RaceBuddy road blog

Day 37 -- Friday, July 11

• We've reached the end of the yellow brick road. After more than a month on the road, we'll take to the friendly skies for the trip home.

• But first, there's the race -- and it should live up to expectations. Pick a winner? I'm 0-for-the-trip, so take it with a 200-pound sack of salt: Kyle Busch (again) shakes off the burdens and makes the most of a dominant night.

• Thanks for riding along. See y'all at the next rest stop ...

Day 36 -- Friday, July 10

• Not a lot going on at the track this a.m. -- but Nationwide qualifying, a couple of Cup practices and the Nationwide race makes for a busy afternoon.

• Anyone else have the gut feeling that Smoke and Shrub, Part Deux maybe be worth the price of admission. My guess, there may be some paint-trading if they get close to each other but both drivers understand the big picture. ... Then again, both have been known to have a short fuse, a quick trigger, whatever you want to call it.

• If you see Kyle Petty today, give him a pat on the back; today would have been Adam's 29th birthday.

Day 35 -- Thursday, July 9

• The view from the Sears Tower is spectacular! And now there is a glass balcony on the Skydeck -- the 103rd floor. Trust me, taking the first step onto the 1 1/2-inch glass is tough ...

• The Navy Pier is cool, too -- but it seems to have taken a page from NASCAR's playbook. Do we really need McDonald's signage at the top of the entrance?

• There are two Nationwide practices, a Cup practice and Cup quals today. We're hitting Gino's for lunch and will work off the deep-dish, crumbled-sausage pizza through the evening; qualifying begins at 7:30 local time.

• For the record: Wrigley over Comiskey (refuse to call it by its corporate name) every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Even with the rain delay, it was heaven on earth.

Day 34 -- Wednesday, July 8

• Indianapolis is a jewel; downtown is one of the best-kept secrets. We walked around for three hours, stopped in five different places, munched on five different kinds of foods and never lost sight of where we parked.

• I'm a big fan of Mexican food -- the spicier the better. One thing I haven't found on this trip, even in the Southwest, was "the best" Mexican food. Tried two different places on Tuesday and both rated good, not great.

• Chicago is my kind of town. Today: Braves at Cubs. Tonight: Indians at White Sox. A true double-dip. See y'all in the bleachers!

Day 33 -- Tuesday, July 7

• Music City, baby! For as much crap as Nashville gets about not being a "big" city or "cosmopolitan" enough, I like Nashville. It's big enough to get lost in but small enough to find your own way out.

• Strange feeling reading and listening to the news reports about the death of former Titans QB Steve McNair.

• Caught the Michael Waltrip news conference on TV. Bittersweet feelings on this one. It is time for Mikey to focus on life after racing. As for Martin Truex Jr., it's a great move; he'll have the support to move back among the elite drivers.

• One thing I really like about being in the road: Stuckey's. Is there a better snack than a pecan log and a Dr Pepper?

• We're rolling into Indy tonight, with a stop in Louisville. See y'all at the Slugger museum!

Day 32 -- Monday, July 6

• I cannot describe how great it was to sleep in my own bed last night! There's nothing greater than walking up the front steps and a 4-year-old jumping into your arms.

• And then we're back on the road this a.m. First stop, Lynchburg, Tenn., for a visit with the Jack Daniel's folks.

• On a sad note, Lynchburg is mourning the passing of Peggy Gattis. She was the mayor and my mom's second cousin.

• There's nothing like small-town American, in general, and Tennessee, specifically. And bring on the Sun-Drop! Gimme a pimento-and-cheese sandwich, a bag of Lay's and a Sun-Drop while perched under a mimosa tree with the race on the radio and I'm in heaven -- and 7 again at my granny's homestead at the corner of Tanyard Hill Road and Majors Cemetery Road.

Day 31 -- Sunday, July 5

• Kyle Busch blocked and paid for trying to make his car twice as wide as it really is. Tip your cap to Tony Stewart -- he made his move, held his line and let the chips fall.

• The post-race fireworks were spectacular -- just a tick below the in-race ones!

