The morning after the wedding in Mill Valley, we hit the road again – only this time without the four-hour head start we had on the way out. We also took a different route since the time was roughly the same: through Sacramento and Truckee, into Nevada and Utah and Wyoming before Colorado and Kansas. … Continue reading West Coast Wander – Part Four
In war, a foxhole is a space in the ground that troops use as a shelter against enemy fire. When you're on the line, leaving that foxhole is a dangerous and potentially fatal action. The COVID-19 Pandemic isn't war - but I feel the risk when I leave the house. I have to have a … Continue reading Out of the Foxhole
The vast majority of travelers that spend time on Historic Route 66 are familiar with the 2006 Disney/Pixar film Cars. The animated movie tells the story of Lightning McQueen, a race car that finds himself stuck in the small western Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. The town is the home of many colorful characters … Continue reading The Cars Story and Route 66
(Part 3 is available here.) Driving from Bluff, Utah to Raton, New Mexico makes for a long day. When Mom and I woke up on October 2nd, we had to decide whether we were going to drive back into New Mexico, through Taos, or take the road through southern Colorado. Mom left the decision up … Continue reading Going West with Mom (Part 4)
If you missed my previous post that covered the journey from Paris Springs to Joplin, Missouri -- check that out here. As I ate my breakfast and visited with my New Zealand traveling companions in Joplin, I noticed they were all wearing small red pins. At first I thought they were little guitars, but I … Continue reading Gilligan’s Spring Tour (II)
When I woke up early on Sunday, I was eager to get back on the road. The EconoLodge in Hays, Kansas was fine, sure, but why lie around when I could be out exploring? Besides, it's cooler in the morning. However, I was shocked when I walked outside and discovered it was only 58 degrees. … Continue reading Uncommon Attractions
Early Thursday morning, I took Samantha to the airport so that she could spend a few days with her family back in New York. The house is awful quiet when it's just me, so I made plans for a little Route 66 trip with a friend on Saturday. When those plans fell through, I decided … Continue reading Rock, Chalk, and the Land of Jayhawks
After enjoying lunch at the Cozy Inn on Saturday, I set out to explore more of Salina, Kansas. You can read about the first part of my day here. For a town of about 50,000 it has a TON of beautiful architecture. The United Building, just a few doors down from the Cozy Inn, was … Continue reading Sunshine and Storm Clouds: Part II
"It feels good to not set an alarm," I told Samantha Friday night. She smiled a knowing smile and said, "Doesn't matter. You have road trip brain; you're gonna get up early anyway." She was right. Since I was planning a day trip through Kansas on Saturday, I woke without aid before 7:00 AM. By … Continue reading Sunshine and Storm Clouds: Part I
Back in October of 2014, I took a little roadtrip into southeast Kansas. I had never visited the town where my father was born and it sounded like as good a destination as any. I was reminiscing a bit tonight and noticed I never shared the experience here. My writing was a lot different back … Continue reading A Look Back in Southeast Kansas
Rhys' Pieces 