All Things Must Pass

Hello all,

We write to you from the Bear Country Cafe in West Yellowstone, Montana. We left Anchorage a little more than a week ago, and went to Denali National Park for a few days. Although the cloud-shrouded mountain evaded us (save for a few brief glimpses), Denali was an incredible park full of great mountain landscapes, moose, cariboops (caribou for those uninitiated in the trip lexicon), wolves, DALL SHEEPS, and foxen (foxes).

From Denali we drove north to Fairbanks and then east towards the Canadian border. I've discovered that Canadian border guards are way friendlier than American border guards. Although, one Canadian woman did tell me I got no dessert until I signed my passport. Anyway.

The Yukon was, as always, beautiful and desolate in a way that only the north country can be. We came across the Sign Post Forrest, which is basically a forest full of old license plates and stolen signs and such attached to big wooden poles. It was interesting. Lizzie thought it revelatory. We drove south through British Columbia overnight, and hit Alberta on Friday.

Alberta might be the most beautiful place I've seen on the trip. Jasper and Banff national parks were stunning in their grandeur. We saw rushing waterfalls, jagged mountain peaks, jade-blue lakes, glacial icefields. Good stuff. Oh yeah, and mountain goats. BEARDS. THEY HAVE BEARDS.

My apologies for the lack of pictures recently, but I've lost my picture uploader cable. Once we have a little free time, I'll upload all the back catalog of pictures.

Monday (MY BIRTHDAY BITCHES) we arrived at Glacier National Park in northern Montana, one of the parks I've been most looking forward to, and it didn't disappoint, although we didn't spend a lot of time there. St. Mary Lake, Logan Pass, Many Glacier, Lake McDonald - these places I've been thinking about for years didn't disappoint. Traffic in the park was kind of insane, but it was good.

Today we're at Yellowstone. The drive through Montana to here got increasingly more beautiful the closer we got to the park. Today, we're exploring the park.

But the week brings sad news, too. On Monday, Eddie Page, my grandfather passed away. It was not unexpected, but still a sad time. Eddie and his wife Connie, my grandmother, gave me 22 great years and they will be sorely missed. Monday the 30th (of August) marks the funeral services back in Boston, and thus the end of the trip. Our last stops will be Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain National Park, Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, all in the next 5 days or so, and then heading back east.

It's been more than I could have expected.

More later,

Tom

my second leg

i only have two.

but you gotta get the other side of the story. MY side!!

I'll try to keep the parts you're familiar with brief and stick to my highlights.

so from vegas---

-death valley: like an oven, hot wind is awful, eerie, beautiful
-yosemite: need to go back and climb half dome once my knee is better, but only go when school is still in session and hopefully it's less packed.
-half moon bay: is vunderbar. oh, man. some of the sun on the water scenes that I've seen are just perfect. the water is white with the sun hovering in a white sky. or blazing orange with pinks and purples like a three year old just happened to use her favourite crayons. I think i have discovered that actually the coloration of everyting we create to imitate nature can be whatever we want it to be and it would still at some point be accurate. neon grass, blood moon, purple trees, all true to form.

BUT we went to see knight and day in San Mateo. (cute film, not the point) remember when i said i wanted to get really lost? Well, friends, I succeeded. near the end of the film I began to have the deepest, most incomprehensible sense of deja vu, so bad that I could barely tell where I was anymore. How many times have i been in a movie theater? well, i started to remember, to feel all those times. going to the bathroom, walking down the street. Everywhere I looked, a different part of my life flashed before my eyes. I've seen intersections like this, streetlamps, the sky, everything. and i just wanted to close my eyes and stop looking. where am i, really? and why? and where do i want to be? and the whole time, i know this is it. this is the moment that i just must work through.

but at the same time that i moan and shuffle my way through this, my poor friend tom thinks he may have to drop me off at the hospital and ckeck me in as having gone insane. he said he didnt think it was that deep a movie. I tried to tell him this was a good thing, but he was scared and angry and confused. I felt bad, but it was hard to balance it all in my head and i wanted to get something out of it.

and no, i dont do drugs.

moral of the story is that i am lost, lost, lost, but never quite as lost as then. i'll keep the real stuff to myself for now.

-San francisco: i didnt get mugged, meet any celebs, or buy any musical instruments, amen. though i thought about getting a stick base, but it seems my limited wrist and elbow rotation may keep me from strings forever.

thursday i went to see my friend, brittany (brittanygoesglobal.com) who is a Kiva fellow and happened to be in town training for them and that night was a "social mixer." I got there and had no idea what to do once i finished looking at the art in the space. Brit had to talk to people about microloans and I was supposed to just shmooze. so i put a glass of wine in my hand and flicked on the flirt switch and had a blast. it's nice to remember that I can still work it. then at the after party I gave brittany and i gave each other a pep talk. i reminded her how she believes everything happens for a reason, and she reminded me that i'm smart and she believes in me. feel good. also, by the end of the night i had a fedora and a date, if i wanted it. but you know, its hard to date when you're skipping town.

I went to the chabad house for shabbat. got my jew on. met some very very cool girls who were hitchin around california. argued about israel and muslims and the like, which i generally try to avoid. But it was nice to be encouraged not to avoid it and realize i still have some passion about it. mostly i just cant stand all the lying propaganda and thinly veiled racism. (on both sides, but i usually end up defending muslims when im talking to jews) i hate politics, but i love people.

-crater lake, mount ranier: were pretty. not being able to hike was a bummer. the trip is starting to feel less adventurous. injury, weariness, less money, colder weather, i'm not sure what it is. but we look forward to beds and showers more than we do to rocks, it seems. just driving through parks is not so exciting. and we havent written much in the way of music since tom got a banjo. we're starting to get closer and closer to having to think about the next step in our lives. which also requires that i think about the last step in my life. what did i do wrong? what wont i do again? did he ever really love me? blah blah blah. seattle and alaska have been very family oriented. canada was very driving oriented, but we did meet shillen. (www.texas4000.org/user/profile/10311) and we listened to a book called Thunderstruck.

I've also read A Fine Balance, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Emergenetics, Dinner with Hitler and Hemmingway, and some short stories by Irish writers. We're now listening to A Wolf at the Table.

-olympic: we met a ranger who told us that we needed a bunch of different things for the car for the trip though the canada. but we wouldnt know how to use them. and mostly we just needed a fireproof car. she also let me try on elk horns in the back room. and i learned about trees and moss and nature stuff.

-alaska: ive been talking to internet strangers, something i've done since we got AOL when i was ten or so. i think i'm just craving some social contact. tom and i havent quite run out of things to say to each other, but it has been two months, and we don't do the whole intimacy bit, so sometimes we can get a little lonely. I talked to tom's aunt for hours friday night though, which was really great.
I went to a reform synagogue on saturday, which was challenging. Very anthropological, literary, or "reasoned inquiry" approach. Which made me realize that I have become quite a bit more devotional than i thought. (if youd like to understand those two sentences a bit more, read Dale Cannon's Six ways of Being Religious.)

