On April 7, 2019, Cyndy Keesler and I began what was her first and my second extended road trip around the United States.
We had anticipated departing on this journey in 2017, but got involved with politics instead. Throughout that year and the next, we were full-time volunteers with a campaign, sponsored by Voters Not Politicians, to end partisan gerrymandering in Michigan.
2019-05-28 First seven weeks
From April 7 to May 28, we traveled from Michigan to Alabama, through Mississippi and Louisiana, to Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, the southern tip of Nevada, and California. I wrote this blog in Death Valley. In those first seven weeks, we had experiences that ranged from planned to serendipitous.
2019-09-05 On the water
Having been born under Pisces, the zodiacal sign of the fish, I’m okay with walking, but I’m happier on the water. In July and August, we enjoyed several water experiences in Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
2019-11-12 Why we camp where we camp
Traveling and moving every few days is vastly different than waking up in the same brick-and-mortar home every day. So, we seem to invest many, many hours planning on where we are going to go next and where we will camp. A fall color tour to New England in October provides some examples.
2019-12-02 Thanksgiving dinner for thousands
Serving others on Thanksgiving is a beautiful way to give thanks. On that holiday, Cyndy and I helped to prepare meals for homeless and indigent people. Thus, we gave as well as received.
2020-01-17 Contra dancing
Contra dancing is a form of community dancing with English, French, Celtic, and Appalachian influences. Today, it is practiced as a folk art in which anyone, regardless of dancing skill, can participate.
2020-02-19 Edison, Ford, Ringling
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were titans of the Industrial Revolution. But circus magnate John Ringling had a knack for organization and showmanship that amazed audiences around the nation.
Our efforts paid off in the November 2018 general election when 61 percent of Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment to have voting districts drawn by an independent commission of citizens rather than the partisan-oriented state legislature. So that “journey” into a political foray was an adventure in and of itself–a journey that we are glad we took.
2019-06-14 Walking, walking, walking
This blog provides an overview of the eleven national parks that we visited in our first ten weeks on the road. There, we walked dozens and dozens of miles, building strength and stamina. We also lost weight through the practice of intermittent fasting three days a week.
2019-10-09 Six months on US roads
After six months and 14,000 miles on the road, we returned to Michigan for a few weeks of family activities, medical appointments, professional activities, and friendship connections. This blog is a summary of some of the logistical and financial details of our journey so far.
2019-11-05 Early Appalachian coal mining
Getting out of the familiar routines that come with living within a singular community every day also provides us with unexpected opportunities to learn about the lives and livelihoods of people in various places. In this case, a West Virginia coal mine.
2019-12-07 The third Little Pig
Weather is also a factor when traveling and camping, whether in a travel trailer or a tent. In weather-precarious places, such as North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where hurricanes are an annual threat, we learned to respect what Mother Nature has to offer.
2020-02-01 Life, death, love
Betsy Richards is a contra dancer, contra musician, and delightful person with a large heart, engaging smile, and genuine laugh. This blog contains a powerful, touching story of her experience as a midwife intern.
2020-03-05 Hurricane Katrina “Ground Zero” Museum
Hurricane Katrina, with ferocious fury, came ashore in the small town of Waveland, Mississippi. This blog is about the resilience of that community.
We purchased our “tiny home on wheels,” a 21-foot Jayco Flight travel trailer, in March 2018 and used it sparingly that year. Soon after the election, we began to downsize, primarily through donations. We left a few heirlooms with relatives but are grateful that we don’t have a storage unit.
This series of blogs is about our journey around the United States in 2019 and 2020.
2019-06-26 Walking a different way, choosing a different path
In northern California, our walks included cliffs along the Pacific Coast and in the caves at Lava Beds National Park. This blog also covers the injustice of warfare against Native Americans in the 1800s and the need for peace and justice in today’s political arena.
2019-10-21 Most notable campgrounds
Filled with superlatives, this blog presents and inventory of campgrounds we encountered: the best, worst, prettiest, most unique, hottest, and so on. The most colorful, the most serene, the most remote, and the one with the greatest history.
2019-11-14 Living (thank God) and learning
Traveling, while exciting, isn’t all fun and games. And the potential for tragedy doesn’t always come out on the highways but can occur even when our truck and trailer are standing still. This blog is about an incident that, while inconvenient, could have been much worse.
2019-12-22 Flexibility
Sometimes the ferry doesn’t sail according to schedule. Sometimes a Google search brings unexpected results. Sometimes the weather dictates a more desirable option. Sometimes an invitation brings surprises. It’s all part of the game.
2020-02-14 Dancing Well: The Soldier Project
Through her Dancing Well program, Deborah Denenfeld utilizes community dance to help soldiers and veterans and their families overcome the debilitating effects of PTSD.
2020-03-15 Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans
While Waveland took a direct hit by Hurricane Katrina, people in New Orleans–65 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico–suffered because of population density and false hopes.
