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The Journey is about to begin
It appears that tomorrow I will get a ride to Birmingham, AL to pick up the camper. Hopefully it will be capable of making the 257 mile journey from my dad’s house to The Rental. At that point I should … Continue reading
My New House
I picked up the camper yesterday. A friend of my mother was in town and she gave me and a friend a ride to Birmingham. After a tour of Birmingham hot dog establishments, we hit the road back to Knoxville. … Continue reading
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First Night
Yesterday I took The Camper With No Name to MF Auto for a check-up. She’s in great shape for a 1984. Most of the stuff they found I had an inkling about, except they said that the wheel bearings were … Continue reading
First Light
Thor and I did pretty well on our proof-of-concept camp out in the driveway. Thor and I did pretty well sleeping on the downstairs bed. Standard queen sheets fit just fine on the bed and I got a couple of … Continue reading
And the outfitting begins
Still forlorn that I couldn’t take The Camper with No Name to Nashville, Thor and I hopped in the Subaru and went anyway. Our first stop was REI. I knew that I wanted a sleeping bag.I lost mine in the … Continue reading
Thor gets in a tiff
This isn’t really a camper story, since the camper didn’t make it to Nashville this weekend, but it is mildly amusing, so here it is. Thor and I spent the night at a house that was occupied by several humans … Continue reading
Yes. I really am going to do this
In the past year I have been denied tenure and my house burned down. I now find myself with no spouse, no offspring, no job, no debt, and not much stuff. As I explain below, It’s a beautiful opportunity. I … Continue reading
Installing the Antenna
http://www.vanagain.com/Howtoantenna1.html http://www.vanagonauts.com/[66.-]Antenna-125.htm
It’s just not that easy
One of the things about a 25 year old car is that stuff that should be easy just isn’t.Yesterday afternoon, the first two boxes of parts arrived. I figured that it wouldn’t be that difficult to install an antenna so … Continue reading
I guess I really am going to do this
Yesterday I opined about the varying responses I get to my espousing that I am going to live in a van, down by the river. I was quite sure that it would be A Good Thing, (with apologies to a … Continue reading
A Place for Thor’s Kitty
The doorbell rang today at about 2:00. Thor and his kitty ran to see who it was. Thor is especially concerned about people who ring the doorbell. As far as he can tell, no good can come from it. I … Continue reading
Paradise on the dashboard
This isn’t especially exciting, but I don’t want people to think that I’ve been slacking on getting the Camper with No Name outfitted. I built a pretty cool shelf to sit on the dashboard and has a mount for my … Continue reading
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I think I may need more than Chrome
In December I received a Google CR48 laptop (you can read some of my reactions on my Learn blog. Basically, it is a stripped down OS and has only Google’s Chrome browser. One can also access a text-based shell, which … Continue reading
Thors Throne: The Poodle gets a custom-made seat
Thor really wants to ride in the front seat. He can fit there, but if I hit the brakes or take a quick right turn, he’s on the floor. The last (and only) time that happened, I was afraid the … Continue reading
A Tent for All Seasons
On the recent REI trip I bought a Kelty Deluxe Carport. I have tried, twice, to set it up without success. As it turns out it’s not an easy thing to do alone, especially when you’re still figuring out what … Continue reading
Cup Holder, sky light mechanism, dry box, eye bolts: check
I’m sure you’re wondering just what I’ve accomplished in the past couple of days. If you’re my student who’s wondering why I haven’t gotten his/her/hir dissertation proposal back, this is not the post you were hoping for (though I did … Continue reading
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The Future VW Camper
Here’s a YouTube video with a VW camper of the future. Mine is a camper of the past. It’s cool, though.
Uh, why wait until 81?
Here’s an inspiring video about 5 men who at 81 trained and went on a motorcycle ride. I’m not going on a motorcycle, but I’m not waiting until 81, either.
Getting ready for the shakedown cruise
Sometime this week Thor and I will embark on our first journey. I worked this weekend to get some more stuff done, mostly pretty boring stuff like getting locks installed on all of the cabinets, some little pieces of trim … Continue reading
KOA: Couldn’t do the Walmart.
This morning as I lay in bed thinking that Thor and I should hit the road, I received a phone call from my therapist to let me know that he/she/zie was expecting me 10 minutes earlier. As one who tries … Continue reading
And the adventure begins!
Thor and I stopped to check the map and lo! the car won’t start. I had a little trouble last night at the Walmart where I didn’t overnight park, but it got going again just fine. It was doing great, … Continue reading
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Apparently Water Is Not Very Good for Cars
So if you read the earlier in-the-moment post, the camper fell down and it couldn’t get up. I stopped to check the map and the camper wouldn’t start. And it wouldn’t start. And it wouldn’t start. And it wouldn’t start. … Continue reading
Where is the poodle?
This post describes living in a camper from Thor’s point of view and how I awake to find Thor missing and nowhere to be found.
