North America Guitar Tour

Berthoud

June 25, 2014

When I say that a miraculous journey begins, I don't mean that my guitar skills will improve dramatically or that I'll have more money, but rather that it's all about the connections between people, so it may not seem like a big deal to others. And it was Berthoud where that connection began.

I had only stopped in Denver as a stopover when I went to work on the West Coast during my time in Boston in 1981, and this was my first time in the city itself. It is located at a higher altitude than Albuquerque, the previous city, and the weather was very comfortable as expected. According to the navigation system, it was only two hours from Colorado Springs, where I stayed the day before, which was quite close considering the distance I had traveled up to that point. Since I was passing through downtown Denver, I expected it to be a little crowded, so I checked out of the motel after 8 o'clock and headed further north.

There was no congestion around downtown, and I arrived at Chuck's house almost as planned. There was a table with a parasol in front of the house, and Chuck and a young woman were sitting there, and I joined them. The young woman was Chuck's daughter, Angela. Soon, it started to rain lightly, so we went inside the house, but it stopped in the evening, and we sat at the table outside again. Passersby stopped by to chat, and we enjoyed the neighborly friendship that we hadn't experienced in a long time.

To promote evening gig, we went to a nearby liquor store with my guitar, and I played a few songs on the spot. Of course, the clerk knew Chuck. Unfortunately, he had to work the store, so he couldn't come to the evening house concert, but he waived the cigarette money as an appreciation for playing.

Many of Chuck's friends and acquaintances came to the evening house concert, and the atmosphere was calm and peaceful because the audience was older. By this time, I had become comfortable speaking English, so we talked a lot at the concert. When I asked about the loud train whistles I had heard during the day, I was told that they keep blowing when they pass through the city, and if you encounter one at a railroad crossing, you have to wait for nearly 10 minutes.

After the live, Chuck asked me if I was going to Detroit. I replied that I was going, but didn't have any plans to meet anyone in particular. He said that I could just drop by his mother, who lives there. We calculated the approximate dates for passing through the area, and decide the rest in conversation with his mother. Since my results so far have not been that great, I am very grateful that my schedule is now filled in.

Chuck and Renee (left) / Angela (right)

*People in the text are listed by their initials until we can confirm their identity.

To Colorado (beginning of Miracle) • Supporter's Area • Denver

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