BloggingAcrossAmerica
BloggingAcrossAmerica: Page 2
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Summarizing Bill Clinton - 11/09/03
Pictured above is the headquarters for the Hot Springs Showmen's Association ("No Business Like Show Business"), a meeting hall/entertainment center for carnival folk. In a way, this place sums up Bill Clinton better than anything else could.
Ike was born in Texas and raised in Kansas; one can see how a state like Kansas (or even Texas) could give rise to someone like him.
Rasslin' 'gators - 11/09/03
I paid a brief visit to the Arkansas Alligator Farm, which is home to the "Merman." I wouldn't go there for the Merman. It's an obvious fake, especially with the hair. However, if you like alligators, it's got a lot of them.
Unfortunately, alligators start shutting down in November, and when I visited all of them were fast asleep.
Hot Springs "National Park" - 11/09/03
The Hot Springs National Park is probably the least worthwhile National Park I've ever seen and could ever imagine. As I told the people at the visitor center, I have trouble caring. After having toured the Fordyce Manor, I have even more trouble caring. So, they used to rub mercury on peoples' genitals in an attempt to cure syphillis. So what?
I didn't post the last entry - 11/07/03
AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION OUTSIDE OF ARKANSAS - I'm still trying to figure out what happened. All I know is I was driving through Arkansas and asking people a bunch of questions. Sure, I might have asked the wrong person the wrong question, but, people are free to ask questions, right?
Apparently, someone hacked my site and was trying to set me up for God knows what.
Thankfully, I'm across the border now.
My depression is just getting worse and worse - 11/04/03
I've been very depressed lately. There are various reasons for it. I think I've handled it fairly well, but it's probably become a bit evident on this blog that there's a problem.
A lot of things seem to have come to a head lately. First, no other bloggers want to meet me on my travels. And, I just found out that LunaNina doesn't live in Texas like I thought, and I actually drove through her area a couple weeks ago. And, I feel quite a bit like a fish out of water here in the South.
Hot Springs, epicenter of Bubba - 11/04/03
After the Arkansas highpoint, I took the 10 to the 7 south to Hot Springs. It looks like a bit of a straight shot on the map, but in practice it's a rather difficult road with enough blind rises, blind curves, and 180 degree turns that it demands your complete attention. It doesn't use as much gas as the roads near Grayson Highlands State Park in VA, but it's still not an interstate. Perhaps I should have taken the freeway route, although it probably would have taken longer.
It was wrong on both sides of the sign - 11/04/03
Pictures from a church on AR10 east of Havana.
The figures on the first sign are crosses with shadows. In both pictures, I should have had the signs in the foreground with enough of the church in the background to show that it was a church. I was a little bit concerned about being hassled by de Man, since I was in an area where hasslin' appeared possible.
The Absolute High Point of Arkansas - 11/04/03
Earlier today, I biked/hiked to the high point in Arkansas, Signal Hill in Mt. Magazine State Park.
I'm just going to wait here until they build it then - 11/03/03
I really should have stayed in Memphis another day. Even during the day, Little Rock is a bit sleepy. The Clinton Library is still under construction, and won't be open until Fall 2004. That's it in the background. The display is located at the River Market in downtown.
I also tried to find the "little rock" that gave this city its name. I guess I did, because a picture at the park on the riverfront lines up with the rocks under one of the bridges there.
I'm going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee - 11/03/03
See, now you've got it constantly running through your mind too, and no amount of soothing Elvin music will erase the sound of the bad one out of Simon & Garfunkel.
I didn't take a tour of Graceland, or any of the other attractions. Maybe next time. I did watch the somewhat informative and entertaining video about Elvis' two planes which are on display at Graceland.
Buffaloed - 11/03/03
Driving west on the 40, I intended to spend the night at the KOA in Buffalo, which is also the entry point for the Loretta Lynn Dude Ranch. While I knew the name "Loretta Lynn," I couldn't quite figure out which one she was. All I knew is that she was not Tanya Tucker.
Huell Who? - 11/03/03
I arrived in Gallatin, TN on a late Saturday afternoon. Gallatin, for those who don't know, is the birthplace of my idol, Huell Howser.
Unfortunately, many of the shops were closed at that time, as was the visitor's center. I wanted to inquire about Huell-related celebrations, or suggest they hold some if none were currently planned.
Halloween in Lebanon - 11/03/03
After my thankfully brief car scare, I continued to drive west. The Nashville KOA wanted $27 for a tent site (what do they think this is, Newburgh, NY?). So, I decided to spend Halloween tenting it in Lebanon TN. That only cost $14, and it was less than a mile from a Wal*Mart and a panoply of fast food restaurants. There were no other tent campers in that campground. It would have been a bit scary if not for the 100 or so RVs there as well.
In the morning, I bought a polo shirt for $2.50 at Goodwill and then washed it.
