Eureka! Day One and Two

Posted Wednesday morning,
We are getting behind ourselves with the blog thing thanks to our ability to bring havoc to wifi wherever we stop on the Interstate, from Starbucks to State Line (fyi, very helpful ladies at the Nevada West Wendover welcome center, plus thick shady grass approved of by Chumley.)

Back at the sneaker tree, the road was impressively straight between the 'Nevada speed bumps' of low ranges so numerous they ran out of geologist's to name them after...'Fairview', 'Grayback' and 'New Pass' (check out the terrain view of the Google map below). It was hot, we went for many hours after the BBQ. Stacy, the GPS had to find Austin next (we had less choices than she did, it was the only town in miles.) Austin was an upturn in the road, sporting a perfectly restored western shop with a Lucky Jeans sign so shiny and upscale looking, that it left us un-intrigued. We went on to Eureka, again confusing Stacy as every state has its Eureka moment, it seems.


Hungrier, hotter, and so tired we stumbled over our words, we had our Eureka moment when the receptionist at the Best Western on the four-block main street looked at us and said, straight-faced 'sorry, we are all booked tonight'. There was a teacher convention rolling into town shortly. I warned Judy about teachers traveling in packs and how they can tear up a small town like Eureka, we had to move on -- tired and ready to stop as we were.

It was a desperate moment with the sun setting, more lonely road in front of us, staring at the Chinese-American restaurant, remembering the heartburn from Chinese American the night before.

We were a long, long way from any La Brea Bakeries or even Panera's, or french village bakeries.


It was time to break out the emergency cupcakes.
Thanks to Mike Ventre, the cooler contained two glorious cupcakes of the highest order, one chocolate frosted and one with an inch of vanilla frosting filled with raspberry inside... mmmmmmm........





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From Stockton to The Loneliest Road

We started out in Stockton looking for the remains of the Lincoln Highway. Believe it or not we found an outdoor shopping mall complete with Trader Joe's, called....drumroll..."Lincoln Center." There are a few references to the Lincoln Highway, roads, churches...but the old highwayis buried under route 99, which we took to up north and eventually hooked up with Interstate 80. We stopped in the Donner Pass and managed not to resort to the temptation of cannibalism, we did however take a mountain hike with Chumley. We learned all about erractics.
After getting through all the glory that is Reno...including missing the upcoming shows of the Alan Parsons Project, we got on The Loneliest Road -the alternative to the interstate that runs through Nevada. First off, a stop in Fallon for BIG ED's BARBEQUE. Julie was pretty adamant that she didn't want Pork Butt. So we got brisket and pulled pork sandwiches...dang they were good. We had to pass on the fried Catfish and the sweet potato pie, but Chum had some brisket and really liked it! I would say that Big Ed's was NOT as amazing as Interstate Bar-B-Q in Memphis but it held up pretty well. After Fallon, Route 50 really earns its' moniker. The terrain was actually wonderful. Long stretches of highway and the rare Adidas Tree. Often seen in rural areas, this offshoot of the rubber tree sprouts Nikes, New Balance, and frequently the most sought after PF Flyers. Julie will write more about Emergency cupcakes ... in a few hours. We need to get back on the road.