Maybe my therapist was right
In which I whine about the cold and having to walk to a toilet.
News from the Cruise
I had envisioned a very exciting piece about a place for everything and everything in its place, but the associated photography and uploading of the pics is more than I can handle right now. Suffice it to say that it … Continue reading
What’s in a name?
I still don’t have a name for the camper. My 1972 VW bus that was my first car was named Bessie. Until the fire, I still had a pillow that a girlfriend had cross stitched. One idea is to go … Continue reading
Our first real night out
Around noon, Thor and I left the family we were visiting in Santa Rosa Beach (though the house is on the bay) and headed North to Chandler Mountain, the home of Horse Pens 40 and, well, not much else. My … Continue reading
Dogged insights on Chandler
Thor and I, after a long day’s drive (well, it was really only about 6 hours, with several stops), turn onto the driveway where we are to stay. A youngish looking (
Back in the Hood
Thor and I went to a party tonight. I played music. Thor did not, but he was invited in. I didn’t even ask, though I did tether him on the front porch. I’d thought I might just stay parked in … Continue reading
Girls Love My Camper!
These girls loved my camper. I don’t know what else to say.
Meet Walden
I decided to name the camper Walden. I liked the idea of alliteration that several suggested. I looked at a few baby name web sites for names with W and Walden was the winner. Things I like about the name: … Continue reading
A window into my future
On the Birmingham to Knoxville leg of the return from the Shake Down Cruise, I took Highway 11 rather than I-75. It was lovely. It’s a beautiful 2-lane highway that goes through a handful of small little towns. Part of … Continue reading
Fifteen Minutes
Well, it’s really only two minutes. I posted links to Twitter and Facebook but just noticed that I could embed it, so here we are. I can’t get it to show up on the front page, so you’ll have to … Continue reading
Bumper Stickers
Well, a few people have asked, so I have a few bumper stickers for sale. They're very thin vinyl, which I'm not too happy with. $5 for the first and $2.50 for each additional. You'll be helping to test my … Continue reading
Cleveland
Come to Cleveland. We have weird chili. You can get it served with pasta. I am not making this up.
Oh, the places we’ll go!
Perhaps the question that I am most often asked is "Where will you go?" After all, there are lots of rivers. I can even see one from the front door of The Rental. A number of people have already made … Continue reading
Computing on the Road
Sometime around last November Google announced its Cr-48 pilot program. The Cr-48 is a laptop that runs a minimal Linux operating system. The only application it has, for Normal People, is the Chrome web browser. It boots in 10 seconds. … Continue reading
Walden is going to Europe!
I was discussing my trip the other morning at breakfast, a friend from Germany said that it cost only about US$500 to have his Rolls Royce shipped to Germany. Forget the US! I’m renaming my blog “To Europe in Camper … Continue reading
Out with the old, in with the new
Moving in to a camper is surprisingly like moving in to a house. One difference is that when said house is 85 square feet, renovations are even more inconvenient. I did manage to get the furnace and new propane tank … Continue reading
Shakedown II: The Voyage Begins
I spent most of Wednesday getting Walden back in shape to travel. I removed nearly everything last weekend to do the furnace install, so it took a fair amount of work to get things back in place. I’d also removed … Continue reading
Push to New Orleans
Thor and I slept well thanks to the soft purring of the furnace. In preparing to walk Thor to breakfast I learned that I apparently left his leash at the office. And somehow, I’d decided that, space constraints being … Continue reading
On Domiciles
Walden is now parked out in front of my friend Burning Woman’s apartment. BW is about my age, an author, and, as her moniker implies, for the preceeding past seven years she has been a regular attendee at Burning Man, … Continue reading
Parking on the streets of New Orleans
I spent the first two nights in New Orleans Parked in front of BW’s house. It was handy because I could go sneak in the back door, which was right by the bathroom. I think I’m going to like the … Continue reading
Google is Messing with Me
I enjoyed New Orleans, as I always do, but life on the mean streets was getting me down, as was the memory of the painfully long drive down, so I headed out to spread out the driving a bit more. … Continue reading
An Evening with an All-American Family
I arrived at Jim’s house at about quarter to seven. Difficulties with my navigation system had thwarted my attempts having a leisurely beer while Jim and the boys were at baseball practice. After I parked I told Thor to wait … Continue reading
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Walden is a School Bus!
These kids needed to go to school. Walden’s ancestors were called “buses.”
The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round!
Walden got to take kids to school two days in a row!
