taken before Lauren and Jeff arrived. I'll try to remember to take some more this morning if we see them.

This is the perfect transition to home. I got to return from dinner and put on my sweats and sit around, something I've hardly done at all this trip. It felt good to nestle into Ruth's living room and chat with her and KB.

Kentucky Woman She Shine With Her Own Maker's Mark!

Welcome to Kentucky! This was definitely my favorite visual of the day!!

I headed out from Nashville, planning to visit Louisville and Lexington today. To do that involved all interstate travel. That provided a few interesting views, including a peek at the Corvette Museum. (Bear with me -- I'm shooting these at 75 mph from the road!)

Kentucky is beautiful! These pictures don't do it justice. Amazing how the terrain changes when you cross the line into the Bluegrass State.

By the way, I've seen no bluegrass since being here.

Bored with the interstate, I decided to detour to the Maker's Mark distillery for a visit. That put me on a two-lane highway with no shoulder and the possibility of rounding a corner and finding myself smack behind this:

Nonetheless, the posted speed limit is 55 mph. Gotta love non-urban areas in the US!!

On the way, I discovered I was near Abraham Lincoln's birthplace. So I detoured from my detour and toured the national museum there.

This was the first Lincoln Memorial. Normally you can see a re-creation of the log cabin in which he was born. However, it was closed for renovation so I had to be satisfied with a movie and some artifacts in the visitor's center. It was actually quite informative and charming. Quite inspiring that a US president could come from such humble origins.

Arrived at Maker's Mark and it would have been 45 minutes to the next tour. Instead, lovely Jeannie (shown in the photo below) gave me a private introduction to the family history and what makes this bourbon different.

The secret? They use wheat instead of rye. Makes the bourbon a little smoother.

After touring the house, which is set up to have the kitchen look like it did in the fifties when they were experimenting with the formula, it was off to the gift shop. There, I was able to buy a bottle of Maker's Mark and seal it myself.

Well let's just say that Betty, the person teaching me how to do it, was better with the sealing wax than with the photography. But here I am, sealing a second bottle. It was fun and what a great promo. Personally, I fell in love with their new blend -- Maker's Mark 46. It's even smoother and less fiery going down. I can see I now have a new winter drink!

By now I had spent so much time on my detour that it didn't make sense to backtrack to Louisville. So I left that for next time and continued on to Lexington. David had put me in touch with his buddy Phillip, who runs a non-profit art gallery there.

We had arranged to hook up for dinner. Turns out it was his dad's birthday and the family was gathering next door. So I joined the festivities, along with his dad's girlfriend, her daughter and son-in-law, and, later, Phillip's girlfriend Lina. French dinner where I had delicious Chilean sea bass (yes, I know it's evil, but oh how I love it) with haricots verts (yum), potatoes, and grilled cherry tomatoes. Marvelous!

After dinner broke up Phillip, Lina, and I went out for a drink. Here we are at the local gay bar enjoying a balmy evening in Lexington:

The photo does none of us justice. But I wanted you to see us having fun!

Living History

I started my day in Memphis at the National Civil Rights Museum. Let me just say that it's worth a trip to Memphis if only to see this place. They have incorporated the actual Lorraine Motel, where King was shot, into the museum. You can't take photos inside so I can only show you how they have re-created the parking area and incorporated the balcony into the museum.

The museum traces the history of the civl rights movement from the 1700's to 1968. It is a stunning compendium of the continuing struggle for what has to be considered by most of us to be simply the most basic of human rights -- to be valued as a human being and treated as an equal to anyone else. It is heartbreaking in its forthright depiction of the legal advances that actually meant nothing pragmatically, informative about how difficult it has been to change a culture. I have tended to think of all of this as happening long before I was born. Today I learned how much of it was still happening when I was growing up and how much is still happening today.

The motel is so small, the balcony so nondescript, that it's hard to imagine how something so life changing could have taken place there. For over an hour after leaving, I just drove in silence, letting the feelings of the morning wash through me. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best thing Memphis has to offer and should be a "must see" on anyone's list.

The drive today seemed to be me and every truck in America lumbering along I-40. Since I was leaving Memphis, the Fed-Ex hub, much of the trip looked like this:

While much of the rest of the trip looked like this:

Lest you think it was all trucks, sometimes it looked like this, especially as I neared Nashville:

I arrived in Nashville in the late afternoon. This was my first view of the Nashville skyline (thank you Bob Dylan).

I soon discovered that there are TWO hotel Indigos and I had arrived at the wrong one! So I rerouted, discovered the honky tonk area of town (and my hotel), and settled in.

Here's another Nashville view from the area around my hotel.

After a very refreshing shower, I headed out in the beautiful and cooler evening and wandered over to the Hermitage, a famous old Nashville hotel, and settled in at the bar for dinner.

