On the Road Again

Virginia Plates

2011-08-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Day 5 of the Return:
              Last night was finally a success in the camping department of my life. At last, the weather was nice enough to be comfortable and content in the tent. I was worried to see how Mojo would do in the tent so I set my alarm for every two hours to let him out, just in case. Luckily, Mojo is already getting the idea and would whimper and claw at my face when he needed to go which turned out to be about four times. I was quite pleased.
            Quickly pulling down the tent and stowing everything in the car, Mojo and I were off, excited to get back home. We drove through Tennessee into Virginia and the ten hour drive went by slowly but is now over. I dropped all the gear off at Chris' house and made my way to Silver Spring. Mojo has settled in already and has grown fond of the warm and cozy area below my bed.
             I would like to leave the dear followers of this blog from beginning to end, with a word of thanks. Although this is the last blog entry it was great having the support and really made the trip that much better. Chris and I really looked forward to the blog entries and attempted to make them amusing and interesting. Thus, thank you.
             Lastly, this road trip was a trip Chris and I will never forget. Every school, every state, every landmark, every landscape, every family stop, allowed us to grow and experience the country we call home and are so proud of. Although both Chris and I had been all over Europe and the Western Hemisphere, we had not experienced the United States fully. We learned so much about our country, the Indians, and camping. Speaking for myself, I learned a lot about who I am and through family and the schools we saw, feel that I have a better understanding of myself and my talents. Although I am not ready to point a finger at a school and say ahah that is it! I am ready to say, I must push my talents and passions to the fullest and one of these schools will do that for me.
                Thank you family members and friends that housed us throughout our voyage. Uncle Jerry, the Stuivenvolt family, Chris' second cousin, and especially Uncle Terry and Mike out in Pleasanton, California. Due to the car troubles, we ended up staying at Uncle Terry's for two weeks. After thousands of dollars spent on food, nerf guns, and booze, we are forever in debt to this great mans kindness. Pure beast. Both you and Mike, Uncle Terry. The two of you. Great.
                 Well, it is time to rest in my own bed. Chris is probably snacking on some beer while watching a red box movie and says farewell. Until the next time, godspeed and never go camping.

Mojo

2011-08-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Day 3 and 4 of Return:
         After spending a brilliant night in the Days Inn, it was off to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The drive was nothing spectacular. New Mexico and Oklahoma are pretty flat and do not offer much interesting scenery. However, the eight hour drive went by quickly and soon enough I was in Oklahoma City. I had looked at the weather and decided I would give camping another shot. I got about two hours of sleep and it was humid but not overly hot and dry so I was pleased. In addition, I woke up at about two a.m. and decided to hit the road in search of what would soon become, Mojo!
          Following my breakfast reunion with a Catholic University graduate in Fort Smith I darted into Vilonia, Arkansas and arrived at the home of Mojo. We immediately fell in love and I snatched him up and ran off. Since that moment he has become not only my travel companion but my servant and right hand dog. He has yet to go to the bathroom in the car and seem to know to wait until we get to a rest area. I have begun training him to be on a leash as well as sit, come, and stay. He is an intelligent eleven week old dog and hopefully will grow up a good and obedient one.
            Anyways, we are currently in Nashville, Tennessee and will make the ten hour drive to Silver Spring tomorrow. All is well with the car and our spirits are high. Godspeed.

