On The Road

Alternative Travel

One view I take is cross-continental car-pooling. Some call it hitchhiking. I do lots more "hiking" than "hitching" these days.

I fear the days that one can "freely" walk down the highway are a part of history.

Should you choose to shoulder a backpack for the summer, best do it on a recognized trail that you've paid an entry fee to walk upon, else keep your ID handy; because walking on the side of the road is sufficient "suspicious activity" for any law enforcement officer to stop you, check your identification, and search your baggage.

• Doesn't matter if you are a disabled US military veteran.
• Doesn't matter if you carry traveller's check & a credit card and stay in a hotel every night of your journey.
• The number of college degrees you possess no longer matters.

July01, 2007. Well, we took that big "first step" and are on the road again. Decided to head west to Colorado rather than Florida. What's there? Mountains. And the SOLAR ENERGY INSTITUTE IN CARBONDALE COLORADO. Need to get my Solar Energy Certifications and that is one of the few areas in the country to do so.

Took bus into Wichita, KS ($88.50 from Springfield, MO). Visited old town and viewed the local history. Walking west on USHighway 50.
You really need to dig out your atlas, or mapquest, and follow the path of this highway. Pioneers of old walked it, rode in covered wagons, and eventually the coast-to-coast railroads followed it. Beginning at Wichita, and keeping within sight of the highway for the a thousand miles or more is the Arkansas River.
Makes sense. Going East to West from St Louis it was known as the Santa Fe Trail. If starting on the California end, historical markers list it as the Pony Express Trail. History anyway you look at it.

Big wind (tornado country) but have yet to see a single windmill in Kansas. Caught a ride with a FEMA Emergency trailor set-up technician into Greenburg. They just had an F-5 take out most of the town. Hardly a single store left open but folks are gathering in the big park for a Fourth of July bar-b-que and fireworks display. Walked on thru town and camped a mile out, in an abandoned trailer. Watched the city fireworks from there.Shared a bit of Solar Technology (how to cook, and pasturize water) with the few folks that would listen, but with the GOVERNMENT in town, they were more concerned with filling out the reams of application forms.

Westward. First ID check. "You will show me your papers comrade". Yeah, land of the free if you are in a big RV, but not if you choose to walk down the road. After I was cleared, took longer cause I have a non-drivers state ID, asked the "man" about the closest place to get a cup of coffee. "Four and a half miles", he said, and drove away.

Another day of walking.

Twenty mile ride into Dodge City, Kansas. Got a hotel room for a little R&R. Boothill - is the only cemetary in the country enclosed by a museum building. Missed annual Dodge Days celebration by about 3 weeks.

Walked twelve miles.

Got a ride the last few miles into Cimmaron. Remember the Cimmaron Strip from wild west days? Spent the siesta hours in the Red Dog (?) Bar & Grill. Chef's Salad and four bottles of beer. Got a few memorial words from the oldtimers occupying the bar stools. (1)"You have to drive to a trainwreck." - think about it. (2) During a tornado a few years ago, a barn collapsed trapping a few cows. One had a 2x4 stuck under the skin of a back leg. The farmer pulled out the board and poured a whole bottle of horse linament into the wound. They haven't seen the cow since and it did more damage running away than the tornado did.

Sixty mile ride - on of longest yet this trip - to Lakin KS. (Went through Garden City. Saw a Home Depot and Walmart, but not a garden to be seen). While having breakfast in Lakin, I asked the waitress how far it was to the stateline. She said, "45 minutes." I responded, probably a six-hour walk. the waitress said, "No, when the county sherriff finds you, he will check you out, then carry you to the county line". Well, I walked thru town and two more miles, just short of the town's historical marker. Sure enough. County mountie, ID Check, and "How'd you like a ride to the county line?" Told him great, so long as we could stop at the marker up ahead first. He was gonna make me walk, then told me to get in. At the marker, which he admitted he had never stopped and read (though he had lived in Lakin all his life), he called the next county, Hamilton, and when we got to the county line, I had another ride waiting; across the Arkansas yet again into Colorado.

