As Casey has written, there's a tech lag in getting his media to you, dear Reader. So it is with delayed humility that I present to you some vid from Casey on the Road.

(Rumor has it the music is by the Dented Fender Boys.)

Posted by Charles at 06:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Found in Animals, Branding, Dogs, Environment, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Participate, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

Although I was graciously offered a night's stay in the officer's quarters at Ft. Concho  (another day, another fort) I had to respectfully decline due to my internet needs. One thing I never anticipated about this journey was how challenging the logistics of documenting the experience in real time would be. Without a good internet connection it's even harder.

You may notice a lag time in the blog posts, especially the videos. Well, writing after a long day of traveling and visiting is hard enough — but then to have to download video and photographs from the day, edit them, get them uploaded so they can be reached by folks in the home office far, far away to be published, and to make time to sleep is really more difficult than I ever imagined. Without a good internet connection it's nearly impossible. I've become very envious of the folks at the big news stations with their traveling buses, complete with satellite hook ups, etc.

So, good intentions aside, we really are doing our best to keep these posts up to date. Please bear with us.

But I digress...

The morning began at KOA/San Angelo  — or as the folks around here say, S'nangelo. Our first stop of the day was lunch with Wells Fargo's District Manager, Katrina Dorris, and Bob Bluthardt, Executive Director of Ft. Concho. (Bob was the nice gentleman who invited me to stay the night in Ft. Concho. What a missed opportunity it was to have to decline the offer. The place is beautiful, and under different circumstances I would have loved it.)

We all had lunch at Miss Hattie's Café and Saloon  in downtown San Angelo. The lunch was great, and the town is a great little shopping haven. I scored a Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook , circa 1952 (I collect cookbooks and Better Homes and Gardens are my favorites). I also got a few Indian arrowheads. After a little shopping, I was off to the Wells Fargo downtown San Angelo store for a "meet and greet." 

I dressed in my Museum costume, and set up a little display in the lobby. I talked with team members and customers about the Butterfield and my cross-country adventure. There was a lot of interest, and the hour we allotted flew by.

After saying my goodbyes to the team members I headed back to the KOA for something I loathe and had been putting off since I left San Diego — laundry. Ugh, but it had to be done. At least I don't have to wash my clothes in a creek, right?

After that dastardly chore I was once again in the company of Katrina Dorris for dinner. This time we were joined by Sylvia Garcia, the store manager of the downtown San Angelo store. Dinner was at The Wharf Restaurant and Tavern . Our server, Ashley Harridge, was a delight and the food was excellent. I bet you can't guess what I had. (One hint, it wasn't BBQ.) No doubt about it — all the fried catfish I can get on this trip the better!

In case you haven't figured it out, I love fried catfish, and you just can't get it in San Diego. So I'm going to have all I can while it's available. Katrina and Sylvia were great company — I wish I'd had a little more time to spend with them. San Angelo and Wells Fargo are lucky to have them. Heck, Katrina was nice enough to take me supply shopping after dinner, and it was getting late in the evening. I really appreciated it.

Thank you Katrina for everything. I really enjoyed my time with you in San Angelo!

PS. To Ms. Decker's 4th Grade Class in St. Louis and the classes at Lowell Elementary: The Mail is STILL safe and dry and on its way to California!

Posted by Casey at 05:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Found in Animals, Artifacts, At Work, Barbecue, Environment, Events, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Participate, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

After a good night's sleep I was off again. My first stop was Bridgeport, Texas , home of the elusive toll bridge. In 1860, Colonel W.H. Hunt  built a toll bridge that spanned the Trinity River, mainly for the Butterfield Stage. Apparently, the bridge is no more . At least no one at the local gas station has heard of it.

I made a valiant effort to find that bridge, but I could not. However, there are bridges in Bridgeport  . In fact, they are darn serious about bridges in Bridgeport. At the park, near downtown, there are no less than three bridges — huge, bright red, through-truss bridges. We also found the largest rocking chair I've ever seen, right on Main Street.