Camping

2011-08-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

Return Trip. Day 1:
In order to begin this next blog I must address the fact that my companion Chris, is no longer with us. In order to start his Teaching Assistant position on Monday and take the GRE's on Tuesday Chris had to fly home, unfortunately. Thus, from now on I am a lone ranger. I search for my soul, my destiny, my dreams, alone. No longer do I have someone to point the camera at in the passenger seat, no longer do I have someone to set up a tent with. I must fend for myself as I cross 3,500 miles of barren, hostile territories.
After dropping Chris off at the airport I swung the car into cruise control and set out for Highway 5 in search of Interstate 40. Making my way down the 5 through the hills and pastures of California I reached Arizona and the KOA I would call home for the night, which was absolutely gorgeous surrounded by desert and the night sky. The temperature was about 105 degrees when I arrived but I thought, "we are in the desert it should drop down to at least 80 degrees." I was wrong. Stepping into the tent, my shirt immediately began to dampen. Lying down and looking up at the stars I realized that this would be a long night. Beginning to lose mass amounts of water I went into a state of hallucination. I would awake every thirty minutes in what seemed to be a puddle of water. My sleeping bag, my clothes, and my air mattress were all drenched in sweat. I longed for a sip of water but knew it would do no good. I was rapidly approaching death when I awoke one last time at four a.m. Gathering all my strength I stumbled out of the tent and began to chug any water around me; in the car, on the ground, and the little condensation on the plant life beside my tent. I proceeded to lay in my car for the next hour attempting to recharge, gain a sense of awareness, and hydrate. Tormenting and traumatizing are the only two words that come to mind. After packing everything into the car I flipped off the campsite, murmured suck a bag, and drove back up onto Interstate 40.
Today, I spent eight hours of my life driving from Needles, Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico. A wonderful eight hours through all sorts of landscape, terrain, and weather. The advantage of Interstate 40, although direct and straight, is you get to see all the beauty that surrounds you. Anyways, I arrived in Albuquerque at approximately four thirty p.m. I am spending the night in a Days Inn attempting to recover from the traumatizing events that occurred the night before. I will poke my head out of the Inn and grab a bite to eat then sleep and continue the journey tomorrow. I should arrive in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma around four p.m. tomorrow. Godspeed.

Number 18

2011-08-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Lost Count of Days:
        We have been in Pleasanton now for 13 days. The car is still in the shop. It continues to stall and the right rear caliper is blown and leaking brake fluid all over the place. Thus, it seems we will be here for a little while longer.
         The good thing though is that through all of this we got to see my extended Shannon family, take a look at the Academy of Art University, and go to an Oakland A's game. Jim and Ruth Shannon have a beautiful home in Hillsborough with an excellent bocce ball court and were very hospitable thus, we extend our thanks. Hopefully, we will reunite shortly. Maybe next weekend seeing we will still be here. Maybe next month seeing the car will explode and I will just transfer to UC Berkeley.
          Anyways, stay tuned for another exciting blog about the progress of the car and hopefully we will hit the road soon!

Up Hill Climb

2011-08-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

Day 12, 13, 14:
   Into the city, San Francisco city that is, with Uncle Terry and Mike. First thoughts, cloudy, yet enticing. We were pulled immediately into the vibe of the city on a beautiful Sunday. Although it was a little cold to start out, the clouds cleared up and the sun came out. We walked around the famous Chinatown, the only one in the country, as well as Fisherman's Wharf. The city is so different than what we are used to mainly because it is on the bay and has such a west coast vibe. What do we mean that? Well not quite sure, it is just there. Small chinamen playing cards and gambling, Will Smith running through the streets in pursuit of happiness, were only a couple of the things we experienced. We ate a glorious lunch at the famous Boudin's Bakery by the Wharf which has phenomenal Sourdough Bread. We highly suggest you fly here, drive here, train here, to try this bread. Just get here.
   After the first day in the city, Chris and I returned the following day to discover the richness and depth the city presented beyond that of Chinatown and the Wharf. We entered such neighborhoods as Mission Bay, North Beach, and several others. All very unique and interesting. In addition to wandering the streets we also located and entered the San Francisco Art Institute. Built specifically for the Art Institute the compound, rather than a campus, was beautiful. Compressed in the North Beach area, it is comprised of both historic and modern building types with gorgeous views of the bay and the neighborhoods surrounding the school. Chris and I walked around the school and then set up an appointment with Jana, in admissions, to tour the school the following day. Until then, Chris and I set foot to Coit Tower passing by Lombard Street. Coit Tower is in an affluent area and was spectacular. Not necessarily due to the scale of the tower or architecture but because of the location and view. One can see over the entire city and Bay from this vantage point. Gorgeous. Anyways after taking in the view we headed back down the hill to the Wharf and passed by homes that were unbelievable. Their location, their views, their price tag, and gardens were so lovely we thought we were dreaming.
   Day fourteen and we took the Bart back into the city to take the official tour of the Art Institute. Disappointing to say the least. If we had not taken the tour, I would have been more fascinated with the school. However, and Chris agrees, the tour put quite a damper on our view towards the school. Perhaps it is because Jana kept hinting that I would not succeed in the sculpture department. Which might be true but I would rather believe it is not. It got to a point where we began to zone her out and instead focus on how unemotional the art in their contemporary art gallery was. We are no curators however, art is intended to spark emotion, inspire thought and creativity, create a movement, show an image in a personal manner, etc... The art in this exhibit, comprised mainly of photography, was lack luster and void of what we believe art is. Anyways, the school is still on the list but some changes need to be made to the campus and what it is comprised of. Perhaps I have too much vision when I walk into a place, but I see many good and beautiful things and at the same time areas that could have so much potential yet no one is focusing on those spaces, objects, programs, or what have you.
   The car is still in the shop and will be until next year so "Cross your fingers." That is what the service guy told me, very settling and great to hear. Of course sir I will cross my fingers and ignore the fact that we are paying you to find out what is wrong with the car. Perhaps tomorrow will bring some answers. Godspeed.

