This Is Not My First Rodeo

Well, I’ve never actually been to a rodeo before, but I’ve been to the hospital several times to have my teeth cleaned. I think I know the drill by now (that’s a bad dentist pun). The part I don’t like is going under general anesthesia. It makes me nervous thinking about it. One good thing: it’s nice to have clean teeth.

Dad and my care team always tell me how brave I’ve been after it’s all over, so I feel good about that. Maybe I can attend a rodeo sometime to see if it’s more fun than going to the dentist.

Going To California

This summer’s epic road trip is almost over. We’re driving from Ashland, Oregon to my home in Sacramento, California. Back to my “normal” life.

Here’s the stats from this trip:

56 days

12,491 miles

5 time zones

30 U.S. states

3 Canadian provinces 

15 National Parks and Monuments (including 2 in Canada)

16 state and provincial parks

14 family members visited

0 Starbucks visitations

What can I say? It’s been fun to experience so many places. Dad and I make a great travel team.

Until next time…

The Wizard

Crater Lake National Park. We were stopped at an overlook when a random child asked Dad how Wizard Island got its name. (I think the kid thought Dad was his father.) Without missing a beat, Dad explained that the cinder cone looks like a wizard’s hat. This seemed like a satisfactory answer to all concerned.

Nice job, Dad.

The Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood

Two of my favorite people met us on the Oregon Coast for a couple of nights of camping out together. My brother Jackson and my sister-in-law Wendy. I don’t get to see them very often and this was the longest time we’ve hung out together in quite a while. One of the fun things we did was to visit a really cool aquarium in Newport. One great idea the curators had was to make sculptures of sea creatures out of random plastic found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The message was pretty clear: take better care of our oceans, folks.

Thanks for making the time to be with me and Dad, you guys. I love you both so much.

Color Bars

We checked out the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon. There’s an area called the Painted Hills. I’ve seen pictures of it in calendars, but this is the first time I’ve been here in person. The area has layers of different colored soils that show evidence of climate fluctuations over the eons. Once upon a time, this used to be a temperate forest. Now it’s high desert. I guess the only constant is change.

As the name suggests, there are also lots of fossils to study in the region. Dad ask why I would be interested in fossils since I’ve been traveling with one all summer. Boy, his attempts at self-deprecating humor always land as bad dad jokes.

Even More Family

We stopped in Boise, Idaho for a visit with my Aunt Suzanne and Nana (my maternal grandmother). It sure was nice to see them. It had been a very long time, so we had a lot of catching up to do. Suzanne has a nice house with a beautiful garden in back.

I’m very lucky to have a loving extended family. One of the pleasures of road trips is getting to see those who live far away from me. I love you Suzanne and Nana!

City Of Bison

Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley is Bison Central. It’s the perfect place for humans to safely observe these magnificent creatures (sort of) up close. We spent a long time parked by the side of the road with other tourists, taking pictures and looking through binoculars. I noticed that the males keep the females very close by, matching their wanderings step by step. When the males fight each other, it’s usually about a girl.

This was one of the best days on this trip because we also got to check out the big waterfalls on the Yellowstone River.

Yellowstone National Park

Believe it or not, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve visited Yellowstone. I think it’s my fifth, but it might be my sixth. I’m not sure. The first time was 20 years ago in the summer of 2005 on a road trip with  Dad and my brother Jackson. It was very memorable because we had a musical jam session with some other campers we met that lasted way past the quiet hour cutoff time.

Lots of fun.

Born To Be Wild

One of the most beautiful roads in America must be the Beartooth Highway (U.S. 212 between Red Lodge, Montana and Yellowstone National Park). It winds up into the mountains with lots of hairpin turns and crosses over a 10,000 ft. pass. We later hiked and camped at Island Lake (9,500 ft.). It was spectacular but really cold.

This road is very popular with motorcyclists during the summer. They like to ride in big groups. At the overlook stop I overheard some of them talking about coming from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. It sounds awesome. Dad has no idea how close I came to hopping on the back of a Harley-Davidson and leaving him to find his own way home.

