The trek from Sasquatch Festival in Washington to Lawrence, Kansas might be the longest haul Bessie and I make all year. Last year I pushed it a bit and I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. Especially since there was the option of staying north and driving through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, then dropping down to KC.
The first stop on the journey was Missoula, Montana, In 2001 when I rode my bike cross country (and spent a good deal of time in Missoula. Not much has changed outside of the coffee shop doubling in size and Union Hall not serving dinner. I’d work all day on computer stuff then roam around town during lunch. Down by the river there was a surfer catching a wave and a grand carousel that was quite the site to see. I wish I had some more information on it but I can’t access the internet at the coffee shop I’m at now so…. you’ll have to do some diggin’ around to learn more.ed. note: Check it out [HERE] Next door to the carousel was a castle style playground with some slides and a bunch of instruments built into the structure. My trip to Missoula wouldn’t have been complete without a stop at Adventure Cycling. They’re the nonprofit organization that’s responsible for creating the maps for the long distance bike routes around the United States. Thanks!
While on my way east I stopped in Butte, Montana to see what was going on there. It’s an old mining town (I think 20% of the copper in the world comes from nearby) and there were quite a few empty buildings downtown that were for rent for as little as $350 a month. Luckily I made it to the coffee shop, Venus, to grab an Americano before they closed. The gentleman working the counter was particularly informative about the region and it’s always fun to get an insider’s take on what’s really going on around town.
After crossing the Continental Divide, we headed south to try to see if Bessie would be allowed in Yellowstone National Park. There were three cowboy kids outside Arby’s that I gave some free ice cream to. I asked their parents if it would be alright to snap a few pics and was so happy they said yes. Those pictures summarize Montana. Even though there are numerous signs warning “No Commercial Vehicles” in Yellowstone I stayed my course hoping we’d get in. About a half hour from the park I picked up Mary who was heading to Gardiner. She works at a local hotel and let me take a much needed shower there before heading in.
The good news is they let us into the park, as long as we didn’t give any ice cream to non-workers. The bad news is I needed to film a ton of stuff for an upcoming project so there aren’t any/many pics of how beautiful Yellowstone is. Yellowstone is HUGE. There’s so much to see and I think it took us over 5 hours to get from the north end to the east before ducking into Cody, Wyoming to call it a night. The next day was quite the test because I needed to film some more clips by the truck (one with me dancing with a blank sandwich board on???), mail the tape to LA, then try to get to Mount Rushmore before sunset. On the way I could spy Devils Tower in the distance just before crossing into South Dakota.
This time, as we drew near to the National Park, not only did they warn of No Commercial Vehicles, but they also stated a $250 for anyone who disobeyed these signs. For the whopping parking price of $8 we got in and took up a Small RV parking spot before I quickly made my way to the monument. It was the first time I had seen it and it’s quite moving. They had some inspirational music playing from speakers all over the place which I thought was a bit unnecessary (like cheerleaders at baseball games for folks with short attention spans) but I don’t think there could’ve been a better place to for the monument than the Black Hills of South Dakota. The reason being is that, at least coming from the west, the whole area around it is so mesmerizing and reminded me of why I love America so much. It’s worth a stop by if you find yourself around Rapid City, SD.
The next morning I was camped outside the local coffee shop using their wifi because they were closed on Sunday. There was a Christian Church group meeting going on inside and the nice folks brought me some coffee. After chatting with them for a few minutes, they asked if I would be interested in doing a radio piece for their show Connections (link to podcast coming soon). I rambled for over an hour then threw some Frisbees around (4 under for nine holes) and made another coffee shop stop before heading through the Badlands on my way to Nebraska. That night was the first night in the last week I hadn’t slept in a Wal-mart parking lot and it was the worst night of sleep I’d had.
The goal for Monday was to get to Omaha to check out The Slowdown, the new music venue started by the folks at Saddle Creek. Jason gave me a tour of the offices, warehouse, and venue then we headed to dinner at M’s where I had to try the Carrot Dog (highly recommended). When we got back to the Slowdown, Neva Dinova was christening the stage and sound system and it sounded better than most clubs I’ve been to. The soundman even turned off the PA for a minute and the band still sounded great. This weekend is their opening and if you’re anywhere near Omaha, and not going to Wakarusa, you should check it out.
I made it as far as Nebraska City that night to regain some traction on my sleeping in Walmart parking lot stint. The next morning I awoke and headed downtown to see if I could find a coffee shop. Thanks to Long Home for being so friendly and allowing me to stick around most of the day. Eventually I had to make my way south and as I did I got a call from Austin Powell who was interested in an interview for a Bonnaroo article in Nashville Scene. As I headed into Kansas City I spouted off a bunch of new stuff we’re working on then finished up right before getting to Gladstone, just north of Kansas City.
I was going to stay at Greg’s house in KC but he got sick and asked around to see if there might be any other place Bessie and I could call home for a couple nights. His friend Tara volunteered and we hung out with her family for a couple nights and talked a lot about what it’s like to raise 4, 8, and 12 year-olds. I slept well on the couch then awoke yesterday morn to drive around town picking up cream, Craig from the airport, then heading out to Lawrence to camp out at Local Burger.
This review has gotten way to long. I pledge to keep things shorter from now on and update more often. We’ve got a busy week ahead with Wakarusa, Ice Cream Social at St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and Bonnaroo. Keep checking back for some new stuff.
