Experience 101

Look, listen, be curious.

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Big House, Little House. All about perspective.

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#roadtrip2016 #rialta #sodak #spearfish #campfirepizza (at Spearfish City Park)

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#roadtrip2016 #rialta #rapidcity #sodak #trout #publicart @cbfbfiorenzo was the artist assistant for this installation in 1994 (at Founders Park)

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#roadtrip2016 #rialta #badlands #sodak #camping with @cbfbfiorenzo (at Badlands Interior Campgrounds)

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#roadtrip2016 #rialta #maple #bacon #ricekrispytreats with @cbfbfiorenzo in #missouri (at Trail's End Restaurant)

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June 30, 2016 Temple, GA to Handy, AK (476 miles) Smooth ride. Managed to snap a picture of the Talladega Superspeedway, followed by 30 minutes of movie quotes. Came across 3 ditch fires in a 5 mile stretch. Ok, this leg of the trip was not crazy exciting. We did ultimately land in a quaint little Arkansas town named Handy. We ate at a British establishment called "Pig & Whistle" - tried the bangers & mash, shepherds pie, mashy peas and the bombardier beer. All fabulous. Our campsite was a block away and frankly, perfect. A superb stopover with water and electricity hook-ups, and a free firefly show - for $20. Turns out mosquitos like you even better after a hot shower and a glass of wine. Hmm. Not so different than people. We awoke to an amazing view out the back window - punctuated with the Ducati, of course.

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June 29, 2016 Charleston, SC to Temple, GA (338 miles) The journey begins with yet another surprise - the last “tune-up” has made it possible for us to safely (we think) tow the motorcycle. Which means we have wheels when this bad girl is “docked”. (Stay tuned for pics of me in my new helmet.) Today we learned that certain gas stations (ex. Pilot/FlyingJ) provide free overnight RV parking. Turns out, people are pretty excited to tell you about what they offer. More appealing to us than Walmart parking lots. So that is how we spent our first night - at a Pilot in Temple, GA. This is called “dry” camping or boondocking (if free).

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June 20, 2016 Willow Creek Cemetery San Benito County, California Beautiful day for remembering those we love and miss.

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June 20, 2016 Pinnacles National Park, California Tour by former local resident (and cousin) Mary Ladd. Born of Fire Some 23 million years ago multiple volcanoes erupted, flowed, and slid to form what would become Pinnacles National Park. What remains is a unique landscape. Travelers journey through chaparral, oak woodlands, and canyon bottoms. Hikers enter rare talus caves and emerge to towering rock spires teeming with life: prairie and peregrine falcons, golden eagles, and the inspiring California condor.

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June 19, 2016 An unexpected festival. We learned about Spanish saddles, the felt hat industry, distilling. and civil war nursing. Quite a variety of living history.

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June 16 - 18, 2016 Amtrak rail. Omaha, NE to Sacramento, CA. 40 hours. Mom, dad, Fiorenzo and I. Much better than driving. The panoramic view from the observation car was awesome. The roomettes are compact but comfy. And no need to stop for a bathroom break!!

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Farmers Market. Scotland, South Dakota. Blueberry Kolaches for breakfast. Made from scratch. Brought by horse. Max has joined us for the train adventure. Ben and Brock are the best hosts.

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June 14, 2016 Perfect day for peewee baseball. An away game in Armour, South Dakota. The Scotland Highlanders were victorious. My nephew Ben is on the team. He has the best smile. So flat. So green. So blue.

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June 13, 2016 We began our summer adventure unexpectedly. Rather than arriving by land, here we are in the air. My third favorite mode of travel - behind train and auto. South Dakota. The first time I flew home my luggage was deplaned into a red Chevy Luv Truck and brought to me. That was sixteen years ago, give or take. Carousel 1 today. The air smells the same.

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Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care, for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.

BUDDHA