Balingfrantuckananixville

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In the past 6 weeks I've been in Baltimore, Washington DC, San Francisco, Kentucky, Indiana, Phoenix, and Nashville.

Yeah just like the at&t ads my life has been crazy. Which explains why I haven't had time to write. It's been an adventure if nothing else. I haven't really known if I'm coming or going, and often wake up in my hotel and wonder where I am. I'm currently in Jackson, TN, which I admit isn't nearly as exciting as some of the cities I've been to, but it's given me a little time to think.

This is really the kick off of busy season, but I think it started back around Thanksgiving. This is about the time I wish I didn't travel and really miss nashville, but I'm pressing on (for the higher calling of my lord).

Washington D.C. -

I had to work just outside of Baltimore and got done early. I calculated that I could drive down to D.C. spend about 45 min. there and head back to Baltimore to catch my plane. I set my GPS to the Smithsonian museum and headed south. GPS took me right past the Potomac and onto the capital mall. I drove up to the capital and then found a parking spot in between the capital and the Washington monument. I didn't really know what to do but I walked to the Lincoln memorial called some of my family and made plans to come back this summer when I have more time.

San Francisco -

I took some pictures in San Francisco, I'll try to post them soon. I really like San Fran, even though I was there for just a weekend. It was the most difficult city I've ever driven in. Extremely steep streets and lots of one ways. With out GPS I would have been in serious trouble. I walked around to Grace Cathedral which is in a Decembrists song. Then to this hip bookstore which was the first to publish Howl, and is famed for distributing most of the beat literature to the original hippies. (I found out Dylan hid out in the basement once). I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge which was incredible, probably already on the top ten favorite memories of my life. I found Height Asbury on the afternoon before I drove down to Fresno. It was much cooler than I expected. It is the model for any hip district in urban areas. (Bardstown road - Louisville, The Loop - St. Louis, Vine St. - Cincinnati, Greenwich Village - NYC, and what East Nashville is longing to be) I discovered one of the coolest record stores, but it was a little too big, and knew it was on the best real-estate in the country for an indi store.

Phoenix-

It was great. Weather was in the 70s perfect. The landscape is very flat with interesting mountains. It is scary how sprawling it is there. With so much land there's nothing stopping it. Which has left the CBD of Phoenix a ghost town after dark. After reading my new fav. book "The Geography of Nowhere" and experiencing the vast urban sprawl that plagues our nations greatest cities I'm convinced that we must change our culture of growth and learn to bring our cities and people who live there together.

I'm going to be on the road until April. I'll be going back to St. Louis, Memphis, and Phoenix. As well as Wichita, Kansas, and some small Tennessee towns. I'll write when I have time but won't when I don't. In the mean time make sure you vote!

Stay classy San Diego.

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