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Soup Is Tasty
The reason for going to Fairhope was that it was a way to get to Montgomery, the home of Jay’s Imports, my favorite mechanic. Jay did not respond to hails on Monday, and when I finally got in touch with … Continue reading
Walden Gets a New Hat and Goes for a Ride
When I returned to The Rental and was backing in to the garage I noticed a funny smell, vaguely like curry. When I looked in the mirror, I saw smoke pouring out of the vents. I killed the engine and … Continue reading
Breakdowns in New Orleans
My first full day in New Orleans I was driving around the French Quarter looking for a place to park. I wondered just who thought it was such a great idea to have a 25,000 person conference in New Orleans … Continue reading
Moving into a Camper is still, well, moving
Friday is the day that The People come and take away all of the televisions, beds, towels, sheets, and other such stuff from The Rental. I’ve moved pretty many times. I used to be pretty good at it. I knew … Continue reading
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It’s a good thing Walden was at the shop
Today packing was postponed because I had two meetings with students who had what we academics call “milestones.” One had a proposal meeting at 11:00, another had a comprehensive exam meeting at 3:30. Before the 11:00 meeting I parked intending … Continue reading
And we’re off, almost
It’s been a busy week at The Rental. I did manage to post that a tree fell on the Subaru (for the second time in poor Super Roo’s life). I didn’t manage to post about going to Pull-A-Part to look … Continue reading
The First Day of the Rest of My Life
The last three nights I’ve slept at a dear friend’s house. Staying at a friend’s house is not really living in a van. Friday they took the furniture. I tried Really Hard to get everything out of The Rental. I … Continue reading
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This is decidedly not an adventure
A friend asked yesterday “Well, how does it feel now that you don’t have stuff to do?” “I’m not there yet” was my reply. Yesterday I learned that I did indeed miss my final appointment with my shrink because of … Continue reading
Filling a Storage Unit
I started out with a 5×10 storage unit. My house burned down. I didn’t have much stuff. My mom and aunt came to help me get packed. The suggested that I would be an ever-loving fool not to get a … Continue reading
Geek: The Cr-48 gets needed apps!
You almost certainly don’t care about this, as you almost certainly don’t have a Cr-48. You probably also don’t use rsync and don’t want to. For me, though Todd Vierling is my hero. Not just because he registered duh.org, though … Continue reading
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Walden’s New Name Plate
I thought that Walden’s name should be prominently displayed, and his Westfalia letters after 25 years were getting ragged. I found a Westfalia image online and had a friend use that as a starting place to do a Walden. Here’s … Continue reading
Even in a van, I still have to schedule
Saturday I finally drove out of Knoxville. No more couch surfing with friend’s whom I am accustomed to seeing frequently. No more trips to the storage unit, Goodwill, and the same hardware store. My first stop was a party in … Continue reading
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Why not to set ambitious travel days
I was going to leave Bell Buckle, TN yesterday, but my friends didn’t leave there until about 4EDT and Marietta, GA was about 4 hours plus a time zone away. I didn’t want to get to Marietta so late, so … Continue reading
Ah, Bell Buckle
This one’s a bit out of order since it took me forever to get the pictures posted and whatnot. I’m not sure how the whole week escaped without my finding time to post. Apparently doing nothing takes up a lot … Continue reading
Oh, Atlanta!
I rolled into my friend D’s driveway at about 6:00. I’d managed to talk to D briefly before my phone battery completely died and he said he was close behind. I found the front door unlocked and walked on in, … Continue reading
A Plague of Locusts
Well, not really. They’re cicadas, which are not locusts at all. It’s 13 year cicada time in Middle Tennessee. I was in Nashville for their last appearance and they were spectacular. You’d come across a tree with thousands of screaming … Continue reading
Thor eats a catfish
I took some roads less traveled on the way to Pawley’s Island. At some point I decided that I’d not be finding a Rippy Mart to empty my bladder and fill my cup, so I just pulled over. Thor hopped … Continue reading
In which I make a pen, pick up poop, and sanitize a tank
I was on the phone with E as I approached his house. “Is it the brick one with dark shutters?” I asked. That’s funny because his neighborhood is one of those with fairly strict requirements about how you can decorate. … Continue reading
My Life on a Plantation
As I approached Pawley’s I phoned and sent a textual message to my hostess, whom I had yet to meet. She didn’t respond to hails. Should I try to figure out something to do in this paradise myself or go … Continue reading
Knoxville News Sentinel covers our story
A while ago I was approached by a reporter who wanted to do a piece on Thor, Walden, and me for the Knoxville News Sentinel. After a few emails, a trip to the park to meet with a photographer, and … Continue reading
The Pastry Incident
When I awoke my first full day at Pawley’s I checked email and web site traffic from Walden using my hosts’ wireless connection. I do not know why I am so taken with the stats. I guess I’m still surprised … Continue reading
A Day in The Life
Woke up. Got out of bed. Dragged a comb across my head. No, that’s not it at all. I got up and had and went for a run. After my run and my croissant I looked for a local establishment … Continue reading
In which I become a motivational speaker
Note: If you are not familiar with the Saturday Night Live skit in which Chris Farley is a motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river, you must watch it now. If you didn’t click on one … Continue reading
There was no bathing suit and no beach
After my motivational speaking engagement I had to rectify a serious problem. In culling my wardrobe for life in a van I somehow overlooked the fact that a bathing suit could be a handy thing to have. At the direction … Continue reading
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One Month In