• I'm firmly with Jeff Gordon: more horsepower is the answer to better racing at restrictor-plate tracks. Knowing you can stick your foot in it when necessary has to take the edge off these guys coming through the tri-oval instead of wondering if they will make it across the line in one piece.

• En route to Atlanta today. Home. My own bed. Mama's cooking. One week to go and it's been a blast -- but I'm ready to get off the road.

• Lunch on Monday at Rosa's Pizza. It's a three-slices-of-pepperoni kinda day ...

Day 30 -- Saturday, July 4

• Race day at Daytona has a palpable vibe; fans' voices have a different tone, the drivers have a different cadence. Everyone knows Daytona is special. Toss in the Fourth of July holiday (and the promise of late-night fireworks!) and you have a party!

• Sticking with my main man Kyle Busch to take the checkered flag.

• Been looking for Jeremy Mayfield. No signs of the crew cut.

• Grand-Am racing is pretty cool. Hell, racing Pinewood Derby cars is pretty cool. What I'm saying is this is a great weekend to catch some wheeling.

Day 29 -- Friday, July 3

• Back at the beach and, of course, it rained just a enough to knock the on-track schedule off kilter just a bit.

• And, of course, someone mentioned rain tires. ... Such a tired argument. Bottom line: Rain tires are not built for ovals and the right-front punishment.

• It's been 25 years since Richard Petty won his 200th race. I think it's good that the memory of Kasey Kahne's victory at Sonoma is still fresh in everyone's mind. Petty is a living legend and it's nice that he's still relevant.

• The Hall of Fame nominees are getting a lion's share of the buzz, including Richie Evans, a Modified driver. My take: Induction into the NASCAR HOF should be reserved for those who competed in the national touring series. ... I can't see Ken Guettler, Joe Bauman or Steve Bilko residing in Cooperstown.

• Nationwide Series quals at 1 p.m., Cup Series at 4 p.m. See y'all at The Deck about 7 p.m.

Day 28 -- Thursday, July 2

• Up and at 'em early this a.m. The sunrise over the Atlantic is an awesome sight. Thing is, looking across that much water you realize what a speck you are on earth.

• Bumper sticker on a VW van in the hotel parking lot: "Play is a four-letter verb." As a writer, I don't know I feel about that.

• Getting off the beaten path that is I-95 today for a few hours to walk along the beach at St. Simons Island. I haven't been here since I was in school, when our church youth group made a summer trip to the coast. I figure you never know when you'll be back ...

• Maybe it's the holiday but for whatever reason, driving down the east coast is a great slice of Americana. Maybe we lose sight of that -- enjoying this country -- within the day-to-day living.

• Marcy Scott is my hero. If you've ever dealt with PR at Atlanta Motor Speedway, she's yours, too.

Day 27 -- Wednesday, July 1

• Rolling toward Savannah, Ga., today to graze on Paula Deen's vittles! Forget the ghost tours, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, antebellum homes -- we've had this circled on the calendar since Day 1.

• Rolled over to Durham and Chapel Hill on Tuesday; saw a lot of blue. Brick-for-brick, Cameron Indoor Stadium tops the Dean Dome.

• Raleigh is an underrated town. We had a blast cruising campus and The Pit is must-eats if you're in the neighborhood.

• Stopping at South of the Border, S.C. The billboards are abundant -- and amusing.

• Spent most of the day walking the Savannah Historic District. If you're a history buff, it's worth dealing with the heat and humidity. And we did take in a ghost tour; hey, we're tourists, too.

• And yeah, Paula Deen's (put some South in your mouth) was worth the wait! Also snagged an Uncle Bubba cap, black.

Day 26 -- Tuesday, June 30

• OK, movie-dorkdom takes center stage. Georgetown is the setting for one of my all-time favorite movies, St. Elmo's Fire. So what to do in D.C. but find the bar? Turns out the exterior shots were filmed at The Third Edition while the interior was based on a bar called The Tombs.

