The thespian thief

The bandit played his part like a trouper, quoting Shakespeare to his victims:“I am joined with no foot-land-rakers, no long-staff sixpenny strikers, none of these mad mustachio purple-hued malt-worms, but with nobility and tranquility, burgomasters and great oneyers, such as … Read More

Gravy

There’s a sad phenomenon in so many of these precious old towns. Generally, more people lie under the ground than on top of it. I thought back to an experience I had in London. The date was November 11, and … Read More

The Ghost of a Roadside Inn

Took a nap beneath this sign, sharing space with the ghosts of travelers who stopped here long ago to add a sticky chapter to their Route 66 journey. It was a time when cars had crank-down window air-conditioning and tube … Read More

Despite Sheridan, Bison making comeback

General Philip Sheridan’s statue stands on the New York state capitol grounds. Why do we honor this ruthless killer? Missouri’s Highway 13 cuts through a rogue’s gallery of America’s most brazen killers. The most ruthless killer in this area was … Read More

Whistle Stop

The train was late. That didn’t matter to seven men awaiting its arrival. “I’ve learned to be patient,” said Mason, sitting next to me in his prison issue gray trousers and white T-shirt. Earlier that morning, seven inmates had been … Read More

UFO?

Relax, it’s a street lamp in Hershey, PA. But if this giant Kiss was a UFO, where would it hide? Beneath the boughs in Hershey Gardens.

Centralia Cemetery

This Memorial Day weekend, the Centralia Cemetery honors each of its 505 veterans with an American flag. According to the city, the sight has been known to stop passing traffic along nearby Highway 22. Curious whether the cemetery holds the … Read More

Highways Have Souls

Erifnus carried me without radar, sonar, Pixar, Pulsar, Dagmar, Bolivar, Telstar, Avatar, NASCAR or a minibar. We relied on maps. Compared to GPS, maps are lazy and they won’t work on their own, preferring to doze, folded tight as a … Read More

Fuzzy Fables

“That there’s not a skunk,” the guide pointed to one animal pelt on a table, “That’s genuine Alaskan sable.” It was a skunk, the guide admitted, but to the European fur market in the early 1800s, the term Alaskan sable … Read More