Month: October 2018

Romeoville? Yep. I’m in Romeoville. Tomorrow I’ll see if there’s a Julietville.

(My daughter just informed me that Joliet used to be called Juliet.)

Spent last night in St. Louis, and had the only mediocre Indian food I’ve ever had. Previously, Indian food was like a cross between religion and sex. Surprising and delightful.

This was Luby’s cafeteria quality. And the waiters were surly and slow. I’m pretty sure I won’t go back to St. Louis again, and damn sure I’ll never go back to that restaurant.

Then, across and up Illinois to Romeoville, which is a suburb of Chicago, I think.

South of Chicago, the state is pretty much unoccupied. And, unlike Chicago, pretty redneck. I saw a bunch of “America First” and Trump signs… not sure what for. It’s like he and his followers still can’t believe he actually successfully stole the election.

I’m still not used to the trees turning colors… wondering if there’s something wrong with them. Are they ok?

As I approached Peoria (singing B.B. King: “she said she gonna leave me in Peoria Illinois…) the traffic got thick and dangerous. Going the speed limit just pissed ’em off.

And, for the 4th day in a row, as the sun started to go down a greasy drizzle pizzled on my 4runner, streaking the windshield and making the road slick.

Could be a sign.

Tomorrow, Chicago.

Left Snyder- cranked out cowboys in hopped up dodge pickups.  Oil country.  Cotton.

Toll roads all the way to Tulsa.  Fall in Oklahoma. No dust bowl here- trees turning red, yellow, orange… and the dirt really is red.

Construction.  Rain.  Driving in Tulsa is like driving in Dallas.

Finally found the motel… two blocks off the main drag.

Deep breath.  Exhale.

 

We drug our feet leaving Terlingua…  we don’t want to leave.

On the porch we hugged. LaRoja told me, “we’ll get through this together.”

The drive to Fort Stockton was gorgeous. Turquoise skies, puffy clouds, cool and sunny… the irony that weather cleared up after over a week of rain on the very day I leave is not lost on me.

From Stockton to Monahans was a little less fun.  Oil field country.  Cranked out punks with semi trucks and a bad attitude.

From Monahans to Snyder was hell. I-20 is riddled with construction, and as dangerous as the Stockton to Monahans leg of the journey but with 10 times more traffic. I can’t imagine why anybody would be in a hurry to get to Odessa, Texas, but I huddled the right side of the road going the speed limit (75) while jacked-up pickups and semis tail gated each other, cut each other off… Continue reading “Terlingua to Snyder”

I’ll be leaving tomorrow for Chicago.

For now, let’s call it a Winter Walkabout.

Earlier this summer I went on a walkabout:  Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, 3 weeks in Chicago, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and back.

I had to go to Chicago for family stuff, and when it came time to go home I discovered I was near the top of the map and had never seen that part of the country.

It was an adventure. Utah won, with its amazing natural scenery, but everywhere I travelled had a story and a vibe.

Now, I’m going back again for more family stuff. Continue reading “Winter Walkabout”