• All-in-all, it was a good day. Washington is a pretty neat city, though I still have trouble getting around the "taxation without representation" angle.

• Traffic is another matter. Atlanta blows chunks, but D.C. may be the worst on the planet. Does anyone know where they're going or how to get there?

• It's easy to see the allure of Washington. This place has the feel of power. But a coat and tie in this weather -- c'mon! It brings me to my argument over sportscasters in a jacket and noose; it's stupid. I want to shake the hand of the executive producer who has the cojones to say, "Guys, nix the coat and tie at the track; wear a Polo or button-down, roll up the sleeves and let's talk NASCAR like a fan." It's sports -- not politics.

• Rolling toward Raleigh, N.C., today. Long live Jimmy V. ...

Day 25 -- Monday, June 29

• And we're off -- Boston to Washington, D.C. today, about a nine-hour trip with a stop in New York (Lombardi's pizza joint on Spring).

• The Yankees are off today so we're outta luck on seeing a game at the new stadium. Still going to swing by to see if a shop is open to get a cap with the new stadium logo on the back.

• Sorry guys, didn't get to Kitty O'Shea's in time on Sunday; maybe next trip.

• Today will be the longest hike of the week -- D.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Daytona. After last week, the shorter the trip, the better!

• Wonder what Cal Ripken's up to? His baseball facility in Aberdeen, Md., is on the way to Washington; let's see what's shaking at Cal Sr. Field. (And O's fans, stick with Dave Trembley; he's good people. The team is young and needs a guy like Dave to show the way.)

Day 24 -- Sunday, June 28

• The Magic Mile. Any chance we can click our heels three times and wake up in Daytona? ... No, well it's back to the highway -- after the race.

• We've settled on staying in Boston tonight and then leave for D.C. in the a.m. Wonder what B.O. is up to tomorrow? Maybe we can get next on the midday pickup game ...

• What's everyone talking about today: Billy Mays died. This has not been a good week for the famous.

• Ralph Shaheen is doing play-by-play for TNT at Loudon. ... A lot of buzz around the track today. Lots of rumors. Lots of opinions. Reminds me of what mama says: "Just like bellybuttons -- everybody's got one." Fact is, there's your story, my story and the truth is somewhere in between.

• Look for Kyle Busch to be in the middle of something today. He needs a good run to get Big Mo' back in his pit box. Let's see if his brother Kurt gets in his way ...

Day 23 -- Saturday, June 27

• Big shout out to the best dessert stop on the trip: Kimball Farm in Westford, Mass. Really did not want to stop grazing but work called ...

• Finished the left-to-right journey, from sea to shining sea. Wonderful sights and sounds from the people, the small towns and a few back roads. ... But we cannot imagine doing it again.

• Two more weeks are on the horizon, and right now the only thing I want to see is the inside of my eyelids.

• Say good night, Gracie.

Day 22 -- Friday, June 26

• The end is near (at least the end of the line for this week)! Good thing the race is on Sunday; I'm sleeping-in Saturday ...

• Made it through Indianapolis, rolled by the Brickyard (tires held up well, thanks for asking) and spent the night -- a few hours, actually -- in Columbus, Ohio.

• Rolling along I-71 / 80 / 95 toward Pawtucket, R.I., today in search of David Hartman. As much as I like Charlie Gibson, Hartman is still the face of Good Morning America for me.

Thinking about renting a Mustang in Boston and riding around town with the windows down while repeating, Spenser: For Hire lines -- "I was a cop, found myself restless with the hierarchy, decided to go private. I was helped to that decision by getting fired."

• I'm hoarding all the Pepsi Throwback and have just once question: Why can't Pepsi just make Throwback and throw back the current version?

• Bumper sticker of the early a.m.: "Dyslexics are teople poo".

Day 21 -- Thursday, June 25

• Kansas City was the culinary highlight of the past three weeks; no one does barbeque quite like Arthur Bryant's on Brooklyn Avenue. Short ribs, beef sandwich, fries, baked beans and a pickle -- made the past two days of hauling to the Midwest well worth the trek.

