cross country travels part two Oregon to DC 2016

after spending a month
in Medford Oregon
we felt that it was time

to resume our epic
cross country trek
to discover America
in the summer of 2016

we plotted our course
through the Eastern Oregon desert
across Idaho
then on to Wyoming

the Grand Tetons
Yellowstone
And the great west
Beckoning us

Traveling through America's neglected
Heartland across the great outback
Trump country

We soon left behind
Southern Oregon
Entering the high desert wastelands
Of the Eastern Oregon outback

Soon civilization faded
The rural backlands grew
All around us
Neglected backwaters

We drove for miles
Across the empty landscape
Seeing few people
Traveling down the highway

We drove through one town
After another
Nothing burger towns
No gas, no service
Nothing there at all

We drove through wagon tire
An old ghost town
I last visited in1975
On a journey with my father

Nothing there any more
Other than a sign board
A town lost in time
And space

We stopped for the night
In Burns Oregon
Population 4,000 people
A big town in those parts

Had dinner
Went to bed
Next morning started again
Noticing in the morning papers

Trump was in town
Thought about going
To his rally
But decided to keep going

Trump would follow us
That summer
Appearing everywhere
Stalking us

We drove all day
Finally entered Idaho
Spent the night
In a nameless town
The waitress had been
In Korea teaching English

Was friendly to us
Served us dinner
With a smile

Drove on through Idaho
Through wind rock canyon
And other nameless towns
Stopping off at the Potato museum

Spent the night
Next day
Drove to the Grand Tetons
Spend four days

In the grand Tetons
Hiking each day
Did a bus tour
Of Yellowstone

Saw the wildlife
Bisson, deer, elk, moose
Prairie dogs
Yellowstone canyon
The mountains

Next day
Almost ran into a Grizzly bear
On the trail
But turned back

Then drove on
Heading to the Devil's tower
Finally pulling in late in the day
Saw Devil's tower

The prairie dogs were cute
Saw more deer, and elk
Kept going

Miles later we finally reached
Rapid City
Spent the night at an airbase
Realized that there was nothing
In Rapid city nowhere

Saw Mt. Rushmore
Drove about
Walked about
Had lunch

Drove through the badlands
Next day drove through South Dakota
Hot, dry, dusty as hell
Through the Sioux badlands

Got into Sioux city
Another town
That was being hyped
As the next in thing

Not too impressed
More hype than hip
Had a nice dinner
And slept

Next day we drove on
Eventually entering Minnesota
Spend the night there

In Minneapolis
Drove through nice place
But perhaps not for us

Stopped off in Madison
Felt at home
Kind of a midwestern Berkeley vibe
Last time I had been there

Drove on to Milwaukie
Stopped off
at the Harley Davidson museum
had a beer

on to Chicago land
spent two days
driving about
checking it out

Felt like a real city
Sort of like my sort of town
Big, wild, with soul

On ward to Ohio
Through Illinois- Indiana
Finally spend the night
Outside of Columbus

Another Trump town
Driving all though the day
Ending up in Pittsburgh
Saw a couple of museums

Drove on down to DC
Where we finally stopped
Our epic cross county journey
In The summer of 2016