North Dakota

North Dakota is a favorite state of mine, especially the prairies and badlands in the western part. One thing that I notice is that it’s very clean. There’s almost a complete absence of roadside trash and the farms and ranches are well kept up. It’s very pleasing to the eye when you’re traveling through. Only one complaint: our campsite on the Missouri River featured some very aggressive biting flies. They were very mean to me and Dad.

Holy Cow!

What’s that large object out on the open prairie? It’s “Salem Sue,” the world’s largest Holstein cow. She lives in New Salem, North Dakota on a hilltop overlooking the I-94 freeway.

Of course, we had to stop and check her out. She looks to be in good shape with a brand new paint job. I feel a little bad for her having to stand outdoors in the same place through all of North Dakota’s seasons.

Bird Woman

If you visit the grounds of the North Dakota State Capitol in Bismarck, you’ll find a statue of Sakakawea. As many folks know, she was a Shoshone woman who accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition, serving as a guide, interpreter, and sometimes diplomat. All this while traveling thousands of miles with a newborn baby. Quite an accomplishment, although it should be remembered that she wasn’t given a choice in the matter.

Dad says that he once heard that she has the most statues of any American woman. It’s odd, because very little is known about her, other than what I already mentioned.

The Other Twin Cities

The cities of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota are neighbors, separated by the Red River of the North. In the photo I’m standing on a bridge in a lovely park that connects the two towns.

The interesting thing is that this Red River flows north into Canada, meaning that it’s in a separate drainage system from that of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. We even saw a “Continental Divide” sign on the highway pointing this out.

I very much agree with the sentiment expressed by the graffiti on this bridge.

Highway 61 Revisited

We’ve been traveling down Minnesota’s North Shore and enjoying the sight of Lake Superior rolling by. The air quality has been pretty bad due to ongoing Canadian wildfires, but we had rain this morning so we hope that clears things up a bit.

The road we’re on is Minnesota State Highway 61. It’s not the same road that Bob Dylan sang about, although young Robert Zimmerman grew up not far from here in Hibbing. Dylan’s song is about U.S. 61 which follows the Mississippi River all the way from Minnesota to New Orleans, Louisiana. It cuts through the region where the Delta Blues was born and thus has legendary status.

How do I know we’re not on the same road? I have yet to see forty red, white, and blue shoestrings. Nor have I found a thousand telephones that don’t ring.

Born In The U.S.A.

I’m glad to be back in my home country. Canadians are nice, but Minnesotans by reputation have their own brand of nice.

Bilingual

Where I'm from, you'll sometimes find signage in English and Spanish, but it's not everywhere and it can feel like an afterthought. Canada is a truly bilingual nation and signs of it are everywhere. As you can see, making sure everyone understands can save lives.

Sometimes, you will even see indigenous languages, too.

D'où je viens, on trouve parfois des panneaux en anglais et en espagnol, mais ce n'est pas partout et on peut avoir l'impression que c'est une idée secondaire. Le Canada est un pays véritablement bilingue, et on le voit partout. Comme vous pouvez le constater, s'assurer que tout le monde comprend peut sauver des vies.

Parfois, on y trouve même des langues autochtones.

Inland Sea

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Let me tell you, it is big! It literally takes many hours to drive from one end to the other. It even has many shipwrecks. We read about a guy who had to watch his gold-plated yacht sink to the bottom before his very eyes. (I’m guessing he could afford a new one.)

We stayed at a provincial park right on the water with a wonderful beach. I dipped my toes in cool, clear water.

Contraband

We had a little hiccup while crossing from the United States into Canada. We were asked if we had any cannabis products. (This is the fourth time I’ve been to Canada with Dad and it was the first time we’ve been asked this question at the border.) Dad declared that we had some CBD gummies for me (yes, they are legal). Well, we ended up having to give up my stash and deal with a lot of paperwork, and even a cursory search of Dad’s car by the authorities. The people there were nice about it, but it was a bit surprising.

The customs officer described the process as “surrendering the items to the Crown.” I couldn’t help but picture King Charles III relieving himself of the stress of being a monarch by munching on my gummies.

And The Tide Rushes In

We camped for two nights in New Brunswick’s Fundy National Park. It’s a really beautiful place. The Bay of Fundy is world famous for its extreme tides. In the photo, if you look over my right shoulder, you can see the beach at low tide. Very cool.