• Stopped by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which is in the same building as the American Jazz Museum. If you're going to Kansas Speedway in October, make time to check out those two museums.

• Rolling through Columbia, Mo., we stopped for gas and debated backflipping off the window. ... Logic won out.

• Suffice to say, Carl Edwards' No. 99 decals remain runner-up to Mizzou stickers.

• En route to Terre Haute, Ind., to pay homage to Larry Bird. (It's also the hometown of Tony George.) No doubt we'll be tempted to head south on U.S. 41, which winds its way back to Cobb County, Ga. -- and home! (It also travels north to Green Bay, which is oddly comforting to a Packers fan in Dixie.)

• Farrah Fawcett died. Sad. Who didn't have her swimsuit poster?

• And Michael Jackson died. ... Death comes in threes -- Ed McMahon, Farrah and Jacko.

Day 20 -- Wednesday, June 24

• No dice in Winslow; only thing that slowed down was a semi hauling hogs.

• Willie Nelson is totin' the tune o' the day: On the road again ...

• We blew through Guymon, Okla., a bit ago and noticed on the Rand McNally that it's almost halfway between Texas and Kansas, in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas: three state in less than an hour -- we're rolling! And yet, still several hours from Kansas City ...

• One sight-seeing stop today: Museum of the Antique Fan in Andover, Kan. What can I say, we're fans. And we're old, or so someone back in the office is constantly reminding us.

• One thing about the Southwest: You've gotta be going somewhere to get there. This stretch of the trip has been a lot of white-line dashes. And we're still about 1,600 miles from Loudon.

• Mash the gas, hoss.

Day 19 -- Tuesday, June 23

• Folks, it's a hike from L.A. to Albuquerque; we left well before sunrise and we're still a long way from entering the Land of Manny Mania. Lucky Albuquerque; Manny begins a minor-league assignment for the Dodgers tonight.

• Flagstaff is on the horizon and then we're going to do something I've always wanted to do -- stand on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. (I'll let you know if a girl in flat-bed Ford slows down ...)

• It's easy to see why so many people want to live here. The land is amazing, the weather has been fantastic and the folks have been inviting.

• Bumper sticker that made us chuckle: "Bumper stickers are stupid."

• Back to the road ...

Day 18 -- Monday, June 22

• Left civilization about 90 minutes outside Sonoma -- hit Dublin, took a left on I-580, waved good bye to Livermore and drove down I-5 this a.m. Once we reached metro Santa Clarita, we stopped, kissed the ground and were thankful life as we knew it had not vaporized during our trek through No Man's Land.

• As movie dorks we had to swing by Magic Mountain; KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park was filmed at this Six Flags! (On a lesser note, so was National Lampoon's Vacation.) And we have general tourist items on today's agenda: Stars Walk of Fame, La Brea Tar Pits ... In-N-Out Burger.

• Catch us on a Dearly Departed tour; yep, I'm a Scott Michaels Death Hag.

• L.A. was typical -- in that "Wow, it makes you wonder about the depth of some folks' gene pool" -- but it was great to wander the streets, chow on big-time Mexican food and snap a few pics (saw Taye Diggs!).

Day 17 -- Sunday, June 21

• We backtracked a bit on Saturday and spent part of the day in Napa and Fairfield, home of the Jelly Belly. We bought a pound each of Caramel Apple, Grape, Orange Juice, Red Apple and Watermelon for the trek to Loudon next week.

• Slept in a bit, still had time to hit Garden Court for breakfast and made it to Infineon to setup trackside.

• We'll be rolling at the checkers; almost 7 hours to L.A. Tuesday and Wednesday are going to be long hauls -- to Albuquerque and Kansas City -- so we're hoping for relatively traffic-free rides.

• Saw a lot of grapes -- photos, paintings, wine -- and thought a tattoo with grapes would be unique. Is there a way to make a grape "tough"? Maybe a grape vine around the bicep with a bunch of grapes hanging with a dagger through it? ... We're still kicking it around.

• Enjoy the race! Off-sequence pit strategy will be a factor; these guys are going to gamble ...