Today marks one month that I have been without an immovable domicile. I’m a bit behind in my story-telling. I think soon I’ll return to chronicling my return from Pawley’s to Columbia to Knoxville, where I resumed moving stuff in … Continue reading
Out of the mouths of babes
These are actual quotes from children in Pawley’s Island, as recounted by parents. Seeing that Thor did not try to barge into the house, my hostess commented on Thor’s good manners. Daughter: “Mom, did you know that Thor broke into … Continue reading
A short-lived adventure
On the way out of Quito, after my family and I had arrived at the airport, secured boarding passes, passed through security, and had our bags searched by hand at the gate, we were ready to board. There was an … Continue reading
One Fewer Passengers in Walden
I’ve had trouble getting back into the swing of posting anything since I got back from Ecuador. I’ve got some pretty good stuff from Ecuador that I hope to get posted Real Soon Now, but last week I had to … Continue reading
News Flash (to me): I’m not in a hurry
With help from Google Maps, I’d planned a seven day trek to Ft Collins, CO (Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis were the notable stopping points). There’s a beer festival in Ft. Collins next Friday, so that seemed like a good target. … Continue reading
A perfect start to my journey
Though the counter says that my trip began 51 days ago, which is when I moved out of The Rental, the part where I don’t have anywhere to be for months started last Friday. This post describes a most auspicious … Continue reading
The Kindness of Strangers, or a short stay at Elvis Presley Blvd RV Park
I thought that staying at the Aaron Presley Boulevard RV Park might make a good story, but I hadn’t anticipated this one. I called the Aaron Presley Blvd RV Park Sunday morning. There was no answer. I didn’t leave a … Continue reading
CrossFit Fire of the Gods, or Six Weeks to Fitness
After spending a day on the couch avoiding the Memphis heat, I headed over to my friend Apolloswabbie’s house. Apolloswabbie is the owner and coach of CrossFit Fire of the Gods and a career Naval officer. Apolloswabbie and I worked … Continue reading
Stuff I did in Memphis
OK. I can’t really figure out how to do justice to all the other stuff that I did in Memphis, but it was now long ago, and I’m about to leave St. Louis, so I’ll have to just mention a … Continue reading
Go West, Young Man!
Today, I bid farewell to my long misplaced friend from high school band, the only one, to my knowledge, who actually has made a living playing music. My plan was to hit Kansas City today. Just as I got out … Continue reading
Today is my day!
I got up this morning and made coffee, eggs over easy and half a smoked trout. I spent way too long posting about the previous days travels, having to crank the engine twice to produce enough electrons to finish the … Continue reading
In which Walden makes it to Colorado
I woke up at about 5:00 this morning. It was hot and loud in the Isle of Capri parking lot. It was going to be a scorcher all across Kansas, so I thought I’d get an early start and try … Continue reading
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Tagged breakdown, crossfit, log, Uncategorized
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Denver, my new home
This morning I bought the parts to make Walden move again. It took me only 42 minutes to bike the 12 miles. I did take water. After a while, I managed to install a new coil, spark plug wires and … Continue reading
Life in the Suburbs
When we left off, gentle readers, Walden was dead on the street, and I was thinking that the Wynkoop Brewery might be my new home. The only catch was that I had to put two dollars in the meter every … Continue reading
Life in the Woods
Well, I finally did it. I left suburbia. I drove my limping car out of town toward a National Forrest. I stopped at an REI and bought a new rack for my bike and a cool bag to sit on … Continue reading
Easing in to hiking
This morning I got up and after I listened to the radio and played guitar a bit, I thought that I should not be such a homebody and should get out. I packed up a couple of books, a hammock, … Continue reading
Home Invasion
I was sitting in Walden minding my own business. There was a cute chipmunk sitting on a rock nearby. Just look at how cute he is. The next thing I know, the little fellow jumped into the camper and started … Continue reading
Walking in the Woods for No Good Reason
It’s 3PM on Friday and, though my earlier hike was quite enjoyable, it seems that maybe I should try going a bit further. The problem is that I don’t have any maps of the hiking trails in the area. Fifty … Continue reading
Meet the Neighbors
So I did pour a glass of wine and walked over to meet my neighbors. As I was prepared to tell them, I’d have never have invaded their personal space if they hadn’t been in a Westfalia, in a similar … Continue reading
From the Forest to Red Rocks
After I bid the VeeDubs farewell, I finished packing up Walden and hit the road. I was still a little concerned about Walden’s well-being. Someone in a forum had suggested that the temp he was running seemed alarmingly high, though … Continue reading
Sarah McLachlan at Red Rocks
I got to the drive-up Will Call booths at the Red Rocks amphitheater a little before 5:00 and they were closed. Happily, there was a walk-up office where one could stand out of the rain and get tickets. I got … Continue reading
Care and Feeding for Walden
I finally got Walden in and out of the shop. It took them three days. As it turned out, there was a lot to do. Plus, once I realized I had access to a mechanic, there were lots of little … Continue reading
I Love Boulder
I arrived in Boulder Thursday morning to visit my best friend from grad school. For years, we shared an office, for a while at Vanderbilt, for a while at Stanford. We hung out for a while after my arrival and … Continue reading
Leaving Boulder
This morning, I got up. I try to do that every day, whether I need to or not. Next, I carried the Big Ikea Bag into Walden. I use it as one might use a suitcase when I stay in … Continue reading
A Day in Nederland
I woke up at the trail head, made use of the fine facilities, packed up and headed down into Nederland. The nice park ranger I’d talked to in Boulder said that Nederland was a cool town and would be a … Continue reading
Bear Creek Park
I decided that Walden’s lack of power and occasionally-loud fuel pump warranted a trip back to the mechanic, so Tuesday morning, I got up and headed back to Englewood. It seemed that Walden had somewhat more power as I got … Continue reading
Walden goes to the doctor. I drink Beer.
