Gone Fishin’

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Ok, Ok, I’m not technically going fishing, per se, but I’m going to be on vacation for the next three weeks so you may or may not see any new posts showing up before I get back. It all depends on whether I have any rainy days or other down time which would allow me to crank out some stuff while I’m gone.

This vacation is certainly well-timed. I know I haven’t done a progress update in a little while, but a week ago at the driving range, I hit a shot, got into my follow-through and immediately felt something blow right along my ribs on my side (kind of more toward my back). It felt like someone sticking a knife between my ribs. Right now, coughing is very painful and sneezing makes me want to cry.

It’s not a back problem or anything like that (I’ve dealt with a herniated disk in the past), so I’m assuming it’s some kind of pulled muscle that just needs rest. Oddly, it doesn’t hurt to walk, sit, drive, or anything like that. So, at least I’ll be able to enjoy the next few weeks.

Healthy or not, I wasn’t planning on playing any golf the next few weeks anyway. I’m headed out on the open road for an epic road trip. On a similar trip in 2008, I only managed to play one round of golf and get to the driving range once, so I think I’m going to leave my clubs home altogether this time and just step away from everything for the whole three weeks. Physically, I need to recuperate and mentally, I can certainly use the break.

I’m leaving New Jersey early Saturday morning and headed through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, down to New Mexico and back, Nebraska, and then back from whence I came.

I’ll be hitting several of the major sites along the way: Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park. I’ll also be visiting an eclectic mix of other places. For instance, how can I pass through Iowa without seeing the Field of Dreams? I’m going to try and make a stop at the Minuteman Missile National Historical Site in South Dakota. A missile silo? You’re on drugs if you think I’m going to pass up visiting a missile silo.

I’ll be driving the Beartooth Highway, recognized as possibly the most scenic byway in the country. I’ll make a stop by the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. How’s this one: I’m going to head down to New Mexico to visit the town where they filmed Red Dawn. WOLVERINES! I might even stop by the set where they filmed Dances with Wolves in South Dakota (the Fort Hayes location).

That’s not enough to fill three weeks! So, I’ll take a day hike in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area in Montana (to Mystic Lake – maybe I actually will do a little fishing there). I’ll drive to the top of Pike’s Peak, ride the 1880 Train in South Dakota, and stop and see the Little Big Horn National Monument. I might even see the Cody Stampede Rodeo in Wyoming. Then, of course, there’s Triple-A baseball in Salt Lake City, Pictograph State Park near Billings, Montana, and the Strategic Air & Space museum in Nebraska.

And I’ll spend a lot of time staring out the window admiring the awe-inspiring scenery that the United States has to offer. Now, we’re talking.

Anyway, hold down the fort for the next three weeks and I’ll be back and all recharged. Hopefully this rib thing heals by then because I’m already missing playing golf and it’s only been a week. By the end of three more weeks, my hands are going to be shaking from withdrawal. I’ve been making nice progress too, but it’s going to have to wait a little longer.