Ian and Garret

The travelers decamped for dinner to Geronimo’s. The eponymous Apache Chief – one who yawns – suffered many indignities for successfully resisting the occupiers for many years, not least his rumored rotational presence on the St Louis Ferris wheel and, after his death in a prison camp, the alleged theft of his skull by barbarian Yalies, including Prescott Bush ( more Republican cultural insensitivity ). That last bit may actually be fake news.

In any event, perhaps the best food so far in the warmest ambience – we could hear each other, but not those at adjacent tables. Service was prompt but a bit unctuous, but hey, who can compare with Anita from Pittsburgh?

The fires further west have given the travelers pause. They will linger an extra night in Santa Fe , attend to business and dine again, surrendering the delights of LA. The danger is that this gives Ian the potential to exercise his credit card after it enjoyed a brief downtime after he left it in Geronimo’s. Thank God for Uber. It could have been Blair’s last stand.

Met some very nice and interesting people. A couple from Colorado driving down to visit his mom in Phoenix. They had previously driven more than ten thousand miles around the US to go to games in all but 4 baseball stadia. He had been the player coach of Holland’s baseball team and she had been an opera singer. Their daughter went to DO school in a deprived part of West Virginia and was now a family practitioner in … UC Davis. We recommended Lady Bird.

Cue Marcus pulling his chair up to the fire. Despite his boyish demeanor he is a medical helicopter pilot . Amazingly, he had lived in the same part of West Virginia and also had witnessed the physical maiming, geographical violation and toxic contamination of architecture that became an unprompted and agreed topic of conversation amongst the group.

Despite this, everyone who we were chatting with leaned right. Marcus expanded on this, pointing to Trumps charisma – he worked at it by going to large and small towns never visited by Hilary. He also felt had to admire his success in business. But in his own words, Marcus is neither right nor left and probably would have voted for Bernie. He hated Hilary, mainly for her lack of charisma and some stories from friends in the military whose personal encounters with her enforced that view. It was the person rather than the policy.

There is a real lesson for Democrats here. There are people who are persuadable but not if you don’t talk to them, engage them personally and explain why you stand for their interests . The failure to do that explains the last election and why a state like West Virginia, whose people and landscape have been maimed by the greed of unrestrained capitalism vote solidly Republican.

Just settling in

Steve told us that Ardmore, Paoli, Wayne and Pennsylvania Ave in Oklahoma were named by wildcatters who move west from the first US oil fields in Pa ( and NYC)

Less well known is that St Patrick came to west Texas in a failed attempt to rid it of snakes. He saw all the ‘don’t tread on me’ signs and gave up.

Arsenal and Leinster win, Inter stumble

Next up Roma

Our rooms were labeled for the original Trippers but even more touchingly they were at opposite ends of the house! Prescott sensitivity deeply appreciated – a sabbatical of somnolence . So after a deeply satisfying ( uninterrupted) sleep, and a breakfast review of their lava strewn and bird filled garden we remount the trusty steed and after a brief railroad delay we point towards Amarillo and are off…

Great to reach the Prescott’s adobe palace and to be greeted with Prosecco on the doorstep by a trim and hirsute Steve . Susan and he blended haute cuisine, wonderful wine and informal luxury as we traded personal war stories, blue speck/Red Sea politics, grandchildren (and occasionally children ) , how to pronounce Saoirse and they joys of their menagerie 3 dogs and abundant birdsong.

One more

Looking forward to getting to Steve and Susan’s place in Oklahoma City. Running 45 Min behind schedule due to the overwhelming art museums in Fort Worth!

2,096 miles, 5,961 views on our blog from 29 countries. Still trying to engage Africa and S America. Japan loves us!