I woke up this morning in a campground in Bear Creek Park. I’d been there since about 2:00 yesterday afternoon. It took a while to get packed up. When the wind got so crazy that I was thinking that I … Continue reading
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Fort Collins Brewery Tour
I got to Fort Collins, parked Walden in a public parking deck, got on the bike, and headed for the closest brewery, Cooper Smith’s Pub and Brewery. I got a table outside and found that they had wireless. After a … Continue reading
Did I mention that there are breweries in Fort Collins?
I woke up in Fort Collins pretty early and, not wanting to use the bucket, headed for a coffee house that sounded pretty good, Wild Boar Coffee. Google did an exceptionally poor job of getting me there, but I finally … Continue reading
Out of Ft. Collins and into the Forest
I planned to leave Fort Collins on Saturday. I got up and wrote and charged my (literal, not figurative) batteries at a coffee house. It was nearly one when I left. I headed to REI on the way out of … Continue reading
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A day in the park
I got up in the morning and headed on down the road. I came to this place where a fairly wild stream was rushing down the mountain. I actually got out of the car and went down to check it … Continue reading
If the van’s a rockin’ . . .
I had this nightmare in which the van was rocking. It was one of those nightmares where you want to scream, but can’t. Then, I realized that I wasn’t asleep. I had just turned out the lights. I had to … Continue reading
Walden goes to Walden
Since the bear had apparently licked the bacon grease out of the frying pan, I opted to clean it before using it to make breakfast. At the other end of Roosevelt National Forest was a little down called, wait for … Continue reading
Hot Springs, and a brewery? Saratoga, here I come!
I didn’t manage to get up in time to avail myself of the continental breakfast at the little motel in Walden (the town). I’m not quite sure how I found it, but I noticed that Saratoga wasn’t far away, and … Continue reading
Cheyenne Frontier Days, Here I Come!
On the way out of Little America, I stopped at the truck stop next door to use the facilities and get a Diet Coke. I checked, and showers there are $10. I decided that I was clean enough. I considered … Continue reading
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Over the mountain and through the woods
I had to check out the Hobo Pool, especially since on my trip to Pawley’s Island I had been called a hobo. The hobo pool was, in fact, pretty darned hot. No one was in it, and it had some … Continue reading
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Rodeo, Explained
At a bit after noon, I headed down Portal 1 and found my way to my seat at my first rodeo. Sure enough, it was right above the chutes. The guy next to me asked where I’d gotten my ticket. … Continue reading
Heading to Rushmore
When I awoke parked on the street near the Flying J, I noticed that there was a car behind me and that it contained a couple of twenty-something guys who were sleeping. I didn’t actually get a close enough view … Continue reading
Rushmore can wait
I headed out pretty early and bought ice in Custer. Can I just tell you how oppressive it is to buy ice every day? Out here I can find 10 pound blocks (rather than the stuff you usually get that … Continue reading
Sculptures on Mountains. Snore.
