LFS: The Storyteller

©2013 Text & Photos by LeeZard Monday September 16 – Rapid City South Dakota-Sheridan, Wyoming Wow, I can’t believe I am heading for Sheridan, WY, my last “official” destination. I wrote from Rawlins, WY very early in my journey but I will break with my “rule” of not repeating for a couple of reasons. Frankly, when I hit Rawlins in July, I wasn’t at the top of my game. I’d just escaped my horrible adventure in Yellowstone National Park and had driven a long way. I stayed only one night and interviewed a small number of people. Their stories were valid and I wrote a short piece. So, Wyoming gets a second, and deeper look – a good thing, as it turns out. In a way, it is unfortunate that Sheridan will mark the end of my search for The New America. In a perfect world, I would’ve headed south, then west from New York City for a longer drive home through vastly different cultures and economies. Ben Stiller’s 1994 flick “Reality Bites” comes to mind, though, becaus...

Friday August 30 – Cooperstown, NY-Fredonia, NY I wish I could stay in Cooperstown longer. My half-day at the Baseball Hall of Fame was merely a tease but there’s more to this place than just the HOF. First of all, it is simply a beautiful village in a magical forest setting. The people in this tourist town are very friendly and it seems more sincere than a plastic “buy my stuff” kind of friendly. Then there is the history. Judge William Cooper founded the village in 1786. His sixth child, James Fenimore Cooper, is generally considered America’s first great novelist. He is best known for the classic Last of the Mohicans. Finally, there is the Stagecoach Coffee House and Roastery. A small, family-run business, it is by far one of the best coffee houses I’ve visited in more than 6,000 miles (so far). Alas, I must leave to focus on my primary mission and so I hit the road for my next stop, Fredonia, NY. Before leaving Cooperstown, however, I drop a resume off at the Hal...