Invasion of the POD PEOPLE

Well. This is it. I have packed up 23 years of possessions, and they fit in three pods. To think that in 1985 I moved out here with a suitcase. My dad UPS'd me three boxes, including a little TV, and that was all I owned in the world. My stuff has multiplied. It will travel across the US on its' own journey, and I will travel once again with my bud Julie. We plan on roughly following The Lincoln Highway. Interstate 80 parallels it, so we will go in and out of the "old road" I suspect. I think we will get to Saratoga on Saturday or Sunday June 29.
What is the Lincoln Highway you ask? Starting in Times Square, the Highway ends in San Francisco, and was promoted in 1913 as "America's Main Street." Of course, I want to travel it to see old houses, gas stations, diners, bridges, hotels, and signage. I will write more about the history of the Lincoln Highway, and hopefully take photos of some Lincoln Inspired landmarks.
Today is all about saying goodbye to good friends, and trying to not cry too much. My beloved dog Emily is not well enough to travel. It is quite a dilemma actually because she still is functioning well and to put her down is clearly not the right choice either. Mikey, my buddy and future tenant, (as of tomorrow) will care for her until she passes. I don't know if that is two days, or two weeks, but I know she is in loving hands. I can't write too much more about this or my tears will surely ruin my computer. This agonizing decision was not an easy one. She is pretty blind and has an inoperable tumor so the idea of her making the trip was bordering on cruel. I just want her to be comfortable and loved, and I think this is the best solution. I am not looking forward to saying my goodbyes to her tomorrow. She came into my life 9 years ago today, She has never been an affectionate or friendly dog. I always joke that she is like Greta Garbo and "vants to be alone." I do know that she and I have a special bond, and I truly love her like no one else could. Mikey comes close, in spite of how he jokes that she hates him. I have caught him giving her random kisses on the head. I know this is the best possible outcome - although my heart is so heavy.
I will post from Stockton California, tomorrow night when some of this drama has passed.

Road Food, Land Grabs,The End and a New Beginning

November 8, 2007 Back in Los Angeles
It has taken me a while to get back in the groove, and I owe it to you and to me to finish up this part of the blog. I can say honestly that the best part of the return journey was the food. We just went for it: stopping in Henryetta, Oklahoma and having Brisket and Fried Pie. The gal at the welcome center told us to make sure we tried Fried Pie. Trust me. Skip it. Basically a Hostess Apple turnover fried in a deep fryer. The Brisket was really good, I saved a few pieces for Chumley. He sure liked it! Oklahoma City was a marvel to me. Both Larry and I were quite moved by the memorial at the bombing site where the Federal Building once stood. Downtown Oklahoma City seemed so quiet, and vacant.

I adored the Land Rush Monument. I have to admit I knew next to nothing about The Oklahoma Land Rush. If you don't either; check this out . Paul Moore's extraordinary group of 1.5x life sized sculptures just blew me away. April 22,1889 12 noon - A moment in time captured in Bronze, it will take over 8 years to complete and cover about a mile.
My photos do not do it justice. The entire grouping is led by a small rabbit about 20 yards across the river.

Chumley and Larry found this Rabbit and posed for me.


Another Oklahoma Marvel is the town of El Reno. Rumored to have the greatest hamburgers in the US, there are 3(!) road food picks in this teenie town. We opted for Johnnie's. Known for Coneys, Frito Pie and their incredible burgers. Here's a Quote from Jane and Michael Stern's Road Food; "The ribbons of onion are mashed deep into the top of the soft raw meat, which assumes a craggy surface because of the uneven overlapping use of the spatula. Once the underside is cooked, the burger is flipped. The air around the grill clouds with the steam of sizzling onions. ...the hamburger is scooped off the grill with all the darkened caramelized onion that have become part of it..." O.K. The burger was darn good. Just really really good. The coney was sublime. A hot dog, topped with chili and then a concoction of sauerkraut and saucy mustard on top. Granted, it does not photograph well.
Frito Pie. Fritos, Chili, Melted Cheese. I tasted that sumbitch well into New Mexico. A gastric weapon of mass destruction. 'nuf said. The last great bonus of the trip was the train station at Barstow! Another Harvey House hotel and fantastic Route 66 Museum. I had always thought Barstow was just an In and Out Burger stop, and it's major claim to fame was the the fact that it was half way to Vegas from Los Angeles.