The route that I took to hit both Crazy Horse and Rushmore took me into Custer park, through has a loop that’s supposed to have lots of animals. I saw a buffalo ambling down the side of the road. I … Continue reading
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Bad Lands and Weapons of Mass Destruction
In the morning I set out for the Badlands. And they were pretty bad. That’s “bad” meaning “good.” I think what’s striking is that the pictures of them turned out really cool. Usually landscapes don’t come out that well, but … Continue reading
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The Big Rock
My path in the morning took me through Deadwood, a little touristy town that’s supposed to look like an old mining town. It’s kept afloat with gambling money. I rode by this little mine and decided to do the tour. … Continue reading
Bighorn National Forest
I headed out of the Wild Woman RV Park at about noon. Since I had power charging my battery and WIFI, I made the most of it. I was going to go up through Bighorn National Forest and see this … Continue reading
A Dinner Party in Thermopolis
I really liked my campsite in the Bighorn Forest, and considered hanging out there another day, but decided to roll on. Before I left, I chatted with the guy next door. He was there with his daughter doing some fishing. … Continue reading
Leaving the Eagle
In the morning I drank a cup of coffee with my new family that I’d met the night before. We then headed to the public bath for a soak. In the park there were people selling kettle corn, hand-forged knives … Continue reading
And on to Jackson Hole
I got out of my spot in the Shoshone national forest pretty early in the morning. I crossed the pass, which included several miles of unpaved roads. I’m told that there are two seasons in Wyoming, Winter, and road construction. … Continue reading
Another fine day in Jackson
I woke up pretty early in the crappy campground. I was ready to get out of there pretty early. Before heading in to town I headed up the mountain to scout dispersed camping spots. There were plenty. I should have … Continue reading
The First 100 Days
The astute reader will notice that my posts lag about a week behind. I’m sort of trying to catch up a little, especially after I’ve, for example, been in Yellowstone, where it’s difficult to get stuff posted because there is … Continue reading
Finding Yellowstone
It turned out that my camping spot in the forest up above the campground where I’d been the night before, though it had a beautiful view, was too close to the road. I knew that when I parked there, but … Continue reading
A Grand Day
I got up pretty early, went and said goodbye to my Vanagon Family, and went in search of another campground. The next one I saw was in a place that has phone and 3G data coverage. It was one of … Continue reading
Finding a Home for the night in Yellowstone
On my way out of the campground, I arranged for a spot at the north end of the park, closer to where the backpackers that I’d met earlier and planned to meet up with. It wasn’t the perfect place, but … Continue reading
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Hair of the Dog
With Little Bird and Ox returned to the wild, it was just me and Walden, for the first time in almost two weeks. Well, that’s not quite true. OK, it’s not true at all. I was on my way back … Continue reading
Someone told me it’s all happening at the zoo
It was a nice day in Portland. We got up, had a delicious breakfast and went to the zoo. It’s like a big park, with caged animals. If you want to just see the pictures, you can see them on … Continue reading
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In which I am welcomed by strangers
I’d been in Portland for several nights, it was time to head on up the road. There was French toast and pancakes for Breakfast. I got everything packed back in to Walden, including the new laptop. There was a bit … Continue reading
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What? A party? For me?
Out in front of my new friends’ house, I woke up pretty early. I turned on NPR and lounged in bed for a while. After a while I got up, put some clothes on and headed in to the house. … Continue reading
Beer, Beer, and more Beer
I woke up and showered and blogged at the home of my gracious hosts. I also went through their DVD collection and backed up some of their stuff to my laptop’s hard drive. That way, if their house burned down, … Continue reading
Parking on the street in Seattle
This was my first day alone in quite a while. I’d had Little Bird and Ox with me for ten days, and after that I was staying with friends in Portland, and then with the strangers crazy enough to invite … Continue reading
Walden Rides a boat!
This being Seattle, it seemed like it’d be easy enough to find a nearby coffee outlet. I don’t really care that much about coffee, but those places often have the Three-P trifecta: potty, power, and porn. As I would soon … Continue reading
In which I go to another country
In the morning I woke up and we had a fantastic breakfast hash. It was lovely indeed. After breakfast, S went on in to the office. I showered, and computed, and hung out with P for a while until it … Continue reading
Maybe Canada isn’t so bad after all
I woke up pretty early in a campground outside of Sidney, BC. (This wasn’t a surprise to me, but I thought you might have forgotten where I went to sleep.) I drove out of the park and into town where … Continue reading
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Getting Back to the Mainland
I was on my way to the ferry to get off this island and back to the mainland. Getting to the mainland was a first step in getting back to getting back to the US of A. I figured it’d … Continue reading
This Land is My Land
My stealth camping on the street in Vancouver was uneventful. I woke up pretty early and was on the move before 7:00. I used the bathroom at a convenience store, but they had no soda fountain. I bought ice so … Continue reading
The World is My Oyster
After I finished up with Rocket Donuts I headed on south along the coast. There were some pretty awesome views along the way. At one place, I found a thong in the bushes. It was the first time I’d seen … Continue reading
Over the mountain and through the woods, again
I was toasty warm in my “real” sleeping bag, which has a 0F rating, as opposed to the 55F rated bag that I started the trip with. When I poked my arms out, though, I was cold. It was probably … Continue reading
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Mazama Holiday
I woke up parked in the carport at my friend’s house. I drove the two kilometers in to the store and had a breakfast sandwich. There was no internet there, but I wrote some anyway. As I was leaving I … Continue reading
Do you have insurance?
