Tango and I are in the auto shop waiting room. Everyone who comes in – parts folks, customers – loves Tango. Pat, pat, scratch, scratch. As usual, he gets all the attention. I am just the one who holds his leash.
The van is in good hands here, and they will get me on the road later today. What shall I do while I wait? My phone is a hotspot with unlimited data, so I will fire up the computer then surf and write for a while. I am only a few blocks from the historic downtown which is filled with coffee shops and cafes. Brunch time! Omelet, homemade biscuits, and homemade jam. Tango slept in the back while the guy worked on the van.
After brunch, I had the best gift ever, something I see as my consolation prize for this van trouble. Walking from the restaurant I saw Elk River Books. This is not any old bookstore, but a special place that is owned and operated by the wife of a favorite nature writer, Doug Peacock and her cousin Marc Beaudin. For people who love western nature and travel writing, Elk River Books is the mecca, and I was already planning to check it out. I was not disappointed. In one area, they had signed copies of new books by the writers I love. They had another section with their previous books, all of them. Every darn one that I would want. I have many of these books already on Kindle, and I try not to buy heavy books since I am always on the move. I was content to just gape at the full collections of my faves and to browse the $1 table, where I gleaned three titles.
I did find a “must have” new book (“Vagabond Song”, Marc Beaudin, part-owner) and later bought the Kindle version online, which still helps the store because they published it in hard copy and on Kindle. Sigh. To be in the spiritual presence of the writers who inspire me: Doug Peacock, Rick Bass, William Kittridge, and all the others. Not a bad trade for the troubles of the day.
Back in the auto shop waiting room, I pull out the computer and decide to reflect on the Top Ten Places I explored in my lifetime (in the US). These are the happy places that left a strong imprint on my soul, and I am drawn to visit often So, here they are in no particular order:
- Lamar Valley, YNP
- Cedar Key, FL
- Florida Keys (southern)
- Priest Lake, ID and Bonners Ferry area
- Rocky Mountain Front, Choteau, MT
- Great Sand Dunes, CO
- Sonoran Desert, Southern AZ
- Taos Valley, NM
- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA (especially Tomales Bay)
- Moab, UT
A few more hours, so it is time to start on “Vagabond Song”. Then, after the alternator arrives from Billings, we will be underway. I decided to stay on Interstates so that I can save time. The four segments of driving:
Livingston, Montana – Central South Dakota
Central South Dakota – Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha to Iowa/Illinois border
Illinois border to Akron, Ohio
The middle two segments are different from last year and give me some new things to look at. Usually, I dawdle, but without the camper, I can make some good time. I will do longer stretches with rest as needed in the back of the van. More coffee, and then off again. Tango is needed in the great Midwest.
Ohio is about as far east as you can go and still be in the Midwest. I was born in Michigan (Michigan State Univ), which sits above Ohio.
