DC to Bellingham, WA is about 3,100 miles. About 11 tanks of gas. About 25 LP’s worth of listening met with plenty of NPR and bizarro-world Christian apocalyptic radio. Three nights in three different hotels–Blue Earth, MN, Sheridan, WY, and Missoula, MT (hell of a town). I went into Kerouac mode the first night and after some drinks in Gambier, OH, decided that I didn’t need to sleep. I was desperate for benzedrine, but settled for gas station coffee and Diet Coke. Basically, I drove for about 26 hours straight from DC to south central Minnesota. Then I slept for 12 hours at a Super 8.
Chicago is a great city, but a nightmare to drive around. Illinois charges you for the pleasure of driving through their fair state. The bastards. I already knew that Minnesota was pretty, but South Dakota ain’t bad. Mt. Rushmore is definitely worth three bucks to stop and visit. It costs eight. Wyoming is gorgeous, at least the little northeastern sliver that I went through. Little Big Horn is a must-see (five bucks)–don’t just settle for “Custer Hill,” the place with all the markers where the White Eyes bought it. You’re getting the denouement, but missing all the great tactical blunders made by Reno, Benteen, and the C-dog himself. You couldn’t plan a more hideous waste of lives and material. Montana is very, very big. The mountains are beautiful, as mountains tend to be. Missoula is a trip. Post Falls, ID has a very hospitable Denny’s. Eastern Washington was easily the most desolate part of the trip–the technical term is a “wheat desert.” There weren’t many radio stations on this stretch, and most of them were in Spanish, interestingly enough. The trip was safe up until 30 miles outside of Bellingham, after turning right in Seattle–some jagoff in a pickup was hauling shipping palettes, and four of them came off right in front of me. My metallic steed and my own lightning reflexes saved the day. But honestly, wtf Mt. Vernon, WA?
This is a really beautiful country. Everyone should drive across it at least once.
Wet Casements 