I tried to dye my hair out of boredom and nothing changed. i guess im just meant to be this way for now.

lots of ass jokes at toms expense.

so now what?

ah, the future. My friend Amy should be joining us hopefully in colorado, which may put some spring back in my step if a grizzly doesnt get me first. I'm real excited for the black hills and all that jazz. there's gunna be some good rocks. and SHEEPS to be seen in the canadian parks. i think maybe i just need to listen to more hanson. (and probably, so do you! just TRY and tell me thinkin bout somethin doesnt make you feel a little better. you cant.)

so i know i didnt put any dicks or jokes or pics in this one. I'll make up for it next time. is that a threat or a promise?

well, you know, ive started meeting people who read the blog. and i just turn bright red. writing to the anonymous world about handjobs is one thing, but to tom's uncles whom i meet is another.

i probably just need to dance it out.

you probably wont hear from me again in a while, but it's been good. i think the third leg is going to kick some ass. but hopefully not tom's ass because then we'll have to stay by running water for a week. ;)

off to the big rock,
Lizzie

Into the Wild

Friends,

Our Alaska adventure enters its final stage today. We arrived in Anchorage a week ago today, badly in need of a shower, a bed, and real food. We leave Anchorage clean, well-slept, well-fed, and moderately infected.

We took Monday and Tuesday as rest days - recovery from the 2,500-turned-into-4,000 mile journey from Seattle. But even in these recovery days, in the company of good family, was well worth having. Wednesday we ventured down the Kenai Peninsula to Seward, where we went to Kenai Fjords National Park. We saw gorgeous mountains, rushing glacier-fed rivers, and (of course) ice-blue glaciers the length of football fields.

Thursday night we saw The Mountain River Valley Coastal Association of Indigenous Peoples (actually just the Mountain River Valley Boys, my Uncle Joe's band) open for C.A.K.E at the Moose's Tooth's First Tap. A great night filled with bluegrass, weird talk-rock, and a plum tree. Some 60 year old woman tried to set Lizzie up with her son. Good time had by all.

Friday we went back to Seward to visit the Sea Life Center, where we saw puffins (MY NEW FAVORITE AMINAL. THATS RIGHT. A-M-I-N-A-L.) Sea lions, seals, squids, salmon, and a host of other sea creatures. We ate late lunch in Seward and ventured north to Hope, where The Mountain River Valley Boys were playing at the Seaview Inn. Got a taste of real rural Alaska here, as the town of Hope is about the size of an elephant's footprint. A good show, with a half-decent crowd. Lots of fun to be had.

Mean Uncle Joe's a bastard in Monopoly. He will bleed you dry. Watch out for him.

The weekend was spent family-tizing. My cousin Alexis rolled into town with her kids last week, so between me, her, the two kids, my two aunts and uncles, and my cousin Veronica, it was probably the largest non-wedding Page family gathering outside of Massachusetts. We all got rolled in the rug. And no, that is not a veiled drug reference.

And now we head north to see the great mountain, Denali, before we blitz southwards across Canada, where there are no bears. Vat vould they vant?

And remember friends, Let's all get f*cked up for C.A.K.E!

Love,
Tom

Welcome to the Jungle

To whatever readers are left,

It's been awhile. My apologies.

I meant to update whilst in Seattle, but I couldn't get up the energy. To hugely shorten a week of the trip - we drove up through northern California along the coast, which was gorgeous. Made it to Crater Lake in Oregon, one of the most startlingly blue, deep, unbelievable lakes in the country. The Oregon coast was cold, cold, and more cold.

For the sake of time, we had to skip Portland and go straight to Mt. Rainier in Washington. On the drive, we passed Mt. Saint Helens, which was endlessly cool. The only con to Mt. Rainier is that we didn't see it while we were there - the mountain is so enormous (nearly 15,000 feet) that it creates its own weather system, and was thus enshrouded in clouds. The surrounding scenery was great, and the brief glimpses of Rainier's slopes were nice too.

After Rainier, we spent a couple days in the Hoh Rainforest at Olympic National Park. A beautiful area with some interesting hikes, but somewhat underwhelming. The truly weird thing about the Hoh is that it's near the town of Forks, Washington. Unbeknownst to me and Lizzie, Forks is where the Twilight books are set, so the town is Twilight-OBSESSED. Stores, tours, gift shops, everything. The town has been infested. It was terrible.

We spent a couple days in Seattle with Lizzie's family, who were great hosts. We had a lot of fun going to the Mariners game with my aunt and uncle, despite the fact that the Mariners beat the Red Sox. Seattle was pretty low-key for us, as we were mostly resting for the grand adventure that lay ahead: The drive to 'Laska.

We started last Tuesday, the 27th. Made it through customs with ease, landed in Vanderhoof, British Columbia for the night, about 13 hours into what would be a 46 hour drive. At this point, we had to make a decision. Take the Cassiar Highway north to the Yukon, which goes northwest through British Columbia, or take the Alaska-Canada Highway, which goes Northeast through BC. Mileage and time-wise, they are almost identical. So, I arbitrarily picked the Cassiar route. These are the ONLY two routes through northern BC. We got a late start Wednesday, drove to Tatogga Lake, British Columbia. The scenery this whole way was mostly gorgeous mountain scenery, with endless runs of pine trees.

In Tatogga Lake, we met Margaret Klocker. She was a vaguely German park official who came to collect our camping fee. Despite the fact that we were in the forest, and we had seen 6 black bears that day, she told us "There are no bears here. And no squirrelly things to eat your food. What would they want here?", all in a thick German accent. Wonderful. We also met and camped with a group of motorcycle riders bound for Prudhoe Bay on the arctic ocean. An interesting and varied group of people, for sure.

Thursday morning we hit the road at 6 am, and by 10 am, were within 2 hours of the Yukon. This means we would've been in Alaska on Friday afternoon. UNTIL, we see signs warning us of the road being closed approximately 50 miles shy of the Yukon border due to forest fire. After waiting all day Thursday for updates, the road was still closed indefinitely. Rather than wait for potentially days or weeks, we decided to drive back south down the Cassiar, around to the Alaska-Canada Highway, and up that way. This little detour would add 1,500 miles to the trip. It took us four extra days to drive around and up into Alaska, where we mercifully arrived Monday around 1 pm local time.

We saw lots of good wildlife, including black bears, moose (and baby moose), coyotes, and a couple herds of bison/buffalo.

Thank goodness there was family, showers, laundry, and overall hospitality awaiting us. That drive was truly brutal. And now, we're going to spend the next week exploring Alaska!