After leaving Bridgeport it was a short ride to Jacksboro, Texas,   the county seat of Jack County, Texas . When Waterman Ormsby came through Jacksboro 150 years ago today, on the first Overland trip, Jacksboro was only a year old . According to Ormsby, the town had only a dozen houses, but nearly 200 inhabitants.

Today, if I didn't know any better, I would swear there were less than 200! There was hardly a soul in downtown Jacksboro  when we stopped, except for an occasional truck (the official vehicle of Texas).

However, across the street from the courthouse , there were some really amazing stone buildings in differing states of disrepair. From the back I noticed that they were in fact facades. Some had dates of 1888, others 1898. Apparently, there is a local effort to restore them, or at least stabilize them, judging from the beams holding up some of the walls.

After leaving Jacksboro we put in a call to Margaret Ann Hoogstra, the Regional Director of the Texas Historical Commission, Texas Heritage Trails Program . (The Heritage Trails folks have been so helpful to us on our journey through Texas thus far.) Margaret oversees the Texas Forts Trail Region . She greeted us in Throckmorton, Texas , along with Trent McKnight, whose family owns a ranch in the area. Trent graciously invited us up to the McKnight Ranch   for some pizza and wonderful conversation.

First of all, the views from the ranch are stunning. You really get a sense of the "rolling prairie studded with mesquite"  that Ormsby described here 150 years ago. The area is no longer "studded" — much to the chagrin of the locals, it's more inundated!

Trent has a wealth of knowledge on local history. He shared with me an early map of the area he had discovered, which included General Marcy's road, which the Butterfield route followed through this part of Texas. In fact, it appears that the Butterfield would have run right through the McKnight property — based on his research and my limited knowledge of the route through Texas. Trent also pointed out that this is the area of West Texas where the book and movie "Lonesome Dove"  was set.

Trent, thanks again! It was a pleasure to meet you, and good luck with all your research!

After a great meeting we were on our way, with Margaret in the lead, to Fort Griffin State Park . Lucky for me, too: Margaret knows so many folks in this area (and everyone loves her), we were able to gain access to the park after hours. Ft. Griffin State Park is located on the top of the hill, just above what used to be the town of Ft. Griffin. We arrived just as the sun was setting, and the view was gorgeous!

We took a short tour of the grounds . Short, because I was exhausted after another busy day of driving and visiting. I headed over to the Ft. Griffin campgrounds for the night, and Margaret helped me secure a good spot. (Did I mention she knows everyone?) I made plans to meet her the following morning for another day of adventure in the Ft. Trails region of West Texas.

Posted by Casey at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Found in Environment, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Participate, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

After a big hug, a mug of coffee and a bran muffin to go, I was off to pick up Connie Whalen, Curator of the Wells Fargo History Museum in Phoenix. It was good to see Connie, and I'm looking forward to the next 12 days with her. She quickly whipped our RV into shape, turning it from a traveling bachelor pad to a "home" in one swoop.

I know Juan is going to enjoy his break from the trip, and I wish him much rest. See you again in a couple of weeks, Juan!

Our first stop together was in Denison, Texas . We headed to Eisenhower State Park  to meet Jill Campbell of the Texas Historical Commission , Texas Heritage Trails Program . There are four regions to the program, and she covers the Texas Lakes region .

This group is amazing, and Jill was really on the ball. She contacted me months ago with offers of support for this trip. She helped arrange a tour on private property, at the landing spot of Colbert's Ferry , which carried Overland stagecoaches across the Red River near Gainesville, Texas .

What a treat this was!

We met so many great folks at the park, including Karen Watson of Texas Parks and Wildlife , Kim Phillips of the Denton Convention and Visitor Bureau  and Superintendent Paul Kisel of Eisenhower State Park. We had a great visit that included a lot of talk about fishing and catfish in particular  — which made me really hungry.

Superintendent Kisel took us to one of his favorite restaurants, specializing in fried catfish (one of my favorites!). We were joined by the aforementioned Jill Campbell and Karen Watson. The restaurant, Farm Raised Huck's Delta Goodness , claims to be a "good place to eat catfish." It was all that and more! I ordered mine "burnt," which means extra crispy. If you're ever in Denison, you have to stop at Huck's and have some fried catfish.

