Category: The Moosilauke Letters

WikieupArizonaJune  2018 It is 103°.  We are driving US-93 in Arizona, 23 minutes south of Wikieup, the self-proclaimed rattlesnake capital of Arizona. At last count, 350 people live in Wikieup.  Or maybe it is 133 people.  Another source lists the population as 108.  Or it might be 190.  One source counts 6363 residents, but I… Continue reading Snoopy!

select U S statesFebruary  2018 Look.  I ordered a pair of Wranglers online.  They were distributed out of El Paso, Texas and then shipped to Albuquerque, New Mexico.  From there, they traveled to Hodgkins, Illinois, Saint Louis, Missouri and Youngstown, Ohio.  They were finally delivered to me in Pittsburgh. One of the challenges of traveling… Continue reading Travel by Jeans

United States of America2024 chickens     1 500 000 000 pelicans     250 000 cows     71 160 000 pigs     75 000 000 deer     36 000 000 pet cats     58 000 000 self-sufficient feral cats    30 000 000 ~ 100 000 000 dogs     89 700 000 prairie dogs     10… Continue reading How Many Live Here?

New MexicoJuly  2013 I don’t remember how I first came to know about our next destination but as soon as I learned about this rock, I knew I needed to be here.  Look at this thing! I mean, look at it! This is Shiprock.  Shiprock is magical, or at least it is sacred.  Legends abound. … Continue reading Shiprock

Center of the WorldOhioJanuary  2018 Center of the World is a town in Ohio.  The best part of this town is the sign you see in the photograph. Of itself, it is the lone tourist attraction, and unless you live here, pretty much the only attraction. In 1845 Randall Wilmot, a bit of an eccentric,… Continue reading The Center of it All III

RugbySouth DakotaMay  2015 If you’ve got a thing, there must be a center of that thing.  Right?  North America is a thing so it must have a center.  Have you heard of the “Center of North America?”  If so, you may have heard something about Rugby, North Dakota.  It’s a thing. Rugby, in north central… Continue reading The Center of It All II

Belle FourcheSouth DakotaMay  2015 Highpointers find great value in lists.  I mean, how else do you keep track of the number of state high points you have summited.  Highpointers, I surmise, are somewhat compulsive, goal oriented, slightly geeky and fact/trivia-oriented.  So not only do we seek high points and keep track of them, but some… Continue reading The Center of It All I

Frick ParkPittsburghAugust  2014

Pinkham NotchNew Hampshire1990 “Marc, Mark.”  Sounds like a dog with a hairlip. Leaving My MarcAfter a visit with Marc, my brother from different mothers, I take off for a visit to my parents, including my real mother.  I’m leaving my Marc. Leaving My MarkMy parents would sometimes enjoy their summers on the side of Okemo… Continue reading Leaving My Marc/Leaving My Mark

Pittsburgh and environsall the time There are 27 columns in my Pennsylvania Series.  We have visited all of these marvelous places of interest on the way to, or from, various hikes.  These are some of our experiences while hiking in and near the Burgh. There is no better way to capture the essence, the spirit… Continue reading Pennsylvania Series:  Yins Comin’ Dahn?