One Month on the road.

We started our day with a visit to my sculpture in Toledo, Ohio. This sculpture ranks as one of my favorites over the past 40 plus years. This sculpture is a Memorial that marked the 100^th birthday of the Art Tatum. When I saw the announcement for the competition I went for it with a vengeance. I was going to win this because of love of my love of Jazz and blues and this was an opportunity to make a statement about my ideas and feelings.

The main judges for the sculpture was Jon Hendricks a unique figure in the history of Jazz. There was a bit of controversy about the only old white guy winning it but I was the only one of the finalists that was in contact with who and what Art Tatum was and still is. Plus they liked the sculpture.

My family rarely gets to see any of my public work and this was a perfect opportunity. We get to Toledo and they have changed the name of the arena and I can’t find it?  We stopped in front of an art gallery and Andrea goes in to ask if anybody may have seen the sculpture or know where the City Arena was? Nobody-know-nothing. The Arena had a new name and my sculpture had the magnetic attraction of cardboard. We found it, we saw and we were gone. Andrea took over the driving and I got to sit and watch Ohio slip by.

We listen to Pandora and talk about what ever is in the air. When we finally got a break from the evil concrete of the Ohio Turnpike and found asphalt the RV went from a jackhammer experience to a fluid rocking. The shuffle of Louis Jordan’s Blue Light Boogie with the now gentle undulation of the RV lulled me into the remembrances of all the trips that Jim Morgan and I made across America.

In a 1970 VW van we made many trips, usually with art or antiques as the anchor for the trip. We would leave San Francisco or Minneapolis or Kansas City or NYC and go.

Music – Food –Art ( the true MFA) and friends, if that doesn’t get you covered we probably aren’t friends.

We stopped for at exit 60 of I 90 East. We asked the toll taker where she would go for lunch. In about 5 blocks we found ourselves on the shore of Lake Erie at Jack’s drive in. This little place was packed, we got the last table. It was bright warm and the table clothes had to be reject shower curtains. It felt great. Andrea got the Potato pancake ( one filled the plate) lily a spicy chicken salad with fries and I went for the fresh Lake Erie Perch. We all scored on our lunches. To finish off we had a piece of home made Raspberry pie. Jacks is a really good place. If you are ever in the area stop in Westfield Township and eat at Jacks.

About 3 o’clock we arrived in Niagara Falls (USA side.)  The plan was simple, find a place to park the RV and get a ride in the Maid of The Mist. On the water, directly in front of the falls seemed like the best place to view them. It costs $13.50 and there is no break for seniors? As you are about to enter the boat you are given a large, blue poncho ( one size fits all (up to 350 pounds.) This trip is a real experience. Forget that it is a tourist thing and think about it as a totally cool, remarkable and amazing experience. You really need the poncho and even with it on you still get pretty soaked. The power and the beauty is amazing. You gotta do it. Kinda like standing in front of a moving train but you get to tell the tale.

We left Niagara on route 104. This road was a wonderful surprise. The country side is lush and expansive. I keep think about what it might have been like to see this land for the first time? Route 104 is a two lane road that started in an abandoned section of North Eastern Niagara falls. What a sad journey through derelict businesses, schools and churches. Porches on house resembled lonely sway back horses. So Sad!

As we drove the neighbor hoods went up scale and then eased into fall colors and romantic country side. We finished our day 36 miles east of Niagara in a muddy camp ground with a mild Deliverance feel.