After great food and conversation I had to, as always, hurry on to the next stop. Sherman, Texas   was only supposed to be a quick stop before my final stop in Decatur . But that changed when I met Ivert and Jeanette Mayhugh of A Touch of Class Antique Mall   in downtown Sherman, right across from the courthouse.

First of all, A Touch of Class is a first-rate Antique mall, but what makes the place are Mr. and Mrs. Mayhugh. I know I keep saying this, but I mean it every time and particularly this time, these were the nicest folks.

And what a wealth of information and knowledge they have about local history  and so much more! I spent at least an hour with them, although it went so fast. They walked us through their Historic Exhibit Room on the third floor of their shop. In fact, I was there getting the tour until well after they closed.

The mall is located in the historic Hall Furniture Building  , now a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark . The Building was officially placed on the National Registry of Historic Places  in 2002. Any stop in Sherman must include a visit with the Mayhughs.

What a great day: a Red River adventure, friendly folks and good 'ole fried catfish! It don't (sic) get much better than that! Texas is the longest leg of the journey, and if my first day in the state is any indication of what's to come, I can't wait for tomorrow.

Posted by Casey at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

I awoke at the Ft. Smith/Alma KOA , a great little spot with a pond full of friendly ducks that come right up to your front door for a crumb of bread.

We were headed for Van Buren, Arkansas , another quaint little town located on the Arkansas River. From there the Overland stagecoaches crossed the river on the way to Ft. Smith. First called Phillip's Landing, the name was changed in 1836 in honor of President Martin Van Buren . Ormsby described Van Buren as a "flourishing little town."

From Van Buren we crossed the Arkansas River  into Ft. Smith. 150 years ago this morning (just after midnight) Ormsby crossed the river in a flatboat led by a guide with a lantern on horseback. Fortunately for us, there's a bridge.

Once in Ft. Smith, Arkansas , we discovered a Butterfield marker outside the Ft. Smith History museum . Much to our delight, the marker had balloons tied to it!

Intrigued, we wandered into the museum and approached the very friendly staff including the Executive Director. I inquired about what exhibits they may have commemorating the Butterfield and was disappointed to learn they had nothing in the museum — just the marker next to the front door. In fact, the Executive Director told me, they hadn't even realized it was the 150th Anniversary until a visitor read the sign and pointed it out yesterday, hence, the balloons.

So we made our way down the street to explore the grounds of Ft. Smith National Park  — a well preserved fort with many original buildings, including the gallows where 67 men were hung for various crimes. From Ft. Smith our journey took us into Oklahoma, which in Ormsby's time was known as Indian Territory. There we traveled through Checotah , which, as a large billboard proudly reads, is the home of Carrie "I Ain't In Checotah Anymore" Underwood .

Further south, while exploring Boggy Depot State Park , home of one of the Butterfield stage stops, we encountered Park Ranger Mackay Keener. Ranger Keener is a history buff who's been researching some of the local history. He proudly shared with us some great old photos he has collected of the area. Then he was gracious enough to take us on a tour of the park aboard a "gator" — a very cool buggy sort of vehicle, similar to the "mule" we road on at Pea Ridge Military park in Arkansas.

It was here that I discovered the "horse apple" , a very large, lumpy, green apple-looking sort of fruit that seemed to be everywhere in this area. According to Ranger Keener, they are a favorite food of horses and squirrels.

This was Juan's last day traveling with me. We planned to "switch drivers" the next morning, with another of my co-workers making part of the journey with me.

We headed off the path to Arlington, Texas, where Juan caught his flight back to LA. I headed to my Aunt Peggie's house in nearby Ft. Worth.

Aunt Peggie's home has become a sort of "stage stop" for me over the years. Having traveled from San Diego to my hometown of Pensacola, Florida a dozen or so times over the last 15 years, a stop at her home is always just what I need to get me through that last leg of the journey.

And it's just what I needed after the first leg of this one.

Posted by Casey at 05:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in Agriculture, Animals, Branding, Environment, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

As Casey Gill sets out to follow the Butterfield Overland Mail Co.'s  maiden voyage—150 years to the day!— he shoots video as much as he writes text. (I should know — I have to edit the raw footage.)