Canadians love to go camping, so I’m glad we had a reservation. Apparently this park has a total of 600 campsites. They were all full.

Octopus’s Garden

As far as I know, this restaurant in Alma, New Brunswick is the first one I’ve ever seen named after a Beatles song. We stopped by for coffee and goodies.

Dad has a theory that everyone has a Beatle personality. He says I’m a Ringo. Maybe that’s why I like the song.

Green Grow The Rushes

I come from a place where the hills turn brown in the summer and it can go for months without rain. It’s not a mythical land, it’s California.

I’m amazed to discover places that are very, very green. Dad sometimes complains about the humidity in the eastern U.S., but I think it’s beautiful. The color is restful to the eyes. Also, don’t forget that forests are the “lungs” of the planet.

I’ll Have Everything

It’s a rainy day on New Hampshire’s Kancamagus Highway. It’s very scenic as it winds through the White Mountains.

So, why not stop for coffee (just for Dad) and bagels? Mine was “everything” I hoped it would be (get it?).

High Points Galore

We “bagged” two state high points in as many days. The first was (appropriately named) High Point (1,804 ft.). The second was Mount Greylock (3,489 ft.). They are the highest points in New Jersey and Massachusetts, respectively. The Appalachian Trail crosses both, too. I now have a total of five state high points under my belt.

Full disclosure: you can drive a car to the top of both, which we did.

Alice’s Restaurant

You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant…

We made a pilgrimage to the former site of Alice’s Restaurant in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It was made famous by a song written in 1967 by Arlo Guthrie, even though the song is not really about a restaurant. According to a newspaper clipping we saw in the window, 18 year-old Arlo was one of the “youths” arrested for illegally dumping garbage on Thanksgiving. The song tells the tale in a funny and exaggerated way. But really, it’s an anti-Vietnam War draft song.

It kind of made local restaurateur Alice Brock (1941-2024) famous. It’s also one of my stepmom Pam’s favorites.

Hospitality

I would like to thank Dad’s stepbrother Mike, his wife Dania, and their son Corey. We spent the night at their home in New Jersey and had some really great company (and pizza). I slept in Corey’s bedroom surrounded by Pokémon characters.

Thanks a million, you guys!

Jersey Shore

Did I mention that I like ferry rides? Did you know you can drive your car onto a ferry? I used to be scared of boats, but now I think they’re lots of fun.

We took a ferry from Lewes, Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey. It was a beautiful calm morning and I explored the entire watercraft (at least the parts where passengers are allowed). The most interesting thing for me was watching the seabirds following in the wake of the ship. I think they were feeding on fish that were being churned up by the motors.

When we arrived on dry land, we headed north through the pine barrens of southern New Jersey. It was a little bit spooky because, according to popular culture, this is the place where the mafia goes when they have a body disposal problem. Who knows, maybe it’s true. The biggest threat we faced were ticks. Dad flicked one off his leg as we were walking around.

Atlantic

Despite leaving on this trip from California, this is the first time we’ve seen an ocean so far. We camped at Cape Henlopen in Delaware and got up to see the sun rise over the water.

In case you were wondering, I’m more accustomed to ocean sunsets.

My Opening Farewell

I have spent a nice week at Dad and Pam’s new home in Silver Spring, Maryland and now it’s time to move on to new adventures.

To honor our departure, Pam put on a beautiful breakfast spread for me, Dad and some of my new family members. She sure is talented in the kitchen, and I do love food. I’m meeting these guys here for the first time. In the picture you’ll see my step cousin Aidan, step sister-in-law Erin, stepbrother Ethan, Pam, and me.

(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville

I spent a week with Dad and my stepmom Pam at their home in Silver Spring, Maryland. The idea was to take a break from camping and rest up for the return leg of our journey. However, there was a lot of stuff to take care of. One thing we did was to buy a new washing machine in Rockville, Maryland.

This may be unfair, but I came away with the impression that Rockville is one big ol’ strip mall. I’ll probably take R.E.M.’s advice and stay away.

