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Above all traveling six thousand miles on backroads across 15 states in sixty days is a mega trip and I’ll tell you all about it in Part 2 of this series. Details in Six-Thousand-Miles-Backroads-Part2-Bob Davis Podcast 1136.
Firstly we’ll start in Florida.
Where the most compelling evidence for over crowding and over development is getting kicked out of a state park…
Of course not to mention the traffic…
And expense of the so called Sunshine State.
Secondly take Florida off your travel list in season.
Undoubtedly Florida is overdeveloped.
However there are less populated and more quaint parts of Florida worth visiting and spending time.
Hence we move on to Georgia
Certainly the Saint Simons Cumberland national seashores are beautiful.
For example Jekyll Island, Saint Simons, and the rest of the Georgia Coast has a lot of history.
Then in South Carolina I discovered some great dusty beach towns.
But I am not going to name those towns because I don’t want to see them ruined.
Otherwise they are there.
Subsequently the North Carolina coastline was fantastic
and Ocean Isle Beach, Oak Island on out to the Carolina Beach.
Finally the Ferries are low cost and so much fun.
Thereafter-Emerald Island, Atlantic Beach and the rest of the Outer Banks.
In due time you get on Route 12 which goes all the way up to Kill Devil Hills.
All in all The national Seashores keep these areas from being over developed.
Afterward I headed to Virginia on some personal business.
Most importantly here is the fact that I lived in the Old Dominion State for ten years at one point.
And Virginia has some great back roads.
Eventually I left Richmond headed up 460 to Bristol, Virginia.
Presently I left Bristol for Tennessee. Details again in Six-Thousand-Miles-Backroads-Part2-Bob Davis Podcast 1136
By all means the best of the latter parts of this trip was the navigation.
It must be remembered that most people enter a location on their GPS.
Eventually hitting start and driving on the Interstate until the GPS tells them they have arrived.
All things considered using GPS on the Interstates just isn’t any way to travel for me.
To this end I love maps.
And navigating with maps.
In short I navigated to the Nashville area without all the traffic.
Because Nashville is booming.
Equally important is the amount of Civil War history in this part of the country.
That is to say it is food for thought considering popular culture these days.
Accordingly I moved onto Kentucky which does not like shoulders on its roads.
Then Southern Illinois.
As an illustration of the superiority of maps over GPS it’s easier to make changes in your travel plans.
Because you pull out a map and look for a route to emerge to a new destination.
Thus I headed North to the Chicago area to see friends.
At this point another tremendous feat of navigation coming up on 51.
On this occasion I came across Cairo, Illinois.
To begin this town is so beat down it was actually shocking.
In fact there’s a reason. Listen to Six-Thousand-Miles-Backroads-Part2-Bob Davis Podcast 1136.
(Editor’s Note: Some might blame flooding for the problems in Cairo but there’s more to the story.)
In time I came straight up through Wisconsin to Neenah.
In conclusion much of this experience has been and is like a dream and now it is onto Western Wisconsin and rest!
And I wouldn’t have it any other way
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I’ve traveled six thousand miles on the Backroads since I left Arizona in February. More than eleven states and many experiences. Details in Six-Thousand-Miles-Backroads-Part1-Bob Davis Podcast-1135.
Firstly I talk about the routes I’ve taken from Arizona to Wisconsin by way of several states.
Secondly it all started in Quartzsite Arizona.
To clarify I spend my winters in the Southwest.
So a spring wedding scheduled for March 15th in Sarasota Florida was a great motivator and trip goal.
Therefore on about February 26th, 2024 I left Quartzsite to begin what would turn out to be a six thousand mile trip.
Above all in Six-Thousand-Miles-Backroads-Part1-Bob Davis Podcast-1135 I detail the routes and experiences along the way.
In the same fashion I explain my motivation in staying to America’s BackRoads.
However every now and then I have to take an interstate.
But I try to keep that to a minimum.
Accordingly I headed out East along Interstate 8 in Southwestern Arizona.
Additionally I detail some takeaways from each state I traversed on my way to Florida.
All in all this trip through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and eventually Florida is one for the books.
For one thing the whole trip was either along the US-Mexico border…
Or the Gulf Coast.
Including at length beach towns and shores along the Gulf Coast.
In contrast this journey is a series because of my experiences in Florida and on up the East Coast.
From potential campgrounds to truck stops and parking lots it’s been quite an experience.
Overall deserts, mountains, beaches and swamps.
And some undeniably wonderful small towns along the way.
One of the points overlooked by many thinking about the nomad lifestyle is the fact that we travel low and slow.
That is to say that travel does not have to be compressed into a short period of time.
Even more the opportunity to observe and catalog vast swaths of the country seen from its back roads is key.
Most important is the country one sees from the back roads is not the country the media shows us.
In the positive side I saw a lot of development and activity this trip.
In a similar fashion I did not see mayhem on the US Border.
In conclusion aside from in season traffic and too much development in Florida…
There’s nothing like a long trip on the back roads.
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Firstly this podcast is about music and specifically the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Bristol Virginia earned that title way back in 1927. Learn more in Birthplace-Of-Country-Music-Museum-Bob Davis Podcast 1134
Secondly we’ll walk and talk through the Birthplace Of Country Music Museum.