Here's some vid from Missouri last week. The story of how it took a week to post it is, well, historic. It involves trouble connecting to the web in remote places. Just as Waterman Ormsby sent his dispatches from the frontier, on the first Overland trip West, by handing it to the passing Eastbound stagecoach, Casey had to find places to stop that had connectivity. And the uploads often took enough time that his schedule was disrupted. The story involves arrivals at his wi-fi destinations long after they were closed—let's just call that the human factor! And of course, his ability to shoot the story and upload the vid was affected by a little bump in the road called Hurricane Ike.

But all's well that ends well, right? Here's the first of many videos from Casey On the Road, following the Butterfield Overland Mail Co. Route. And no, he didn't take a bluegrass band along for the ride. But it's a GREAT idea!

Posted by Charles at 01:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Found in Animals, Branding, Dogs, Environment, First-hand Accounts, Hurricanes, Misc, Movies, Museums, Music, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Perspective, Remember, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

In modern times, it's hard to understand what an epic undertaking it was to launch the Butterfield Overland Mail Route . From its conception, the enterprise was met with naysayers who thought it impossible to create reliable and safe passage for mail and man through the wild territories of frontier America. Newspapers claimed the task was impossible — the government, in concert with John Butterfield and his partners, were sending passengers to certain death.

But they were wrong. The U.S. Mail got through, accompanied by a newspaper man I've mentioned before, Mr. Waterman Ormsby . They made it earlier than the 25 days required by the government contract, arriving in San Francisco in 23 days and 23 hours.

And now, 150 years later I find myself on an epic adventure, a modern day Ormsby. While the obstacles and hardships I face recreating this trip are much different than those of Ormsby and Butterfield, I can't help but feel a connection to them.

Unfortunately, I'm finding that time is not a friend on this journey. With the hectic travel schedule, and our reports so dependent on access to technology, I find myself rushing through places that truly deserve more time than I can devote. Having said that, we did manage to see the major sites in St. Louis, for instance: the Arch  (including a 4 minute journey to the top), the Westward Expansion Museum , the Old Courthouse > and Union Station .

The St. Louis riverfront was flooded on our arrival. (Thank you Hurricane Ike , my nemesis.) On our way to Warsaw, getting on toward evening, we were 20 or so miles down Highway 94 . We saw up ahead what no traveler wants to see on a dark country highway — big red and white barricades marked "Road Closed." The road was completely submerged, another victim of Ike. Once again our plans would have to be altered.

We were hungry and tired, but not discouraged. After all, adjustments had to be made in Ormsby's day, and so too in mine.

But I can report to Ms. Decker's class and everyone at Lowell Elementary, that the mail is safe, secure and dry!

Posted by Casey at 09:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Animals, Dogs, First-hand Accounts, Hurricanes, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

What a day! After saying good bye to John and Jenny at the Oak Hill Court  and thanking them for their hospitality, I was off for another busy day. First stop, Pea Ridge Military National Park . There I met with Glen Jones of the Heritage Trail Partners.

Glen had contacted me some time ago and arranged for us to meet with John C. Scott, Superintendent of the park, for a personal guided tour. I was delighted to discover when I arrived that I was greeted not only by Glen and John, but several other members of Heritage Trail Partners — including the Mayor of Pea Ridge , Jackie Crabtree. (What a treat!) There was also a journalist from the local Pea Ridge newspaper, the Times of Northeast Benton County . Mayor Crabtree generously presented a wonderful book on the history of Pea Ridge, and what a history there is! After chatting with the mayor about his town, we were off for our tour.

The park is truly spectacular and pristine. Whether you are a Civil War enthusiast, are interested in the Butterfield or the Trail of Tears , or just simply love nature, this park is for everyone.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets the privilege of touring the grounds with John as their guide and Glen as his " Confederate" foil. At one point John was telling me about a particular moment in the battle when the Confederates were forced to retreat: Glen playfully reminded him that this was actually a "180 degree tactical advance." They make a great team.