Day 16 -- Saturday, June 20

• Walking around Infineon Raceway is pretty cool. The atmosphere is unique, in a good way. Tailgating is like any other track -- but the food is different; first time I've seen artichokes and wine served from the back of a pickup.

• A lot of drivers are saying the same things: Get the best finish possible and let's move on to Loudon. (These are the guys who are Chase contenders but not necessarily those who enjoy road-course racing.)

• Here's the thing about the 'road course in the Chase' argument: If a majority of the drivers (or, more specifically, a few of those considered "voices of the garage") wanted a road course in the playoffs, NASCAR could make it happen. Alas, there is no outcry for it and thus not included.

• A lot of attention on Juan Montoya this weekend. Don't overlook Robby Gordon; he's my pick to click on Sunday. Don't fall into the road-ringers hole, either; just not gonna happen for one of those guys during the course of 110 laps.

Day 15 -- Friday, June 19

• Sonoma! We stayed up all night, walked out of the Peppermill in Reno with house money and drove into the valley mid-morning.

• Slim Jims are tasty at 4:30 a.m. They taste better with OJ rather than Coke; the fizz just doesn't mix well.

• In the end, salted cashews are in a class by themselves. Head to head with peanuts, there is no comparison. I ate two tins of cashews on the drive over. ... Gonna pay for that later tonight, no doubt.

• Off to the track; no lunch from a paper sack today. We're looking for something local, something to eat with a real fork, spoon and / or knife.

Day 14 -- Thursday, June 18

• Sunrise in the valley is Zen-like, if I were Buddhist.

• Breakfast: Mickey D's bacon, egg and cheese biscuit with hash browns and a Coke.

• Hitting I-80 again this a.m. And while we've been singing this song for two weeks (it's Track 1 on the CD), today we trek through Winnemucca, Nev.!

I've Been Everywhere

I was totin' my pack along the long dusty Winnemucca road,
When along came a semi with a high an' canvas-covered load.
"If you're goin' to Winnemucca, Mack, with me you can ride."
And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside.
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand.
And I said, "Listen, I've traveled every road in this here land!"

I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

I've been to:
Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota,
Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota,
Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma,
Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma,
Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo,
Tocapillo, Baranquilla, and Perdilla, I'm a killer.

I've been to:
Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana,
Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana,
Monterey, Faraday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa,
Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa,
Tennessee, Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake,
Grand Lake, Devils Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete's sake.

I've been to:
Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika,
Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica,
Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport,
Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport,
Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina,
Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean-a.

I've been to:
Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado,
Ellisburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, Eldorado,
Larimore, Admore, Haverstraw, Chatanika,
Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika,
Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City,
Sioux City, Cedar City, Dodge City, what a pity.

• The National Automobile Museum is really cool; the current featured exhibit is famous movie cars. There's also a shop in the museum where they work on the vehicles.

Day 13 -- Wednesday, June 17

• Actually slept in a little longer than expected this a.m. Trekking from Iowa to Colorado ... I cannot imagine walking that back in the day.

• Bounded up I-25 to Cheyenne, Wyo., to check out the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum and pay tribute to Lane Frost; my 14-year-old son is named after the rodeo cowboy.

• It's about six hours from Cheyenne to Salt Lake City, so mid-afternoon arrival is now the target.

• Ten years after my first trip to Salt Lake City, it remains just as beautiful. Two words: Antelope Island.

• Also played putt-putt golf today. Eighteen holes, 48 strokes!

• We're headed to Red Rock Brewing Company to sample some of the local hops-based beverages.

• Geeked up for tomorrow's stop: Reno -- visiting the National Automobile Museum and then rolling the dice!

Day 12 -- Tuesday, June 16

• Today is going to be a hike -- almost 13 hours to Denver, with stops in Omaha (shout out to the Southern Miss team for making the College World Series!) and Lincoln, Neb. Lunch will be at Gorat's Steakhouse; highly recommended as a true locals joint.

• Iowa Speedway in Newton is just off I-80. Rusty Wallace has built a jewel! I can only imagine how hoppin' this place will be Aug. 1.

