Morning Walk Through Old Town

Like a Raisin in the Sun

It's not everyday I reference Lorraine Hansberry's seminal drama, but sitting at this street-facing counter in Old Town, everybody who walks by looks like they are either wilting or shriveling. 

That was yesterday. Today... It's pretty much the same. I lasted for a few hours without too much discomfort, but man. H-and-H. Hot and humid. 

Today was a house-tour kind of day for the short time out. I stopped by the first house Cece and I bought...

The second...

And the house in which I grew up...

Also I was lucky enough to catch my sister and work and we had lunch today. I'll be seeing her and the family tomorrow, which will be fun. More photos to come. 

In the meantime, the Hotel Monaco has a free wine happy hour. Who am I to deny their generosity?

In Memory Of...

Beat the Heat

It's 79 degrees and a few thousand of us have been sitting in the Pentagon parking lot for upwards of 3 hours waiting for the Rolling  Thunder parade to start. 

Technically the parade started 90 minutes ago but we're in the last lot to load. They'll get to us. Eventually. 

In the meantime, the name of the game is stay cool. It's amazing how many riders around me are so ill prepared for this. Dressed in cotton; black tshirts and jeans. Leathers and heavy black boots. Black helmets. No obvious sun protection and most seem like they've arrived here without food or water. 

Heck I used to live here in Virginia and understand what black feels like in the summer. Most of these people live here now. I've got a fresh layer of sweat just thinking about it. 

Still it's not like relief isn't around. There are crews walking the parking lot offering free ice water. But some of these folks are just sitting there in the sun and bypassing that. 

You know en enterprising sort of person could turn a profit off this. 

But that's not the purpose of the Ride. Rolling Thunder honors the soldiers who are still missing in combat. Riders here are often veterans. 

For me, I'm here for the men in my family who served our country through military service. My grandfather, William Howland, was an Army colonel who served in WWI and the Mexican border when Pershing was chasing after Pancho Villa. 

I'm also here for my dad. He was a West Point graduate, served in Korea, and was in intelligence. 

It can be difficult to remember the debt we owe men and women like these, but we need to. 

Even in this heat. 

Gathering for Rolling Thunder

The Pentagon parking lot is filling up this morning. 

Goodbye, Columbus

3,159 miles! I made it to 3,159 miles! No matter where I actually was, my plan was always to stop at 3,159 miles and celebrate. 

No, not really, but here I am anyway at 3,159 miles and enjoying lunch at Green Ridge State Forest in Maryland. Or "Murlind" for you locals. 

Lunch is a 15 year old bag of spicy chicken fajitas. Freeze-dried technology is what separates us from anarchy. 

Definitely a lot more motorcyclists on the road. From Seattle to Pennsylvania, and not including my riding buddy, David Carson, there were 10 total eastbound riders for the entire week. Now there are too many to count (just wait until tomorrow). 

The scariest part of the ride and probably of Ohio is the small collection of gas stations 14 miles west of Wheeling, WV, at the intersection of  I-70 and highways 331 and 40. The people who seem to flock to this watering hole seem a bit angry, a bit aggressive. May e it's the lack of mufflers on their vehicles. Maybe it's the influence of the nearby Belmont Jail, but I didn't bother waiting to fill up the tank--just enough gas to reach Wheeling. 

Seriously, avoid this exit. 

Google Maps made the ride through West Virginia and Pennsyvania a lot more complicated than when I used to drive between DC and Columbus. Rather than 70 East or the PA Turnpike, Google Maps chose highway 40 east--the old National Pike. It's a two-lane twisty country road that cuts through beautiful rolling hills. I doubt many folks know about it anymore since it parallels the Turnpike. It's worth the ride. 

Speaking of the Turnpike, there's a relic of 20th century transportation. I pulled up to the toll booth--no signs until then with the cost--the booths are unmanned and only take change, ones and fives. The attendants don't show up when you call for them. I owe a big "Thank You" to the man driving the maroon Honda Pilot, who donated $1.70 for my passage through. 

Speaking of kindness, I met a family on this break. Cindy and her kids stopped to hear about the. Trip and then invited me to join them for dinner. Wonderful peeps. 

Your Midwestern vowel states ranked:

1) Ohio. High in the middle, round on both ends. No one else can say that. 

2) Illinois. I-74 was just the ride I needed. 

3) Indiana. Perhaps you'll try harder. 

4) Iowa. Day #5 with storms and high winds. 

THE...

Ohio State University. 

Yeah I know it drives you non-Buckeyes crazy. I see the eye rolls. Heck, I can practically feel them from here. 

Ohio State was an important experience for me and it's a lot of fun to be here for a stopover on the ride. Even if my timing might be a little off. 😀

I can't believe the Wexner Center for the Arts is 25 years old. It opened the year I earned my Master's Degree.

If you've ever seen Jodi Foster's "Little Man Tate," this will look familiar.

Took a walk across the Quad...

...and checked in with Ox...

...before taking a look a the renovated Main Library...

...which is different from what I remember. Even the Stacks were upgraded...

...but the view is still gold.

One of things I was looking forward to on this trip was meeting people along the way. Today I had the great pleasure of meeting and spending time with Fr Kevin Lutz of St Mary's Church in Columbus's German Village. 

Fr Lutz is pastor of this historic church and shared a bit about the parish history. We found a common love of writing; he's working on two biographies, but his cat is the published author. 

Fr Lutz also manages the Soup Kitchen and Jubilee Museum. We toured the museum and he showed some of the relics, like this 1582 Bible...

...and relics of the Apostles.

No really. In that pendant: Relics of the 12 Apostles.

There's also this sculpture, as part of a traveling exhibit, by Alfred Tibor, a survivor of the Holocaust. It seemed especially appropriate to include with Memorial Day this weekend. It's called "Solider of Humanity" and is dedicated to the soliders of WWI who liberated the survivors of the concentration camps.

The Jubilee Museum is tucked away off Broad and near downtown. Definitely worth the visit. Let them know you're coming.