Looking for America - A Listening Tour

  Natchez, MS - Riverboat Sometimes I get lucky.  I had a choice: drive straight home via I-10, stop at Baton Rouge, LA, and plop on my bed through mere exhaustion; or, I could find a town along back roads and take one final stab at a unique experience.  I just did not want to go too far out of the way.  Thus, Natchez, MS. Most people, either they never heard of Natchez, or if they had, never thought of visiting.  But, I have to tell you, for me it was the best real ending of the tour that I could have imagined.  This is not a place for everyone.  You have to like a "down home" "river town" with tons of history - families have been there for centuries.  The only town unfazed by the Civil War, with antebellum homes, dating back to the early 1800's, and still owned by direct descendants of the original owners.  Cotton plantations, attached to the owners of these homes, still in operation.  I stayed at one of these homes: Choctaw Hall B...

A long slog from Marfa, TX to Fredericksburg, TX - but the desert is fascinating.  Open space and you can see forever in the distance.  When I got close to Fredericksburg, I entered the famous "Hill Country".  There is nothing like it in the world.  Luckenbach, TX, nestled in the Hill Country, is only 15 minutes outside Fredericksburg.  A town that has signs saying Population 3, but the women in the Post Office said no one lives in Luckenbach these days.  Here are some photos that better describe the area: Luckenbach is famous because it simply is the best forum for intimate concerts - Willie Nelson used to play on that stage.  The setting is perfect for just hanging out on a nice day with a cold beer.  Meeting new friends: Graham & Robin Cier - From Ft. Myers, FL  Back in Fredericksburg, I found myself at a Crossroads Saloon. - a locals hangout.  Every Sunday night a band plays your favorite songs.  The crowd was getting bigger...

  Outside Valentine, TX 33 Miles from Marfa I explored White Sands National Park and ran across a BBQ party in the middle of the Sands: It was getting late (around 11:30 am), so I hightailed it out or White Sands and headed to Marfa.  I took the long route over the mountains to the east so that I could take a look at a resort called Cloudcroft, NM.  Here is a video of what I saw on the way to the mountains: I stopped in Cloudcroft for lunch, and I met a fellow biker, Scotty Gordy, a City Commissioner from Lovington, TX.  We talked about economic development and what could be done in his fair city.  We then road together to Artesia, NM, where I headed south on my way to Marfa. The ride through the Guadalupe Mountains, in Texas, was thrilling.  I never knew these mountains existed: As I got near Marfa, TX I noticed a group of people standing next to a building - as it turns out this was the famous Prada store in the middle of the Texas desert: The two in the ...

  White Sands National Park, NM Yogananda was right!  In his Autobiography of a Yogi (read once a year by Steve Jobs), Yogananda decides to travel to the South India without any money, only to encounter one miracle after another.  He ends up at a mansion eating with a prince.  Along the way, he meets a number of people; each changing the trajectory of his trip.  Have you ever worried about where you are going to stay for the night?  Do you plan each stop along the way of your travels? All of a sudden, my arms and legs were starting to hurt.  Something was pounding on my helmet.  I looked down at my arms - HAIL!  Ice was bounding off my gas tank, arms and legs.  It was 50 degrees.  I was cold, my rain gear was drenched, and I was headed into unknown territory in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception.Today's journey took me from Santa Fe, NM to Alamogordo, NM, where I was to visit White Sands National Park the next day.  T...

  The ride was beautiful from Taos to Santa Fe, NM. But, I have to say, I was somewhat disappointed when I arrived in Santa Fe.  I suppose it was because I remember it how it used to be (I know things have changed everywhere over the last 30 years).  The Square used to be airy with merchants selling turquoise and Indian artifacts.  Today, it is all high-priced spread; capitalizing on the wealthy shopper with homeless folks, buskers, trying to make a buck, in the background.  Of course I only saw the superficial side of it all - a front meticulously sculpted for the private jet set. I did benefit from the great restaurants.  I had lunch and dinner at The Apothecary - great healthy food - mostly vegan.  On the shelves were scented oils and crystals.  Oxygen chairs lined the other wall.  I did partake, but felt no different after the treatment. Downstairs, next to the restaurant, was a crystals healing spa.  I had a chance to talk with Mitc...