May 2, 2004 Longmont Co

May 2, 2004 – 10:02 PM

May 2, 2004
Longmont C0

Amazing to ride the bike over the plains of Colorado and up into the mountains. Traveled about 50 miles today, made a photograph on The Left Hand River, above Boulder and had brunch at The Jamestown Mercantile. A small mountain town about 20 miles above Boulder. Great old mountain town café with live bluegrass music and photographs of the whole town at last years 4th. of July Picnic, all posed in a field around the towns two volunteer fire trucks. Also got to visit with Jesse and do a photograph of him at Naropa. Tomorrow new tires for the truck and then heading South towards New Mexico.

 


DMK offloading bike in Colorado

By Desert Elements | Posted in On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer | Comments (0)

April 30, 2004 Cheyenne, Wyoming

April 30, 2004 – 9:45 PM

March 30, 2003
Cheyenne, Wyoming

Whew…. 10 days in Omaha printing large prints and I am back on the road again. All the things that could, do, and will go wrong in a new pt/pl. darkroom didn’t. Despite the huge change in humidity, altitude, all the other atmospheric and emotional changes printing was a breeze. The paper coated better than ever and the blacks were the riches I’ve seen. All due to the increase in humidity within the new darkroom I’m thinking. The fact that the darkroom is also that laundry room adds to the natural increase in humidity. At first it scared the hell out of me but after my first printing session I can say it is a good thing. I do wonder what will happen next time…. But as Rudiak was fond of saying, it’s all good.

A personal not to Joyce and Dan, if you’re not totally sick of me and are looking for more of me by reading this special thanks to you for your warmth, friendship, hospitality and the space to work. Without you two this trip would be so very much harder. It’s hard to come off the road to print large work and knowing I will get to spend some time with the two of you (as well as Don, Bryce and Andrey) makes it a joy to come to Omaha.
For those of you who would like to know more about the folks in Omaha who have opened their workspace and home to us check out:
www.templetonstudios.com

www.brycebridges.com

www.justindavid.com

www.andreymikityuk.com

Did get the bike off the truck!!!!!! Road around Omaha a bit and it felt good. Felt a bit like Evil Kenevil driving it back up the 8 foot ramp to a height of almost 4 feet. Very macho but its back in the truck again and now we know it’s more than do able.

Ride from Omaha to Cheyenne was beautiful but uneventful. Spring has arrived; all the trees and plants are painting a new, fresh color scheme over america. Such a lovely shade of green.

Tomorrow on to Boulder and a quick visit with my son, Jesse than into New Mexico.  I’m gonna hang around New Mexico in the Land Yacht for a few days, take care of some unfinished business in Santa Fe and make some photographs.


DMK riding on I-80 Eastbound by Dan


DMK and Dan going to dinner


DMK and Dan at Dinner

By Desert Elements | Posted in On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer | Comments (0)

April 20, 2004 Kellogg, Iowa

April 20, 2004 – 11:27 PM

April 20 kelloge

Rain, Cold, Wet. Cruel trick. Can now get the bike off the truck. But as I sit in the land yacht with morning coffee I’m content to be rocked by the wind and hear the music of the rain on the aluminum shell of our house. The land yacht is very aware of her surroundings and passes them on to her occupants. No bike riding today. But at least I can now get it off….. Good day to stay in bed and read. Or just sit by the window and watch the storm outside and work on the journal. Soon I’ll have the darkroom stuff set up in the Land Yacht and on days like today I’ll do darkroom work. Still learning the magic of the road and the ways of slowing down. Do need to get to Omaha to get the prints done for back east and it’s hard to let go of those feeling of “have to”.
there is a lot of road ahead and plenty of time…..

By Desert Elements | Posted in On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer | Comments (0)

April 19, 2004 West Bend Wisconsin

April 19, 2004 – 11:26 PM

Made it! The further north I went the colder, windier and rainier it got. Arrived at the camp about 10:30 last night totally tired and depressed. So much for the summer weather. Great folks at Discount ramps.com. www.discountramps.com . But it’s just an office, all the products are made else where. I guess the .com should of forewarned me. But Jeff was able to find us a ramp in the back room and it almost fits in the pick up so again I am on my way and now can get the bike off the truck. And the rain pours down, who would want to ride in this weather?

By Desert Elements | Posted in On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer | Comments (0)

April 18, 2004 Buckeye Lake Ohio

April 18, 2004 – 11:26 PM

On to Ohio and just above me is Wisconsin, well not just above us but close enough and that’s where they make the ramps for the Indian. I forget how it feels to drive thought he summer days with the windows open and the hot air rushing by. Or better yet on the bike 18 inches above the black top. The last 2 days have been in the 80’s and so sunny and so many bikes on the road I have to get mine out of the pick up so if I jam we can be there Monday and still make Omaha in time to make the prints I need for the galleries in the east. Special thanks toPercy for his kind gift. So tonight we camp at Buckeye Lake and tomorrow on to Wisconsin.