More later,
Tom

Call of the Wild

Hello all,

Not a lot of time to discuss the week prior, but a brief note - we are safely in Seattle. Saw the Red Sox lose yesterday. Saw Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Parks. Nothing really all-that note-worthy has taken place in the last week. Saw some great scenery, met some great people.

But tomorrow. Tomorrow, the real journey begins. Onwards to Alaska in the morning, with an expected arrival Friday afternoon. Cell service and internet may be lacking for the next several days, I'll update as I can.

Later,

T

Worst (Or Maybe Best?) Night of the Trip

First things first, Pictures!:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=451382&id=685610345&l=8b14f878f2

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=451377&id=685610345&l=69c6bb17da

Saturday night in San Francisco. Endless possibilities. Drizzly fog coming in off the bay. Possibly the greatest/worst night of the entire trip. You'll find out why.

I went to an open mic night. For those unfamiliar with the concept, an open mic is where basically anyone can take the stage for a few minutes; typically, they play songs, usually just an acoustic guitar + vocal. But sometimes comedians and poets attend as well.

The open mic was advertised as being at 1748 Market Street, not four blocks from where I was mugged the night before. Oh joy. I walked up the stairs, entering what appeared to be a doctor's office. WTF? I thought this was an open mic....and then I realized that it was not a doctor's office, but rather some kind of addiction clinic. From behind a closed door I hear someone say "Hi, my name is XXXX (name removed to protect anonomousness), and I am a clutterer". That's right, folks. There is a group called Clutterers Anonymous.

So I go into the open mic, and meet the guy running it (Rick). Within 2 minutes of meeting him, he explains to me that as a cab driver, he never picks up black people, so that way he never gets mugged. He apparently thought this would endear himself to me, when in actuality, it just made me think that he was a jerk. I had the joy of going first, and played 3 songs that were pretty well received. We all had 15 minutes to play.

Next, a middle-aged guy went up and played "Get Together" by Joni Mitchell. Then he proceeded to talk so much about peace and love that he didn't get to play another song. That means he talked for approximately 11 minutes. Craziness.

Next, a woman got up and sang La Vie En Rose along to a karaoke machine. And let's just say that Marion Cotillard she is not. She sang two other songs in what I suppose was French (although it was hard to tell, since she sounded like a dying cat), and then mercifully ended her set. Oh, but then. BUT THEN! Her husband Arnold took the stage and also sang along to the karaoke machines. Except, he didn't use karaoke CDs. He used just regular CDs. SO, as he sang three Johnny Cash songs, not only did we hear Arnold singing, but we also heard Johnny. This all would have been ok had Arnold been singing on the same beats as Johnny. But he didn't! He was always either a beat ahead of him or a beat behind him....sometimes four beats. Sometimes five. It was dreadful.

Following Arnold, the host got up to play. And despite the fact that Arnold had just "played" Folsom Prison Blues, Rick played it too! Except he played it at 2 beats per minute, so it was as slow as possible without stopping altogether. He played a couple of Merle Haggard songs the same way. It was infuriating.

Following Rick was a comedian named Chris Capabacasasabchakajcaaaaaafffabbas. He did 15 minutes of one-liners. Almost none of them got laughs. It was an eternity. Except his one-liners weren't even jokes - for example, "I was standing on the Golden Gate Bridge, and then my hat fell off." Or "My mom cuts my hair. I want to go to Supercuts." or "It's 95 degrees where I live. I don't know about where you live."....His only laugh occurred when he accused the one woman in the audience of having poor vaginal hygiene. Also, when he said he was homeless except for the one day of the year when he was gay.

After Chris LongLastName, a homeless poet took the stage, and he was actually quite fascinating. Great sense of rhythm and pace. I liked him a lot. But then.....oh man. I had been waiting the whole time to hear this guy Kai, because he seemed like a cool dude and had liked my songs. But his set consisted of 15 minutes of him picking the most discordant notes possible on the guitar while squealing in as high a register as possible. Needless to say, I was disappointed.

It got to be my turn again, but somehow Arnold the Karaoke man got ahead of me in line. And despite the fact that in round 2 we were limited to one song, he played two! Two off-beat Elvis karaoke songs.....Kill me now.

I played my last song, which they seemed to enjoy, and they I got the Hell out of there.

Now were in McMinnville, Oregon. Thank God we're not in San Fran anymore.

Tom

Muggings, Musicians, and Marvels

So I got mugged in San Francisco this weekend. I was walking through the 1200-1400 section of Market Street at 2 AM. Probably a mistake. While giving a beggar some change, a few dollar bills fell out of my pocket, which he quickly told me to pony up. I basically blew him off, and said "Hey man, I gave you change, that's all you're going to get."

Two blocks later I felt a knife blade pressed against my back and I heard him say "How 'bout the money now?" I quickly turned around and gave him the 7 dollars in my pocket. Then he said, "Ok, now the wallet." I had about 120 bucks in my pocket, so I threw the money on the ground and ran down the street. Luckily, he didn't chase. He just stood there counting my money and laughing. Cackling. Fucking thief.

I'm ok, just a little ticked off. Overall, giving up my money was a lot less expensive than getting stabbed would've been (Oh the joys of having no health insurance). Not to mention, I would've been stabbed. And that would have been a pretty shitty way to spend a couple extra days in Frisco.

So I stayed up the rest of the night, went to IHOP, slept in the car. I woke up early Saturday afternoon and went to Guitar Center on Van Ness to buy some picks and strings. Whilst passing the time playing guitars, I started playing a banjo. And I fell in love. So I bought it - I now am a proud owner of a 5-string banjo.

Oh, by the way, I also met Neil Diamond in that Guitar Center. He walked in, and a few people flocked over to him saying "Oh my god, you're Neil Diamond!" I walked over and said hello. He was a cool dude.

The road beckons, more later.

T-Minus 7 days until we hit the Canadian border.

Tom

Be Sure to Wear A Flower In Your Hair

It's July in California. You know California - you see it in all the movies and TV shows, and thus you know that summertime in California is Mustang convertibles full of buxom blondes with their hair blowing in the hot summer wind.

WRONG.

San Francisco is freakin' cold. Like, 50 degrees, foggy, windy, cold. Walk around the city at 2 AM after a late movie freezing your ass off cold.

We left Fresno sometime earlier in the week (The days are blurring together somewhat), and arrived at Yosemite National Park. Lizzie's knee has been pretty weak, so we decided not to do some of the strenuous climbing that we had initially thought we would do. We took a few short hikes, saw bears in our campsite (BURRRS), and had a good time. Yosemite is insanely beautiful, and would've been one of our favorite parks if not for the BILLIONS of people that mobbed the place. We definitely could've done without the crowds.

After a botched attempt at camping (Let's put it this way - almost all campgrounds at Yosemite were full. The only open one was 5 miles down a pot-holed filled gravel road, and the only available campsite had a pair of abandoned hiking boots on the table that creeped us out to no end), we stayed the night at a motel in Modesto, before moving on to San Fran.

