Last Night

Tonight finds me in Greensburg, PA at a Ramada that could have been in Brigadoon for all the Garmin could determine. I guess it's a new place and my latest map update didn't cover "100 Ramada Drive." In almost 8,000 miles over 6 weeks, tonight's was the only failure for the Garmin.

I see by the menu that I can get "Scrod English style" here. First time I've ever heard it in the pluperfect subjunctive. (Old joke....)

I have just 280 miles to go on my trip. This hotel is on US Route 30, which also runs one block from home. I think I'll try to follow 30 tomorrow as a way to slowly withdraw from this adventure.

It's going to take a little adjusting to my "normal" life again. First order of business is to shed the excess avoirdupois I have accumulated over the last six weeks.

This morning I visited Dayton Aviation NHS, a beautifully-done little jewell of a park. I love the Wright Brothers story, always have. I know I'd break my neck, but I'd love to try gliding a la Wright sometime. Maybe after I regain my girlish figure.... But I doubt it. Our border collie, Molly, was related to the Wright brothers.

Ahia

Today I drove and drove and drove., top up all the way.

Tonight I am staying at a hotel in downtown Dayton. They neglected to inform me that they will be shutting down for renovations shortly and they have stopped all guest services, down to and including ice. The room is nice enough, but the neighborhood is devoid of life, of food of any kind, so I am living off my trip-blubber and the kindness of a Kind-bar.

Tomorrow it's a visit to Dayton Aviation and then continuing east. I doubt I'll make it home tomorrow, I'll probably stop somewhere along the way for one last night on the road.

September Song

And the days dwindle down to a precious few....

Yesterday's storm brought a definite change in the weather. This return trip started out at 109 degrees in southern California Tonight is forecast to be 39 degrees in Springfield, Illinois. Me, I'd rather have the cooler weather, but a little moderation would be nice.

We visited Lincoln Home this afternoon. It was rainy, so outside time was less leisurely than I would have liked. My tour group numbered about 8 souls. It was an interesting presentation technique, I felt as if I was a baton in a relay race, handed off from one ranger to the next as we worked our way through the house. All-told, I think we were passed off four times by five rangers. It seemed as though each ranger might be fluent in only one room of the house. I'm sure that was not the case, but impressions can be lasting.

Tonight's accommodations are about as different as can be from last night's simple-but-genuine Wagon Wheel Motel. Tonight, I am staying at the Route 66 Hotel and Conference Center. Pretty seedy, and not very real-feeling, but I suppose I've been spoiled on this trip.

Tomorrow I leave The Mother Road and head east to Dayton, Ohio to visit Dayton Aviation NHS, another site I've never visited. After that, probably one more night somewhere in western Pennsylvania and then home. The rainy weather really impedes my wakefulness. With the top down, I guess I get more oxygen and can stay awake much better than with the top up. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Cuba, Missouri

Today was little more than a dash from Point A (Claremore, OK) to Point B (Cuba, Missouri.) I wanted to get under cover before the inch-diameter hailstones began to fall. All day, the sky looked like dryer lint, but it didn't let loose until this evening when it did so with a vengeance. None of the predicted hail (yet) but the night is young. I found a car-porty thing to park Bergy under. Registration is pretty low here at the Wagon Wheel Motor Court, a lovely, refurbished survivor from the 1930s, so I took a chance that no one would mind if I coopted a covered space.

The storm will bring with it cooler air, as if fall starts tomorrow. Fitting, since tomorrow I will return to my "home" states, the ones I am most familiar with. The "adventure" states will be behind me tomorrow and soon the entire adventure will be but a memory. I would do it again, in a heartbeat.

I neglected to mention the dinner I had last night with Mark Booth and several members of the San Diego Miata Club. They were following the entire route of 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. Dinner was at Molly's Landing, a restaurant right next to Route 66. "Progress" is replacing the original truss bridge with generic concrete. The owner of Molly's bought two of the spans and had them moved to their driveway as an entrance feature. Quite something!

In other news, I've had to replace both low beam bulbs on this trip, the only automotive things that have failed on the trip. Every mile makesme happier with Bergy.

Oklahoma, Day 2

Pleasant day yesterday. Spent a large part of the day on Route 66. It is so much more relaxing on the slower road. More varied, more time to look around.

Bridges were in evidence, stone ones and steel ones, as well as original concrete-with-curbs roadway.

Today is forecast to be more exciting. It looks like we'll be following a severe line of storms, including 1-inch hailstones. Bergy isn't very happy about that. We shall see.

Clinton Ooooook-lahoma!

Yet another evening with a wretched connection. (Thanks to Rachelle D. for reminding me what a woonderful word "wretched" is.)

