beyond the dogpark - outline Chapter 3:  The Grand Beginning
May 24 - June 12, 2002
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beyond the dogpark Eager to explore the mountains, forests, glaciers and canyons to the west, I travel quickly between my planned stops in the eastern States.  A friend joins Griffin and me for several days as we attend a multicultural arts festival in North Carolina and then head to Nashville to take in the local music.

Outside of Nashville, Griffin and I enjoy our first overnight stay at a Wal-Mart, where we learn the etiquette involved in taking up the retail giant on their open-lot camping policy.  We head north to hike among the sand dunes of Indiana's shoreline and later I squash an impressive ant invasion on The Chief.

I visit my brother Doug in Chicago and attend a neighborhood party where people inquire skeptically about the RV parked outside.  Doug and his wife are friendly with all but one neighbor and accordingly we assure all but one person that The Chief will soon move on.  My stay in Chicago ends soon after I am invited to a special "hashing run" that weekend in Denver.  I describe the good-natured practice of hashing to Doug and I set out for Colorado.
all materials (c) 2003, Paul A. Brown