We've taken San Fran as a veg-out weekend, although this city is EX-PEN-SIVE, and it's easy to get yourself in a lot of trouble if you're looking for it. But there's also a lot going on too! Saw a Mary Gauthier concert, went to a Giants game, and have been exploring the city. Barry Zito threw a 2 hit shutout of the Mets. There is almost nothing I enjoy as much as seeing the Mets lose. Tomorrow we head north along the coast to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.

In 2 weeks we'll be in Alaska. The pull of Alaska is getting stronger. May the road go on forever.

Tom

From Vegas to Fresno

Hello all,

To get this out of the way: LINKS FOR PICTURES

Southern Utah:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=443361&id=685610345&l=675afa64d5

Zion National Park:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=445182&id=685610345&l=8f9ed9d76d

So as Lizzie described, we last talked to you all from the Sahara Hotel and Casino in shiny Las Vegas. Vegas is basically an extravaganza of sin, sex, and neon. We had a pretty low-key Vegas experience, which is to say we only indulged in three or four hookers each....

Prior to the Vegas, we spent a couple days at the Grand Canyon. Day 1 was mostly walk-around-the-rim, set up camp, eat some food stuffs, gaze at the sunset and be mystified. Day 2 we decided to do an evening hike of the canyon. My naive self thought maybe we could make it all the way to the river at the bottom. I WAS WRONG. We got three miles into the canyon, and while the sun was setting, decided to head back up to the rim. Turned out to be a good thing, because I got a horrendous nosebleed about halfway up.

But we didn't get back up to the rim until after midnight, and on the path there were FOUR, count-em, FOUR elk just sleeping. It was so dark, we almost stepped on them. And they are some big mother-flipping aminals. Yeah, that's right, I said aminals.

Anyway...after Vegas we drove through Death Valley National Park, a bizarre array of purple rocks, white salt flats that glimmered like water, and 124 degree temperatures. No joke. 1-2-4. It was hot hot hot. I think the car liked it even less than we did, as we had to keep close watch so she wouldn't overheat.

But we made it out of the desert and up into the green pine-tree covered mountains of the Sequoia National Forest on Friday evening, where we camped for a rest day on Saturday. Saturday morning I left camp to drive down the mountains to get food and supplies in town. While driving, I came across two young hikers thumbing their way down the mountain. I pulled over and picked them up - their names were Evan and Jocelyn, and the three of talked bluegrass and hiking all the way into town. Both of them were super cool people who had lived all over and done a lot of cool hiking trips. They're currently on a hike on the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mexican border northwards (their blog is pctsouthbounders.blogspot.com - check it out!)

We got supplies in town, and then the three of us drove back up the mountains, where I invited them to spend the night at camp with me and Lizzie. Evan and Jocelyn obliged, and we had a great night sharing food and music. When we woke up the next day at 8 am, they were long gone, heading back on the trail.

Yesterday morning we drove to Sequoia National Park, home of the big trees of the same name. Four of the five biggest trees in the ENTIRE WORLD are in this park. Words can't really describe the gargantuan beauty of the trees, so y'all will just have to wait for the pictures.

Today was spent exploring the park, and now we are in Fresno, California at the Manchester Shopping Center while Gracie (car) gets her oil changed. Fresno looks like the filming location for all those mall scenes in Terminator 2 and Kindergarten Cop and whatever other Arnold Schwarzenegger movies took place mostly in malls.

Tonight the road will hopefully take us to Yosemite, and then on to San Francisco in a couple days. Probably no internet for a couple days, so catch y'all on the flip!

Love,

Tom

my darlin, clementines,

VEGAS BABYYYYY. let me (YIPEE! Lizzie! can't you always tell?) just say for those who weren't sure: vegas is sex. everywhere.

all the magazine stands,

the billboards,

the streets,

tom and i like to people watch and play "hooker, stripper, or party girl?" (HSP) (this is in addition to FKM, tourist or townie, map games, and phase 10)

i think maybe from my posts you may have the wrong idea about me, like i'm all about HS and P. well, that's pretty far from the truth.

the road has many gifts. and vegas came up to me with one last night as i was sitting on the rail at the bellagio waiting for the fountains that were over, or something like that.

two armenian women came up to me out of nowhere as they were strolling with their family to tell me my aura was good and energy strong. i was a warrior in a past life and all that jazz. lots of happy good stuff. all things probably anyone would want to hear. and i have two guardian angels. and that october through december will be good. well, lets hope so friends. i mean, i dont take much stock in palm readings, but it was the pep talk i needed.

i been down about the whole breakup. yada yada. cried a couple days at the grand canyon. and like i said to tom and my sister, he was my last foot on the ground. and now im really free and independent which sounds great, just takes a hard swallow of courage and big decisions. and of course i miss him, seeing as he was my best friend for the time. it's tough because theres no anger, no regret...just having to move on.

we lose so much on the way, ehy? and oh, all those fucking love songs.

the good news is...two more songs have emerged on the trip! (one just finished in the hotel bathroom in vegassss. tom said he feels like a rockstar.)

the bad news is that i really hurt my knee and its hard to walk and shit.

hopefully by alaska all this will sort itself out. you heard me, ALASKA!

and the grand canyon hike was pretty awesome, as i'm sure tom will tell.

its been nice to have my own bed and enough private time to masturbate. orgasms are so great, aren't they?

well, gosh, we gotta get goin to see girls dance on boats. also free concert tonight at the rio. which classic legend, you ask? HOOBASTANK!!!

on that note, i shall sign out for another while. yours,

stankini Liz

The Legend of Ben Powell

How do I even begin this story?

Well, at the beginning, I guess.

About ten days ago, Lizzie and I were driving through a small mountain town called Ridgway, Colorado. Outside a Shell station, an old, grizzled cowboy-looking dude started chatting us up. He talked about how he had hitchhiked through New Hampshire many years ago, and told us some of the cool spots in town to hang out. He had long curly blonde hair that cascaded out of his cowboy hat, and he wore dark sunglasses. Wearing a Bob Marley shirt, he yelled at me "Hey man, you look like a young Jerry Garcia!" His teeth were gone, but his kind heart shone through.

We forgot about him fairly quickly. Until the Fourth of July.

We heard that the town of Page, Arizona had beautiful fireworks over gorgeous Lake Powell, so we decided to go there for the Fourth. Driving through town, we spy a man on a street corner with a sign that reads, "Where's the Love? 4/20". As we approach, I recognize him as the man from Ridgeway and I yell "Holy shit, it's the guy from Ridgeway!" He and I make eye contact and it is clear that the recognition is mutual. I immediately pull over.

