The Book of the Journey of the Journey of the Book is now available on Amazon. Lots of colour pictures, insightful insights to America and a fair number of rabbit-holes of thought that popped up during 3000 road miles. And some Zen stuff.
Try it, you can always use it to prop the window open. But not with the Kindle version.
Minneapolis, mile 0
Picked up the Hog in Chicago, named it Phaedrus and rode cross country to Twin Cities. Some weird stuff on the way, including Highway 61, the Mississippi, Worlds Largest Truck Stop, a meeting of the True Knot. Here we visit Robert Pirisg's house before heading out into Minnesota
Oakes, mile 320
Out into the countryside, wide and flat and wide across North Dakota. Straight roads, no hills, lakes and fields and more flat earth. Hot and glorious, all the way to the poster child for one-horse towns.
Lemmon, mile 597
More flat earth, straight roads, no traffic, the Missouri and Lewis and Clark. South Dakota just as hot, thunderstorms at night at campsite. Dinosaurs and cowboy museum, Creation Science is a real thing here. As are bears attacking people and being made into films.
Sidetrack, Mount Rushmore
Via Sturgis a bit early for the rally and down to the mountain which is pretty much as you would expect from the pictures, but every bit as impressive nonetheless. Lots of patriotic flags and singing in the son et lumiere at night. On the way back, Deadwood and the Dead Centre of the United States at Belle Fourche.
Miles City, mile 827
Across and into Montana. Big Sky, big landscape, roads still straight but occasional bends too. Wheeee. Still hot. A motor museum of classic cars in a barn in the middle of nowhere. More dinosaurs across the ride and lots of cowboy gear in Miles City
Laurel, mile 1034
After days of flat open land, finally mountains with snow on them. Before that, buttes, pronounced 'beauts' like Pompeys Pillar. Plus eagles over the river, the Little Bighorn and more Lewis and Clark.
Sidetrack, Red Lodge
The Beartooth Pass is closed, flooding of the Yellowstone river and tributaries have destroyed the road. Shock, horror, probe. Quick rethink of route for tomorrow, but meantime there's a rodeo to yee-haw at.
Gardiner, mile 1264
Across the north edge of the mountains and down to Yellowstone. Road Kill Saloon and some country roads to liven up the day. Old style cabins for the evening. More thunderstorms and hail quickly blow over, still hot.
Missoula, mile 1569
The Biggest Hole In the World, the Tallest Chimney in the USA, more mountains and the source of the Missouri. Across the Continental Divide. Fireworks on the porch.
This is Montana State U, Bozeman where Pirsig lived and got obsessed. Nice. Minds and Mountains people, Minds and Mountains. Quick Aliens reference there.
Riggins, mile 1842
Across the Rockies on the Lolo Pass into My Own Private Idaho, Close Encounter of the Cervine Kind and an amazing breakfast in the sky. Warning, Winding Road Next 99 Miles. Not many people. Rivers and forest, butterflies and the White Bird Valley hairpins. More rustic fisherman's cabins for the night.
Baker City, mile 2045
Across the high plains, ghost towns and frontier villages with totem poles. More trees, desert and the 45th Parallel. The awesome Snake River, Brownlee Dam and Hell's Canyon into Oregon. A town called Halfway which isn't, for anywhere. On to the home of the Airstream.
Bend, mile 2288
Canyons, desert, prairie and Close Encounters of the Ursine and Bovid Kind. A motorcycle museum in Prairie City and chocolate malteds at last. Entering Pirsig's Primary America, lots of serious drivers staring straight ahead on I-97. The Lucas House hostel/cantina/microbrewery is perfect, if rather young clientele. I'm feeling my age here.
Grants Pass, mile 2585
Up into the snow, Crater Lake may be the most fantastic natural thing I've ever seen. Manage to avoid falling in and down to Klamath River and the Rogue River Valley with not a rebel starfighter to be seen.
Redcrest, mile 2816
Into the Cascades and across to California. Gas immediately up 20% in price. Through the redwood and pine forests to the ocean at Crescent City, then down US 101. Trees you can drive a bike through, and do. Then the Avenue of the Giants winding down to Redcrest Resort, where Pirsig spent the last night on his trip.
Point Cabrillo, mile 2934
Back down to the coastal road, terrific views of the Pacific and out to Point Cabrillo where Zen and the Art all came to a head. Pilgrimage accomplished. Tonight it's San Francisco.
And the rest is Route 1 down the coast edge road through the sunshine and into fog and over Golden Gate.
The Zen Centre, Alcatraz, Haight-Ashbury and Russian Hill. Streetcars and Levi's Jeans. More Bay Fog.
Down California 1 past Pebble Beach and Carmel, Vanderburg Spaceforce Base and elephant seals. Camping out on Big Sur.
Finally, leave the coastline to slide into the traffic from Santa Barbara to Santa Monica Pier & The End of Route 66. Which is for another day.
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