DMK working on journal and Henry

By Desert Elements | Posted in On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer | Comments (0)

April 17, 2004 Penn Dutch Countryside

April 17, 2004 – 11:25 PM

Meandered all day past many great trout streams and almost stopped to fish. So much great country to see once you leave the interstates behind.

By Desert Elements | Posted in On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer | Comments (0)

April 16, 2004 Kutztown, Pa

April 16, 2004 – 11:24 PM

Woke up early and photographed. Driving through Bush heading toward Intercourse it truly feels like the trip has begun. Folks you meet in trailer parks are truly friendly and I’m thinking there are a lot of great images to be made of them.
I ate a home style Amish meal at the Stultzfus Family Farm in Intercourse, Pa. and wondered at all the laundry blowing in the wind from laundry lines attached to barns on this Friday (wash day)


DMK with first negative developed in Land Yacht
at the “we trust you take what you want and put money in the box”- no sales people


DMK “so where’s the box?”

By Desert Elements | Posted in On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer | Comments (0)

April 15, 2004 Kutztown, Pa

April 15, 2004 – 11:24 PM

Tax Day great day to start the trip! Looking back as I leave the driveway there are Mom and Dad again, this time waving goodbye. It’s been a great visit but time to move on. As I head west, in the early afternoon light I felt the journey had begun.
Seems a fitting day to let go of all the restraints that I’ve been holding on to for so long. Left my parent’s in Easton Ct. early afternoon through New York on route 84 heading West and passed Walden, New York- oh joy lets go see Walden Pond and make a photograph and I am off to a fine start on the adventure until I remembered that the Walden Pond I’ve been dreaming about was in Massachusetts, not New York so once again I headed West on 84 toward the setting sun and Pennsylvania. Down 209 through the Delaware Water Gap, just starting to come into Spring but no camp grounds open as of yet so I found myself  at The Pine Hill Campground on old route 22 in Kutztown Pa. for the night. The sun set on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains as I pulled into the Pine Hill Campground. It’s been the first real day on the road. After leaving New York I drove on secondary roads (finally)
and tomorrow are headed toward Pennsylvania Dutch Country and back roads all day.

 

By Desert Elements | Posted in On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer | Comments (0)

March 25, 2004 Easton Ct.

March 25, 2004 – 10:25 PM

Easton Ct. by early afternoon. Still cold, still rainy and this small ache starting in my back…… Mom and Dad standing at the doorway watching as I pull up in front of their house all fifty feet of my traveling circus!
Have you seen The Long, Long Trailer with Lucille Ball? If not rent it and follow us down the road. If you’ve seen it and remember the scene when Rickie has to back their trailer down Lucille’s Parents driveway you’ll understand why I sent my Parents back into the house, behind closed doors, before I started my first long haul backup adventure. Parked outside my Parents garage I had no idea it would sit there for 21 days. Spend the first week seeing a physical therapist in Katonah NY and stretching out my back as the small ache developed into a huge muscle spasm. Then the new floor took much longer and on and on and on……

The Land Yacht in front of the Breweter House

By Desert Elements | Posted in On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer | Comments (0)

March 22, 2004 Jackson Center, Ohio

March 22, 2004 – 10:23 PM

Arrived at the Airstream Plant in Jackson Center Ohio. For anyone who loves Airstreams you gotta see this. Not only are they still making them there, the small town resonates “Airstream”, but they have many of the old classics in various stages of restoration. I even got to see one of Wally Byam’s Gold anodized vintage Airstreams! As Casper Ihle, one of thier fine technicians, went over my Classic 1960 Land Yacht,  I got to meet with Tim Champ, the Marketing Director, Jim Parrett the Service Coordinator and Rick March the Shop Manager. It was a great discussion, learning about the history and folk lore of the Airstreams and sharing the ideas we have for our trip. Their website is www.airstream.com. I recommend you check it out.
In case your interested:
Wednesday, June 2nd through Sunday, June 6th 2004 The Airstream Homecoming Festival is just around the corner! People will be coming from all over the country and the world to Jackson Center, Ohio, for five days of all-out Airstream fun. Open to all Airstreamers, there will be plenty of food, entertainment, games and Airstream history. You can even test drive and tow a new Airstream!

photo by airstream from their archives

By Desert Elements | Posted in On the Road March 2004 to October 2006 70,000 mile 2 year road trip across America living in and working out of a 1960 Airstream Travel Trailer | Comments (0)