I love the story of their first meeting. John hadn't been superintendent long when a tall "intimidating man" (his words — Glen is actually one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet) showed up at the park and asked, "Superintendent, why aren't you flying the Confederate flag here at the park headquarters?"

The new superintendent replied, "Because they lost." They've been great friends every since.

John's knowledge and appreciation of history is really brought to light as he interprets the sights. While you gaze out at the vast open fields, the battlefield comes alive. You can imagine the gun blasts, the smell of gun powder, the flowing of blood and the sorrowful screams of young men giving their life for a cause. It was at once inspiring and somber.

Next, we were on to an actual stretch of the Butterfield route that runs through the park. We climbed on John's utility vehicle, the modern day mule, and headed down the path — over rocks and downed tree limbs, past a creek, and finally to the site of an old tannery contemporary to the Butterfield's day.

What a thrill! This was one of my favorite parts of the tour. I could actually imagine Ormsby bumping along this trail, as I was now, 150 years later to the day! As I looked over the side of the car, I wondered if the scattered stones I was seeing and feeling were the very ones that made Ormsby's ride so rough . He was certainly correct when he described this part of the journey as, "steep and rugged."

I learned one thing while at Pea Ridge that I think is important to our understanding of the Butterfield Route. Much as our modern highway systems, the Route served more than just the commercial and communication needs of a growing nation. John pointed out to me that for a brief moment in time, the Route also served as an evacuation route. Like the millions today who use our highways to escape natural disasters, tens of thousands fled Arkansas to escape the destruction and lawlessness that ensued in the period after the Civil War ended.

I could have spent many more hours soaking up all the knowledge my guides had to share, not to mention the beauty of the surroundings, but as usual my time was up and I had to be off.

My next stop was Lowell, Arkansas, and Lowell Elementary School. Thanks to a generous invitation from Kathy Hansen, another Heritage Trail partner and Media Specialist at Lowell Elementary, I'd been invited to meet with about 160 of her 4th and 5th grade students.

What a treat! It was a pleasure to share with them the stories of the Butterfield Overland Route, Wells Fargo History and my trip. I had a great time and I hope the students did, too. I wish to thank Kathy Hansen for her hospitality, for setting up this event and for the school t-shirt. I can't wait to wear it!

I also want to think all the students for their participation. Thanks to Kailey Pliler, the student who left the comment: I got it! To all the students at Lowell Elementary, your mail has now joined with Ms. Decker's class mail, and is safe and secure and on its way to San Francisco!

As if the day hadn't been exciting enough, I rushed from Lowell Elementary to Springdale, Arkansas, to the home of Jay and Sarah Barryman for another brush with the past and a meeting with the board of directors of the Heritage Trail Partners.

There is a stable on the Barrymans' property, made of stone, for horses used on the Butterfield Route. What an experience to walk through that stable, knowing that John Butterfield himself tended horses there, known as Fitzgerald's station  at the time. On the Butterfield Route, "swing stations" were scheduled every 12 miles or so to change horses, and "home stations" every 45 milers or so for meals. According to the Barrymans, Fitzgerald's was a meal station as well as a changing station.

I really enjoyed walking the grounds — so did Eddie and Charlie! — and visiting with all the folks from Heritage Trail Partners. Everyone was so gracious and welcoming. Before I left, the President of the Heritage Trails Partners , John McLarty, presented me with some wonderful gifts. I was honored to meet with all the folks from Heritage Trails Partners, who have worked so hard to preserve the rich history of northwest Arkansas. I'll always remember their kindness, hospitality and generosity.

And a special thanks to the Barrymans for the tour and for letting me and the RV invade their property! This was my first visit to Arkansas and if these folks are representative of people in The Natural State , I'll definitely be back.

Before I headed out, I got a copy of Driver's Guide to the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, Volume One: Missouri, Arkansas & Oklahoma , published by the Heritage Trails Partners. It was presented — hot off the presses! — by the author, Kirby Sanders. Mr. Sanders expects the next volume out very soon, and I look forward to reading it. Kirby is a great guy, full of knowledge of the Butterfield Route particularly, as his book attests. He led us along Old Wire Road , part of the original route to Fayetteville (another stagecoach stop), and through a vast tract of property between Rock Street and Spring Street once owned by John Butterfield.