I managed to escape Texas. It seems that Fox News is the default TV show to play in public places such as breakfast areas in hotels. I guess they think they'll offend fewer of their patrons with Fox. I tried hard not to laugh at some of the segments.

Two nights in Oklahoma. Here in Clinton and another tomorrow in Claremore, where I will be dining with four Miata-loads of people who are doing Route 66 westbound after leaving Miatas at MRLS and wending their way through a bunch of national parks before taking off on The Mother Road from Chicago.

I managed to visit two Route 66 museums today, One in Elk City, OK, (The National Route 66 Museum) and one in Clinton (The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum.) The latter was head and shoulders better than the former. Much better exhibitry and focus. The former was one of those "attic-dumps" that local museums are so often prone to. It does concern me that places seem to be able to use "national" in their names with impunity. Anyway, these are a couple of the exhibits.

Outside the "national" museum, there was a beautiful c. 1960 Corvette parked. I thought it was part of the exhibit. But there was an empty space next to it, so I parked Bergy alongside. Just as I was about to take a picture of the two, a couple, looking very unfriendly, came out of the museum, looked down their noses at Bergy, got into their shiny Corvette and left with a snooty roar. I guess they were afraid I'd get Japanese cooties on their car.

Hello from Amarillo!

I'm still trying to adjust to, what do we call it? Miata Lag? Two time zones in two days has kept me a little behind the 8-ball. I am hoping that tomorrow I can get with the program.

Dinner and comfy bed last night with Ron and Laura Harvey in Las Vegas, NM, a fascinating little town. Pretty much passed over by "progress" and, as a result, remains relatively intact from a century ago. It seems that the cuisine has not suffered in Las Vegas, however. Dinner last night included bacon and gorgonzola fondue (as an appetizer, no less!) followed by chicken and pasta in even more gorgonzola. Redundant, yes, but ever-so-nummy. So yummy in fact, that this morning's breakfast choice was oatmeal. Trying to be nice to Tommy's Tummy tonight.

Adding to my list of Twisties Not to be Missed, I took Route 104 southeast out of Las Vegas to Tucumcari. Wonderful vistas, and, not to beat a dead horse, but lonely-wise, it was right up there. This is a view from the road. Whatever that is down in the valley (the valley so low) that looks like the road, isn't.

I paid the obligatory visit to the Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo. I was hoping to get a picture of Bergy next to what's left of the Cadillacs, but they are planted maybe 100 yards from the road. I'm pretty sure that Bergy is glad he's not planted nose down in a Texas prairie.

Everything is graffitied. Everything, even the dirt. And in Texas, it is likely that Maria will last a long time.

Route 66 is famous for its outsized, um, everything: dinosaurs, cowboys, et ceteras. We stopped to consider what is purported to be the largest cross in the western hemisphere. It was big, but is it more powerful than a small cross held in the hand of a true believer? So why do people build these things?

Or the big cowboy just down the road at the Cadillac Ranch RV park and gift shop and, I assume, anything else that can turn a buck from tourists who come to see what's left of the real thing.  Turns out that he was a "Second Amendment Cowboy," whatever that is. Maybe all this bigness is a form of shouting, or typing in all caps. Whatever it is, there's a lot of it.

Drying Out in Gallup, NM

Tonight I find myself in Gallup, staying at El Rancho Hotel. (This is not it.) Built in 1937, it has played host to many movie stars of times gone by. Each room is named for one star. I am in the Richard (Have Gun Will Travel) Boone room. Only William Bendix stands between me and Jane Fonda's room. Kitch aside, it is a very nice place with rustic railings, heavy furniture, and Southwest motifs everywhere.

If you want a true taste of old Route 66, the road east of Oatman serves up a hearty meal. Twisties galore, on a par with Mulholland Highway, but narrower and in worse repair. Fortunately, zero traffic in either direction. But, again, I can't imagine doing that road in an overloaded Model T.

Nor could I pass up a visit to the Meteor Crater. People can cast aspersions at traveling and spending money to see a big hole in the ground, but I thought it was worthwhile, certainly as close as I'll ever come to being in a moonscape.

I did find a nice laundromat after I arrived in Gallup, where I washed and dried my tent, sleeping bag, pad, etc. after last night's deluge, so everything's back to normal. It was a beautiful campsite, and the tent did perform admirably in keeping me dry, I could almost say it gave its all in protecting me. It's good to know the little tent is up to the task.

This afternoon, Bergy went topless. The temperature has dropped and the onnagain-offagain rain was mostly offagain. So after I visited Petrified Forest, the big sky country was just that, and just beautiful.

Tomorrow, it's off to Las Vegas, NM to visit friends Laura and Ron Harvey, and my soon-to-be friend, their dog, Fred Harvey.

Onward!

Where's Tommy?