What a ball I had! I ordered an onion bisque with bacon and a brie-filled cheese crouton and fried green tomatoes with cheese and a wonderful pepper relish. Quite good! There were two fellows sitting next to me who worked for a Spanish wine and cava maker who treated me to several glasses of cava. That was followed by meeting Jim and (later) Karen, New Yorkers who are following Brooks & Dunn's final concerts; they had came to Nashville to see them tomorrow night.

Jim bought me another drink before Karen arrived as we chatted about his food business on Long Island (which was almost purchased by Sutton Place's owners), their kids, my kid, and my cross country trip. It was a great conversation for at least an hour. Then, as they left, a gentleman named Ron appeared next to me and we got into a chat about Wisconsin (from where he hails) and his work building power plants. He actually escorted me back to the hotel, completing my very sociable evening. I figure David would be very proud of me for all that interacting!

Tomorrow is Kentucky day. I'm definitely in the home stretch. Tonight I went through and figured out outfits for the next three days. I'm completely tired of my clothes, getting tired of different beds every night, and looking forward to seeing the cats and sleeping in my own bed. But I'm also looking forward to the next several days, especially because I'm meeting up with a friend of David's in Lexington and getting a private tour of a special house. Stay tuned tomorrow to learn more!!

Memphis Musings

Today seemed to be the day to see famous dead people's relics. And why not? It makes for a theme!

The day began with a long, leisurely morning chez Howorth. That's Bebe, Lisa's youngest, hiding behind the NY Times. Just wanted to show you again how cozy and comfortable it was there. Lisa's lucky I'm so driven or I'd probably still be there sipping yet another vodka and tonic.

Perhaps to ease me out the door (totally kidding), Lisa and I drove over to tour Faulkner's house.

This was his writing room. And below is the actual phone he answered and learned that he had won the Nobel prize. Notice that he scrawled phone numbers on the wall. It's all preserved as it was. This is a popular pastime in these parts, as I continued to learn throughout the day.

The house is wonderfully sited off a bend in the road. Stately cedars shield it in the front and it looks quite grand if slightly heading to seed. I was glad to see it.

I dropped Lisa off at home and headed to Square Books, the renowned bookstore that she and her husband own. I picked up the new Franzen book on David's recommendation and also Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, Lisa's recommendation as the best intro to his writing (since I've never read anything by him). The store has the same charming, cozy, cluttered feel as their home and is filled with signed and will-be-signed-at-the-upcoming-reading editions. The personal connection they seemingly have with every book in the store creates a very special space. I'm looking forward to returning when David does a reading there from his new book (a girl can hope!).

Based on the discussion we'd had the night before, I decided to try out Tullulah's, the restaurant run by Lisa's friend Laurie. And that led to another first -- my introduction to catfish.

There's the dish, complete with hush puppies, slaw, and fries (which I'm delighted to report I didn't eat). A delicious if potentially deadly cardiac event in a handy disposable box. The good news is that I also resisted the deep fried Twinkie and its companion deep fried Oreo. I kid you not. Must be some regional specialty. Laurie's an exceptional cook and her food is prepared with such love and care, so be sure to put that on your list when you head to Oxford.

The drive to Memphis was only about an 1.5 hours. There was nothing new landscape-wise with the exception of some wonderful kudzu sightings.

As David had said, the way it grows it looks like topiary! I remember that from my trip through Mississippi 40 years back.

My great automotive achievement of the last two days is that I've learned how to create a "genius" playlist on my iPhone. I'm delighting in creating different sets for myself. Yes, I know, all the rest of you have known how to do this for ages, but now I do, too!

I charted my course into Memphis to be able to stop first at Graceland. Well, actually, I did a drive by, which the folks at Graceland are very careful to ensure reveals absolutely nothing (although I did catch sight of a couple of Elvis' jets on display). But it did enable me to drive along a very special street.

From there I drove to my hotel (an extremely nice Hyatt well located a block from Beale Street) and settled in. Here's the view from my window.

Pretty nice, huh? I walked across the street and checked out the Rock and Soul Museum.

It presents a thorough history of the Memphis music scene, explaining how the white and black roots of music eventually intertwined in this city to create the blues and give birth to rock and roll. Gives an excellent context to Elvis (and includes the requisite costumes and other paraphernalia). Quite fascinating, although it's a bit disconcerting to see things I remember from my youth (like Wurlitzer juke boxes and 8-track tapes) displayed as relics!

From there I walked past Beale Street over to Rendezvous for their famous ribs.

No picture of dinner -- the ribs weren't especially photogenic, especially in the dark of the bar. These are dry-rubbed and pretty darn good, served with slaw and beans. I have to admit, though, that the dinner at Cochon kind of spoiled me for other pork. Had a nice chat with a fellow who told me he travels on business 4 days a week!!

I walked back along Beale, which is like a miniature Bourbon Street. Things were beginning to crank up for the evening. Lots of music, lots of drinking, but nothing particularly appealing. So instead I came back to plot my next adventures. Tomorrow it's on to Nashville, the last stop on the music tour. I'm keeping half an eye on hurricane Earl and hoping we won't intersect! Looks good so far.