It is a required stop for those of us newly converted Harvey House fans, and Historic Train Station afficiandos. Wow. What a great way to end the journey. As we drove back to LA, the smoke from the fires blanketed the inland empire and Larry and I were both happy to get home and reluctant to end our journey. So this blog is done for now. I start work next week with a firm called Historic Resources Group.
I am sure I will reactivate the blog some time in the future, and will be sure to let you know. JM

Frito Pie and other Gustatory Delights

The California Desert October 27, 2007
I have been too tired to post at night so my apologies. We will be home tonight and I will catch up and tell you about Brisket at Sheila's in Oklahoma, Frito Pie and Coney's also in Oklahoma, and the coolest little strip of Route 66 you ever did see! Chumley is anxious to have this ordeal over and I can't wait to get back to the gym!! JM

The No Calorie Left Behind Tour

Conway, Arkansas
That title must be credited to Michael Ventre. He came up with that after I told him how much Larry and I have eaten on the road.
I can't write well. All of the blood that is usually in my brain is currently busy in my stomach digesting the abuse heaped upon it today. It started at the Pancake Pantry in Nashville. We knew something was up when the line to get in snaked around the corner at 10 am on a Wednesday. The person who seated us whispered to me that the sweet potato pancakes were his favorite..."ROAD FOOD" recommended them, and the buckwheat pancakes. The great waitress brought us samples of the sugar and spice pancakes, the buckwheat, and Larry ordered some facockta corn meal thing with cheese and bacon. There were three syrups: maple, cinnamon cream, and honey. All this for someone who doesn't really eat much breakfast...The sweet potato pancakes came topped with powdered sugar, wholly unneeded-as the batter was just as rich and sweet as possible. The large mound of sweet butter on the side added insult to injury. I managed to suck down 2 of the delights and a side of Grits. OOOOOOOO. I moaned all the way to Memphis. Memphis - home of Elvis, The Blues and Barbeque. I got a southern blues CD for Mikey, managed to avoid all Elvis stuff, and then had some OUTSTANDING Bar B Q. Some how I found room to devour a pulled pork sandwich- I know PORK AGAIN-oy. The best sauce I have ever had. Wonderful Beans, great coleslaw. Just outstanding. Jim Neely the proprietor of Interstate Barbecue was IN THE HOUSE. (see photo) and he was as warm and wonderful as his food. Carrying on, forgoing dinner...all Larry wanted was a beer and the World Series. We are in a Dry Frickin County. What???? 15 miles in each direction. No Beer. Home state of Bill Clinton? No dang Beer. It is all about TUMS and sleep for me. JM

A "SPIEDIE" TRIP

Stephens City, Virginia October 22, 2007
O.K. So the month, (give or take a week) that I was home went very quickly. I did manage to pack in alot of stuff. I met some really nice new people, and reconnected with two people that are very important to me. Here are some of the highlights: I went to a wonderful wedding in Ithaca and got to show Mikey around my college town. ( believe that a Seinfeld episode about worlds colliding sums that one up.) It was actually a great great time. I got to see three vintage World War 2 planes, and meet a wonderful man named Art. He not only knows about airplanes, but he is one of the #1 ranked billiard players in upstate NY. I have a huge crush on him. I even went up to Glens Falls to see him play in a tournament staged for my benefit. Oh did I tell you that Art is 91? Two things to note about that posted photo: My dad's USC hat, and the cool plane in the background. (Dad wants me to marry John David Booty the quarterback from USC, so that he can say his daughter is Judy Booty. I said that Doug Flutie is actually more my type and almost age appropriate and I could be Judy Flutie, but whatever.) So it was a good trip, and I think Chumley and my parents really got on well. So that brings us to today. My buddy Larry is driving back across the US with me. It will be more of a straight forward trip this time. But if anything interesting takes place I will take some photos and blog about it. I am not the wonderful food writer that Julie is, but I did have a terrific culinary bonus today. Evidently in Binghamton New York there is a specialty sandwich called a Spiedie. It consists of a 12 inch long skinny hero type roll packed full of either pork or chicken cubes. I opted for the pork. The meat was sublime; moist, tangy, with a hint of lemon, salty and tender. Who knew there was a specialty sandwich called a Spiedie? I went to school in Ithaca,
One hour away and have never heard of it!





But my mom, who was the only art teacher in Chenago County in 1946, has heard of a spiedie! We got a hot tip that the best key lime pie in the United States is in Little Rock Arkansas so at the very least I will report back on that. Keep my friends in the the Fire Zones in California in your thoughts. JM