As I wrote this title, I was reminded of John Prine’s “Illegal Smile” . . . “And all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen.” No, I have not (yet?) decided to dump my academic career for selling insurance. … Continue reading
The Holiday Continues
I woke up in a comfortable bed in B’s guest room, at least it was the guest room when his wife wasn’t there. They apparently have differing opinions about which room is preferable. After a couple of cups of coffee, … Continue reading
Traveling to Eastern Oregon
Well, I was going to have to stop being on holiday sometime, and today was the day. The ReUnion was only two days away, and it seemed like a good idea to take two days to get there. B made … Continue reading
ReUnion: Bunches of Busses
I found my way from Union to the Catherine Creek State Park. I knew I was headed the right way since I was being followed by another Vanagon Westfalia. I pulled in and saw a bunch of campers. I was … Continue reading
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Getting Back to Portland
I got packed up, bid farewell to my new Westfalia friends and headed out of Catherine Creek. I made sure that I had plenty of gas. The tank was still pretty much full since I’d run out pretty close to … Continue reading
Ikea, Spoiled Beer, and Great conversation
I woke and up had a lazy morning with M and K. At the ReUnion LINK I’d seen some cool lights that someone had gotten at Ikea that I thought I might add to Walden; M and I made plans … Continue reading
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Dinner with a Friend
After dropping my friend at her hotel, I made it to the restaurant a while before Crash. He and I were roommates my last semester in college. Upon arrival he explained that his name was Crash and promptly named me … Continue reading
A day in Portland
The good thing about overnight stealth camping on a random street in Portland is that when you wake up, you’re not far from a place that has power, wifi, a bathroom, oh, and coffee. The Flying Cat Coffee Company is … Continue reading
Octoberfest!
It was time to say farewell to my friends in Portland and south. I said goodbye to the dog too. He’s a lot more of a licker than was Thor. I’d gotten tips from my friend about the Octoberfest celebration … Continue reading
Goats and Ukes!
When I awoke in Walden parked the field in Mt. Angel, my auxiliary battery was almost dead. This battery thing was really starting to bum me out. I considered hanging around having having a few more sausages, but decided instead … Continue reading
And now for something completely different
After I bid farewell to the goats, I headed on down to Corvallis, where another person from the Wet Westies email list had invited me to park in his driveway. I’d invited him to join me for drinks at one … Continue reading
Beautiful Beaches, Annoying Rangers
Having had a shower and some pancakes I was back on the road. I stumbled on to the Oregon Oyster farm, which was not where Google thought it was. I did manage to find it, though they wouldn’t sell many … Continue reading
And on down the coast
It turns out that parking between two big trucks is a noisy place come 5AM when they start their day. Since I’d payed the $17.82 for the privilege of parking I thought I’d go use their bathroom. I couldn’t figure … Continue reading
Boundaries
This was another day that I ambled down the coast with no particular goal other than moving south. I stopped a few times and got some pictures of stuff, like some dried up flower. There were also some more of … Continue reading
Lighthouse
I woke up and walked to the shower house. I was clean, but was unable to provide myself with underwear that were also clean. I’ve gotten rid of at least two pair of underwear since I went full-time and I … Continue reading
Oil Leak
Walden and I ambled on down through the redwoods. Where there was a sign that offered the opportunity to drive through a tree we knew that we had to do it. I paid the ten bucks and on we went! … Continue reading
Going to a house
I woke up and headed out of Richardson Grove State Park. On down the road I saw a winery and thought that I should stop. they had grapes growing there. When I arrived, there were three couples arranging some means … Continue reading
Staying in a house
I arrived at Amy’s on Saturday in anticipation of flying from SFO to PHL with her the following Thursday night. There we’d attend a family wedding. With Walden largely incapacitated by his oil leak, I cooled my heels out in … Continue reading
SFO to PHL
After we arrived at the airport, at about 9:00pm, Amy contrived to re-organize her bags so that she could carry them all on rather than pay the exorbitant fees that airlines now charge for checking baggage. These fees confuse me. … Continue reading
Wedding Festivities
After our nap in the hotel room, we had to run back to the airport to pick up Mommalou. Google’s directions were not very easy to follow, but we made it there anyway and after some difficulty managed to add … Continue reading
Snakes on a plane
The day after the wedding we all went to my aunt’s house for brunch until it was time to head to the airport. We got directions from the locals, who claimed that Google’s route was inferior. We somehow again failed … Continue reading
Toronado, or sleeping on the streets of San Francisco
My cousin had identified someone in San Francisco whom she thought I should meet. A woman. This seemed like a fine idea to me. It took a handful of emails over a course of months, as the original plan was … Continue reading
Peanuts for Dinner
