November
29. 1995
Laguna Seca, California
RUN
FOR THE ROSES
The Phoenix
brought us from ocean to ocean in November, and required an inland sea
of gasoline to do it. We covered over five thousand miles. At about
nine miles to the gallon... well, you figure it out. Mobil likes us.
Before
leaving Maine we went to Caribou, which is surrounded on three sides
by Canada and all sides by potato fields, we set up our Wizards of Wonder
exhibit at the Caribou Craft Fair. It was a success in spite of a heavy
rainstorm and a brief blackout. The gloomy weather seemed to make everybody
think winter had arrived, and this is a good thing if you're selling
Christmas ornaments.
Business
was brisk, and we enjoyed meeting Darlene & Voscar Nelder, Ron
Boutat, Brenda & Joyce, Philip Walker, and Ray & Lynda
Lee. On our way out of Maine, we were pleased to cross paths with
Gene Wright, Adolph Shemkovitz, Timothy Mayo, Jim Russo, and
Tom & Susan Kennedy.
Heading
south, we paused in Sutton, Massachusetts, at the home of our friends
Tom, Ivy, Andrea and Alex Martin. Tom, a professor at
Holy Cross College, is working on the latest edition of the Perseus
Project, a CD-Rom resource for classicists, archaeologists, historians,
and anyone else interested in ancient Greece. Published by Yale University
Press, the Perseus Project includes thousands of images of Greek architecture
and art, maps of ancient sites, Greek texts, a Greek-English lexicon,
and a historical overview. Ivy, who teaches at Clark University, is
also working on a CD-Rom that will teach Latin.
Before
leaving Sutton, we gave a talk and slide show about our adventures at
the BeaumontRetirement Home, a lovely retreat in the hills where we
met Ruth Alton and Connie Dion.
Most people
visit Hershey, Pennsylvania, to get a free piece of chocolate and a
look at the intersection of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues. We did, too,
but the real highlight of our stay was meeting Mike and Marjie
Markowski, book publishers who live nearby. We enjoyed two evenings
of dynamic conversation and a tour of their offices.
Driving
south through Delaware, we enjoyed the coastal wetlands and views of
Chesapeake Bay. We were thinking we were off the beaten track until
we drove through a tiny Maryland hamlet where a sign read, "You
Are Now Leaving Beautiful Downtown Goldsboro, the Hub of the Universe."
New York? L.A? Did you know?
Washington
D.C. turned out to be full of surprising wonders, too. We hooked up
with our friend Paul Bethe, who likes to go sight-seeing even
though he lives there. Together we explored "America's Catholic
Church," also known as the National Shrine. It includes an enormous
basilica, an underground church, a crypt, a museum, offices, a cafeteria
and two bookstores.
The Medical
Museum at Walter Reed Hospital was our next stop. Exhibits here are
definitely not for the squeamish. In addition to Siamese twins and other
anomalies preserved in formaldehyde, visitors are treated to displays
of Civil War bullet wounds, models of facial deformities, a human hair
ball, and a pair of shorts retrieved from a shark's stomach. Phew. To
get back to normal, we decided to head for the Air and Space Museum.
The Enola
Gay has been on display for a few months now, and we were able to walk
right in and see the famous flying machine that dropped the bomb on
Hiroshima. Our excellent adventures in Washington culminated with lunch
at an Ethiopian restaurant. Is there another city in the world that
offers as much variety within such a small circumference?
Heading
towards New York, we were barred from driving on all the main roads
because we were carrying propane, and in Maryland and New Jersey, that
counts as HAZMAT. Guided by our GPS receiver and a vague map, we found
ourselves in the middle of New Jersey's half of Big Apple sprawl. We
made it through Newark on surface streets, proving that the Phoenix
is capable of urban assault.
Our odyssey
continued through the Scylla and Charybdis of the South Bronx and the
George Washington Bridge, and we finally made it onto a road with no
rules against trucks. It took us most of the way to Pleasantville, although
we didn't actually arrive without one last unintentional detour around
Kenisico Reservoir in the dark. We were nearly out of gas, and it had
started to snow when we pulled up in front of our destination, the Brennesholtz
house. Pleasantville had never seemed quite so pleasant, and the week
we spent with Libby (Megan's sister), Matt, Eleanor and
Margaret was mighty pleasant, too.
The last
night we were in New York, we attended a dinner celebrating the work
of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. Held at the Knickerbocker
Club in Manhattan, the evening's highlight was a talk and slide show
given by John Camp, who directs the American excavations of the
ancient Agora in Athens. Over excellent dinner and conversation, we
were pleased to meet Martha Slaughter, Toni Shassler, Rob Loomis
and Doreen Spitzer.
The next
morning we set out to traverse the continent under time pressure. We
wanted to be in Santa Cruz, California, for Thanksgiving. We had five
days. The interstate highways we usually eschew were suddenly important
allies. Good weather accompanied us through Pennsylvania, where we stopped
to buy propane from Bill Reading in Lenhartsville. Our route
took us through West Virginia and Missouri. A refueling stop in Oklahoma
City led to our meeting Eugene Smith, Lois Kelough, Leroy Powell
Jr., Freeman Miles and Matt Mason. We were making such good
time, we decided to swing through Taos, New Mexico, where we enjoyed
seeing Laura & Richard Spears and Gene Beckwith. Even with the detour,
it looked like we'd make it to our destination by Wednesday night.
Then,
about 35 miles east of Flagstaff, BAM! A rear drive-axle tire had had
enough. Changing a tire on I-40 is a trial even in bright Arizona sunshine.
"But having the right tools makes all the difference," said
Mark as he put away two jacks, fourteen jack blocks, an enormous wrench,
a crowbar, six traffic cones and a reflective triangle. The Service
Crew at the Flagstaff Discount tire store supplied us with a new spare
almost immediately, even though they were very busy.
The blowout
meant that we drove up in front of the Sedenquist house in Santa Cruz
about an hour before the turkey was carved. Dan, Lynette, Josh, Michelle,
Nicholas, Diana, Charlie and Margaret seemed happy to see
us anyway, and it was easy to think of a thousand things to be thankful
for as we sat down to a splendid repast.
The next
day, Megan went into San Francisco to attend a Mensa regional gathering
where she met Barbara & Tom Canup, Ramona Reichl, Bennett Wall
& Robin Winburn, Sue Garadis, Eric Zamost, Sue Ann Buchanan, Yorkman
Lowe and Erwin Kuhn. Mark stayed in Santa Cruz to play with
nieces, nephews, cats and dogs. He also enjoyed visits with Don &
Diane Montague and David, Chelsea & Brandon Bardellini.
Tonight
we can see the world-famous Laguna Seca Raceway from our "dining
room" window. Tomorrow we'll complete our own "run for the
roses"-- Mark's Rose Parade duties beckon in Pasadena.
When we
counted our blessings at Thanksgiving, you were among them. May your
holidays be filled with happiness, prosperity and the best of times!
Mark
& Megan
