North America Guitar Tour
Tampa 2 Days
July 15-16, 2014
The navigation system said it would take 8 hours from Roswell, Georgia to Tampa, Florida, so if I hesitated, I would end up repeating the same mistake as Redding. I headed south without looking back. In fact, when this trip was decided, I had received quite a few inquiries from Florida, but since it was summer vacation season, I couldn't agree on a date, and nothing was decided except for Tampa. It would be a shame to come this far and not go to Miami, so I vaguely thought about going Tampa → Miami → Orlando, when I remembered that actress O, who appeared in the play "Ninjin" in which I played the guitar in the late 1980s, was in Florida and that I had been connected to on Facebook. I immediately contacted her at a rest area just before Florida, and she replied that she was in Orlando. I asked her is she was available three days from today, assuming I would be in Tampa for two days and Miami for one day, and she said she couldn't make it that day, but she could manage the next day. Since I had already decided on South Carolina, the next stop after Florida, I worked backwards and found that if I left on the evening of the second day in Orlando, I would still be able to make it. So we decided to go for tea. However, the first day in Miami or Orlando was still undecided.
As soon as I entered Florida, I was hit by heavy rain, with visibility at one point being less than 10 meters. Some cars were driving at about 50 km/h, even though the speed limit is 120 km/h, so I turned off the background music on my iPod touch and concentrated on driving. Thanks to this, the countless bugs that had been stuck to the front grill were completely washed away. The video below was taken when I still had time to drive while filming with one hand.
By the time I got out of the heavy rain, it was already starting to get dark, and my plan to arrive in the evening was already impossible. I contacted Bob, who would be taking care of me that day, and told him that I would arrive around 9 o'clock, and he kindly replied that he would cook dinner and wait for me, so I should take my time. I somehow managed to arrive before 9 o'clock, and it was a high-end housing complex with a security gate just before entering the premises, just like in San Antonio.
The meal was salmon on top of what seemed to be Thai rice. The salmon was okay, but the rice was uncooked that I had to chew it hard. I didn't want to be stingy with such a generous favor, so I tried my best to finish it while making crunching noises. When asked if I wanted more, I answered, "I'm full." In fact, if you eat slowly, you can fill your stomach even if you don't eat a lot.
In Tampa, all I had decided was to stay at Bob's house, and I didn't have any plans to play. Bob's house was a mansion that was just as luxurious as San Antonio's, and I couldn't visit all the rooms even after two days. All the AV equipment, from the stereo to the TV, was Sony. I knew from conversations with the people I had met so far that Japanese products were highly trusted in cars and home appliances, but in reality, it's safe to say that they are by far the best. I only played a few one-on-one in a room surrounded by Sony products.
The next day, I spent a relaxing time walking around the lake (not a pond, but a lake) on the premises and shopping for dinner that day. The promenade around the lake is less than a meter above the lake surface, but there are signs warning of alligators in many places. Needless to say, I walked with all my attention on the lake surface, with mixed feelings of wanting to see them but not wanting to encounter them, just like the tornado in Oklahoma. There was also a car repair shop on the premises of the supermarket where we went shopping, so I stopped by to get the oil changed, but they said that if I go to a designated repair shop, they will do it for free if you rent a car. The car wasn't particularly in bad shape, so I decided to pass it up this time.
While shopping at the supermarket, I casually asked what the menu was for that day, and it turned out that he was cooking white rice. So I offered to cook it for him today. However, it was difficult to control the heat on the electronic cooker, and it ended up being like porridge, so I convinced himself that it would be easier on our stomach.
One room in the mansion had something like a studio, with several pop art paintings hanging there. Apparently Bob's hobbies are playing guitar and painting. I really liked this painting.
The morning of the third day was the morning of farewell. Sadly, as always, I left Bob's house, heading for Miami, where I had no plans.
*People who appear in the text are listed by their initials until we can confirm their identity.
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