Last night, Thor, Bergy, and I camped at Fort Tuthill County Park just south of Flagstaff, AZ. I clearly mis-read the lay of the campsite, as a small river ran directly under my tent. Soggy City. At least the lightning didn't get to me. No WiFi at the park, so no post. I'm having lunch at Petrified Forest NP where there's petrified wood and WiFi. I'll be in Gallup, NM this afternoon and will post more from there.

On the Road Again!

It's funny how the same span of time can fly along quickly, and then at the same time seem to be long. Understand? I had a wonderful viddddit with my sister who is very good to me. Looking back to when I first arrived at her place, it seems like ages ago, yet, where did the time go?  We traveled from San Jose down the coast had a birthday party for me and my nephew Beto, Spent some time with Beto's family, Went to Malibu, and introduced Bergy to Mulholland Highway (everyone should meet Mulholland,) visited a Krispy Kreme parking lot where Bill Wilner of Miata Roadster installed a quick-shifter kit for me (more anon) went to Santa Monica Mountains (twice) fixed a few things around the house, visited the Griffith Observatory (everything I dreamed) and on and on and on.... Wonderful times

Now I have taken the first bite from my return-trip pie and am staying at The Lodge on the River in Bullhead City, Arizona. It's just up the road from Needles, California, the perennial national hotspot. Today did not disappoint, with a high of 109. OK, folks, it's late September, let's move along. Some weather-guessers are predicting rain in Arizona in the coming days. I think I remember rain.... Wet, wasn't it?

Taking a Break

As you may have noticed, I have been taking a bit of a break from blogging. I am not doing much traveling and am pretty much hunkered down avoiding the Southern California heat wave. It is due to break on Thursday, with highs in the mid-80s instead of the 100-plusses. I'm all for that.

Tomorrow I'm having lunch with Jamie Cabral, a friend from Greece (My, don't we sound exotic?) who works at Santa Monica Mountains. And maybe Amy Lethbridge, another Greek sojourner. We all attended the NAI international conference in Athens a few years ago.

Friday I'll be meeting up with Bill Wilner from MiataRoadster who is going to install his short-shifter upgrade in Bergy. It's supposed to be a great upgrade. We'll be meeting at the weekly KINOD Miata meet at the Krispy Kreme in City of Industry, CA. Mine will be the Miata that is not slammed.

My journey east will commence on September 25th. Leaving Gullyforneia (as Governor Ahnold would say) and heading through Needles, the perennial national hotspot. It supposed to be only 106 when I pass through. I'll keep you posted.

If you need an adrenaline rush, here is an article about a ride-along with Brian Goodwin in his NC Miata, the same Miata I was in for a couple of hot laps. Amazing! You're here. And then you're not.

LA, Day 3

OK, I'm beginning to get my feet under me again. Being in one place for more than a day is a good thing every now and then. Hotter than blazes here though. 99 last I checked at about 4:45 p.m. And I don't want to hear any of that "dry heat" crap. Gimme Monterey or San Jose any day.

Bergy got a bath this afternoon. There is a coin-op wash just a few blocks away. I've beenin touch with Bill Wilgus at MiataRoadster who is going to come over and install a quick-shift kit for Bergy. Supposedly a wonderful upgrade.I'll let you know how it performs on the trip back east

The drought appears in odd ways. Through the Valley, there seemed to be a lot of water flowing through sprinklers and aquaducts. Agriculture gets a pass, I suppose. But many businesses have instituted very strict "customers only" policies for bathrooms, and many, including Hearst Castle, (A California State Park) are using chemical toilets in lieu of watery toilets. Watering is permitted on alternate days. It is dry. Laguna Seca was a dust bowl. I guess car wash water gets reused.

Here are some photos that I had not had time to post until now.

 Bergy in The Valley, Near Hollister, CA

Most expensive gas on the trip, Pacific Coast Highway, south of Big Sur.

Another Day In Paradise

Well folks, I know that I promised more today, but today turned out to be a Day of Rest, so I didn't do anything to gild my blog-lily. Tomorrow, for sure, I promise.

We did some laundry, a usually unremarkable event, but we went to El Gringo Laundromat, far and away the grandest one I have ever seen. WiFi, video games, food, and many different choices of washer sizes. All run by card, no 20-pound pocket full of quarters. Very cool. And my clothes are clean!

The other big event was Beethoven and Bernstein at the Holywood Bowl. Wonderful! Beethoven's 9th and Bernstein's W

Tomorrow, I Promise!

We've arrived at my sister's place near LA. I'll be here for a couple of weeks. I promise I'll update this with all of the photos from the last few days tomorrow. OK? Goodnight.

One in a Million Day

I have no words for how wonderful today was, but I guess I better come up with some or I will disappoint my legion fans.

