Another summer, another roadtrip.

It’s been a year since my dad and I took to the open road in search of the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. It’s been a few days since my son and I did the same. We saw a lot of sights and did a lot of things, but in the end it’s who you’re with that’s important; not where you’re going. Here are a few highlights of the journey.

Camping

We didn’t camp out every night. We wimped out and crashed in a hotel a couple of times. Oh and that one night we slept in the jeep at a rest area. I never thought I would miss the tent so much. There isn’t much that’s more peaceful than looking up at the stars while listening to the sounds of the forest. It reminds you how small you are in such a big world.

Road Atlas’s Rock

I know we all have GPS nowadays, but there is something to be said for having a big road atlas to look at. I don’t like that GPS always telling me what to do, even if she does have a sexy voice. We got diverted from the interstate at one point and were able to jump on a short cut to scoot right by all the suckers that were listening to their fancy devices.

Corn

There is a lot of corn in the Midwest. Do we really need that much corn? Ethan and I wrote a song about it. It’s called “Driving through the corn fields”. Look for it at a amateur music store near you.

The Music Festival

I love small venues, and Sioux City was definitely a small one. Things started out great when a volunteer let me park in his spot right across the street. There were a few local bands that were decent. I really enjoyed Lenka. She’s got a sexy little Betty Boop thing going on, and the chick can sing. You gotta love it when a girl breaks out a little trumpet mid-verse too.

Counting Crows

I’ve been a fan of the Counting Crows since their “August and Everything After” CD, but after seeing them live I am an even bigger fan. These guys could have mailed in their performance for a thousand people or so in the middle of Iowa, but they played it like it was Red Rock. Adam Duritz stopped the show at one point to talk to a couple of dumb asses about not fighting. They then picked up “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby” on the third chorus and proceeded to rock out. I love it.

Going off the grid

I admit I wasn’t completely off the grid, but I tried to keep my iPhone on airplane mode for most of the trip. It’s amazing how difficult it is today to disconnect from the world. If you get a chance to do it for a little while I highly recommend it.

It was a typical road trip. Lots of things to see and stories to tell. My favorite part was that I got to rough it with my boy. One of these days someone will ask him if he remembers his first rock concert. I’m so happy that I will be a part of that story.