• Small world: Nate Teut is from Newton; he pitched for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, the Cubs' Class AA team, in 2000 (11-6, 3.06 ERA) when I worked for the local newspaper.

• Pit stop in Kearney, Neb. Less than two hours west of Lincoln, the town touts itself as the halfway point between Boston and San Francisco. OK, that's random but good to know.

• Still on track to be at Coors Field in time for first pitch -- Rays-Rox with a couple of plus-4 ERA guys. Can't be more offensive than Artie Lange on Joe Buck Live on HBO last night ...

• Made it to Denver and ultimately the ballpark with minutes to spare. Snagged a couple of tickets ... and now looking forward to relaxing for a few hours. It's been a long day but totally worth the effort.

• Wednesday will be a drive in the park, by comparison -- only eight hours from Denver to Salt Lake City. We'll be looking at the Mormon Tabernacle by noon (and asleep well before sunset)!

Day 11 -- Monday, June 15

Marla Collins

• Checked our fuel gauge before heading out; good thing -- there was a wreck leaving the track.

• En route to Dyersville, Iowa, today. It's about 7½ hours from Brooklyn to D'ville, so we stopped overnight in Gary, Ind. We'll be rolling for about five hours today, which will give us time to play on the Field of Dreams before nightfall!

• Rolling through Chicago on I-90 brings back memories of watching WGN as a kid. Hearing Harry Caray, Jack Brickhouse and Steve Stone from the Friendly Confines was 1B to hearing Ernie Johnson and Skip Caray on TBS. Two totally different broadcasts but similar just the same.

• "Jo-dee, Jo-deeee Davis" ... and whatever happened to Marla Collins?

• We'll be back in Chicago in a couple of weeks. Double-dip: Cubs-Braves on July 8; ChiSox-Indians on July 9. If the Bears were playing the Chiefs we'd have the Native American trifecta.

• We're playing a name game: Name a celebrity, and the other guy has to name one whose first name starts with the same letter as the previous celeb's last name. (Al Pacino; Phil Mickelson; Megan Fox ... lame, we know -- but it's been a long 11 days.)

• Lunch in Freeport, Ill., at Diamond Dave's Taco Company -- c'mon, with a name like that, you've just gotta stop! ... Who knew? Freeport is home to Little Cubs Field and Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal).

• The Field of Dreams is really cool. People from across the land are here for one purpose: to play ball. Ten years after the movie, the field hasn't changed much. (We didn't hear any ghostly voices and Shoeless Joe Jackson didn't saunter out of the corn, either.) But I did play catch and wished my dad could have been here ...

• Imagine that, in the middle of the Midwest fields: the National Farm Toy Museum. And you thought the Field of Dreams was the only thing in Dyersville, Iowa (besides corn).

Day 10 -- Sunday, June 14

• Race day at Michigan! Time to walk the campgrounds to see what's shaking ...

• A lot of Roush fans here; Junior Nation may get a run for its money today (but really, when there are five RFR drivers vs. one Junior, who really wins?).

• I wonder what Bill Weber will look up so that we won't have to? Enjoy the race, folks ...

Day 9 -- Saturday, June 13

• Sunrise in the Irish Hills ... a lot of open space interrupted by clumps of trees. Just not that hilly, so it seems. It is cloudy, though.

• WOW! Brooklyn is home to Vivian Kellogg of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (from the movie, A League of Their Own with Tom Hanks' now famous line: "There's no crying in baseball."). She made $75 per week during her career for the Minneapolis Millerettes and Fort Wayne Daisies.

• Couple of Cup Series practices and the Truck race today ... then, what? Maybe we'll catch a movie tonight; The Hangover sounds apropos.

• Congrats to first-time winner Colin Braun, who won the Truck Series race to give Roush Racing its 50th victory in the series.

Day 8 -- Friday, June 12

• We were up-and-at-'em early. It's about an hour from Detroit to Ann Arbor, home of the "Big House" -- 106,201-seat Michigan Stadium, which oddly enough Ohio State holds the deed to.