Nerf Wars

2011-08-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

Day 11:
   A day of relaxation, or so we thought until we learned of the infamous Nerf Wars muahahaha!!! Just so you folks know, we took the car to the shop today...once again. Is anyone surprised because we are not. Check engine light came on, brake fluid light came on, car kept stalling out, engine combusted, Chris ejected, I stayed and made sure she burned to the ground. Seriously though, she is in the shop and will be for the next several days.
   Besides the car issues, Chris and I finally tasted the sweet nectar of In n Out. Delicious. Although we both agree Five Guys remains supreme. Final decision.
   The Nerf Wars began at three pm. The battle continued until eleven pm. A battle that we shall never forget. We lost a lot of good men out there. I no longer know who I am or what I am. Chris' eyes remain open and wild, lost to the world around him. He saw so many things that no man should see. Noises, sounds, that no ear should bear. The only noise he now knows is the ringing of the automatic Nerf gun exploding round after round out of the chamber, through the muzzle, and into the chest of the enemy, Uncle Terry. Lord have mercy on the souls that were lost out on this epic battlefield, Lord have mercy.

Utah!

2011-08-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

Day 8, 9, 10:
   Good afternoon dear followers. We are in the wonderful state of California in the city of Pleasanton thirty-five miles East of San Francisco. Forgive us for our recent delay on updating the blog, we had quite a blast in Utah and thus were busy frolicking around.
   To get started Day 8 was full of touring Salt Lake City. Lieren drove us up into the downtown area and we got to see the what we had seen the night before, but in the light. After seeing the architectural beauty that is the Salt Lake City Public Library and getting delicious frozen mochas, we traveled back to the Allen Estate and got ready to go out on the ole boat! We traveled about an hour into the mountains to Pine View Reservoir, a beautiful lake in the heart of Utah which is home not only to Pine View Lake but also the Stuivenvolt Allen Cabin Estate. Once there, and after looking for the boat keys for about fifteen minutes, we finally got onto the water. The boat was a blast. We spent the afternoon speeding around the lake, wake boarding, waterskiing, tubing, and escaping the Tiger Muskies. The most dangerous fish in the world. We were told. Fortunately, no one was injured or ravaged into small bite sized bits. Anyways, the afternoon was spectacular and we finished the evening with a delicious mexican dinner.
   The following day Lieren went off to work and the car was ready to be picked up. After picking her up and driving it around to make sure she was alright, we met Lieren for lunch at Grinders 13. A wonderful lunch we must say with the best cheesesteak outside of Philly. Although the cheesesteaks in Philly are eh. Yeah eh. Lieren returned from work and we had a wonderful BBQ with the family. A good bye meal that was spectacular. Later in the evening we met up with Lieren's friends, who by the way were great people very kind and inviting, and played Rock Band. A game of pure skill, determination, and love. Love for music, singing, enjoying time with friends, love. Beautiful, so beautiful. Anyways a lovely night to end our stay in Salt Lake City.
   Alas, although we did not want it to arrive, the final morning in Salt Lake. We were not ready to leave, nor to say goodbye, but we had to hit the road like any soul searching traveler must. We said our goodbyes and attempted to thank the Stuivenvolt Allen's as best we could. I started to tear up. They were wonderful. Truly a godsend. They poured out their hearts, home, time, and love to us and made our journey unforgettable. Thus, thank you.
   Packing up the car, we rolled out. The drive through Nevada was uneventful until we hit the Nevada-California border. Beauty once again appeared through the windshield as the mountains rose up around us. Perhaps this was a sign of good luck and no more issues to come. Not really for 200 miles later we were stalling out in traffic wondering, "what now." Those thoughts would have to wait however, for we arrived in Pleasanton at the lovely home of Uncle Terry and Mike. We ate dinner at Alberto's Cantina, walked around Pleasanton, and returned home to relax and sleep.