We jump out of the car, and all of us say "We can't believe it's you!" We all introduce ourselves. I ask him, "What's your name?" He says "Ben." I say, "What's your last name, Ben?" He says, "You ever heard of John Wesley Powell?" I say, "Of course, he was one of the first explorers of the American West." Ben then put out his hand and said, "Well, I'm Ben Powell, one of his descendants. Pleased to meet you."

We proceed to spend the next six hours with Ben, trading stories and sharing beers. Ben, now almost 53, told us of how he has been living on the road since the age of 15, traveling across the country, never living in one place too long. He had picked mushrooms in Idaho, worked in bars across the west, lived in Alaska, Texas, and every place in between. He told us about hippie hot spots across the country where you can "meet some of the really cool-ass people. If there's any left, what with all this anal bullshit going on today." People he didn't like, he considered "anal". People that were ok were "way cool".

Ben wore his heart on his sleeve, telling us multiple times that he loved us and thanking us just for taking the time to spend the evening with him. He made mention several times of needing just a couple beers and a smile, so we bought him a case of beer. Ben told us that he knew a good spot to see the fireworks, so we all piled on into my car, and we followed his directions to a hotel parking lot directly in front of where the fireworks would be shot off.

Ben talked about loving the coyotes and how they would never hurt him, but then talked about a night where the coyotes almost ate him. He talked about a night that a bear ate all his peanut butter and then shit all over his tent. He told us that he suffered from CRS (Cant Remember Shit) and told us about FLRs (Funny Looking Rocks). He hated technology, but had a cell phone because he said he had to. He was writing a book called Bars and Saloons Across America, Women I've Never Had, Your Dog is Gay, Get Off My Leg. I'd read it.

Ben talked about women he tried to hang on to, but was unable. He talked about being woken up at 3 AM by the cops, but not to be hassled; instead, the cops just wanted to be sure he was ok. He told us that another homeless friend of his had been beaten to death by local kids the year before. He talked about his two brothers he lost in Vietnam, and about all the good and bad people he met on the road.

Despite being white himself, he had a general contempt for most white people. He said his true brothers were the natives, the Navajo. He spoke to them in broken Navajo, attempting to speak their language. Once we got to the motel parking lot to watch the fireworks, two Navajo men named Tom and Fabian joined us. Tom was an old shepherd who had fought in Korea, and played the most amazing harmonica I have ever heard. The old man put a Navajo blessing on my harmonica, saying "I have given your harmonica my voice. May you always be blessed."

Fabian was a man probably in his late-30s who had proudly served in the United States Army for five years and clearly loved his country. All of them were good men.

After singing a bunch of old country songs with the old cowboy, Ben and us parted ways in the parking lot, as both of us went looking for a place to camp. This blog post does not even come close to really capturing the essence of this man, but I hope it gives you an idea.

Ben, if you ever read this, may your road go on forever and the party never end.

Love to all,

Tom

Southern Utah: Red Rock Country

Hello all!

Sorry for the long gap between posts, but Internet is hard to find out here in the desert. Today, we are at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, using the wi-fi available in the public library here. The day's plan includes what should be a spectacular evening hike into the canyon. We've got our flashlights and our headlamps ready to climb out; look for more on that later.

What have we done for the last week? Uhh...let's see. Last Wednesday we camped at Bryce Canyon National Park, which is essentially an amphitheater of huge red rock spires jutting towards the sky. We didn't spend a great deal of time there, as we wanted to have as much time as possible at Zion National Park, my personal favorite of the parks.

We arrived at Zion thursday morning and promptly set up camp. To access Zion Canyon, visitors have to board a free shuttle bus that runs throughout the day. We took the bus up into the canyon and hiked to Weeping Rock - a huge sandstone slab that literally weeps (rain falls on top of the plateau, and works its way down through the rock until it comes cascading out in a waterfall). The water that poured out of the sandstone had fallen on the plateau above 800 years ago. That's how long it takes to get through the sandstone - way cool stuff.

That night we had dinner with my father who happened to be in the same neck of the woods on vacation. After dinner, we made smores back at camp and got ready for our big hike the next day.

On Friday morning, Lizzie and I decided to go hiking. We picked a "strenuous" hike out of the hiking guide that led to Angel's Landing, that was described as having "steep, narrow sections with long drop-offs on both sides. Not for those uncertain of heights". We figured that it couldn't possibly be that bad....well....it WAS that bad. The trail started easily enough - it was paved for the first two miles, up a long series of winding switchbacks. This was tough uphill climbing, but not particularly scary...

Then stuff got SERIOUS. The switchbacks deposited us at Scout's Lookout, a viewing platform that looked straight ahead at Angel's Landing. The trail to reach the top of Angel's Landing climbed at a 45 degree angle up a very narrow ridge that looked impossible to climb. Lizzie being fearless, she led the climb up the ridge for many sections. Some sections of the path were only two feet wide, with 800 foot drop-offs on both sides. Some of these sections had a chain to hold on to for support; many did not. There were many moments were I simply clutched the rock and whimpered, with Lizzie prodding me onwards.

After what seemed like a death-defying eternity, we reached the top where I kissed the ground. The view down the canyon from the top of this cliff was truly one of the most unbelievable sights I have witnessed. SO worth it, despite my terror. Amazingly enough, the hike down did not scare me at all, although Lizzie was not too pleased with the huge vertical drop-offs.

Saturday we spent a fairly relaxed day at camp, although Cayli and I did a night hike to the Emerald Pools, a series of freshwater springs cut into a cliff face. Although a beautiful hike, it was significantly less scary than the Angel's Landing hike.

And then there was the Fourth of July. But that requires a blog post all of its own.

Love and peace from the road,

Tom

In The Abyss, Where No One Can Hear You Scream...

Dead-tree sunset at Mesa Verde National Park. Photograph by Lizzie.

Good morning!

Today finds us in Blanding, Utah where we splurged on a hotel for the night. Not out of any desire for comfort, but rather out of a desire just for basic safety. More explanation on that later.

On Sunday, we explored both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks near Moab, Utah. Canyonlands is pretty much exactly what it sounds like - a wild maze of canyons forged by the Colorado and Green Rivers. The land here is so rugged it gives one the sense of being on Mars. There is no civilization here, just Mother Nature. Spooky stuff.

Arches was one of the highlights of the trip for me so far. The park is named for the large rock arches that are prevalent throughout the park. The rock formations in Arches are other-worldly. The rocks are a dusty red in color, and look like aliens shaped them. A totally different world than the green tree-filled woods of New Hampshire.

Monday morning we left Canyonlands and, after stopping in Moab for showers and laundry, made it to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. We got into the park near nightfall, and so did not have a lot of time to explore. Although, we did make it to the Visitor Center where we met ranger Byron Parker, one of the coolest mofos around. We also caught the sunset through a forest of dead trees (dead from a series of forest fires that ravaged the park)...it was incredible.