First contact. Van pulls up. Lady says, "Can't give you a ride, but do you need some water?", and hands me an icy bottle of water.
Second contact. Ceasar, in a white pick-up, turns around and pulls up. "Voy a Holly, OK?" I hop in, and discover quickly that he does not speak a single word of English. My Spanish is limited to little more than 'Donde esta el bano?', which means - where is the bathroom? - but we communicate amazingly well. When I mention 'me estudio la lingua de los manos' (I am studying fingerspelling - sign language),he excitingly reponded "Tengo un amigo que no puede hablar con palabras" (I have a friend who cannot talk with words). Turns out he has been studying sign language as well to talk to a deaf friend. And so, without a single added spoken word between us (other than Vio con Dios) we talk for the rest of the trip into town,because with sign he is bilingual and I am tri-lingual.

Holly, Colorado. Mountain Time. At a church bazaar, I bought a pair of tennis shoes for a quarter, and a pair of moccasins for a buck. Saw a USMC flag flying in a yard so I stopped and knocked on the door. Little old lady answered. Showed her the Marine Corps emblem on my cane and told her I HAD to stop and say hi. You could see pride in her eyes when she said I was the fifth person in a month to stop. 'He is 85, and taking a nap', but he will be happy to hear you stopped young man' (I am 54).

Sunday, got the opportunity to walk 20 miles on the Santa Fe Trail.
Granada. One store, two restaurants, and a high school with six state championships. And a bit of history. End of the trail for 40 million head of cattle and 100,000 cowboys. Home, at times, to Calamity Jan, Bat Masterson, and Doc Holliday. Site of Camp Amache - prisoner of war camp (sorry, 'Japanese Relocation Center') from 1942 to 1946.
Got one 5 mile ride, into Lamar,by sky pilot (preacher) Captain Kirk. My first stop was the laundrymat. Second, the Visitor's Info Center in the Middle of town. "Until 40 years after the railroad came to town, the area was known as Big Timbers. Popular with trappers, explorers, etc., all the timber went into rail ties or farther down the tracks to other markets". Today its an area of hay fields. Third I just had to stop at The Buzzard's Roost Bar. Had beer and pizza and conversation; and, luckily I was inside when the 45-mph dust storm blew through. Spent the night under the bridge - on the banks of the Arkansas River, yet again.

Pueblo, Colorado. The most impressive thing I have discovered in Pueblo so far is the SOLAR COFFEE ROASTER. The roaster sits on a two-wheel trailor inside a 24 Foot plastic geodesic dome. About two hundred 8-inch glass mirrors are focused into a box about the size of a 20-inch TV. Temperatures a bit over 400 degrees(F) roast five pounds of coffee to perfection in approximately 20 minutes. Mike, the owner, says he does about ten batches a day which just keeps up with sales at the SOLAR COFFEE SHOP located at 3rd & Main. They are building a more permanent roaster that will be eight times larger. I have yet to talk to anyone who knew it was there.

Lots of history to explore here as I walk around town talking to camping and sporting goods stores about adding solar ovens to their inventory. Couple of nibbles so far, but, Pueblo is unfortunately, not a very green-minded city.
Pueblo was, at various times, part of France, Spain, and the Republic of Texas before becoming a part of Colorado. The Arkansas River was the defining border.
In 1933, in the name of Almighty Progress, The City Council of South Pueblo had "Old Monarch" cut down. Also named "The Hanging Tree" due to the fourteen men who tugged downward on the braches with a rope around their necks, the tree was 29 feet in diameter and 88 feet tall. Three hundred and thirty-eight growth rings were counted as they cleared the growth from the center of Union Street. Ah, progress.

