Buying a new car is rare for us. This Toyota Prius Prime is only our second in the past decade. Curiously, this model isn't even sold in Washington -- we traveled to Oregon to get it. The Prime is a plug-in hybrid with a 25 mile all electric range, so we are hopeful that most of our daily driving around Seattle will benefit from its 133 MPGe economy.
2019 Prius Prime
News & Notes
We celebrated the 4th of July by starting out on a coast-to-coast road trip, Seattle to New York. It took five days, and America, defined to be the roadside along Interstate 90, was gorgeous, lush and green from recent rains. Even the Bad Lands of South Dakota were green! Our stops were Billings MT, Sioux Falls SD, Highland Park IL (where we dined with our friends Beth and Dale), Buffalo NY (where we dined with our friends Theresa and Frank [not] at their famous Anchor Bar), and Catskill NY, our destination.
Dave in the charming village of Catskill NY
Dave has moved to Catskill to start a hard apple cider business with his buddy Tim. In addition to producing and bottling cider, the men are including a bar to add a social element to their business. They are constructing the cidery as they wait for New York State to approve their license application.
Dave at the (future) Left Bank Cider Company's (future) front door
Dave and Stephanie spent several days showing us around Catskill, Athens and Hudson NY. These towns are the birthplace of the Hudson River School, America's first art movement. Walking through Thomas Cole's home and Frederick Church's home, the guides walked us through the art school and its history. What we learned is that these guys got really famous simply by painting the stuff they could see out their windows. Here's Church's window artwork.
Local Activity + Local Scenery = HRS Masterpiece "Catskill Creek"
Once we'd familiarized ourselves with the cider operation, we headed for the Big Apple. Manhattan's always-inventive restaurant scene included for us Chinese dumplings for breakfast and a West African lunch served with a ginger drink that could set your hair on fire. The theater scene was filled by a 'dynamic reading' of a new play "The Women of the Wesleyan Class of 1902 Present William Shakespeare's As You Like It" in which Stephanie played a leading role. And the museum scene included two spectacular exhibits:
The Whitney Biennial was challenging, as expected. One deeply affecting work was Christine Sun Kim's "Degrees of Deaf Rage". Check out the "Deaf Rage While Traveling" pie charts from her NYT profile.
Christine Sun Kim's "Degrees of Deaf Rage"
The Met Breuer, an 'outpost' gallery for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exhibited a fascinating work called "Vessel Orchestra" by Oliver Beer. Using the fact that any vessel has a resonate frequency - a sea shell is our most familiar example of a vessel making a sound - Beer wired up artworks from the Met's collection with microphones. So, for example, a 7,000 year old pot from Iran makes a low D tone. Beer explains here, but the WNYC interview here is recommended for its sound.
Oliver Beer's "Vessel Orchestra" using treasures from the Met
Dan is also on the move. He's leaving Middle Georgia for Colorado Northwestern in Craig CO. So, three days after returning from NYC, L flew to Atlanta to join him for the ride west. Dan's Great Western Migration had three acts: Sayonara, Kerouac, Home on the Range.
Dan Sort of Containing His Excitement At Atlanta Airport
Sayonara
The evening before departure from Georgia, Dan's Tae Kwon Do studio was offering tests for students who wanted to advance. Dan is a Blue Belt now, and he tried the moves (and passed) for the first of three stripes on his belt. He and his sparring partner held boards for younger students to break, which he usually summarizes as, "They were serving Hertz donuts tonight."
Cramming for the test
Though Dan was excited to be moving to Colorado, he was leaving close friends behind in Georgia. Several came by at 9:00 AM to load boxes and carry the furniture. His dear friend Tina even vacuumed his apartment! After a pizza lunch, there were hugs all around, and some tearful goodbyes.
Dan's Faculty Friends, There to Help
Kerouac
With the truck packed and the car loaded onto the dolly, we got on the road. First stop, was the Flight Museum, where Dan had volunteered in recent years. The goal was to take an admiring look at the SR-71 Blackbird on display, but there was much more to see. Back on the road, chatting and joking passed the time quickly. We called it a good day in Dalton GA, near Chattanooga. We stopped in Columbia MO and Limon CO before reaching Craig. Part of the time we drove together; part of the time the car was off the dolly and we rode separately, permitting a faster speed for the truck.
Celebrating the First Stop In Colorado (Limon) at Happy Hour
Home on the Range
Our first stop in Craig was the building Dan will teach in at Colorado Northwestern. It's a new, well-designed, building. Being an hour's drive from Dinosaur National Monument, the school has an emphasis on paleontology and fossils, which attracted Dan. The students are excavating a Jurassic dinosaur this summer, and it already has its portrait in the hall.
A Beautiful Day on Campus
Next stop, the real estate offices. With little difficulty, Dan found the place he wanted to live in. It's the north half (right) of a three bedroom duplex with lots of space, double garage, and washer / dryer. Commute to campus: 7 minutes. We got him unloaded in a couple of hours. His friends had done a wonderful job of packing - there was no damage.
Home Sweet Home
Having gotten moved and moved in in five days rather than the planned-for six, we decided to go furniture shopping in Grand Junction, the regional shopping center. On impulse, and doubtless recalling this dude from our time in Yellowstone last year, Dan picked out a buffalo footstool. It was the perfect 'western' accessory after his successful move. Now, he had time to put up his feet, relax, and enjoy the West.
The Buffalo Footstool