The Walking

Despite the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene last September, Asheville, North Carolina is looking pretty good. We had lunch in the downtown area and walked around checking out the shops. We stopped by at the Blue Ridge Hiking Co. store. It was founded by Jennifer Pharr Davis, a woman who once held the record for the fastest time hiking the Appalachian Trail. Later, she went for a 600 mile hike during her third trimester of pregnancy, which I find to be much more badass.

Washout

Camping out is fun, but it’s not always fun and games. We spent most of our time in Great Smoky Mountains National Park drying out our gear after a torrential thunderstorm that lasted all night.

Not fun.

The Crooked Road

Southwest Virginia is a very special place because it’s a crucible of American music. Bluegrass music was born here, and some even say that country music itself originated here. The Carter Family and the Stanley Brothers came from these parts, to name a few. It’s not surprising that an identified “music trail” has been established to help tourists like us find our way around.

We visited the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood, Virginia on a rainy day and enjoyed it very much. It told the story of the bluegrass legend who started playing with his brother Carter and continued for many decades as the leader of the Clinch Mountain Boys after his brother’s death in 1966. Ralph played banjo in the “clawhammer” style and was a great vocalist, achieving the “high lonesome” sound of traditional mountain music. He was greatly respected by musicians of all types.

This is just one of the stops on The Crooked Road. Check it out: https://thecrookedroadva.com/

New Morning

We camped at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia. I believe it’s the United States’ newest national park (it’s 27 years younger than me). That’s funny because judging from the depth of the gorge, I’ll bet that this river is geologically very old.

It’s very pretty here, but in the photo I’m wearing my “Dad woke me up at 6:00 AM” face.

Seneca Rocks

Seneca Rocks is probably the most famous landmark in West Virginia. It’s easily seen from the highway and they have a really good visitor center there. It’s known as the El Capitan of the East Coast due to the multitude of technical climbs people can do here on the cliffs.

One thing I’m confused about is how it was named after the Seneca people whose homeland is several hundred miles from here.

Be Kind

This is the name of a song written and recorded by my uncle.

I think it’s very good advice.

I Studied Juggling At MIT

For the 4th of July we went to Cambridge, Massachusetts to celebrate and watch fireworks from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus lawn. There was a whole scene of jugglers there, many of whom were Elena’s friends (she’s a juggler). Luckily, one of the old buildings was open to the public so I had a place to retreat to. You see, I’m very scared of fireworks, so Dad and I watched them from inside through large windows. That worked for me and I enjoyed the show. I also did a great job of riding on a crowded subway car.

MIT has a reputation for academic excellence. But do they offer a PhD in juggling?

More Family

We arrived in Massachusetts to be with family in the aftermath of Dad’s mother-in-law’s passing. I got the chance to meet new family members for the first time. Namely, my step-sister Elena and my step-aunt Elizabeth. They and my stepmom Pam have been very nice to me and Dad. I think they appreciate the effort we made to get here.

Basket Of Explorables

From the sacred to the profane, Newark, Ohio has it all.

We decided to check out the Longaberger Basket Building. It’s one of my favorite pieces of American roadside kitsch. It’s the former headquarters of a company that manufactures picnic baskets. It has the reputation of being the world’s largest basket (seven stories high). The building has apparently fallen on hard times. It’s uninhabited now and the parking lot is empty with weeds growing up through the pavement. I guess its future is unclear, so I’m glad we got to see it.

I’ve heard the phrase “He’s no picnic” before. I’m not sure what it means, but it doesn’t sound good. After much self-reflection, I have decided that despite my flaws, I am a picnic!

I Feel The Earth Move

Well, this is an interesting place. We stopped by the Newark Earthworks in Ohio to check it out. It’s part of a series of large scale earthen structures (mounds, moats, and the like) built by the Hopewell culture 2,000 years ago. It turns out these were for ceremonial purposes, not defensive or residential as some first thought. For a while, after European settlement, it became the local county fairgrounds.

Archaeology is controversial here. On the one hand, messing with sacred spaces is offensive to many folks, especially Indigenous people. On the other, it helps to understand and appreciate the past. As one person put it: “How would you like it if I took a backhoe to the wall of the Sistine Chapel to find out how old it is?”

Toto, Where The Heck Are We?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words…

Welcome to Kansas.