Tuesday we took tours of two of the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. The cliff dwellings of the ancient Ancestral Puebloans that inhabited the area until approximately 1300 AD are the main attraction of Mesa Verde. To access them, one must take a ranger-guided tour down the cliff face. On some of the tours, this involves climbing a 32 foot ladder, squeezing through a tunnel barely bigger than your body, walking up narrow steps cut into the cliff face with nothing but the abyss behind you......it's terrifying/exhilarating. Mesa Verde = great park. Strongly recommended for anyone looking for a little adventure.

And then.....there's last night. We left Mesa Verde, and began driving towards Capitol Reef National Park in central Utah. We noticed on the map that Gooseneck State Park was approximately halfway between Mesa Verde and Capitol Reef. We arrive in town, which is a sparsely populated Navajo reservation town, and take the side-road for Gooseneck. The road twists and winds for 7 miles through the desert, until, almost without warning, you arrive at the park.

The only indication that we had arrived was a lonely, decrepit sign that says "Welcome to Goosneck"...and THATS IT. There is a gravel circle, and nothing. No ranger station. No information booth. No camping area. No park. Just a lonely bathroom and this abandoned set of picnic tables and swing sets. I shone my lights around the circle, looking for signs of a proper park, and we saw only empty abyss. Emptiness everywhere. I say, "Man, what should we do?" and Lizzie yelled "WE GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!"

We hopped back in the car and sped away towards town. We were so creeped out that we couldn't even stay in town, so we drove 50 miles north to the next town, which is how we ended up in Blanding, Utah.

But we're alive. And that is a welcome relief.

More later,

Tom

P.S. - Here's the link to all the pictures from the last week. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=438732&id=685610345&l=74e0e3e0d0

Over the Mountains, Across the Desert, To Utah We Go...

Lizzie and I atop Molas Pass (11,000 feet!) in The San Juan Mountains, Colorado.

Hello again,

Tonight the road finds us in McDonald's in Moab, Utah, mooching on their free wi-fi. We've set up camp for the weekend along the banks of the Colorado River a few miles outside of town in a gorgeous red-rock canyon with steep walled cliffs.

We left Santa Fe yesterday morning and drove north into Colorado, over the San Juan mountains into Grand Junction, where we picked up Lizzie's little sister, Cayli. We explored Arches National Park briefly before sundown, and have a lot more exploring of the park to do tomorrow.

I'll keep this brief - the plan for the upcoming week is as follows: (We don't know exact dates, but here's a rough outline) - We'll be hitting Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Monument Valley, Capitol Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, THE GRAND CANYON, and Las Vegas. That takes us through the next ten-eleven days. Many more pictures to come!

Hope everyone's summer is going great,

Tom

P.S. More pictures from the road!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=438732&id=685610345&l=74e0e3e0d0

Night in the Desert

The Alamo. Don't Mess With Texas.

Hello again!

It's 6:40 am, I just slept 4 hours of very poor sleep, and we have an 8 hour drive ahead of us today, so I'm going to make this fairly quick. Any spelling errors...blame it on the sleepyness.

Monday morning we left Austin to investigate San Antonio, TX. Despite earning ourselves a $30 parking ticket for an expired meter (it was only a few minutes! grr), San Antonio was an early trip highlight. We first walked to Alamo Plaza and spent time learning about/discovering/exploring the Alamo. This was way cooler than I had expected.

After a much-needed ice cream break (If you ever find yourself in Texas, pick up some Blue Bell ice cream. It is UNBELIEVABLE), we hit the riverwalk area and were blown away. The river walk is essentially the shady, tree-covered string of restaurants, hotels, art installations, etc, that line the San Antonio River. Definitely one of the most beautiful things I've seen in an urban environment.

We went into the Hill Country west of San Antone and floated the Frio River. The river was running a little shallow, so there were some parts where we had to get out of our tubes and walk. However, it was still a beautiful float through the canyons, and a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon. We were definitely beat by the end, but a hot meal and a shower got us back on the road.

We spent the next million hours driving through the desert of West Texas. I've seen desert before, but this was something else: almost complete desolation. There'd be a town of a thousand people or so every 80 miles. Life is a different thing entirely out here. The landscape is beautiful in its desperation. This was Lizzie's first foray into the desert, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

We landed for the night at Guadalupe Mountains National Park/Carlsbad Caverns National Park along the Texas/New Mexico border. We saw the flight of the bats from the caverns on Tuesday night - unfortunately picture taking was not allowed, but believe you me - seeing a swarm of several hundred thousand bats silhouetted against the dusk....it's an unforgettable image. Wednesday morning we went down into the caves, and were amazed at their depth. Cavernous is the only word to describe it - it was like being on the coolest Disneyworld ride of all time. One of my favorite national parks that I've been to, it was something else.

We're currently in Santa Fe, a town filled with art galleries and artist types, etc etc etc. We found a great restaurant called The Pantry that might have the best chocolate cake in the entire world. No joke. It's that good.

Momentarily, we are headed north into the Colorado mountains to arrive at Grand Junction, CO, where we are picking Lizzie's younger sister Micayla up at the airport. Caylie has apparently become jealous enough of our trip that she has decided to join us for a leg of it! She'll be road adventuring with us for about the next ten days or so, as we wind our way across Utah, culminating at the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.

Internet-wise, I'm not sure what the week ahead holds. Hopefully we'll be able to find internet access somewhere, but we are heading into some pretty serious high desert country, so there may be a few days to a week of radio silence. But fear not! We'll have more pictures and stories for you soon .

Love from the road,

Tom

P.S. I sat on a cactus at a Guadalupe Mountains National Park whilst setting up the tent for the night. Lizzie had the supreme honor of pulling the multitude of thorns out of my ass cheeks. It was an inspiring and glorious test of the limits of our friendship. Also: it was just plain hilarious.

P.P.S. Here is a link to pictures from Austin, TX to Santa Fe, NM:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=437927&id=685610345&l=b5d8c0a44b

P.P.P.S. Here is a link to pictures from Bonnaroo (You may need to copy/paste it into your URL toolbar):

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=433997&id=685610345&l=eb96e9c1a4

tootsies (PG 13)

hello citizens, countrymen, and other general refugees and expats.

why does everyone play the weight?

soooo ten things I (lizzie...I see your face getting excited) have learned on the trip and things i have not been convinced to learn:

1. Nachez trace=treez. not actually that exciting. most roads usually are smooth and have trees anyway. in mississippi, this is so rare it is their main attraction. but this is way better than industry and red lights.

2. there is NO reason to make a penis go in circles. (handjob lesson number 1. and there was a banana)

3. bats come out at night. key word night. its hard to see small, fast moving black things in darkness. you know who you are.

4. supposedly, when you dont know where you are or where you could be, you should take the road you know won't lead you through danger. I'm not really sold on this one. I enjoyed the 7th ward, other than the dogs.

5. tom's car doesnt have automatic locks, but it does have automatic lights. duely noted.

