On the Road with Adie

wiLl Y0u cArRy A guN?

Leading up to this trip, I had so many people ask me this question or, even more presumptively, “what sort of gun are you taking?” The question itself presumes a lot, doesn’t it? It presumes a certain type of disposition about America, about its people, about its ability to resolve conflict within the bounds of normal law as well as extrajudicial law. But mostly it presumes—maybe assumes—that I am Chuck Bronson, who I am not.

Playlist: Oregon

We are working our way up the coast of the Beaver State and we need some songs to add to our ever-growing cache of great listens.

California: Take your bus and git

I’ll preface this post by saying that we have nothing but love for California. This state houses our favorite parks, drives, food, and views. It’s a must-visit. But, if you’re visiting in a bus, I have some words of caution for you.

Podcast: David Dotson

You might be surprised to find out that before David Dotson was Dolly Parton’s right hand man for her nonprofit, he was a VW bus owner. We had the good fortune of interviewing David at the Dollywood Foundation Headquarters in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (in what would be the last interview ever conducted in that building). Tune in to hear David’s VW bus story and about the important work he’s done as CEO of the Dollywood Foundation, including The Imagination Library.

Risk: how does it end? (part 4 of 4)

True enough. That’s the nature of risk and it’s not as simple as it worked or it didn’t. We didn’t have delusions that our bus would work for the entire trip. Owning and driving a VW bus across 49 states means having mechanical troubles and breakdowns. And fixing things and meeting people and seeing places we couldn’t have imagined. And collecting stories—some of our own and lots from people we would have never talked to otherwise.

Risk as an afterthought (part 3 of 4)

Driving without brakes—it’s a risk maybe worth taking?

Some people are just wired to do something creative, John said during his interview. For them, he said, the risk doesn’t exist. I might even go a step further and say that not-doing something creative is a huge risk for a creative person.

Resources and risk (part 2 of 4)

John Hammond, the host of the podcast about creative risk called Make Moves.

Here’s a preview of next season: we interviewed a fascinating guy named John Hammond—a fellow podcaster, academic, and, of course, VW owner. The podcast will likely cover the VW stuff. But our conversation with John covered another interesting topic—risk. See, John has a podcast called Make Moves where he talks to people who take risks. During our interview with John we asked what some of the commonalities and trends he noticed in the risk takers he interviewed.

Risk (part 1 of 4)

We were driving down Highway 1, just south of the famed Big Sur section—claimed to be the most scenic drive in all of the US. I love a good drive with curves and inclines and scenery. Bridges are a plus. And I love the opportunity to pull out on the berm for a vista. And Big Sur offered all of the above. And then our brake line broke.

Playlist: California

Happy Bob Dylan’s birthday, everyone! Here’s a compilation of all the times Dylan has played the song live:

This is Miracle and I’s third time through The Golden State–once to visit our dear author friend, Jean Hegland, and then on our honeymoon in Palm Springs. Here’s a few tunes that remind us of one of our favorite places to visit.

Podcast: Jason

We connected with Jason Vogen, of OldVolksTV, as well as VolksAmerica and VolksMania magazines, in Austin, Texas right around the time that Volkswagen was premiering the new ID Buzz at SXSW. Jason was there and got the inside scoop. Hear how people reacted to the newest member of the VW bus family and also about Jason’s own VW bus obsession, his dream bus, and the close-knit VW community in Austin.