AWS
Custom Accessory Maker & Retired PM Staff
"Ghost Dancing" is a 1975 Ford Van that was used by William Least Heat Moon (William Trogdon) on his 13,000 mile circumnavigation of the United States traveling almost the whole way on state and county one and two lane roads. Chronicling the people and places along the way in his book "Blue Highways" considered a pretty decent piece of contemporary American literature. Ghost Dancing is housed at the University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archeology and can be viewed by appointment.
On paper maps secondary roads were designated in blue, hence the name "Blue Highways". Places like the ghost town of Hatchita, NM (oldest continuously held liquor licenced bar in NM}, Whynot Mississippi, and Why AZ were visited. My favorite quote "NE Minnesota, the only place in the US mosquitos can pierce stone".
I was living in a tent in northern MN and WI running traplines, hunting, fishing and building a retirement home for my parents when the book was gifted to me by a friend. Since then I've built two vans, a Chevy Astro van, disappointing POS but I suffered through 100,000 miles with it and knew what I needed. The second was The Van 2009 Ford E-150 with 3/4-1 ton running gear and Posi-traction. I bought it the year I retired, fitted out the back and the first trip was back to WI to bury my dad. Some years I spent up to 6 months living out of it. Great rig I never had to go to a restaurant for meals, find a camp grounds, just hunt or fish all day, crawl in the back and crash for the night, no setting up camp at night or tearing down in the morning. It made hunting different states quite inexpensive, really not much more than living at home. Sad to see it go.
And now you know the rest of the story.
Free campsite near Ely, NV
Oh, there is another book by WLHM called "River Horse" (Nikawa in the Osage language) that chronicles travels by water from NY harbor to mouth of the Columbia River at Astoria, OR. I liked it but not as good for me as "Blue Highways".
On paper maps secondary roads were designated in blue, hence the name "Blue Highways". Places like the ghost town of Hatchita, NM (oldest continuously held liquor licenced bar in NM}, Whynot Mississippi, and Why AZ were visited. My favorite quote "NE Minnesota, the only place in the US mosquitos can pierce stone".
I was living in a tent in northern MN and WI running traplines, hunting, fishing and building a retirement home for my parents when the book was gifted to me by a friend. Since then I've built two vans, a Chevy Astro van, disappointing POS but I suffered through 100,000 miles with it and knew what I needed. The second was The Van 2009 Ford E-150 with 3/4-1 ton running gear and Posi-traction. I bought it the year I retired, fitted out the back and the first trip was back to WI to bury my dad. Some years I spent up to 6 months living out of it. Great rig I never had to go to a restaurant for meals, find a camp grounds, just hunt or fish all day, crawl in the back and crash for the night, no setting up camp at night or tearing down in the morning. It made hunting different states quite inexpensive, really not much more than living at home. Sad to see it go.
And now you know the rest of the story.
Free campsite near Ely, NV
Oh, there is another book by WLHM called "River Horse" (Nikawa in the Osage language) that chronicles travels by water from NY harbor to mouth of the Columbia River at Astoria, OR. I liked it but not as good for me as "Blue Highways".
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