• Never fails: Cracker Barrel chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, dumplings and cornbread taste the same in Ann Arbor as they do at Exit 44 in I-20 in Lithia Springs, Ga. That's a good thing; you always know what you're gonna get at Cracker Barrel. (Yes, chicken-fried steak for breakfast; habits are hard to break.)

• We're here for the Hands-On Museum. Where else can you stick your hand into a tornado and not be blown to Oz?!

• Lunch will have more of a local flavor. Asking around to find a hole-in-the-wall joint where we can graze ...

• Brooklyn is a village, split in half by Highway 50. Hmm, School Street -- wonder what's at the end of that road? I have Alice Cooper ringing in my ears "School's out for summer!"

Day 7 -- Thursday, June 11

• Next stop: Detroit Rock City -- but first, a couple detours. (Hey, it's only a three-hour trip around Lake Erie ...)

• Grabbed a chili on chips, fried pickles and a couple of hot dogs at Tony Packo's on Front Street in Toledo.

• We've been joking a lot on the trip about getting a tattoo. Seems almost every downtown we're rolled through has a tat parlor. ... I'm thinking Woody Woodpecker, holding a steering wheel. Maybe Tigger with a checkered flag. We'll see ...

• OK, so Grosse Pointe Blank is a cool film (John Cusak is one of my all-time faves). Outside of Detroit is Grosse Point, along Lake St. Clair. Road trip! ... Um, yeah -- the film wasn't shot in Grosse Pointe (or neighboring Grosse Pointe Farms or Grosse Pointe Park). I had to check Wikipedia; sure enough, "Large portions of the film were shot in Monrovia, California." ... We'll be in L.A. in two weeks. Road trip!

• Headed over to Hitsville, U.S.A. -- the Motown Historical Museum.

Day 6 -- Wednesday, June 10

• From what I've seen, if there is a hall of fame that NASCAR's will most likely mirror it's the Rock & Roll HOF in Cleveland. More so than any other hall, you can feel this hall breathing. It has life. It has motion. If Winston Kelley & Co. at the NASCAR Hall capture this feeling ...

• Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum looks a lot like Tony Stewart's garage (video). Cars here, there and everywhere! Included in the collection: 1981 DMC-12 Coupe, the first DeLorean produced.

• Bumper sticker of the day: "Hang up and drive!"

• One rolling stop en route to dinner: Lake View Cemetery to see the gravesites of Eliot Ness, leader of "The Untouchables," James Garfield and John D. Rockefeller.

• Starvin' like Marvin, it's time to graze! Cleveland ChopHouse & Brewery -- jumbo onion rings for an appetizer, then Porterhouse with bourbon sauce and bourbon steak butter with an American Pale Ale.

• Thursday's going to be a good day -- first stop is the answer to a M*A*S*H trivia question: Klinger's favorite hot dog joint is ... ?

Day 5 -- Tuesday, June 9

• Breakfast at Pamela's in the Strip District: brown sugar pancakes with home fries, sausage and OJ.

• Canton is about two hours away; full day -- Pro Football Hall of Fame and a moment with Munson ...

• Tucked away under the leafy branches of age-old trees is the grave of a childhood hero. Thurman Munson died in a plane crash on Aug. 2, 1979. I still remember the ABC telecast of the Yankees-Orioles game and Bobby Murcer coming up big as New York won its first game without "The Captain." My first trip to Sunset Hills was somber; the emotions of seeing the site are as real today as they were then.

• It's about time somebody came up with a flat-proof tire! Spent too long on the side of I-77; felt like we were pitting Denny Hamlin.

• If you've never been to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton -- make time. It's not that you necessarily have to be a football fan; sports fans in general will love the history of this place! Much like the Baseball HOF, this joint drips with history. The relics are one-of-a-kind and the smell ... it sticks with you. It's like Lombardi, Nitschke and Starr are standing right there, ready to whip Halas, Butkus and Sayers!

Hanging in Canton for the evening, then off to Cleveland in the a.m.