We started this morning in San Jose and, after a wonderful breakfast (thank you again, Jeanne and Joy) we headed for Morro Bay on California Highway 1. The weather was perfect, cool with a slight overcast. Headed down the coast and found perhaps the most expensive gas in the nation. I had heard tales. Fortunately, I didn't need much soI bought a couple of gallons to tide me over until we got back to Realityville. Traffic was light for the most part, this being post-labor day and all. There were several tailgating bozos, but there were many turnouts so I let the bozos by so we could enjoy the drive.

We arrived at Morro Bay hust as the sun was setting next to Morro Rock, had a great dinner at the Harbor Hut and once agaain, I find myself tired and ready for the hay. Tomorrow, back to Hearst Castle and then shoot south to Encino for 2 weeks before heading east.

I have other pictures, but they'll have to wait (and so will you) I am too pooped to pop.

Goodnight, all.

San Jose

Today was check out, give Bergy a bath, travel to San Jose, repack the car to accommodate another human, pick up said human, my sister Kathy, and visit with Cousin Jeanne and her partner Joy. So good to see them again and to see Jeanne's workshop where she creates amazing scroll work.

We  also visited the Humane Society of Silicon Valley where they both volunteer. What a wonderful facility!

A wonderful dinner prepared by Joy, and lots of stories about our family. Note to family: If you weren't here, you really missed it.

Tomorrow we will drive down the coast to Morro Bay, spend the night, and then, the following day, back track a little to Hearst Castle. I wonder if Rosebud is there....

Last Day of Camp Zoom Zoom

And so it ends. With a bang, not a whimper Here's a photo of Bergy and me coming down the famous Corkscrew. Photo credit: GotBlueMilk.com. What an incredible operation that is! They took high-quality photos of every car that was on the track (more than 1,500) and had them catalogued and available for purchase by the following day. Today I took it a little easier. I tried to sit down more. Although some of that sitting included watching presentations by Tom Matano and Bob Hall, the two "fathers" of the original Miata, and by Derek Jenkins, current head of design for Mazda, who is responsible for the design of the yet to be released ND Miata. The other seat I sat in was in Brian Goodwin's NC Miata. I was a passenger in the Goodwin Racing Miata for two hot laps of MRLS. We only got up to about 90 or so on the straights, but it was pretty exciting in the corners. What a rush, and what control and quick reactions!

I have to say that Mazda outdid themselves with this event. It was free, the whole thing, and wonderfully organized. I don't think any babies were born, but it did remind me of Woodstock with Wheels. Everyone was having such a good time.

Said goodbye to two new friends from Sequim, Washington whose niece and nephew are both NPS WebRangers! I called Corky Mayo, former NPS Chief of Interpretation so they could chat with the "father" of WebRangers.

Tomorrow I pick up my sister Kathy in San Jose and we head off to visit our cousin Jeanne (Elsie in Wyoming's sister) before doing a Lou turn and heading south along the coast to Encino for a couple of weeks.

Truly an adventure to remember.!

Miatas at MRLS, Day 2

Here is what an artfully-arranged assembly of 1,200 Miatas looks like from a helicopter. Bergy is at the right side of the intersection of the X, just above the point. The scale of this event is breathtaking. There are so many f these things. They are estimating that more than 1,800 Miatas are gathering this weekend.

We did have an opportunity to drive on the track today in what were called parade laps. About 300 of us got onto the track and did two laps at somewhere between 20 and 40 mph. There is one famous turn at Laguna Seca called The Corkscrew. You drive up a slight slope and at the crest, the bottom drops out. Beyond the crest of the hill is a nearly five-story drop in a few hundred feet and, at the same time, the track turns sharply to the left. Thrilling at 30, I can only imagine what t must feel like at a speed twice that.

Another full day and another opportunity for the 2001 BRGs to gather for a group picture. A wonderful group of people, and once again, I am baked, so to bed.

Miatas at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

It was pretty seca alright. Dry Lake. But Laguna Seca sounds so much more appealing. But more than 1,800 Miataphiles filed into a huge, dusty parking area, choreographed by volunteers who shaped us into a field that spelled out MX-5 25 in the negative dirt-space. (MX-5 is an alias for the Miata, this year is the 25th anniversary of its introduction.) We all stood around and talked while a helicopter flew over and took stills and video of us and our artfully-arranged vehicles. Good times. Good times. Our Green Group made a good showing, some 18 strong, 3 rows of 6. We'll appear just at the intersection of the X, I believe on the right side.

We also got to see the newest version of the Miata, the ND (there have been Ns A through C, Bergy is an NB)  and now the ND that will be released as a 2015. It is stunning! Much better in "person" than the early photos released the other day. Less hippy and less aggressive, a bit friendlier-looking than the photos, I think. It had dual exhausts, two tips together on the passenger side. Very low and nimble-looking. It drove by once and then was gone, in a truck, to New York. There is supposed to be a non-running mockup on display tomorrow for more deliberate perusal. Maybe tomorrow my camera battery won't die like it did today, just as the ND went by. I've certainly lost my photo-chops, and that's a fact.