After showing us a couple of spots in downtown Fayetteville, he led us to some of the best BBQ I've had in a while — a finger-licking good dinner and great conversation at the Penguin Ed's B&B Bar- B-Q . Thanks again, Kirby, for the book and your hospitality!

So, with my fried peach pie to go (takes an extra 12 minutes but so worth it), I headed off to Alma, Arkansas for a stay at the KOA.

Posted by Casey at 03:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Found in Animals, Dogs, Environment, First-hand Accounts, Jack the Dog, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Participate, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

I left Sedalia, Missouri   this morning (Sept. 17, a little behind schedule), en route to Warsaw and Cassville, Missouri. We made a brief stop at the Starbucks on Highway 50  and were served up coffee and pastries by a friendly and interested crew led by Dena. I don't know if Dena is actually the crew leader, but whoever the leader is, let me say — what a friendly crew you lead! Thanks guys! (I hope the picture turns out, Dena, and that you're following along.)

From Sedalia it was a quick ride down Highway 65 to Warsaw , a great small town on the Osage River . I discovered much to my embarrassment (and too late to change it in the videos) that it's pronounced "oh-SAGE" with a long 'a' — not "oh-SAZH" like it's French or something.

My humble apologies to Warsaw and to the great State of Missouri!

Warsaw, Missouri  is very proud of its heritage, and particularly proud of its connection to the Butterfield Overland Mail Route. There are no less than three markers on the grounds of the County Courthouse that mention this connection. Although Waterman Ormsby  wrote of crossing the Osage in Warsaw, at a ford in the river, Lewis Bledsoe's ferry  had been there since 1831.

After some filming, I had a few minutes to walk around the town. I stopped by the Warsaw Antique Mall (which I highly recommend if you ever find yourself in Warsaw), where I purchased a gold Butterfield Overland ornament with a date of 2006 inscribed on it. Not exactly an antique but it was just the kind of thing I was looking for.

I waited for Juan outside the RV for a few minutes. I began to wonder if he'd fallen in the Osage, when I discovered him enjoying a Hibiscus Jamaica and a salad at the Common Ground Tavern. What a cool place this is! The building is fully restored, and the attendant believes it was a "safe house"; for escaping slaves  prior to the Civil War.

Pressed for time, as always, I took my salad and Jamaica to go. They were great, by the way, another "must-stop" in Warsaw.

We were soon on the winding road that headed south to Cassville . The landscape is much the same as in Ormsby's day, aside from the houses and little towns, with rolling hills, green prairies, farms and cattle.

A stop for refueling led us to Teresa and Lucy, who work at the Cargo Bay Market . What friendly ladies these were! They were genuinely interested in our journey, and Eddie and Charlie in particular. (Who can blame them?) I hope they are following us along, and if so, hello and thanks again!

After another couple hours of some roadside filming, we finally arrived at our campsite where we met John and Jenny, owners of the Oak Hill Court and RV Park . What a great couple they are! I love KOA and all their hosts are very polite, but John and Jenny really care that you’re staying with them, and treat you like family. It's is a relief to a weary traveler to meet folks like them. Come on! Jenny actually called me when we were running 45 minutes behind schedule to make sure we were safe! They even met us at the front and led us to our site and provided us with a hanging light to make sure we could connect in the dark. Now that's a WOW experience!

After chatting with our hosts for a few minutes and hooking up the RV, I sat down to relax a moment and collect my thoughts about the trip so far. One thing I notice is the increased enthusiasm that is building, not only in myself but in the people I encounter. From Dena to Teresa, and Lucy to John and Jenny, to the school kids I'm meeting, to the folks posting comments at this blog, people seem to be really engaged in our journey. I must say I'm pleasantly surprised and gratified that all the hard work leading up to this trip — and the trials since! — have been worth it. The Overland Mail Co. story is often-overlooked, yet it's a monumental event in American history.

The sheer excitement our trip has created calls to mind one of my favorite Ormsby quotes, which he wrote while traveling on the very same leg of the journey I'm on now:

There seems to be a catching enthusiasm about the whole trip, which excited more interest — I know for myself — than I ever supposed could be mustered out of the bare fact of a common coach traveling over a common road, with a common mail bag and a few common people inside.