Canyonlands

Maybe it’s because I don’t like to get up early in the morning. I’m not sure why I’m frowning in the face of this spectacular scenery. This is the point where you can overlook the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers. In my more ebullient moods I am amazed by the carving that wind and water can do.

Sadly, about a half hour after this photo was taken, we got the news that my grandmother-in-law (Pam’s mom) had passed away in Massachusetts. I never got the chance to meet her. We’re heading east now to be with family.

In-Spire-ational

Utah’s Kodachrome Basin State Park is a geologically fascinating place. There are lots of rock spires throughout the park, including Chimney Rock (in the photo). Scientists aren’t sure about how they are formed, but one theory is that ancient hot springs tossed up hard minerals and then, over many years, the softer rock around them eroded away.

There were some cows grazing nearby when we stopped here. They seemed unimpressed by the scenery.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (or GSENM) is hard to pronounce. I think I would have called it “Awesome Desert Adventure Place for Travelers” (ADAPT).

Anyway, Dad and I put his new Subaru through its paces and spent a day on Cottonwood Road (40 miles of dirt road) and had a great time. I really enjoyed our hike in Hackberry Canyon with sheer red cliffs on either side.

One thing I have realized is that there is so much to explore in this part of the country that I probably will never do all of it.

White House

No, we’re not in Washington, D.C. (yet). We’re staying at the White House Campground in Utah. It’s named for the white rocks you can see in the picture behind me (although they look different in late afternoon light). This place is the starting point for the Paria River Canyon Trail. If you start here and don’t mind getting your feet wet and are not too scared of flash floods, in three or four days you’ll emerge at the confluence with the Colorado River (where we found the fruit trees).

I think I’ll pass.

Drowned

I have mixed feelings whenever I encounter any of the big dams made by the Bureau of Reclamation back in the 20th century. On the one hand, Glen Canyon Dam and the water in Lake Powell behind it make it possible for people to live in large numbers in places like Arizona (and for me to visit). On the other hand, think of the priceless legacy of side canyons and Native American cultural sites lost underwater. The explorer and advocate for the Southwest, John Wesley Powell (1834-1902), foresaw some of the problems that massive development in the desert would cause and did his best to alert politicians in Washington, D.C. I’m not sure how much they listened.

Speaking of Major Powell, we encountered a four year old boy named Wesley in a coffee shop in Page, Arizona. His mother said he was named after Powell.

Navajo Bridge

Lee’s Ferry used to be the only way to cross the Colorado River in this area. That was the case until the Navajo Bridge was opened in 1929.

It crosses Marble Canyon and if you look over the railing you can see rafters and kayakers below. (The signs warn against throwing rocks.)

It’s also a border of sorts. On the west side of the river you have Arizona, on the east side the Navajo Nation. The interesting thing is that the Navajo Nation observes Daylight Savings Time whereas Arizona remains on Mountain Standard Time all year long. So, when it’s 12:00 on one side of the bridge, it’s 1:00 on the other.

Maybe the Dine people want to make a point that they’re independent and sovereign, distinct from the larger political culture. Speaking of culture, we had dinner in a Navajo-owned restaurant in Page, Arizona. We ate “Navajo tacos” wrapped in fry bread instead of tortillas. Delicious!

Fruit Tree

There’s a neat little historic place near Lee’s Ferry right by the mouth of the Paria River where it meets the Colorado. It’s called the Lonely Dell Ranch. It was founded by Mormon pioneers in the 19th century who carved out a living in a harsh desert environment. They planted an orchard with various kinds of fruit trees that are still here.

The sign said that it’s O.K. for the public to pick ripe fruit. We found a few nice plums.

Rock Of Ages

If I were unfamiliar with this area, I would be traveling south on the Kaibab Plateau thinking that it’s a nice pine forest, but what’s the big deal?

I can imagine a newcomer’s jaw dropping when suddenly out of nowhere a massive gash in the earth appears. It’s the Grand Canyon.

One of the cool things about this place is that the rock layers tell the history of millions of years of geology. All the way from the Kaibab Formation to the Vishnu Basement Rocks by the Colorado River. Geologist must love studying this place because you can see the layers so clearly.