The Last Ditch by Tom Paine

Dodge City did not disappoint me. This place of my childhood imaginings, this scene of a thousand cowboy shows, has made a good fist of preserving its brief moments of infamy. The truth is the Dodge we all “remember” did not exist for very long at all. Bodies were buried…

I liked Oklahoma very much. I saw the local people at their best in a crisis and it was impressive. Over breakfast at my hotel in Guthrie this morning, I heard two locals, a hotel guest and a lady who worked there, discussing how the tornado will be old news…

My Texan B&B redeemed itself this morning with an excellent breakfast prepared by a friendly, personable chef. I was beginning to think everyone in Texas was a bit cold, by American standards at least, so thank goodness for her. I had checked the weather forecasts and the heaviest storms were…

Sunday was the first day on this tour when I did not fire up Speranza’s engine. I had a relaxing day and slept like a baby. So yesterday it was time to lay down some rubber. I drove for over eight hours, stopping twice to refuel the car but surviving…

I didn’t plan to stay longer in New Orleans but I realised this morning that I was too exhausted to drive today. The Q and I have driven until dark and then drunk and talked into the early hours. it has been fun but there’s only so much a middle…

New Orleans was our goal yesterday. The morning drive was the best of the tour to date for me. We drove through Mississippi in beautiful weather. I had the roof down and was singing along to the music I selected all those long days ago in London when I made…

Safe in New Orleans. The prettiest approaches of any city I have seen, except Venice – and then only if you arrive in style by water taxi. More updates later, but I am heading out now to eat and listen to music. The valet parker wimped out, so I got…

 The day started as planned with a trip to Graceland. You can’t come to Memphis and NOT go. There’s something touching in the relationship between the faithful fans (is anyone not, to some extent, an Elvis fan?) and the continuing exploitation of his talent. More than forty years after his…

We are safe and well, let me make that clear at the outset. I made an error of judgement or two today, which gave rise to some unease; no worse than that. I know that both my mum and the Q’s are reading this blog, so it’s only fair to…

Black Beauty had a real puncture. She had picked up an historical nail that was holding the air in her tire while still, but brushing the tarmac and opening a gap to release it while in motion. I cannot believe how cheap it was to fix it. The owner of…