Electronic Sensor

2011-08-03T00:31:00.000-07:00

Day 7:
          Well, this ought to be exciting. After a good nights rest, Lieren, her Mother, Chris, and I all headed up to Donut Falls for a little hiking. Salt Lake City, as well as Utah, is surrounded by mountains in every direction. Even now in the summer months, snow lingers on several peaks and reminds us of the pure beauty that exists almost year round.
   Once we were one with nature we proceeded to the local watering hole, Ruth's Diner, located way up in the hills of Salt Lake. We decided to take the Chevy Cobalt, also known as "Kyla" up to the diner to see how she was doing. By the way, Lieren's Father and I spent several hours the night before replacing the air filter and crossing our fingers hoping the problem would be solved. It was interesting because my co-pilot, navigator, and photographer, was in the house the whole time drinking, talking, and seemingly uninterested that the car was not running. That is fine though because after replacing the air filter, I fired him.
Anywho, we drove up to the diner and just as we were entering the parking lot, boom we lost power. The car coasted into the perfectly positioned parking spot and I wondered to myself, "at least we are at a diner." We ate a lovely lunch, noticed that the diner was slanted, and turned the car on. Yes, it did turn on. However we knew at this point, she needed to go to the shop. Thus, we headed back down the mountain into the center of town and ten minutes from the local Chevy dealership she lost power once and for all. Lieren's Dad, who has been a godsend, arrived immediately and attached a tow line from his truck to Kyla. With Chris and Mr. Allen in the truck and Lieren and I in the Cobalt we began the long adventure to the dealership. At the beginning I said, "what could possibly go wrong now?" About five minutes in we took a right hand turn and about midway into the turn my wheels locked up and I lost all brakes. With the wheels turned all the way to the right we swung out into the oncoming turning lane coming only an inch from hitting the cars on the opposite side of the road. After barely missing these cars, which were honking at me because obviously I had full control of the situation and was swinging onto the other side of the road because I enjoy collisions, the car kept turning right. Making about a 160 degree turn, I thought, "shit." After almost colliding with oncoming cars, we were now on course to collide with a building. Thinking quickly and evasively, with Lieren quite composed in the passenger seat, I pulled up the emergency break forcing the car to skid to the left and in the end stopping perfectly next to the curb. Of course, this was my intention the entire time.
            Looking at Lieren and then Chris in the truck, which of course was stopped with Mr. Allen exiting his car saying "what happened back there?" I thought, wow. What else is there to say in a situation like that besides wow. We re-hooked the car up and made it to the dealership with no more incidents.
             Now folks, we will be on the road once again come Friday, and turns out the electronic sensor somewhere in the car doing something for the car, is not working properly. This part will be flown in from Detroit Thursday morning and then like I said, we will be on our way. Do not worry, for it is only part of the great cross country adventure and thank God we decided to go to Salk Lake instead of Seattle.

370 Miles

2011-08-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Day 6:
Awaking at the beloved moment of dawn, Chris and I packed up our camping gear and hit the road for Mount Rushmore, a spectacular sight deep in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Seeing we arrived a little before six am, there were no tourists in sight, except for us of course. However, the day was beautiful, the weather phenomenal, and the power washers blazing every inch of slate and concrete throughout the whole memorial. We were one with the mount. Taking it all in we headed to the Crazy Horse Memorial about twenty minutes from Mount Rushmore. Although incomplete, this too will be an amazing mountain sculpture about ten times the size of Mount Rushmore.
With nothing more but to hit the open road, we sped out of the Black Hills, across the South Dakota border, and into the vast lands of Wyoming.
Now folks, Wyoming is gorgeous. The landscape is so stretched out and composed, both wonderfully and naturally, of desert and foliage. Flat lands turn into rolling hills, rolling hills turn into sharp cliffs, sharp cliffs turn into towns with a population of no more than 170 people. What else could one ask for? Fortunately, if one were to break down on this long stretch of road, there would not be a single person for miles to help. Luckily, this is the fortune we so amazingly stumbled upon. After cruising down the road the car all of the sudden started bucking then lost power. We pulled over popped the hood stood for a second, said "should we start her up again?" proceeded to start her up, and waited to make sure she would not die again. After several minutes, we hit the road.
I apologize but it seems we forgot to tell you where exactly we were headed at this point. Originally, the plan was to drive from Rapid City to Seattle and then down to Portland and then San Francisco. However, we decided instead to head to Salt Lake City Utah to visit a good friend and then shoot out to San Francisco.
Thus, continuing, we bucked and sputtered for about 370 miles finally arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah. Lieren, as well as her family, greeted us so hospitably and immediately made us feel at home. We ate a wonderful dinner and then spent the night meeting people, sitting in a hot tub and wondering, how the hell did we make it here and what the hell is wrong with the car?