P.S. To Ms. Decker's class: The mail is safe and sound and is about to meet up with mail from Lowell Elementary School in Arkansas  in Arkansas, en route to its final destination — California!

Posted by Casey at 01:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Found in African American History, Branding, Coffee, Dogs, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Museums, On the Road, Overland Mail Co. 150th, Participate, Perspective, Railroads, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

After a stormy night at the Park Hills Motel and RV Park , I continue my journey. (Sorry, again, Mr. Manager, for waking you up at 12:00 am!) Juan and I feel more confident in our ability to deal with the unexpected.

With Ike several hours behind us, we made great progress through Missouri (after a quick stop for more fans to help dry out our carpeting). I am very anxious to get to our final destination for the day, Springfield, Illinois . Of all our destinations, this was the one I am most excited to get to. Springfield, Illinois, as most of you know, is the "Home of Lincoln" and the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum . President Lincoln is one of my personal heroes.

We arrived in Springfield late in the afternoon and had to be guided into the KOA/Springfield  via cell phone by a very nice lady named Linda. Springfield just had its own close-up with Hurricane Ike , and the main road into the campground was flooded. So we wound our way through corn fields and farms until we reached our site. Thankfully, there was a laundry room so we could wash and dry the pile of wet towels we had accumulated trying to stop the deluge from the previous night.

Monday morning, we were off to the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. We were greeted by the Executive Director, Rick Beard, who was very gracious in offering us a tour of the museum vault where thousands of Lincoln related items are stored. Unfortunately, we only had about an hour to see and do everything the museum had to offer, so we never made it to the vault. You see, we had to be back in St. Louis by 2:00pm to meet with a class of 5th graders. So I made a mad dash through the museum trying to take in everything I could. And there was so much!

The museum is a state-of-the-art experience thanks to BRC Imagination Arts . Every exhibit has something for the eyes and ears. You start your journey in Lincoln's boyhood cabin  and wind your way through scene after scene — Lincoln grows to adulthood right before your eyes. Next, Lincoln is elected President and you follow him through his White House years , the Civil War and eventually his tragic murder.

As I rounded the corner that leads to the scene of Lincoln lying in state, I became unexpectedly emotional. The exhibits are that powerful.

In addition to the exhibits, we had just enough time to watch two film presentations: "The Eyes of Lincoln" and "Ghosts of the Library."  Both are exceptional and full of surprises, from moving chairs to hologram technology — not to mention the content, which is educational and fun. (What a great combo!)

If you ever get a chance to go to the Lincoln Library, whether you're a fan of Lincoln or not, this is an experience everyone should have.

When I said farewell to Mr. Beard and the Lincoln Museum, I was sad to leave because there was so much more to see in Springfield.

But we set out for our next stop — one that was equally rewarding! In St. Louis, we had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Decker's 5th grade class at Kennard Classical Junior Academy . What a great group of kids! They were all very smart and asked some really great questions. After my history presentation, the students all wrote letters to a 4th grade class at Mary E. Silveira School  in San Rafael, California (near San Francisco). We collected the letters, and the whole class came down to see the RV and meet Eddie and Charlie.

(Mrs. Decker's class! I know you are reading this, so I want to thank you again for letting me visit your class and talk with you about the Butterfield Overland Mail   and Wells Fargo. It was great! And just so you know, the letters are safe and sound, and on their way to California!)

After a full day we were STARVED! We headed to downtown St. Louis for some BBQ and to our next campsite, KOA in Granite City, Illinois , just across the Mississippi River .

Tuesday, the official trip begins, and we're really excited to get started. After traveling for hours and hours and miles and miles every day, it will be nice to go only a few miles each day. And we'll finally get to stop and take in some of the interesting sites along the way.

So stay tuned!

Posted by Casey at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Assassinations, Dogs, First-hand Accounts, Hurricanes, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank

Well, after months of planning we are finally on the road! We started from LA on Friday, on our way to St. Louis to begin following the inaugural run of the Butterfield Overland Mail Co. stagecoach route.