In the photo above, you can see a small section of the field with its 1,800+ Miatas. Really quite something. That's Bergy in the foreground. The guy in the Hawaiian shirt is Mark Booth, one of the moderators on Miata.net, the source of most Miata wisdom. If you look carefully through the windshield of his car (the red one) you can see dark inserts on his tan seats. His was the on-line inspiration for Bergy's dark green-on-tan seats. It just happened that Bergy was placed nose-to-nose with his car. We'll be meeting Mark and some of his Southern California group in Oklahoma when we head east on Route 66 as they return on 66 from Chicago. As I said, Good Times.

I have to admit though, I am pretty baked.

Fresh batteries and more fun tomorrow.

It Begins

I had dinner tonight with some members of the Green Group and another person from near Eugene, Oregon. Wonderful people. If all 2,000 of them are as much fun as this small preview, it's going to be a blast.

I did visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium this morning and it was everything that people promised. Just wonderful. The first thing I saw was this interpreter with a tube with tiny, live jellyfish swimming. Fascinating and, as you can see, captivating to the young (and older) visitors. I had been told that the visitor experience was top notch, but I was unprepared for just how high that notch was. It gave me much to think about, not only from the stories being told, but also from a (former) practitioner's perspective. There is much to learn here, and a tremendous amount of inspiration as well.

So inspired and deep in thought was I that, on leaving the parking garage, I sideswiped a concrete pillar with Bergy's rear bumper. Alas and oh well. The rear bumper needed redoing anyway. That's why you don't make a car perfect before taking a 7,000 mile drive. (Just one of Tom's Hints For A Stress-Free Life....)

Tomorrow is the Big Day, where 1,800+ Miatas will gather in an attempt to break the world record for Gathered Miatas. I am the group coordinator for about 20 green Miatas. The idea being to create a green patch in the assembled throng that will, when photographed from a helicopter, look like Central Park in Manhattan. At least that's the idea.

There will also be a chance to see the new, 2015 Miata in the "flesh" for the first time. It will be good to see it without the distortion created by wide or long lenses. I like what I've seen so far, however.

So I should better get to bed. There's cats needs herding in the morning.

To the Coast!

We made it! 14 days and 3,555 miles. We averaged something over 27 miles per gallon, probably owing to my over-packing. I know that we are heavier than we should be. I forgot to mention in my previous post that the first gas in California was $5.15/gallon. That was premium (Bergy has expensive tastes) and right at the beginning of the Tioga Road, a somewhat captive audience. I was pleased to see the prices drop to about $4.15 farther from the border. I had figured $4.10 average for the trip and this is really the first time I have exceeded that.

Now that the bean-counters have been dealt with....

I forgot to mention that the winner of the t-shirt is Doug Peel, who correctly guessed I would see my first Miata in Yosemite. The first one I saw here in Monterey was the earlier version of the British Racing Green Special Edition (Bergy's older sibling) from 1991. I was feeling pretty smug about completing my cross-country journey. This guy came from Newfoundland, about 10,000 kilometers, more than 6,200 miles in a 23 year old car! Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

I also drove out to the Laguna Seca track just to get my bearings. I couldn't believe how hilly it is! It looks like a fun place to play. I am not going to be doing any "hot laps," but I will take part in a "parade lap" or two at a more moderate speed, just to have the experience, dontcha know.

It was amazing how noticable the temperature drop was when we got near the coast. It's in the low to mid-70s here, supposed to be partly cloudy for The Event. Perfect!

Tomorrow is a "day off." Several people I trust suggested I visit the Monterey Aquarium, so the Monterey Aquarium it will be.

Yosemite

I think the Loneliest Road is over-hyped. US 95 south out of Fallon, Nevada was, in my opinion, lonelier Fewer cars, less traffic. (See what I did there?) I spent much of the morning singing of Darcy Farrow, because this is where the Walker runs down to the Carson Valley Plain. Anyway once the lonely part was done, I got to take the Tioga Road into Yosemite, one of the highpoints, literally and figuratively, of the trip thus far. Stunning, stunning scenery and a beautiful day.Traffic there was, but not as bad as it could have been. Some of the backups were due to more of those unsung heros (and federal employees) who were clearing the road of rock slides so that we all could pass safely Thank you, federal employees.

I met up with Jana and Sean, two good friends from the NPS who work in Yosemite, then had dinner and stayed with them at their house in Mariposa, an hour-plus commute each way (on a good day.) Again, beautiful scenery, and a wonderful Miata drive, but I can only imagine what it must be like when the weather is less clement.