19Jul07 - I visited the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial of Pueblo.
It is dedicated to Barbara A. Robbins. She was the FIRST FEMALE to die in Vietnam. Barbara was a secretary working at the US Embassy in Siagon when it was bombed in March of 1965. She was the only woman from Pueblo to die in that war.
Another interesting point about the memorial. It has the dates 1959-1975 posted. First one I have seen that recognizes the fact that we had advisors there earlier than the OFFICIAL dates. Of course, since it was not a RECOGNIZED period of war, they are/were not eligible for VA Benefits, or even membership in such groups as American Legion and Vietnam Veterans of America.

I have to get a digital camera. Saw one of those pictures, yesterday, that was worth more than the proverbial "1000 words". An ant crossed the sidewalk carrying a piece of aluminum foil three times its size. A SOLAR ANT. Was it going to build a shade for its hole, or roast a chunk of cockroach?

21Jul07 - This journey has a two-fold purpose. Beyond my alternative energy/technology teaching, I am also talking to all who will listen about VETERANS's ISSUES. There is a VA Outpatient Clinic here in Pueblo, so the county health clinic is not able to assist veterans (due to funding issues). But, as all veterans in the VA Healthcare system should be aware, a vet cannot just walk into an outpatient clinic. We must have a primary care doctor assigned there and have an appointment.
I talked with Dwight Gardner yesterday concerning this. He is the Regional Director (representative) for US SENATOR KEN SALAZAR. I told him how it does not matter whether you are a veteran on foot such as myself, or one driving a $400,000 RV. Noone can just walk in. All must go to the VAMC two-and-one-half HOURS away in Denver. There is a DAV shuttle for folks like me (for which I am grateful); but; the veteran in the RV will drive, and I doubt he will spend the high cost of gas to drive back to continue a vacation in Pueblo. So, not only does the veteran suffer, the entire city suffers a considerable loss of tourist revenue. Perhaps money will talk; and, get another senator on OUR side.
Mr. Gardener wrote down my concerns. He then mentioned that Senator Salazar was very proactive concerning environmental issues. Every veteran having to go to VAMC Denver adds to the greenhouse effect no matter if travel is in a DAV van, automobile, or 50-foot RV.
When will we get the respect and treatment we have earned?

I now have a classic Raleigh 10-speed bicycle which makes my mission in Pueblo so much easier. It was donated to me by a non-profit outfit known as Pedal for Paradise, Inc. They collect and refurbish outcast bikes both for needy children and needy adults. Besides new tires and brakes, they worked-over the whole bike. I even got a helmet and lock. Thanks, guys!

Someone else has donated a bike trailer, the type one hauls kids around in.

Almost a year-and-a-half ago, I left Pueblo to begin a bike-and-trailer trek across country to teach & preach about alternative technology. So far I have ridden a little over 5000 miles through 12 states.
Currently I am in southern Florida, about to enter the Keys. it has literally been a wild ride.

It is now November of 2009. Finally, here is a look at my second bike, a Gary Fisher, and the trailer after almost 6000 miles. I was, then, somewhere in northern Florida.

3rd of December 2009 - the Domicilary at VAMC Temple TX
Our long-distance bike riding days are pretty much over. The body is about ready to find that rocking chair. perhaps we can take a wood working class and build that chair ourselves.

We are going to try Waco Texas as a base from which to seek that porch upon which to put our rocker.

Just checked the Grehound fare from WACO to DEL RIO. Roundtrip is $148. When we are seeking a place to settle down and the price of travel is within our grasp we must avail ourselves of opportunity presented. If we pack the essentials with us so that we dont 'have' to go back then we open doors using the bus that we were before restricted to only by pedalling the bicycle. That is an activity that we need to relegate to our memoirs as our body is no longer in the physical shape that pedalling six hundred miles requires. We shall look into other forms of available travel before purchasing those tickets, since that wont be until after the first of the year. And we must remember those low rental prices around the race track at daytona during the slack season last year before the racing starting. That will be worthwhile calling about. The current RT fare is $324.00, so that journey would fall within the clutches of the $99-each-way discount. Hmmmm. TGhat is less than 2 trips to Del Rio. We shall gather information about the roadtrip sharing services of the alternative community.