The Prison Tour continues: USP Leavenworth, KS

Former home of such notables as Machine Gun Kelly, Bugsy Moran, James Earl Ray, Carl Panzram, and Michael Vick.

We didn't really mean to go on a prison tour, it just sort of happened that way.

The only good reason to be awake in Denver at 5am....

Off to Topeka.

Room 423, Clarion Inn, Denver

Yes, it's in a neighborhood where babies are probably found in dumpsters with alarming frequency, but this low-rent Clarion Inn does have the finest example of a toweligami elephant that I have ever seen.

Gates Hall, Newman Center, U of CO, Denver

Beautiful. The debate was held in another hall in this complex a couple of nights back. You may have heard. :)

This is the most secure prison in the world

Jon and I detoured way out of our way today in order to drive past AdMax Florence: America's parking place for super-criminals. The Unabomber is in there, as well as Ramzi Youssef, the Shoebomber, the Olympic bomber, Terry Nichols, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.... It was kind cool. And scary. All our modern monsters huddled in one grim lockdown.

Boulder, Colorado

This is the lovely Macky Auditorium where we had a great sold-out show tonight. And this is a recreation of me trying to change channels using my travel toothbrush case, something that actually happened a few minutes ago. I think I'm getting tired.  I met a lady named Ellen Gilly(?) who said she and her husband John knew you guys. Goodnight, Mom n Dad. Love y'all. Off to the Springs tomorrow.

Jon and I, Pearl St., Boulder, CO

Driving Pueblo ---> Ft. Collins

Passing Denver's Mile-High Stadium. On the other side of this barricade is Obama's motorcade as he arrives for the debate. Which it's why we are stuck in this traffic. :(  Forgive my brevity: "things shifted during flight" and now I think my little notebook's power supply is kerflooey. May have to ask advice when I get back, Pops.  Love you guys.  Hug Mitch for me.

Flew Durango ---> Denver, now driving Denver ---> Pueblo

The mountain bristling with dishes and antennae is Cheyenne Mountain. I believe that is where Matthew Broderick saved the world by playing tic-tac-toe, if I remember my bible correctly.

View from rm 105 Rochester Inn, Durango, CO.

A cute l'il B&B. I hate cute l'il B&Bs.... Off to the Springs!

Scenes from Durango, CO: I

Performers are treated very well in Colorado.

Leaving El Paso, 5:45 am

Corey is already asleep. Our GPS took us to an empty field adjacent to the runway across from the terminal we needed to be about mile distant and told us to park and walk. Seriously.

View from room 821, the El Paso Doubletree Inn

The clustered vista of low dwellings crouched below the mountains in the distance is the evil, beating heart of Ciudad Juarez: the most dangerous city in the world. Not only has it been for years the epicenter of a monstrous violent clash between the largest and most ruthless Mexican drug cartels -at it's peak in 2010, there were 3115 cartel-related homicides, many complete with the signature decapitation and rolling of severed heads into places of business as a warning- but it is also the home of the world's current most prolific known serial killer, who has murdered at least 500, and possibly up to 2000, women since 1993 and is still going strong. Not going there. Jon wants to, of course.

Room 406, Baymont Inn & Suites, Conroe, TX

I cannot recommend the Baymont, to be perfectly honest.  Nor Conroe, now that I think about it.  In fact, I cannot recommend Texas in general. It is the asshole of America writ large. All that is the very worst of our American character blown up to hubristic, Wagnerian proportions.

Well, I've had better starts to trips....

Actually, a lot of people don't know that Texas briefly incarcerates all out-of-state visitors just to "...larn 'em not to start any funny business..." I think it's in their constitution.

Houston looms before us...

And we're going to drive right past it to an even MORE conservative place: Conroe. I swear, it always rains in Houston.

Let him out!

Don't know what this building in Covington is....

...but it's awesome.

In Jasper, IN, I had a view of the county jail. In Covington, I had a view of the Ohio River and the Great American Ball Park

Go figure. Off to Cincinnati Airport, which is -as you know- the only airport in a different state than the city it's named after.

Mama T's in Jasper, IN

I know Mama T. This meal was no Mama T's...     :(

Bowling Green, KY

I ate at the Shrine to the Square Burger last night. Pops, I garnered cheap applause by referencing your matriculation. They cheered you roundly. Love y'all!

Was going to get you one of these, Pop

...but they didn't have your size. Drove to Bowling Green and naturally hotel rooms weren't ready. So we stalled at a local super-giant flea market. Would rather have napped.

Landed in Nashville....

...driving to Bowling Green. Go, WKY!

Question, dear Mom....

I am off to Bowling Green tomorrow...not Lexington. Do you know, Mom, if pothos is a plant you can take cuttings and put them in water and start new plants? It's growing like crazy; wouldn't mind having more of them. Love you guys.

If it says Gold Star Chili...

...then it must be the Cincinnati airport. Last night's show was in Big Rapids, flew out of Grand Rapids way too early, now cooling heels and trying to get back to dc. Love you guys.