It's been another busy but wonderful week out here in Western Ohio. I started the week in Dayton, returned briefly to Cincinnati and then made my way out to Columbus, Ohio's capital city. I've met some great people, taken some sweet photos, learned some interesting history and attended some great events. The weather has turned pretty hot and some amazing Midwestern thunderstorms have passed overhead, but I'm keeping cool and dry and really enjoying my time in the Buckeye State. As I've been driving, I've been enjoying a great podcast called Ohio V. The World. It is an interesting , in depth look at some of the history of the state and it's really given me some great background as I travel. This week has brought me into some of the flat, farm filled landscapes Ohio is most known for, but even these are dotted with cool old farm buildings and Rockwell-esque small towns. It's been another great week exploring all the great things America and Ohio have to offer…
While I have been based out of Athens, Ohio for the last week and a half and have slept in the same campsite the whole time, I have been out and about exploring Athens County which has been really awesome. While it is time for me to get moving again as I want to see the rest of Ohio and Michigan before summer turns to fall, it has been nice to spend some time here and get caught up a little bit before pressing on. While I am leap-frogging over Kentucky to get here, I hope to return there in the fall when the leaves are changing and I can have a really good look around.
Coming into Athens County, with its rolling hills and coal mining history, it is definitely good to be back in Appalachia. I've spent a lot of time in Appalachia over the last few months, so this makes for a nice transition into the Midwest. Having seen dramatic differences between the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee and the Mississippi River floodplains in West Tennessee and between coastal South Carolina and the Upcountry, I am prepared for the differences I expect to see between this Ohio and the Ohio on Lake Erie. And I'm looking forward to it.
It's been a few weeks since last we met. I've been spending some time with friends and family both at home in Washington D.C. and on the road with my dad in West Virginia and my brother and his kids in New Hampshire. It was nice to be with my people for a while and to take a break from the challenges of being on the road. I needed a little time to think and reflect and not have to worry about where I'm going to sleep tonight. It's been eight months since this project began, and it needed a little reflection and redirection. I have now entered Ohio, my fifth state, which when I leave will mark 10% of the journey complete. While I had hoped to spend a month in each state and be further along than I am, the whole point of the trip is not to be rushed and to see what I want to see. Before I move forward, I thought I would share some thoughts with you on the journey so far, and where I see this going in the months and years to come…
Hello everyone! It's been a restful week at home in Washington D.C. I've been trying to catch up with friends and family and catch up on sleep. I'm doing pretty good on both fronts. I've been working hard on my next podcast which should be out by the weekend. I spent most of the end of last week at home in the cool, cool air-conditioning finishing up the research and starting to write my second Tennessee podcast. I took lots of naps. I also got to catch up with some of my old pals around town and see what everyone's been up to since I've been gone these last six months. Everyone seems to be doing well which is great to see…
This is Shadow Catcher. It is my home, my vehicle, my constant companion. No, it's not a snappy name, but it's a good one. As someone who drove dozens of different vans over my career as a small-group tour guide, I gave up on naming them long ago. I wasn't in them long enough to form a bond with them, and most of them were leased anyway. We never developed a relationship and they were headed back to the dealership before their quirks became apparent. When I bought the van for this journey though, I knew we would be together for a while, day and night through winter and summer and good times and bad. It would need a name, but not any old name. A lot of people name their vehicle like it's a cow or a dog. I needed something deeper and meaningful to me. I chose the name in tribute to a few different people who inspired this trip and continue to inspire me. In Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck named his vehicle…