Car problems... - 10/31/03
The last time I had any major car problems was over a year ago. Driving up the White Mountain Road near Bishop, CA the temperature light suddenly came on. Stopping didn't help; adding a bit of water didn't help. Apparently the water pump had broke, and not in such a favorable place. I was 10 miles from the 395 and at 8000'. It was a Saturday also, but at least it was during the day and mostly all down hill. Making an executive decision, I decided to risk limping back to L.A. by putting water in it occasionally. I got the pump replaced the next Monday, and nothing seemed to be damaged.
An audience with the Pope of Blogton - 10/31/03
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - Last night, I took Glenn "Instapundit" Reynolds to the rock climbing gym. This was his first time climbing, and it was quite an interesting and informative experience for him! He thanked me for my basic instruction in such matters as tieing a figure-8-with-a-follow-through, doubling-back the harness, and such.
The Real Deal of Tennessee Mountain Rasslin' - 10/31/03
I haven't seen L.A. public access cable TV in a long time, but several years ago two characters stand out. One was a crazy Irish-Jewish guy who would sit in a chair, stare at the camera, and free-associate. Another, even more interesting guy who had his own show was a "Mr. Morrisson." Not only would he free-associate, he'd bring up his connections with Craig T.
Tennessee's highest point - 10/30/03
I got to Clingman's Dome just as the sun was setting, and started up the wide asphalt path to the futuristic summit tower. It was fairly steep, albeit quite short: just .5 mile and 300' of gain. I got there maybe 15 minutes too late for a good sunset, and the clouds weren't correctly aligned in any case. It was still a nice sunset from the top of TN.
"Where have I heard of Gatlinburg before?" - 10/30/03
After ascending Mt. Mitchell, I drove to Tennessee to do the high point of that state, Clingman's Dome, which is located in Great Smoky Mountains State Park. The picture above is on the way to the park. This was outside the park, and just one of the first good views I saw. One could spend a lot of time in the park itself getting even better views, but I was in a rush to get to Clingman's Dome.
"Climbing" Mt. Mitchell - 10/30/03
Two days ago I - or, rather, my car - climbed Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina's highest point. As you can see, the view from there is quite good, although it would be better if I'd actually earned it. Apparently people do climb it in winter.
Into the hollers with Lonewacko - 10/30/03
While driving through West Virginia and now Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, several images come to mind. One of the more positive ones is from an old National Geographic feature on remote hollers, I believe in WV. One of the settlements was so remote that the only access to it was over a rope bridge.
If I'd had more time in the area and more preparation, it might be interesting to find a place like that. However, at the same time I'd be worried a bit about my personal safety.
A Lonewacko in the Land of the Goddesses, Continued - 10/28/03
[In our last installment, Lonewacko was describing the many beautiful women to be found in Asheville, North Carolina and how that city was truly a babe wonderland. However, his inner voice kept interupting him with something important to say...]
Lonewacko, have you checked the batteries in that thing?
What the hell are you talking about?
Here, let me do it... Just as I thought, you needed new batts.
A Lonewacko in the Land of the Goddesses - 10/27/03
I knew there was something special about Asheville, NC the moment I drove through there on the freeway. I hadn't even gotten into the town itself or gotten off the highway, and I knew that this town was different. Even those less astute have figured it out; Asheville has been featured in the NYT, on CBS, and in many other media outlets.
What's so special about it? Well, let's start with the women here.
I forgot to mention I got the high point of Virginia - 10/27/03
I climbed Mt. Rogers - Virginia's highest point - a few days ago. Oh, you want a trip report, right? Well, there isn't that much to report regarding either most of the hike or the summit of Mt. Rogers itself.
Lonewacko doesn't find Winston-Salem to be too very odious - 10/21/03
As indicated in the previous entry, on Sunday I drove into Southwestern VA, and I intended to do Mount Rogers the next day. I also needed to run an errand in a big city, which I decided to do on Monday, leaving the hike for Tuesday.
Yeehaw and Holy Gawd - 10/19/03
I posted the last two entries from the Kinko's in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Harrisonburg is the home of James Madison University, and it looked like a nice small city. There was a pretty, young, be-ringed lady making copies, and two other pretty young ladies came in to use the computers. They had a young child, to whom they occasionally spoke short, quick snippets of some language or dialect that, surprisingly, Lonewacko couldn't figure out.
Shenandoah National Park - 10/19/03
Earlier today I drove along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. The park - and the parts of Virginia I've so far seen - are quite attractive.
I briefly stopped to do the Bearfence Mountain trail, a fairly short and easy 2nd class scramble up to a 360 degree and a 180 degree viewpoint.
The National Mall by day - 10/19/03
I took a biking tour of the Mall area, riding from Union Station to the Lincoln Memorial and back, stopping at the Washington Monument and the White House.
Pictured above is Dr. Choi (who is from the Philippines) leading her lonely crusade in front of the White House to comment on something or advise President Bush about something.
What if they allowed car camping in Griffith Park? - 10/18/03
Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT stay at the Greenbelt National Park campground. The reader might be familiar with NYC's Central Park or L.A.'s Griffith Park. If so, the reader is invited to let his or her imagination run free vis-a-vis what it would be like if they allowed camping there. Always at the forefront of our nation, D.C. has rushed in where NYC and L.A. feared to tread.