Day 1: Things haven't gone exactly stellar so far. First, when we arrived at the RV rental site the RV was nowhere to be found. The reason? Turns out it wouldn't start this morning, or yesterday for that matter. Normally this would not be a big deal — we could have just asked for another RV. However, our RV was wrapped in a vinyl graphic.

That's it. It was this one or nothing.

So, we waited. A little over an hour later, there it was! In all its red and yellow glory! It was a beauty from the outside, and the inside appeared clean, although a little smaller than I had expected.

We loaded everything up and were off. "We" is Juan, Curator of the Los Angeles museum and my cohort for this leg of the journey; Eddie, my youngest Boston Terrier in his lap; and Charlie, the oldest dog, doing what he does best — sleep. Then there's me, wobbling around as I struggle to put everything in its place.

As I worked, I stepped on wet carpet outside the bathroom. Ugh, not good! The RV rental company assured me that someone must have spilled something while it was being prepared — nothing to worry about. I soon learned that there was much to worry about. But I soaked it all up as best I could.

We traveled seven hours and stopped at the Riverside RV Park  in Laughlin, Nevada. The hustle and bustle and bright lights of the casinos just below us was actually a beautiful sight to see. But after a long day, the lumpy bed in the back of the RV was not so bad looking itself.

Day 2: It was a great morning in Laughlin! After a walk with Eddie and Charlie ("the boys"), we were on the road again. We rendezvoused with Connie, Curator of the Phoenix museum and my traveling partner next week, in Flagstaff, Arizona, so she could loan us some camping supplies. Connie and her husband Bill own their own RV and have all the essentials.

Lucky for us, Bill is also quite handy around an RV and helped us fix some problems we encountered: a non-cooling fridge (bad!) and a generator that wouldn't turn on. He also showed us how to dump waste water, a task I'm not exactly looking forward to.

After some lunch, we were off with Juan at the helm. (He's a power driver!) The landscape on the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico is beautiful. We passed through the Painted Desert   and through magnificent red rock cliffs. A storm to the south created the oddest rainbow, which swelled and then grew thin and appeared to shoot straight down from the clouds. No arch — just a wall of color from desert to cloud. Part of our journey also took us through the Navajo reservation.

Albuquerque  — what a sight! — a sprawling metropolis with yellow lights twinkling ahead as we descended into the valley that is the city. It was much bigger than I ever imagined. Soon we came upon the KOA/Central Albuquerque , our home for the night.

We knew it was the right spot when we turned onto "Juan Road." And what was on the corner? A Wells Fargo store!

Day 3: After our first cooked meal in the RV (bacon and eggs), we were on the road again. The next drive was a short ride (yes, I said short!) through Texas. (We were only going through a slice of Amarillo .) Once again, we were greeted in Oklahoma by a magnificent rainbow — we had made great progress to that point, so the rainbow seemed a sign of good things to come.

Then it began to rain. I put on the windshield wipers, but they were so worn they barely worked. We had to stop for new blades! Next, I tried putting the defrost on and guess what? No heat. No heat whatsoever in the cab. None. Nada. Zip. And the rain was starting to pour. But now, we were on one of those stretches of interstate without a truck stop or gas station. None. Nada. Zip.

We drove mile after mile carefully toward Missouri, and the nearest truck stop, for new wiper blades. And still the rain came down, and still no truck stop. We seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Pulling over would have not been a safe option because there was barely a shoulder to pull onto.

So we drove on, and the rain poured down.

Juan made his way to the back of the RV and slush! Water rushed over his toes with every step. We had a leak—a very bad leak. He worked feverishly to sop up all he could with all the towels we had, until we finally reached a truck stop. We purchased wiper blades and 4 rolls of extra heavy duty shop towels. We drained the last of the fresh water from our tank, thinking this was the source of the leak. In pouring, ice-cold rain, Juan changed the blades while I continued to dry the carpet. After twenty minutes, thinking we had fixed the water issue, we were off again. We had had enough, and were cold and wet.

As Juan drove, I continued to sop the leaky mess, but to no avail. It was getting wetter and wetter. I was frust