I just spent a month traveling around the USA — a long string of one-night hotel stays, one-way plane rides, lectures, pledge drives, and publicity work. My schedule was really packed — but I was able to mix in a lot of fun, too.
I’ve always been inspired by our country’s mighty cities. On this trip, the venerable Gotham cityscapes in Chicago, New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia had me thinking of the great urban visions of the 1920s, and how important and enduring things happen when people think big and collaborate.
In New York City, I spent a wonderful evening with Bill Moyers and his wife (and professional collaborator), Judith.
I’ve long admired Bill’s high-minded and hard-hitting journalism, which is so clearly grounded in a passion for democracy and a strong Christian faith. We’ve both done a lot of work on public television, and, over the years, I had heard that he and Judith enjoyed my show. So, I let them know I had a free evening in New York City — and they invited me to drop by their home, a beautiful condo in a grand old building that overlooks Central Park. They’ve lived there since the 1980s, and it’s filled with souvenirs of a life spent in public service and with illustrious friends. We talked travel over wine for several delightful hours.
The next day, I had a to buy a pair of slacks. I had an interview scheduled at the New York Stock Exchange — which has a “no jeans” dress code. I got the slacks — and had a lot of fun talking with two very smart hosts on Cheddar TV, an online financial news network.
After my NYSE adventure wrapped up, I was back in my jeans — and off to the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble to talk about the third edition of my book Travel as a Political Act. It was a particularly great crowd, filled with fun energy and overflowing into the aisles.
In California, I gave a series of nightly talks in Beverly Hills, Redondo Beach, Thousand Oaks, and Pasadena — followed by an entire free day with my daughter, Jackie, her boyfriend, Damian, and my partner, Trish.
Whenever we have a chance to sightsee in this hemisphere, I love letting Jackie be the tour guide. We started off the day at the remarkable Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, which has an impressive collection of art (rivaling any major sight in Europe). I particularly enjoyed “Pinkie,” by Sir Thomas Lawrence.
Strolling through the Huntington’s botanical gardens, Damian suddenly realized Jackie had dyed her hair an incredible shade of red.
And we had to make a stop at Two Boots Pizza, in Echo Park. Back in 2008, they flew my niece, Nicolina, to LA to paint a mural for their grand opening. Nicolina lives in New York City, where she “paints the town” (as her window-painting business is called) and is well-known for her amazing street art. She’s the only artist in our family — so we were sure to make a pilgrimage to visit her work.
We spent the afternoon in Beverly Hills, pretending to be in the market for a house. We visited homes listed for $1 million, $3 million, and $15 million — which came with a bitchin’ view. (And I thought Seattle home prices were high.)
Being with Jackie was the perfect cap to a great month on the American road.
—
Join our traveling community — connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.