The location is certainly attractive: just 13 miles from the Capitol. However, it's also in the middle of an urban area, with all the wackiness thereby implied.
The Capitol at night - 10/18/03
Traffic wasn't that bad, and I soon found the place where I was going to stay, which will be covered in the next post. Stopping at the Boston Market in College Park, I discovered to my dismay cool cornbread.
Subsequently, I tried to get WiFi access at Chop It in College Park. Their connection was very slow, even when I moved to the area of the restaurant with a good signal.
Balto - 10/18/03
Baltimore seemed OK for a smallish, flat, gritty East Coast city. At least based on the 1/2 hour driving tour I took.
It supposedly has a few large ships, although all I saw was a Coast Guard cutter. It even has a Hooters.
In a desperate attempt to escape the flatlands, one can apparently take a balloon ride over the city.
Lonewacko is coming to D.C. - 10/16/03
If you're a D.C. blogger or bloggee, get in touch. abuse at tolstoy dot com.
UPDATE: There must be something wrong with my mail server or something. None of the messages I sent out to D.C. bloggers and blogging groups appear to have been delivered. Because, if they had, I'm sure I would have received replies, right? While there might be other explanations, you'd think I would have gotten just one reply, no?
It's not like, say, West Coast bloggers should remember this and return the favor to any visiting East Coast bloggers looking for help.
Post #810, in which I try to say good things about Philly - 10/15/03
But, first a bad thing. The traffic here - at least in certain parts - is horrid. Trans-L.A. horrid. I got off the freeway (676?) near downtown Philly at the Broad Street exit. Admittedly, that was a wrong turn: instead of going "West," I should have gone "East." However, it was just northwest of where I wanted to go: from 16th St. to 4th St., and down less than eight blocks. It took me almost 45 minutes to get where I was going and find a parking space. Yes, you read that right: it took 45 fucking minutes to go less than 2 miles.
I'll be blogging live from Philadelphia - 10/15/03
Today, Wednesday October 15 2003, between about 4pm and 4:30pm, I'll be sitting out in front of Cosi's at 4th and Chestnut in downtown Philly, inviting passersby to guest blog in this very space.
I may have to move, so watch this space if I end up at a different location.
Philadelphians or visitors, bloggers or bloggees, all are welcome to meet me there.
UPDATE: 4:45pm: After about a dozen attempts to pass out flyers, I can tell this is going to be a bang-up success. 'Tis true, there is a very small amount of foot traffic at this location.
"Hey Lonewacko, how do you maintain your peerless physique?" - 10/13/03
Thanks for asking. Hiking, and lots of it. And, that means gaining elevation.
Thankfully, we/you Angelenos have it good. Just five minutes from Lonewacko's spiritual home is Griffith Park, with 50 miles of trails and gains ranging from 500' to 1200' of varying degrees of steepness.
Just a few miles further out lie the mighty San Gabriels, topped by Mt. Baldy (highest point in L.A. County) at 10,064'.
New Jersey: it's not all bad - 10/12/03
I'm sure there are good things I could say about New Jersey. For instance, Lonewacko's dream girl Janeane Garofalo is from here. Then, there's the state high point which he bagged just a few days ago. I'll list more good things about New Jersey at the end of this post, but first let's deal with the bad things:
Maple Shade NJ is a mean little stop on the highway somewhat reminiscent of one of the hellholes of the East Bay (as in Bay Area) such as Union City but without the nice view of hills.
Lonewacko extends YDS, bags peak with new "Class 7" designation - 10/10/03
The reader is, no doubt, familiar with the Yosemite Decimal System ("YDS")*. Earlier today, Lonewacko bagged the highpoint of Delaware, and has thereby extended the YDS to include a new class: Class 7. "Class 7" is the same as Class 1, but with the added risk factor not of falling, but of being hit by a car.
Delaware's highest point is located on a fairly fast and busy two-lane road, Ebright Ave.
I love couches - 10/10/03
October 10, 2003 MOUNT POCONO, PA - The Poconos? In Lonewacko's mind, that has a vague association with cheezy honeymoon palaces for Joiseyites. Which, indeed are here.
NJ's high point - 10/10/03
As predicted in the previous message, I bagged the highest point in New Jersey yesterday. The only difficulties were a few large flocks of ladybugs.
"Lonewacko to bag the top of New Jersey" - 10/09/03
October 9, 2003: "That peak is mine" Lonewacko intoned while pointing his ice axe in the general direction of High Point, New Jersey (1803'). "None shall challenge my hegemony over the peaks of the flatlands!"
I'll probably be doing this today, as it's only about 50 miles away. Unfortunately, that means I'll be leaving this area, and without passing out the flyers referred to in the previous post. I might be back, however.
I'll also unfortunately be passing by NYC.
"I'm a starving satirist and social commentator. And, I'm currently in the Mid-Hudson River Valley region of New York State. Where can I find a target-rich environment?" - 10/08/03
New Paltz!
October 8, 2003: If you're looking for targets for your stinging social commentary and satire, New Paltz is truly a target-rich environment. In Kingston, I picked up a copy of their local free rag, the Chronogram.