I did drop in to Best Studios, AKA the Ansel Adams Gallery. I thought back to 1966 when I arrived there on a bus to take part in Ansel's Yosemite Workshop. Overwhelming experience for me. Moreso than when I returned nine years later as a teaching assistant. Much had changed in the intervening years. One of Ansel's prints was hanging in Gerry Ford's Oval Office, Ansel's business manager was driving a Ferrari, and his prints were commanding real money. In 1966, I bought three signed prints as gifts for $7.50 each. (My mom was appalled that I spent so much.) Granted, they had been printed by Liliane DeCock, Ansel's assistant at the time, but they were approved and signed by himself. For the truly well-heeled, yesterday I saw a print of Moonrise, Hernandez priced at $52,000. (Mom would be pleased I didn't buy it.)

Today it's off to Monterey, my "final" destination. It's another beautiful day, albeit dry and dusty. Poor California. It needs watering.

More and More Nevada

OK, it was lonely. It was lonely as Hell. Not that I think that Hell, if it exists, is lonely, far from it, but it was very lonely. It may not be the Loneliest Road in America, as the signs claim it to be, but US Route 50 in Nevada is way up there in the lonely road pantheon. Truth be told, however, it was a pretty popular road today. Lots of motorcycles, campers, and cars. I guess all the hype about its being lonely has created a counterproductive rush to experience the loneliness. But, as you can see, there's a lot of space in which to hide all the traffic.

I was again struck by the bravery of the people who crossed this wilderness before there were roads, where every gully, every hill, was an obstacle that had to be overcome. I can't imagine the perseverance that was needed all day, every day, for months or years. The Pony Express ran through this area. The last of the pre-technology communications methods. It lasted only 19 months, rendered obsolete by the telegraph. Of course, someone had to string those telegraph wires. Then, more recently, the people who planned and built the roads that I sped along so effortlessly. Yes, they had machines, but I'm sure it was no picnic.

I still have not seen any other west-bound Miatas. Tomorrow may be different, however, as I head into Yosemite by the Tioga Pass. I know that some Miata owners had talked about driving on the Tioga Road on their way to Monterey. One more night "on the road," staying with Sean and Jana before I arrive in Monterey for Miata's 25th anniversary celebration this coming weekend.

Utah and Nevada

Today was National Don't Bother Turning the Steering Wheel Day. If you missed it, it's probably just as well, because most of you live somewhere where they have curves in the roads Not here. Here, I could have lashed down the wheel, stomped on the the gas pedal, and taken a nap. It's that straight. OK, I did make a left turn at Wendover, but you get the idea. Tomorrow I am traveling on what is supposed to be "The Lonliest Road in America." ot sure how a road can get lonlier than the one between Wendover and Ely, but I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

 Here we are at Bonneville Salt Flats. Yes it's flat, exccept for the curvature of the earth. And, yes, it's salty. I tasted it. Very salty. No, we didn't drive on it. It is a crust of salt, with water under it, so, like ice on a frozen lake, it can give way if you find a thin spot and down you go. Besides, Bergy gets enough salt in his diet with the winters we have in eastern Pennsylvania. Other than a couple of large plaques and a diner/gas pump/postcard rack, there wasn't anything in the way of info about Bonneville or the speed records set there as far back as the 30s. Maybe Wendover has something, but they don't talk about it much if they do.

Tomorrow is all Nevada, 200+ miles of lonely Route 50. We'll see....

Salt Lake, Utah

Today was pretty long, for me, about 350 miles. Bergy still continues to perform beautifully. Cousin Elsie made me some wonderful meatloaf and pepperjack sandwiches which stood me in good stead at a windy rest stop. Having the sandwiches was a nice way to take a little of my visit with me, to ease the transition from peace back to jousting on the highway. I am in Toole, Utah tonight, with a relatively short hop to Ely, Nevada tomorrow. I plan to visit the Bonneville salt flats on my way to Ely. Don't know if there'll be anything going on there tomorrow, but it'll be fun just to see it.

During much of today, I was again struck by the vastness of this country. I was reminded of the Breton Fisherman's Prayer: "Oh God, thy sea is so great, and my boat so small."

I am so fortunate to be able to make this journey. I'm getting closer to the left coast and my destination, but this trip has been all I dreamed it would be.

More From Pavillion

What a perfect antidote for the interstate! I spent two full days visiting with my cousin Elsie Westlake near Pavillion, Wyoming. Somehow I had never experienced the smell of sagebrush before, or at least so intensely. What a wonderful thing! Textures everywhere. She took up knifemaking a few years ago and showed me some beautiful work. Here are a few more pictures.

