Into the Badlands
categories: Cocktail Hour
1 comment
My nephew Noah graduated three weeks ago. The two if us have spent the last couple of weeks following the trail of Theodore Roosevelt (when not going to Celtic games or playing ping pong). Here are a few highlights from the last 13 days…(Pardon the preponderance of photos of me, often wearing the same shirt, but Noah is the one usually taking the pics.)
Morning writing spot in the Badlands
TR’s journal at Houghton Library. Here he tersely describes turning in the boat thieves in Dickinson, ND.
The spot in front of the Dickinson courthouse where TR turned in the thieves described in the entry above.
If I am remembering correctly from Ellen Meloy’s beautiful book, Eating Stone, what this Bighorn is doing is called “skylining.”
The Brinkley bio of TR tells me that individual older bison are called “Lonesome George”s. We had a Lonesome George near our camp and watched him commute down to the creek in the morning.
Dakota cocktail hour. Great birding. Prairie falcon, meadowlarks aplenty, bobolinks, prairie falcon, blue grosbeak….and Lonesome George in the background….
The view from Noah’s tent at sunrise that I can’t for the life of me seem to rotate clockwise (Bill?)….just tilt your head and you’ll get the idea….
And for those of you still with us, here are some pics from earlier in the trip.
First stop.
With former classmate and current Maryland congressman Jamie Raskin in his congressional office.
In Rock Creek Park where TR used to swim naked in winter while prez.
Emulation.
Pulpit Rock, or what I thought was Pulpit Rock, on TR trail. There was another pulpit-like rock next to it that might be the real one. Please let me know the truth if you do….
Sagamore Hill on L.I. The beech tree was planted when he lived there.
TR’s porch. Nice but the Shack has a better view…
Noah on ferry from Orient Point to New London.
Plaque on the side of the gym where I played pickup b-ball all through college. Never noticed it.
Hadley’s first home.
The man in the arena. A true highlight.
Adams house graduation.
Hungover research in Houghton…
Last visit with Mr. Hones in his Watertown apartment. His scavenged hat is meant as a screw-you to Harvard.
Game 7. Great night, tough loss. Thank you old roommate, Tom Ellis.
Where we drove to the day after Game 7. LeBron must have thought we were stalking him…
Great visit with Jim and Elizabeth Campbell in Madison. This is inside their awesome barn. The ping pong tour of America continues. (Noah and I have played 30 games at various venues in WI, MA and D.C. so far.)
Love the story line and pics!! What a trip of a lifetime. Thank you for bringing The Asheville Kid along to play ping pong. I’m actually buying a table tomorrow to put in the garage! Xoxo, Heidi