I woke up in Walden parked on Haight street to the sound of garbage trucks. It took me back to one of the first nights that I spent in Vermont when moving from Hoboken, NJ. We’d stayed the night in … Continue reading
Free Lunch
I woke up at D’s house and he and I got moving pretty early, since he has a job and everything. I’ve been continually annoyed that people I visit have jobs. I’ve often found it inconvenient. My activity for the … Continue reading
Sometimes I miss the poodle
I’m staying with friends that have cats, and we (I and the friends, not the cats) were discussing how different the trip would have been with Thor. I told them that Thor had a kitty, but they said that the … Continue reading
iLiveInYourHouse.com
I spent over a week in San Francisco staying at friend’s houses. I checked and iLiveInYourHouse.com is available. I almost registered it, but decided that the joke wasn’t worth $12 and 12 minutes. When the account that I assume has … Continue reading
On the Road Again, Again
This being the end of my iLiveInYourHouse.com tour (for a few days, at least), I woke up at my friend’s house. She made breakfast, which I ate with her son. She made some suggestions about what route to take and … Continue reading
They Don’t Look Like Elephants to Me
I didn’t sleep that well on the street in Santa Cruz. Around 3:00 I gave up on sleeping and watched an episode of Breaking Bad. In the morning I tried to listen to NPR, but the battery got too low … Continue reading
A Bittersweet Visit
I love the Robber Barron houses like Biltmore and Hearst Castle, but I decided that I’d forgo seeing Hearst Castle this trip. I was already south of it and had planned to meet up with a women who follows my … Continue reading
In which I eat for the time it takes to bicycle 100 miles
I woke up in a motel room not a whole lot bigger than Walden. My aunt and uncle were on the other bed. We managed to get up and shower and get moving. We then set out to try to … Continue reading
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Making Our Way to LA
We snuck out of the motel before my cousin awoke. We left him and his girlfriend the keys to my aunt’s car and my aunt, uncle and I headed out in Walden. It seemed like a good idea to check … Continue reading
The Week of Sloth
I spent a week at my uncle’s house in the Los Angeles greater metropolitan area. I would like to tell you about going to the Walk of Fame and post the pictures of me miming on Charlie Chaplain’s star or … Continue reading
A night in the desert
OK, so I’m not really young, but I learned from my maternal grandmother never to let the truth interfere with a good story. Everyone went to work. I decided that it probably made sense to wash my clothes and my … Continue reading
I’ve Been Through the Desert in A Van Named Walden
In our last episode, I decided where to park for the night by getting stuck on a dark desert highway, with cool wind in my hair. Actually it was really a dark desert one-lane road. I kept the windows shut. … Continue reading
What Happens in Vegas
After the Mojave National Preserve, I’d planned to head for Hoover dam, bypassing Vegas. I don’t much like gambling, and all of the movies about hilarious antics in Vegas that I have seen involve a group of people. It’s never … Continue reading
Dam, that Thing is Big
I tried to find some kind of decent breakfast on the way out of Vegas, but gave up and got a couple tacos at Del Taco, a regional version of Taco Bell. It was going to be good to get … Continue reading
Approaching a Hole
I spent all of the previous day in a crappy little motel room in Kingmon, Arizona working on a set of questions that someone had sent me in response to a job I had applied for. Spending thirty dollars to … Continue reading
From the Hole to Flagstaff
When I awoke, I was quite comfy in my sleeping bag. It was cold since I’d run out of propane at about 1:30. I tried to look out a window, but they were all iced over. I decided to stay … Continue reading
Now I Really Am an Accidental Tourist
I rode out of Flagstaff toward Sedona, which my mother had visited recently. It was supposed to be a cute little town, and it was. I stopped and had some breakfast. I poked in a few shops, but was still … Continue reading
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Frank Lloyd Cactus
After a couple days hanging out in Phoenix, my host, like so many people I have visited, had to go to work. I decided that rather than watch TV all day as I had in LA, I would venture out … Continue reading
Standing on a Corner in Winslow Arizona: check
It was time to get moving again, and I was headed to Santa Fe to see a friend who’d moved there from Knoxville. My first stop was Winslow Arizona. Here is the obligatory picture of me standing on a corner. … Continue reading
Petrified
When I was a kid my grandmother and uncle took a trip out west in my grandmother’s VW bug. I remember stories about their going to the petrified forest, so I went. It’s pretty wild. A bunch of trees got … Continue reading
Of Missiles and Birds
I spent a couple days in Santa Fe with some friends from Knoxville. It was a nice visit with several nice meals in their home and eateries in Santa Fe. I mostly went back into my homebody mode. I was … Continue reading
The Birds
I awoke shortly after five. In the morning. I had to get to the wildlife refuge before the birds got up. I was actually pretty excited. The birds I had seen the night before were pretty cool and I was … Continue reading
Billy the Kid and Smokey the Bear Lived Here
After I saw the birds eating their breakfast, I thought that I should do the same. I stopped at a little tiny store and decided that I should also buy gas, as this part of New Mexico is full of … Continue reading
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