Day 4 -- Monday, June 8

• And we're rolling. First stop today: State College (maybe Joe Pa will give us the nickel tour of Happy Valley! Probably not ...).

• Alto's for lunch (Meatball Parmesan and a thin crust pizza -- yeah, we're hungry). Penn State should make the joint must-eats for recruits; they'd never leave!

On the road to Pittsburgh ...

• Rolled through Altoona and into Pittsburgh; we hit Point State Park upon arrival. This is where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River. The fountain is spectacular.

The Bucos are in Atlanta so all we can do is gaze at PNC Park. Hands-down, it's the best place to watch a big-league ballgame.

Tuesday we're off to Canton, Ohio, to pay tribute to "The Captain." Hard to believe it's been 30 years ...

Day 3 -- Sunday, June 7

• Breakfast at Miss Celie's: egg and cheese on Texas toast with bacon and sausage plus buttermilk pancakes and apple juice. Just like mama cooks ...

• It's race day in the Poconos! The "Tricky Triangle." The 2.5-mile track that hosts 1,000 miles of Sprint Cup racing within in two months' time. To put that into perspective, we've traveled about 850 miles from Atlanta to Long Pond the past two days.

Long Pond, Pa., is located in Monroe County, named after President James Monroe; I grew up in Monroe County, Miss., also named after the fifth president.

• Off to catch Marc Fein and talk baseball before he hits the air during the countdown to green -- and grab a pretzel with mustard. After that, it's the first of six weeks with Bill Weber & Co. Enjoy ...

Day 2 -- Saturday, June 6

• Wanting to get a jump on the day we left Roanoke about 4 a.m.; the chickens asked us to close the door on our way out.

We hit I-81 and headed north through Virginia and into Harrisonburg -- hometown to Ralph Sampson (can I get a Wah-hoo-wah!?) -- and also saw James Madison U. The Blue Ridge Mountains are beautiful, too. We grabbed a bite to eat and kept rolling; today was another 400-plus mile jaunt, so yellow-line fever was setting in.

• Hagerstown, Md., is pretty cool. Some intersections have brick crosswalks; kinda old-timey. More cities should do that. And we did stop to see the Heiskell weathervane.

• The Hagerstown Suns played host to the Lake County Captains and it was Matt Cain Hall of Fame Night (and the team wore pink jerseys for a charity auction). Fans received a statue of Matt, who pitched in a whopping 14 games with a sterling 4-4 record for H'town in 2003. Guess it's kinda like getting a diploma from Florida -- just ride through Gainesville with a window down and they'll toss in a sheepskin ...

• After the game we headed for Pennsylvania with a stop in Harrisburg; Lond Pond is another two hours away and we'll talk about wishing we could listen to Harry Kalas on the Phillies broadcast.

Day 1 -- Friday, June 5

• Hey Mama, the Harold's Barbecue was great; we were stuck in traffic outside Spaghetti Junction, so there was plenty of time to stuff our bellies! Best bumper sticker: "Driver Carries No Ca$h. He's Married" -- anyone who can't relate to that?

The ride through Georgia was good (gas is still too high!) and we rolled into Spartanburg about noon so we stopped at Big Daddy's Drive-In for lunch. I was thinking burger and fries but went for the bacon and egg sandwich, home-cut fries, side of slaw and banana pudding. (The pudding reminded me of granny's. I still miss her Sunday dinners.)

• We got into Charlotte about 3 and stopped at the Hall of Fame construction site. ... It'll be interesting to see how that thing shapes up. There were a lot of worker bees banging on stuff and it seems to be on track for the May 2010 opening. We'll see ...

• Rolled up I-77, through Statesville, and into Virginia and we saw the exit for Blacksburg but didn't have time to stop. Wonder if Beamer has 'em hitting the pads yet? Once we got into Roanoke it was already after 8 so we grabbed a hotel room and caught up on e-mail. We missed the deadline for getting into the Crime Scene Mystery Dinner Theatre; definitely will add travel time in the future to ensure getting to be part of that.