Browsing Category "Ode to _"
That's us. That spot on the horizon is our campground.

An Ode to Death Valley

By     |    Mar 13, 2012
Posted in: California, Ode to _, Parks     |    2 Comments

Oh, Death Valley, how I love thee! Let me count the ways… You’re silent. I don’t mean quiet – I mean silent. As soon as I’m a mile away from a road, the only thing making noise is me. Maybe there’s a little wind, or birds chirping, or ravens croaking, or a plane tearing overhead on its way to LA. But usually not. The soundtrack tends to be made up […]

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Pickle, Heid's chili dog, beer.

Ode to Hot Dogs: America’s Greatest Food

By     |    Jan 25, 2012
Posted in: Food, Ode to _     |    7 Comments

There’s no food that I can think of as malleable and regional (and wonderful) as the hot dog. In Chicago it’s topped with nearly everything (except ketchup) and it’s amazing. In Arizona, the Mexican / Sonoran hot dogs are wrapped in mesquite-smoked bacon and are terrific. In upstate New York, you can get a Hofmann frank on a potato roll at Heid’s in Liverpool and it’s delicious. They all have […]

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Ode To Cheap Coffee

By     |    Nov 4, 2011
Posted in: Bars, Booze, Beer, Etc., Ode to _     |    5 Comments

I find enjoyment in cheap gas station coffee.  Sure, I like the good stuff too, but I don’t scoff at the shit. I love it. I enjoy burning my fingers on the too-thin cups. I relish the fear of the blow-out top, poorly applied by my still groggy hands. I long for the inevitable tongue burn from the molten-hot liquid drunk too quickly. Honestly, it’s hot, bitter liquid, and who’s […]

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