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roachboy · 04-28-2007, 08:22 AM

well, i would go here no matter what. it has nothing to do with your planned route but it justifies the detour through its lovely lovely massiveness and the barely contained lunacy beneath...in fact, i think i will go here...wait, this is not about me....ok so:

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attra...ARforever.html

this place is just crazy--huge too: the kinda thing that makes you wish that america was still understood as a place full of cranks and prophets and other weirdos and not this stifling empire of donnareeds.

if you need persuading as to the mystical value of this place, there is a film called "mana beyond belief"--which is amazing once you get by the ultra-cheesy introduction--that has footage of the forevertron.

this place is off 80 in nebraska and is probably one of the 2 or 3 stupidest roadside places i have been to. you can buy little flamingoes made from pipe cleaners and dreid cowshit there. these things really help you think about the relations of production:

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/NENORftcody.html

this is north of route 66, but not terribly far: i would consider going here just to stand on it:

http://www.utah.com/playgrounds/four_corners.htm

i understand there is supposed to be 1 square mile of virgin prarie left and it is in southeastern kansas:

http://www.nps.gov/tapr/

rt 66 will take you through barstow, where there is nothing--but you could get ahold of harry partch's piece "barstow" the words for which are transcribed graffiti from beneath a bridge where partch was hitch-hiking in the mid 1940s....and it is a cool piece--you can spin it as you drive through scenic barstow, and it will give a lilt to your thinking "there is nothing here..absolutely fucking nothing."--you'd be wrong about the nothing ness, but it probably wont matter. death valley in august. yum.

i suspect you already know about this website, but in case you dont:

http://www.historic66.com/description/

any righteous roadtrip requires that attention be paid to the soundtrack.
here are some suggestions:

harry smith's anthology of american folk music
kraftwerk: autobahn
alan lamb: night passage
let me know and i can help you build a suitably unnerving audio environment...

since you'll be Out There during the summer, it is Reasonable (maybe even Meet) that you would listen to am radio from time to time, particularly at night, and particularly to any of these:

1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 and 1490 kHz

which are the "graveyard frquencies" on which no stations of over 1000 watts operate. crazy stuff. they're the kind of thing that helps you be of a mind such that when you look up into the night sky, you see an enormous hole.

spiritual preparations would have to include watching terence malick's "badlands," "in cold blood" and episodes of the old tv series "route 66" so that you, too, can know what is being talked about when it is suggested that you get your kicks on route 66.

04-28-2007, 08:22 AM	#9 (permalink)
roachboy Super Moderator Location: essex ma	well, i would go here no matter what. it has nothing to do with your planned route but it justifies the detour through its lovely lovely massiveness and the barely contained lunacy beneath...in fact, i think i will go here...wait, this is not about me....ok so: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attra...ARforever.html this place is just crazy--huge too: the kinda thing that makes you wish that america was still understood as a place full of cranks and prophets and other weirdos and not this stifling empire of donnareeds. if you need persuading as to the mystical value of this place, there is a film called "mana beyond belief"--which is amazing once you get by the ultra-cheesy introduction--that has footage of the forevertron. this place is off 80 in nebraska and is probably one of the 2 or 3 stupidest roadside places i have been to. you can buy little flamingoes made from pipe cleaners and dreid cowshit there. these things really help you think about the relations of production: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/NENORftcody.html this is north of route 66, but not terribly far: i would consider going here just to stand on it: http://www.utah.com/playgrounds/four_corners.htm i understand there is supposed to be 1 square mile of virgin prarie left and it is in southeastern kansas: http://www.nps.gov/tapr/ rt 66 will take you through barstow, where there is nothing--but you could get ahold of harry partch's piece "barstow" the words for which are transcribed graffiti from beneath a bridge where partch was hitch-hiking in the mid 1940s....and it is a cool piece--you can spin it as you drive through scenic barstow, and it will give a lilt to your thinking "there is nothing here..absolutely fucking nothing."--you'd be wrong about the nothing ness, but it probably wont matter. death valley in august. yum. i suspect you already know about this website, but in case you dont: http://www.historic66.com/description/ any righteous roadtrip requires that attention be paid to the soundtrack. here are some suggestions: harry smith's anthology of american folk music kraftwerk: autobahn alan lamb: night passage let me know and i can help you build a suitably unnerving audio environment... since you'll be Out There during the summer, it is Reasonable (maybe even Meet) that you would listen to am radio from time to time, particularly at night, and particularly to any of these: 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 and 1490 kHz which are the "graveyard frquencies" on which no stations of over 1000 watts operate. crazy stuff. they're the kind of thing that helps you be of a mind such that when you look up into the night sky, you see an enormous hole. spiritual preparations would have to include watching terence malick's "badlands," "in cold blood" and episodes of the old tv series "route 66" so that you, too, can know what is being talked about when it is suggested that you get your kicks on route 66. __________________ a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite Last edited by roachboy; 04-28-2007 at 08:29 AM..