North America Guitar Tour
To Tucson
June 22, 2014
I left late at night so I didn't get caught in traffic and drove while still basking in the afterglow of the party. As I left the city, the wind became lukewarm. After about four hours, I started to feel hungry and sleepy at the same time, so I went into a rest area and had rice balls with seasoned rice individually wrapped in aluminum foil, pickled turnips and carrots, pickled daikon radish, kinpira burdock, and edamame. According to the ranking of foods I don't like, the shiitake mushrooms that were the champion of the east, and the kinpira burdock are in the top 5 ranking, but perhaps because I ate the warm and considerate food of Mr. and Mrs. T and their friends in an empty rest area, it was so delicious that I cried. It was probably fortunate that I couldn't see well in the dark. By the way, the champion of the west is celery.
When the sun rose, the world was brown as far as the eye could see. The first few times, I was impressed every time a new view opened up, but if it was repeated forever, I gradually got bored. Although I left with plenty of time, I wanted to avoid a repeat of Redding incident. I didn't pay any attention to the scenery and just held the wheel. However, on the way, I realized that I didn't remember the name or contact information of the person I was supposed to meet in Tucson, so I found a Mac sign and searched YouTube, Facebook, email, etc. on my MacBook Pro, but I couldn't find it. I reached a point where I would arrive at around 3 o'clock if I continued on, but I was so busy searching for people in Tucson that I didn't even notice that I had passed Phoenix, famous for Glen Campbell's song.
When I got to about an hour left, my cell phone rang, and when I answered it, it was someone named G who found out that I was heading to Tucson on YouTube or Facebook. He said that he lives just before Tucson from the Phoenix direction, so if you have time, please stop by. I explained that I was in a situation where I couldn't contact the person I was supposed to meet in Tucson at all, and decided to head there for the time being. I put the address that was sent to my iPhone on the map, drove according to the navigation instructions, and arrived at the person's house. Since I said I was going, I had to go to Tucson, so I explained that I could only stay for about an hour. When I went inside, the woman next door, who had heard that I was coming, was there. Mr. G had been watching my YouTube videos, and seemed very happy to see me playing the guitar in front of them. The woman next door was also quiet at first, but she quickly opened up and said that it was her first time talking to a Japanese person. I played for about 30 to 40 minutes in response to requests while enjoying a cold drink, and then borrowed Wi-Fi on the spot and started looking for the person from Tucson again, but I couldn't find him.
It wasn't a strikeout like Redding's, but I guess it was like I got a strike with a foul. I arrived in Tucson around 6 o'clock, but at this point I had already given up on the plan for that night, so I found a suitable motel and checked in. There was a Denny's next door, so I took a shower and headed to get something to eat, and an old man cleaning near the entrance started talking to me in Spanish. When I told him in English that I don't speak Spanish, he seemed a little surprised and asked me, "Why?" I don't understand Spanish for no reason. However, when I saw my face reflected in the glass at the entrance, I understood. I used to open the windows and not use the air conditioner as much as possible while driving to save gas, but because of that, my skin was golden brown (especially the left half). I remembered that when I visited California in 1979 or 1980, I came close to the Mexican border and realized that I didn't have my passport, so I turned back, but I was stopped by the highway patrol and treated as an illegal immigrant. At that time, I avoided the trouble by lifting my shorts to show my untanned skin. It seems that I become Mexican when I get a tan.
Denny's had a menu with low portions and low prices that only people over 55 could order. The Mr. lady-like waiter believed me I was over 55, but in the future, I think it would be better to bring my passport with me just in case. The cleaning man spoke to me in Spanish on the way back.
*The people appearing in this article have been given their initials until their identities can be confirmed.
Contents
Introduction
Until Departure
Seattle
To California
Day Off
Sunnyvale
To La
LA 2 Days
To Tucson
Albuquerque
To Colorado (beginning of Miracle)
Berthoud
Denver
to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City 2 days
To Texas
San Antonio
Georgetown
Dallas
Houston 2 Days
Benton
Nashville (CAAS)
Roswell
Tampa 2 Days
Miami
Orland 2 Days
Myrtle Beach
Chapel Hill 3 Days
Kingsport
To Indiana
Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Festival
To Staten Island
Manhattan
Phillipsburg
Nazareth (Martin Guitar Factory)
To Massachusetts (end of Miracle)
Methuen
To Montreal
To Buffalo
Meadvill A Day Before
Meadvill Ghost Hotel
Detroit
Chicago
Minneapolice
Spin Off #1
Spin Off #2 "EU Tour IN 2008 / Until Departure
Czech 1
Czech 2
London
Liverpool
Chesham
To Germany
Lemgo
Ingolstadt
Bregenz
To Italy
Florence
The Last Gig
Going Home