With an hour to decide to go halfway across the U.S. and back in a week, we set off to gather a rental car and there we were once again on the road back to the west coast. Three packed in a four seat sedan, we packed in all we could leaving most of our stuff behind and rushing off down the road. After a long haul through the night, I found myself once again in the bright city of Vegas. Upon our arrival into the city we drove straight to the Hard Rock Cafe where the next Furthur show was held. Making my way around the casino I was on the lookout for a miracle ticket with no luck until I met Madia, who already had a ticket but found a miracle ticket for me.
Grateful for the kindness, we made our way inside "The Joint" where Furthur kicked it off with China Cat Sunflower followed quickly by a New Minglewood Blues with a western twist. The first set kept the crowd going with more great tunes including Cosmic Charlie, Like a Rolling Stone, and a Casey Jones to finish it off. As the strings of reality began to warp, the second set began with an epic Viola Lee Blues sandwich that will never be forgotten. Between the lights and the people, I danced my ass off all night, glad to have made it back furthur west one last time.
After a short night in a Vegas hotel, we quickly made our way to Los Angeles, to the Greek Theater, a venue located in a fantastic park in the city. Beginning the set with The Music Never Stopped, we kept the music going through out the two days while spending more time with new friends Madia and Dan. After Madia got me a ticket at The Joint in Vegas, I picked on the banjo at the Theater for a miracle ticket and was able to get her inside this show.
Interesting how what goes around comes around. Making our way to Monerey, Ca, we set up on Shakedown Street selling merchandise at the Monterey Fairgrounds. When the second night came around, the security decided to shutdown the Shakedown lot, not knowing how the crowd would react. Soon enough people set up merchandise everywhere on the street outside of the fairgrounds and in the CVS parking lot across the street, with too many people rallied together for the police to do much about it. Spending the weekend with another traveler, Paula, and Krista and Troy, we set off with our goodbyes back on the long haul to Colorado as we only had a few days until Harvest Festival began in Arkansas.
Back in Colorado a week later, we dropped the rental off at the airport, and piled into my two seat truck off on the road to the Spring. Luckily I was able to pick up a $500 check from working a temporary roofing job in the Colorado Springs that I worked for a week which helped make my way to southeast Kansas. This was where the trip originally began for Krista and myself as she convinced me to join her after busking in front of her tye-dye tent in Denver. In Winfied, we stayed at Kyle and Jan's house, great friends from the Walnut Valley festival and set off again. Never have I done as much driving in one week as I did then from Colorado to California, back to Colorado, to Kansas, and then to Arkansas. Harvest Festival begins tommorrow and I can't be any more ready for more bluegrass before I make my way back to Georgia.