 

Pavilion, Wyoming

I'm visiting my cousin Elsie who has lived here since her early 20s. I can see why. It is stone quiet and beautiful. The Wind River range is in the distance, past the porch railing, the grass, the horse barn, past the trees and the sagebrush. It's sunny today with a nice breeze. I offered to stack some firewood but stopped far short of completion. There's always tomorrow, which should see me most of the way through the rest of the pile. No rattlers, but I am watching and listening. She says she hasn't seen any for a few years, but, you know....

Her jackrabbit died a while back, so now there are two cottontails, two horses, an aging border collie, and four kittens that will be adopted out when they are old enough.

So far, we've traveled more than 2,000 miles, averaging about 27 mpg of high-test. Bergy's still doing fine, although his cruise control kicks off when going up inclines. Not sure if this is usual. I will check on Miata.net when I get back to WiFi in a couple of days.

Fort Collins Day Off

I spent a quiet day with Lynn and Lucy The Elusive Kitten. Lucy and her human went out for a walk and practiced hiding in grass and bushes and climbing trees. The blonde-tailed squirrels took exception to the goings on and dropped the odd acorn from a safe distance above.

Lots of bicycles in Fort Collins. In all, a very pleasant place to be.We went into Old Town again. Dangerous place to be. We visited an olive oil bar and a spice shop. Needless to say, I bought some olive oil,  some vinegar, and some peppercorns. I didn't go too crazy because I am concerned about how the oil, especially, would travel. I suppose I could just pour it into the engine and drain it when I get home.

I did some paperwork related to the Miata event while I had access to a real computer, so thanks Lynn for that.

Tomorrow it's off to Pavillion, Wyoming to see my cousin Elsie and her pet jackrabbit.

Nebraska and Colorado

Needing gas, I stopped in a small town in Nebraska and found Burgie's Diner. Mission accomplished.

This morning started dark and stormy in Kearney, but after about 45 minutes, the skies cleared and it was lovelier all the way into Fort Collins. I cut a corner of Wyoming on my way, where the speed limit is 80. I'll be in Wyoming day after tomorrow so more of that anon.

After Burgie's, I headed back to the interstate, and on my way crossed Route 30. Now, Route 30 runs through Paoli, Pennsylvania, one block from my house. If I had turned right and continued on for 1,800 miles, I'd be home

I'm in Fort Collins, CO tonight visiting my First Niece, Lynn. We walked to Old Town and had a tasty dinner and two even tastier desserts at Enzios. We ate outside and were actually chilly by the time we were done. Fortunately, the walk home settled our dinners and warmed us at the same time.

Lynn echoed the thought that my friend Steve in Illinois had shared, that mine was not merely a cross-country journey in a Miata. It is also an impetus for people all across America to clean their houses. I must say, I am staying in some fine houses with some fine, fine people.

It's Still There!

Fort Kearney State Historic Site
For those of you who were fortunate enough to experience my design presentation during one of the NPS Web classes, it's still there! The "it" in question is perhaps one of the best examples of uninviting design anywhere. My son Jon took a picture of this in 1999, knowing how much I loved dreadful design. I don't recall what the original medium was, but it has been updated as photo etch on aluminum. It is good to know that they did retain the all-caps and the full, wall-to-wall justification from 15 years ago. After all, preservation is what historical sites are all about. All that, plus the deadly-dull text. Alas.

In other news, I wimped out tonight and am staying in a nice motel. Last night, rather, this morning, the six gentlemen in the next campsite had a rather long and lengthy discussion about whether one of them was, in his remarks, disrespecting another's daughter and his unborn grandchild. Neither had a very deep bench in terms of invective. They were pretty limited to F you! No! F YOU, MF!! Amazingly, this exchange of ideas began about 2:30 a.m. and lasted until about 4:00, at which point, they all got into their pickups and departed, sans tents. I assume that they'll return today to retrieve them, but they had not done so before I left. So I felt I owed myself a silent night. Besides, Nebraska this evening is warm and humid and did not augur well for a good night's sleep.

Yesterday Bergy turned 70 (thousand miles.) So here we are, two septuagenarians hurtling together through the heartland. Peace out.

Tenting Tonight

I'm all set up for tonight.  Prediction for thunderstorms.  How exciting! This is a beautiful spot. Now that the sun has gone behind the happy little clouds, it's cooled off and the breeze is picking up. My tent is staked down...! Don't know how to post pix to Blogger on my phone so you'll just have to wait. Besides,  since I am out in nature, I feel duty-bound to abjure technology for the nonce.

A Contest!

Now west of the Mississippi.

Spot A Miata!

As I've been driving, I've been wondering where I'll see the first other Miata headed for the Miatas at Laguna Seca event. The event is being held September 5 - 7 at Laguna Seca near Monterey, CA. 1,600 Miatas are expected, so, at some point as we converge, I'll start seeing them, I'm sure.