6. don't leave your wallet in gas stations if you dont want to drive ten needless hours. but if you do need to leave your wallet somewhere, paki-owned gas stations are fairly reliable.

7. semen tastes like guiness. well, joes does. reportedly.

8. 50 cent is gay. so says rufus. and did/does not know what a grapefruit is. so says aziz.

9. the south is hot. like sweaty hot. and sunburn hot. purple nips!

10. two things i shouldnt have said in nola: "I'm so white I'm black" and "The Saints can suck my big, black d***k." fuck it, dick.

11. Where are the black people in Austin? It just seems wrong.

12. Nola has shitty pizza.

the blog is not rated G!

I've had more wine in the past two days than...well...since passover. which isnt really saying much, since i never drink. almost never now i guess. i dont think the road has gotten to me yet. i think lots of desert will do me some good. and a few more lost nights. im so lost that im not quite lost enough. i guess at this point most people would take some kind of drug. or maybe all you need to do is watch fear and loathing in vegas like 100 times. same thing.

oh, update on the books: I read the Post Office by bukowski. good times. in book terms.

i would tire of austin too soon.

ive been sick over a week now, despite stomaching nasty nast thera-flu.

and my sister is a high school grad!

tom wants to be able to speak our language. i think he just may.

until next time, poppets!

-the queen of armpits

All the Way From Beaumont

Hello readers/fellow adventurers-in-spirit,

I'm writing from the Apple store at the Barton Creek Mall in Austin, TX. My laptop has decided to completely stop working, and thus I am waiting for my appointment for the technician to look at it.

We spent Wednesday in New Orleans, exploring the Garden District and then walking along the riverfront watching the Mississippi River boats and exploring the French Quarter. The poverty and squalor we saw throughout New Orleans is astounding. NOLA is an incredibly vibrant, beautiful city, but so much of it has fallen into decay, both before and since Katrina. Definitely an experience we are glad to have had.

On the way into New Orleans, and whilst there, Lizzie wrote a mind-blowingly incredible song that is as yet unnamed, but is just devastating. The song essentially deals with the poverty we saw throughout the south, and I can't wait to get my laptop working again so we can record it and post it on this site.

Thursday we left NOLA for Beaumont, TX and spent a great night/morning with Donnie, a long-time family friend. Donnie took us to Courville's, his brother's restaurant/concert venue, and was an incredibly gracious host. We stayed up till the wee hours playing songs, and had an overall great time. Huge thanks to Donnie.

We rolled into Austin last night, only to discover that I had left my wallet 3 hours east at a gas station in Houston. Miraculously, I called the gas station and they still had my wallet! Joe, my friend in Austin that we are staying with, was gracious enough to drive me back to Houston to retrieve the wallet. Even more miraculous? All of my cash and credit cards were still in the wallet! Such a huge relief.

Today's a lazy day - we're going to explore the town a bit tonight and tomorrow, and then off to San Antonio. :)

Later,

Tom

P.S. If you're ever in Austin, hit the Ironworks Barbeque. It's the best I've had.

"YOU WENT WHERE!?!" - Our First Night in New Orleans

The Little Big Horns at the Spotted Cat in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Hello all,

Lizzie and I arrived in New Orleans last night around 7pm, and quickly and easily found the house where we'd be staying. Lizzie found Ben and Jim via CouchSurfer, a great website service where people offer their spare rooms/couches/floors/etc to travelers. Ben and Jim were both in their mid-20s and both decently cool people.

Lizzie and I decided that we'd do some exploring of the French Quarter and try to see some live music. Ben gave us very explicit instructions on how to get to and from the French Quarter. We went down to the Quarter and walked past an enormous amount of music clubs, all of whom had free shows. We settled on The Spotted Cat, a bar where The Little Big Horns were playing. They played old-time jitterbug jazz, and the dancing that was taking place was incredible. I felt like we had stepped into the 1930s.

Despite the fun we were having, it was getting late and we decided to call it a night. That's where things started getting sketchy. We made the poor decision to walk back to Ben/Jim's house a different way than they had instructed....and ended up walking through the poorest neighborhoods in the city, in the middle of the night....alone.

We weren't terribly uneasy, but mostly because we just didn't know where we were. Had we known some of the neighborhoods we were walking through, we may have been terrified. At several points, packs of dogs began to approach us, snarling.

About half of the houses in the neighborhood were empty, boarded up, condemned. Grass was overgrown everywhere. Shiny new cars sat in front of dilapidated houses that I can only assume to be drug dens. There were some nicer houses, but many of them were in disrepair.

Eventually we realized we were terribly lost in the middle of the ghetto, and called a cab. Whilst we did this, a young woman approached us in her car and asked if we needed help. We told her the situation, and she immediately told us to get in the car and she would drive us home. Turns out, we were miles away from where we needed to be, and so Lizzie and I are both forever grateful to April for getting us out of that jam. April, if somehow you ever see this: THANK YOU AGAIN.

When we finally got back to Ben/Jim's (along with their third roommate, Troy, who we had not met earlier in the day) at about 3 AM, and told them the names of the streets we had been taking, they told us "YOU WENT WHERE!?!?!" and stressed to us that we had been walking through some of the roughest areas of the city.

Hey, a little adventure never hurt anybody, right?

Later,

Tom

Broken Computers and Empty Malls

Hello all,

We are currently in Jackson, Mississippi using the complimentary computers available at the Apple store. The reason? The battery in my laptop decided to stop working, so we are waiting for a technician to look at it now. Worst case, I have to buy a new battery, which isn't an end-of-the-world sort of problem. So, no worries.

In other news, we camped last night at Tishomingo State Park in (you guessed it!) Tishomingo, Mississippi. We arrived after dark, and the park was absolutely terrifying. Our terror was greatly increased by the fact that there was only one other set of campers there. Ax-murder horror movie, anyone?....Yeah, we were pretty terrified.

But this morning we awoke to discover the campground was quite beautiful in the daylight. Only problem? The car didn't start! We had left the light on inside the car, and the battery was drained. However, our one set of neighbors came over to jump us and all was well. Turns out our neighbor-campers were from Claremont, NH :). Good ol' NH people, taking care of one another. Also: LIZZIE PICKED UP A SNAPPING TURTLE AND LIVED TO TELL THE TALE!

The large mall in Jackson, called the Metrocenter Mall, is nearly empty. Empty of stores, empty of people, empty of happiness. Lizzie commented, "Nowhere have I felt the impact of the recession quite like I do right now." We chatted with a woman in the cookie store who told us that many of the stores had been closed since the mid-1980s. Scary.

Ok, technician should be just about ready. Until next time.

Tom

So, we're here

Post-Bonnaroo Blues

The countdown on the main-stage Saturday night, waiting for Jay-Z's festival-defining performance.