Most importantly much of the museum is musical and historical.
And it is focused primarily on audio.
So those sounds are featured in this podcast.
Equally important is the fact that the so called Bristol Sessions had an impact far greater than anyone could have predicted in 1927
Thirdly my listeners know I like to roll through places rather than stop. But I made an exception for this. Above all this Smithsonian museum in Bristol is a gem.
Another key point is how this music made its way to these hills.
And the songs go back to the Lowlands of Scotland, Wales and England.
Significantly Bristol was booming back in 1927
It was unquestionably a very active town of railroads, new industry, agriculture, retail commerce and logging.
Scholars call the Bristol Sessions analogous to the Big Bang.
Accordingly Johnny Cash called the Bristol sessions the single most important event in the history of country music.
With this mind this subject resonates with me because music, history, and radio are brought together here.
From the Carter family with their photographic memories and in effect revolutionary style of playing..
To the already reigning stars of the genre in 1927 such as Earnest Stoneman.
Of course by 1927 The Big Barn Dance was already on WLS from Chicago…
And the Grand Old Opry on WSM aired regularly on WSM in Nashville.
Therefore a brand new radio and record industry were just beginning to change American Culture forever.
Finally the small towns have become cities the enclaves have become suburbs.
But every now and then the traveler can still see places that people back in 1927 might have called home.
Up to the present time the best place to see it is The Crooked Highway.
That is to say Highway 58 Virginia which takes the traveler to Bristol, Virginia…
But, we’re all lucky they made the trip in 1927.
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Are unhappy #Vanlifers really doing it wrong? A recent Wall Street Journal post about the hash tag Van Life again points out the obvious. Details in Unhappy-#Vanlifers-Doing-It-Wrong-Bob Davis Podcast 1133.
Firstly I have rarely seen positive coverage of the nomad experience.
Secondly the recent Wall Street Journal piece reports on a few #vanlife people complain about how hard the life is.
And say Instagram has it all wrong.
As a result I’ll ask again whether anyone actually believes anything they see on social media?
Of course we put our best foot forward.
Or show our best face to the world.
In other words analogous to cleaning your house before guests arrive.
But there’s more.
Because the article in question illustrates a number of negative experiences for the vanlifers interviewed.
For example, no place to sleep.
And not being able to take showers.
Or being lonely because the dating life out here sucks.
Finally the unexpected costs of mechanical problems and fuel.
As I have said many times in many different podcasts…
In general life is not always a bowl of cherries.
In fact part of the experience in #nomadlife is overcoming setbacks and solving problems.
To sum up the article on a positive note all of the van life people interviewed said they won’t quit.
All in all I believe there’s great potential in nomad life.
And as I have noted as the infrastructure for digital nomads gets better…
In time more may choose this lifestyle.
However I don’t think the establishment back home or the establishment media will give our lifestyle a break.
Presently reporters and editors seem to love the idea that social media is ‘lying’ about living on the road.
In essence don’t dream of a different life.
It’s too dangerous.
Meanwhile keep paying ridiculous amount of rent and commuting four hours a day.
By and large living in huge expensive cities and stepping over homeless people to get to the subway.
Of course doing a digital job and being required to work in an office…
When even in the present time you can work from anywhere.
Just in case you’re thinking about buying a van and dumping your absurdly expensive efficiency in said large city…
Take a look at these poor idiots in this Wall Street Journal story without delay.
After that you’ll accept your life as it is.
In reality over time nomad life can be easy and satisfying.
Of course there is a lot to learn.
But if you can do it and you want to try.
Go for it.
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Most importantly it’s still winter in the North. Perfect for a dose of summer sounds. So, put your headphones on and prepare to be immersed in summer in Summer-Sounds-2024-Bob Davis Podcast 1132.
Equally important is the fact that I do these summer sounds podcasts every year.
Accordingly I only talk at the beginning and end of Summer-Sounds-2024-Bob Davis Podcast 1132.
As a result you can sit back and be completely immersed in summer.
And if you need a thought starter…
Imagine an undeniably weather beaten cabin on a bluff overlooking a golden lake.
In the same fashion you can almost feel the breeze through the ancient screens…
In like manner the boats on the lake.
At length as the sun slowly sets across the lake song of the summer bugs rises to greet you.
Meanwhile you can drift off with summer washing over you.
While snow falls outside your window…
You are transported to high summer.
From time to time while producing this podcast I found myself feeling better and better.
Firstly there are a few disclaimers.
As has been noted I have posted several summer sounds podcasts through the years.
By and large these podcasts have been a whole summer encapsulated.
For example the sounds of kids at the pool…
Even thunderstorms
And of course the Fourth Of July Fireworks.
But this time I decided to go with smooth ambient sound.
For this reason there are no sharp sounds to wake the listener from their reverie.
We all know that in reality in the far North winter has some time to run.
Even more Spring can sometimes be even more trying.
Having Summer-Sounds-2024-Bob Davis Podcast 1132 at hand can make a big difference in mental health up North this time of year.
In due time summer will be here.
Or you can have it right now.
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