Food Network Special

2011-07-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

   Coming to you live from Lazy J's RV and Campsite just East of Rapid City, it is a rainy and hot night. Chris and I finished our haul from Wimdom, Minnesota and ended in this lovely piece of real estate. The drive was fantastic especially when we hit the Badlands of South Dakota. Rolling hills turned into rock formations and Chris' body odor turned into a musky, maple syrup like smell. Fortunately, I am stuck in the tent with him seeing he refused to shower before hand.
   By the way, we highly recommend for any lone or accompanied road warrior traveling through the Badlands to ditch the Ipod and tune the radio to 88.1. A station of only great music and no commercials.
   Anyways, we arrived at Lazy J's, set up camp, turned on the grill, and watched as the beans cooked and water boiled. Lightly pouring the mac and cheese into the boiling water we realized we had no milk or butter. However, by simply mixing the beans with the mac and cheese we stumbled upon a creation unlike any phenomenon known in the cooking world. We call it, C and J's Bean and Mac Special. A unique blend of Bush's Baked Beans and Kraft's Mac and Cheese. Wonderful.
   As the lightning strikes and the rain falls, we bid you dear followers farewell for tonight. Tomorrow we hit the road to Mount Rushmore and see the spectacular faces of great men that have come before us. Godspeed.

Bearded Slayer

2011-07-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

Day 5:
   Good afternoon Wimdom, Minnesota. This is John, and this is Chris. Hope everyone is doing well and dandy. Yesterday, after we left you, we meandered our way from Chicago into the rolling hills of Wisconsin. Our first stop of the day was the great city of Milwaukee which has not only produced terrible baseball, but also terrible beer. Here, we stopped briefly to see the Art Museum of Milwaukee which is a spectacular piece of architecture that sits directly on Lake Michigan. It is indeed, a gem in the city. We then proceeded to Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, for a quick photo shoot. Pressing on, we arrived in Madison Wisconsin, alma mater of several relatives as well as the capitol of Wisconsin. Truly, a beautiful and vast campus.
   Having pleased our appetites with some Wisconsin brats, we were on the move once again heading Northwest to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here, we would spend the night with Chris' second cousin and bearded harley crusader, Dan, and wife Mary Jo. A quaint home about an hour north of Minneapolis, they were wonderfully hospitable and made our stay in the boonies of Minnesota, a great one. They own three horses, three Harley's, and a miniature Doberman Pinscher. We spent the night in their trailer home next to the house, the only place in or outside of the house with A/C and awoke this morning refreshed. Breakfast awaited us at seven am and we hit the road shortly thereafter.
   We are now stopped in Wimdom, Minnesota, twenty minutes from Route 90 and the South Dakota border. Luckily, the Mcdonalds offered free wifi and allowed us to update this heavily followed and critical blog. Once we hit the border we will push on out 340 miles West to Mount Rushmore. Wonderful. Godspeed.

Eggs Jeremiah

2011-07-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

Day 4:
   Good morning Illinois. It is a bright and sunny day here in the suburb of Wilmette with a high of 89 degrees. Nothing but blue skies and the Beach Boys in the forecast. Busta Rhymes will also be making an appearance. Anyways just to leave off where we were yesterday, the tour of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago was a blast and only reaffirmed the school as a top choice. We then spent the evening touring Wilmette, Lake Michigan, and Northwestern University. All very splendid and unique. Unlike the suburbs in Northern Virginia, the houses here actually are quite diverse and unique. This adds unbelievable flavor to the area and it seems one can actually enjoy suburban life out here.
   Anywho, we are off to Wisconsin this fine morning passing through Milwaukee, Madison, and then ending the day in Minneapolis. That is of course unless the two front tires explode and a bear takes the place of Chris in the passengers seat seeing they are roaming around like Chris does on a Saturday night from strip club to strip club.
   We are enjoying Eggs Jeremiah one last time and then will hit the road. See you all tonight Godspeed.

Day after Monsoon

2011-07-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Day Two:

We arose from our deep slumber to the smell of the famous Eggs Jeremiah. A dish that consists of two pieces of English Muffins lightly toasted, two slices of Canadian Bacon, two slices of American Cheese, and two lightly Poached Eggs all distributed equally creating two portions of the tasteful delight. After several stories and a ride to the local L aka metro, we were on our way into downtown Chicago.