Bonnaroo 2010 was a resounding success! Highlights include: Mumford and Sons, Daryl Hall w/ Chromeo, Aziz Ansari, Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers, and of course JAY-Z. A full review will be coming soon when I have more time to fart around on the Internet (Probably Thursday, but maybe not until Friday).

Right now Lizzie and I are in the Chattanooga Airport, dropping Mike off to fly home. We've enjoyed having him on the first leg of the trip, but alas, he has to return to the real world. Tomorrow we'll be in New Orleans. Thursday we'll leave NOLA for Beaumont, TX, and then we'll be in Austin for the weekend. More to come when I have more time, but we've got to get going so we can get at least partway into Mississippi before dark.

In the meantime think about this: Lizzie and I want to make our trip a nationwide scavenger hunt. In the comment section, let us know what sort of people, places, and/or things you want us to find along the way. If it's reasonable and legal, we'll do it. If it's at all possible to get a picture with that person, place, or thing, we will also do it.

If you don't know how to make a comment, it's this easy - click directly below this post where it says "0 Comments" (of course, once people make comments, it will no longer say 0 comments.) Then say whatever you want to say, sign your name, click "publish post" and that's it!

Catch ya later,

Tom and Lizzie

All Roads Lead to Bonnaroo

Crazy car at a NJ Turnpike rest stop.

I left Mountain Jam in Hunter, NY on Sunday night after Levon Helm's festival-defining 3 hour set ended at midnight. Mountain Jam was a great time, highlighted by sets from Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, The Avett Brothers, Yonder Mountain String Band, Matisyahu, and Gov't Mule. Other than being surrounded by people dropping acid at Matisyahu, it was a good time. I drove overnight back to Boston to visit family before departing for Georgia.

Mike and I stumbled into Lizzie's house in Grovetown, Georgia last night around 2AM after driving all day from Boston. Not surprisingly, Georgia is hot. Very very very hot, and so the night was somewhat uncomfortable. But I slept in a real bed for the first time in 6 days, so I can't complain too much.

Highlight of the drive? The "Cafe Risque" topless diner. We did not go in, but the tacky billboards advertising the cafe miles in advance were priceless. Not to mention that the diner, from our viewpoint on the highway, looked like an absolute pit of despair.

Today brings the exploration of Augusta, GA, a dip into Strom Thurmond Lake, and preparing to leave for Bonnaroo at midnight. Oh yeah.

- Tom

P.S. Internet access at Bonnaroo is non-existent. So see y'all after the weekend.

P.P.S. This site is not conducive for posting many pictures, so I set up a Picasa Web Album account where you guys can see pictures. The web address is: http://picasaweb.google.com/TomRoadTrip1

Catch y'all later.

Apologies for Lizzie, and the Week's Schedule

So, you may have gathered that Lizzie will occasionally be making guest posts on this blog. I'll go ahead and apologize in advance for anything and everything she says.

In other news - the week's schedule:

Tues: Drive to Georgia.

Wed: Bonnaroo preparation!

Thurs - Sun: Bonnaroo!

I'm lazy now, but look for a Mountain Jam recap in the coming days, as well as maybe a Bonnaroo preview...? Hmm.... We'll see how ambitious I am.

On the road to Georgia in 4 hours. Driving overnight. Bring it the hell on.

well, hello there, funderlings!

greetings!

I am a pirate! goo goo ga joob!!!!!! I came in discord! I have taken Tom and his booty!!!!

...nah.

welcome to your first guest post by Lizzie. You see, i saw this here blog and I was kinda like oooooOOOooooo....blog...num num num. Kind of like my puppy with shoes.

Speaking of my darlingest dearest puppy. My sort-of boyfriend left for florida on Friday and took my pooch to his mother's house, which has left me desperately sad. on the plus side, it has led me to baking. yay brownies!

So I realise that many of you readers do not know me. or at least not well. Maybe you've heard stories. But you've probably wondered who is this chick that Tom will be within two feet of for like...months? or, as cakemom would say (are you reading this, Kathy?) WHO IS THAT LESBIAN JEW IN A MEXICAN FIESTA DRESS? HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGY IN THE WINDOW? (Mine has such a waggedy tail.) And seeing as how I don't have a facebook, you'll never know!!! MUAHAHAHA.

just kidding.

well, for one, I just graduated from the coolest of cool schools that you wish you went to: http://www2.brooklyn.liu.edu/globalcollege/

Secondly, I am fairly religious, which is why we will not be traveling on saturdays.

Tricycle, my day gets messed up if i dont have a good breakfast. usually raisin bran.

i love npr and dancing; i'm straight-edge but not lame; i am a census enumerator; I know good grammar but I hate to use it; and I’m not nervous at all for the trip. Just kidding — I am, but it’s all under control. Just kidding — it’s not under control, it’s under a bus. Just kidding — there’s no bus in here, but there’s one on the corner. Just kidding — there’s no bus. Just kidding — there is, and it comes at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00 and 4:30. Just kidding — it comes at 11:15, 2:30, 6:15, and 7:00. Just kidding — that’s not it, but the nighttime schedule is changing and it’s not out yet. Just kidding — it is out. it’s out on the town with its new girlfriend, I wonder where they’re going? Just kidding — schedules can’t have girlfriends. Just kidding — they can, I dated one. Just kidding — I did, but it didn’t work out. Just kidding —

So i still have to pack, clean the whole house, work a few more hours so i can eat for a few more days on the trip, and get over the breakup/lack of puppy. which is nothing compared to the amount of stuff i want to do once we begin the trip! mainly see the country, meet awesome people, and figure out myself and my life and what i want to do, and read a hundred books...right.

the good news is I have over a grand saved up for the trip! woooot!

AND i have secured us a place to stay in NOLA. couchsurfing is the best!!

Don't worry, you wont get posts like this from me all the time. You'll get your regular Tom fix. He'll be back from mountain jam soon so I'm sure you'll get the report on an awesome possum time!

Who, What, When, Where, Why

WHO:

Me (Tom) and Lizzie. Troublemakers in arms.

WHAT:

Open-ended journey across the lower 48 states (plus Canada maybe? plus Alaska maybe?) to discover the country we call home. There's a lot out there to see, and we plan to see it.

WHEN:

Phase I begins this Friday, June 4th! I will arrive in Georgia to pick up Lizzie on Tuesday the 8th, and then we're off!

WHERE:

Our first major destination is the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN (Huge big music festival of awesomeness), then after that New Orleans, and after that...we plunge ourselves into the American West.

WHY:

Because we can. That's why.

T-Minus One Week!

As you can probably tell, the blog is now set up and I am almost ready to roll. Next Friday, I leave NH for Hunter, NY for the Mountain Jam Music Festival, and then onwards to pick up Lizzie (who will be joining me on the majority of the trip) for the Bonnaroo Music Festival! After that....who knows!

Look for more posts once we hit the road!