Something we learn in perusing this beautiful map of the great American travel fiction: no one has ever written a great road novel about passing through Arkansas. That's an artifact of how the genre is constructed: Lonesome Dove has a story arc that starts there, but it was excluded as apparently too much a work of fiction and too little a fictionalized account of an actual journey that the author took (e.g. On the Road, which was included and certainly could not be omitted from the genre).
Also, apropos of the last post, it doesn't appear that any of them are about Route 66, "The Mother Road." The iconic "Chicago to Los Angeles" route has apparently never prompted a great travel novel of this particular genre. The Grapes of Wrath is, I suppose, like Lonesome Dove too removed from the parameters of the genre. But I'd have expected one from the glory years of the Mother Road, when Bugs Bunny could joke about 'taking a left turn at Albuquerque' and Snoopy could have a brother in Needles and everyone reading a newspaper from coast to coast would know what they were talking about.
Oh yeah! No destination in mind, a good motorcycle and a bedroll and tent, and enough coffee makings so even a dry camp is OK in the morning.
ReplyDeleteThe only downside on a bike is that it is difficult to carry a rifle and a guitar.
Route wise it is hard to find anything better for the soul than the back-roads of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
I've been thinking about that rifle issue myself. I've never much liked handguns -- I hardly see the point in carrying a handgun smaller than a .357 Magnum or .45 Long Colt, as anything else is less effective at the range at which they'd be accurate than a knife or a baseball bat. A good rifle is really handy, however. You'd need a rifle scabbard that was tough enough to prevent theft, and capable of locking for the same reason. I don't like hard-sided anything, but a scabbard made out of heavy ballistic cloth could be resistant to being cut open (the straps would have to be, too, or you'd have to chain it to the bike). Don't know of anything like that.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really want is something like this, but completely enclosing the rifle, lockable, and heavy enough that people can't just cut it open and take the rifle.
ReplyDeleteThere are few options that are short enough to fit in a saddlebag-and then there is not an advertisement for thieves.
ReplyDelete18" double barreled shotgun, broken down- I seriously considered this after being rousted out of my tent one night in Montana with a big griz running around the camp. My .357 felt about as effective as a Red Ryder BB gun.
A Marlin lever action converted to take-down by someone like Wild West Guns in Alaska. $$$ But really nice!
An AK underfolder. If you accidentally run into a illicit operation in the hills this could be useful. (My plan is to act harmless and leave gently and quickly...)
I mean, you can break down a short-barreled AR with a folding stock easily enough. If you have hard sided cases, that might work. I like leather bags, myself, but I can see it.
ReplyDeleteGrim, although we have never met, I have this image of a guy who would be happy armed with a Colt single action army in .45 and a lever action carbine to match. At least on this continent.
ReplyDeleteThat's more or less exactly what I keep with me.
ReplyDeleteHa! you probably have a Hawkin in .58 and a Sharps buffalo rifle in the corner too...
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