Day 21 – 7/19 – Walcott to West Branch, IA – 33 miles
William Henry Harrison’s tomb sits within a towering edifice, perched atop a hill, visible from throughout the valley below. By contrast, Herbert Hoover’s, along with that of his beloved Lou, rests at ground level, surrounded by nature, obscured within the larger park preserving his childhood home and presidential library. There’s something appropriate to that juxtaposition. […]
Day 20 – 7/18 – Davenport to Walcott, IA – 16 miles
As I grapple with my Americanness, one of the Manichean struggles centers on our tendency towards excessiveness, grandiosity, and gluttony. In so many regards, my lifestyle runs oppositional to those habits. I live within my means; keep my footprint small; tend–in most cases–towards the understated. When I see others engaging in such practices on an […]