So here's the deal: In the comments section, tell me where I'll see the first Miata verified as going to Miatas at Laguna Seca. You can see a map of my planned route in the entry titles "The Plan" to give you a better chance. I only need a locationThe person closest will win a free T-Shirt from the event. All decisions of the judges are final. Employees of Proctor and Gamble are not eligible.

Illinois Fairy House

Today was a short drive geographically but a half-century emotionally. I returned to my alma mater, Lake Forest College, north of Chicago around the corner from Michigan City. As luck would have it, this was the first day of freshman orientation and the place was hopping with eager bright eyes and their misty-eyed parents. Took me back. I climbed to the top of College Hall where the college darkroom was back in the day. No longer. Because what's  a darkroom? The campus has grown, one dorm had sprouted a second story. Lots of rain and Philly-style humidity, but it was good to look around and remember back in the day.

Then I traveled a half-hour to the home of Steve and Suzanne, two friends from the aforementioned day. They had just met when I knew them. Now they've been married 50 years They are really lucky because, in their yard there is this really cool fairy house with a little door and a mirror. And the fairy keeps little trinkets like little horses and stars and hearts and diamonds and other things and the kids in the neighborhood come around and they know, because there is a little sign, and because their friends tell them, that they can take only one thing away every day. And the kids come around every day to check on things and to see what the fairy has left for them. Sometimes as many as 20 kids show up in a day. So yes, they are very lucky that they have a fairy in their garden and because they have eachother.

Michigan City

Brian and Warren After Dinner

Quick day today, 300-plus miles. Visited friends Brian and Warren in Michigan City Indiana. Brian took me on a tour of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Michigan City, both supremely cool places. We also had great dinner from Chef Brian and a peach and berry pie to die for.

Lots of rain and forecasts for more for the next few days. Honestly, I think I prefer that to broiling sun. I'm sure I'll get my fill of broiling sun before this trip is over.

Tomorrow, a short hop around the corner of Lake Michigan to visit my old college haunts and a couple of college friends. 

Newton Falls Ohio

Bergy resting at the EconoLodge, hard by the interstate

Bergy and Tom have left the state. Pennsylvania, that is. We left home about 8:30 and drove with the top down for most of the 7 hours we were on the road. After all, isn't that the idea? We did hit a good cloudburst around Somerset, PA. Stopped under a bridge and put the lid on. After about a half hour, we were topless again. The sharp-eyed Miatiste will see that the Cool Breeze Scoop was put on, indicating an increase in temperature post-burst. The 'Scoop is a cheap piece of plastic that gathers, yes, cool breezes, (don't run ahead) and directs them into the cockpit, making things much more comfy. 

We're safely ensconced in an EconoLodge and will go hunting and gathering supper shortly.

Bergy did very well today. I need to buy him a drink of high-test this evening. He drank a gallon every 28 miles today. Gas was a dime/gallon cheaper than I had budgeted, so it's filet mignon tonight!

Tomorrow!

Here's a look inside my "office" for the next six weeks. Now, if I can just get that red car out of the way....

I don't think I can get much readier. This adventure has been about a year in planning, and it's all about to happen.

I have been trying to keep things in perspective, however. Yes, I plan to drive about 7,600 miles in about 6 weeks. Pfft! A friend and NPS colleague, Kirsten Talken-Spaulding, has driven more than 13,000 miles! In eleven days! On a motorcycle! So again, I say Pfft! It's something called the Iron Butt Rally. Indeed. You can read all about it in her blog, KT'sRidin. The link is over there> I have been reading her blog for inspiration, and, as I said, to keep things in perspective.

Among the many things that she has on her blog is a tracking map showing her locations (obviously never too long in one spot.) Using something called Spotwalla and an Android app called BubblerGPS, I can let you follow me cross country. The link is also over there> It's called "Find Tom>On a Map." It'll go live tomorrow at 6 a.m. I have it set to update every 30 minutes while I'm underway (if all goes according to plan.)

Tomorrow promises to be one of my longer days at something over 350 miles. Pfft!

Why "Bergy?"

I have been asked by a number of people why I call my car Bergy. Back in the days before commercial sponsorships in auto racing, cars were assigned colors depending on their nationality. Italian cars were red, French cars were blue, German cars were silver, USA cars were white with a blue stripe, and British cars were green, like this stunning 1952 Aston Martin DB2.

One story holds that the first international race held in the British Isles was held in Ireland, since racing on public roads was illegal in England. To honor the Irish venue, the cars were painted green. That is one version of the story, and will do for now.

When Mazda created the Miata in 1989, it was conceived as a modern successor to the small British sports cars such as the MG and Lotus. To honor this legacy, Mazda released limited British Racing Green (BRG) editions in 1991 and 2001. My car is #771 of the 3,000 built in 2001.

Bergy is my pronunciation of the letters B, R, and G.