Our first stop after the "colorful" ride into the city was the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Fortunately, we were able to meet with a Graduate Program Advisor so we could chat about concerns, questions, and interests. My curiosity in the school, as well as Chris', was well met and we enjoyed the feel, aroma, and vibrance that the school and city gives the students. We will be taking a tour of the facilities today at one thirty pm and thus will be able to fully pour out our emotions and comments on the school and its facilities.

After meeting with the advisor we sauntered through millennium park, took the cliche photo at the bean, enjoyed a scenic skywalk over Washington Street and proceeded into the Art Institute Museum. The museum is a wonderful that gives the art and exhibits much room to breathe and allows the patrons to fully enjoy not only the museum, but also the views into the city and roof top terrace.

Proceeding the museum and Chris being the intelligent man he is, we began our search for Gino's Pizzeria. Little did he know, it does not exist. After firing him from the position of navigator, we settled for Giordano's Pizzeria. Chris' lifelong goal of trying a true Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, was finally accomplished.

After a long long delay on the metro ride back to my Great Uncle's, we met up with my second cousin Colleen and her son Mike as well as Uncle Jerry and Aunt Claire, for a spectacular dinner at Hackneyes. Here, we hooted and hollered about Chris' romantic life, my unromantic life, and the painting of a naked lady conveniently located directly across from Uncle Jerry. More to come on the tour and final day in Chicago.

Sun Poisoning

2011-07-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

After refueling both our bellies and gas tank, along with contacting family in Chicago, Chris and I took out the reliable GPS and began to map our next move. One month prior, Chris and I seemed to believe Detroit to Chicago would be a two hour drive. However, we plugged in our coordinates and turns out it would be a seven hour tour.
With the sun setting and curse words rambling from our mouths, we once again hit the road. Six hours later we entered the skyway, a road similar to that of the Indianapolis 500. With cars weaving and flying and rain beginning to pellet our car, we pushed through the monsoon. After rafting to the front door from the curb we finally arrived at Uncle Jerry and Aunt Claire's beautiful home. Proceeding a night cap, which included cheese sandwiches and milk with Uncle Jerry, we fell onto our separate beds. As I was entering into a deep slumber I heard Chris begin to wail and moan. Worried, I knocked on his door and entered to see him clutching his bright red right arm saying, "damn the sun." Alas, one thousand miles later, a casualty to the brutality of the open road.

Pastoral

2011-07-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

With the sun blaring and the gas station fading in the rear view mirror, we continued on our way to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Chris took the wheel for a bit until he met his maker, the toll booth. Stopping just short of the ticket dispenser and stalling out several times, Chris was forced to relinquish his hold of the wheel to a more experienced Forza Motorsport driver.

As three o'clock rolled around, so did Detroit. Although we would have loved to stop in the city, we had neither a Ford or 9mm to accompany us. Thus, we did a driving tour from the highway and cruised into Bloomfield Hills just north of Detroit, home of the Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Upon entering the academy grounds, Chris and I were provided a sense of pastoral tranquility. The academy buildings and campus, although small (about the size of Chris' shank of lamb he had for lunch) was quite beautiful and practical. In addition, the Dean of Admissions gave us a delightful tour of the campus and its facilities.

The facilities and surrounding area seem like a wonderful place to create art however, the context and size seem to allow for little chance of inspiration besides that of ones peers. Although the liberating curriculum, or rather lack there of is enticing, we still have other places to see and must continue the search.

Low Gas

2011-07-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Day One:

Chris and I awoke this morning at three am and hit the road north stopping in pittsburgh to eat breakfast. The restaurant of choice was a food network special called Primanti Brothers. Let me tell you, phenomenal. The only word that can describe such a delicious and flavorful sandwich is that which I just used. No longer shall subway and panera bread do any means of satisfaction for my sandwich cravings. They will simply, disappoint.
After stopping off at the Pirates Stadium for a photo shoot we rolled the tires once again Detroit bound. Seeing that there was still 4 gallons left in the tank we decided to make the run into Ohio, only to realize the next service center was a ways away. With nothing but cruise control in between victory and seating on the side of the road for hours, we gave it our best shot, and fell short. Sputtering we veered off the highway past the toll booth and put her in neutral as we rolled into the gas station. 380 miles on one tank. Not bad and indeed a lesson that we probably forget tomorrow and attempt to go for 390 miles. Godspeed.