On the Road With Lolita

A view from Furnace Creek Ranch

2006-10-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

To the right you see a picture taken during sunset on Thursday evening. The view is gorgeous, and I was really impressed by the variety of landscapes that I saw. The roads I drove are the ones that Humbert would have driven, and so these are the scenes he would have viewed as well.

Staying at a "swank" hotel

2006-10-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

Lolita would approve. Because of some flight problems, I am staying at the Grand Hyatt in Dallas, TX. Although I am not happy to be in the land of TO, I am glad to finally be IN a hotel room and have eaten a proper meal. It's a beautiful hotel, and the room is the best I've stayed in during my research trips. I also had room service, or as it's called here, private dining. I just didn't want to go downstairs to the restaurant - or whatever they call it here.

So, it's been an adventure in CA/NV. I arrived Wed evening and stayed at the Excalibur in Vegas - there were some flight problems, which caused me to actually arrive SOONER in Vegas than I imagined, but also caused me to fly out of CVG and with a return to Dayton. Thankfully, today's flight problems took care of that, and I'll be back at CVG tomorrow. The Excalibur is where I stayed with my parents last time I was in Vegas. It's just an overwhelming experience to walk into a casino. Hard to explain, but there is a LOT of noise, lights, and general chaos. I must have looked lost as a woman asked, "Can I help you honey?" I would have preferred "young lady" as an address, but at least I didn't get the southern "ma'am."

After dropping stuff off at the hotel, I decided to wander. I wanted to goto Lance Burton's show, but it had already started. Eventually I found myself eating at the House of Blues - had a HUGE rack of ribs - and then at the Howie Mandel show. Some guy named Mendoza - I forget the first name - opened for him. It was fun. Although I really wanted to stay up late, I did try to get to bed at a decent hr - for Las Vegas.

The next morning I was off to Death Valley, CA. Before heading too far west, I picked up a six pack of WATER as I didn't want to break down and die of dehydration. It IS called Death Valley for a reason.

I took the shorter route - 190 to 160 or whatever it's called. It was through Pahrump? When I did hit the ranch I was a bit surprised at how bleak and desolate it seemed. I shouldn't have been surprised. And I should not have been shocked that my cell didn't work. I WAS surprised at no internet as it said on the Web site that there was internet. So here I was in the middle of the desert staying in a cabin much like what Humbert and Lolita would have stayed in back in 47 or 48 with no real amenities. Hmmmmmm... I truly was on the road with Lolita. On a sidenote, I forgot my copy of Lolita, which is the first time I've ever traveled without Lolita on a Lolita research trip. Oops.

Before I could check in, I had to kill a few hours, so I drove around for a bit. On the way in, I had stopped at Zabriskie Point, and of course I thought of Dave Z. To those of you NON-CYCLYING FANS, Dave Z. is one of the best cyclings in the world and one of the top time trialists in the world. I love that guy.

I also stopped off at the Visitor Center in Furnace Creek, which was a very good move as I picked up some books.

I did talk with a NPS ranger who told me I could speak with a woman, Blair, who is the curator for DVNM. I drove out to the station where she was located, and I got a chance to look at some materials in the library. I actually got a lot of information, which was great. I'm going to write her to see if I might get some more materials in the mail - such as old brochures, etc.

Dinner was at the Ranch at something called the Steakhouse Saloon? It was ok. I had a glass of wine - a Macmurray? Pinot Noir. After dinner, I went back to my room, did some writing, and watched some tv.

I got up pretty early - 6am - so I could go to Scotty's Castle, which was about an 1 hr drive from Furnace Creek. Breakfast was a buffet and it was disappointing.

The next morning I headed out very early for Scotty's Castle. I'll write about that soon, but I suppose I better post this before something happens to my computer and I lose everything I've typed!

Destination Death Valley

2006-10-11T23:46:00.000-07:00

So, I am writing this from my room in the Excalibur, where I'm spending the night before driving out to Death Valley, CA.

The scenery from the plane was all the cliches you can imagine - I remember the first time I saw landscape that looked like what you see in the western US; I was blown away because I had never seen anything like it in the East. It still impresses me. I saw snow-topped mountains. Although I didn't see THE Grand Canyon, I saw A canyon, and that was enough for me.

The strip itself and the casinos are full of energy and chaos. I really had that deer in the headlights look when I first walked into the Excalibur, but then you quickly become comfortable - even energized - by the environment.

I don't yet have any pictures to post, and I'm really too tired - it's nearly 3am Ohio time - to write much, but I wanted to be certain to "check in" here.

I had some initial travel problems with flight arrangements that had me leaving Dayton for CVG AFTER my CVG to Vegas flight would have departed. How does Expedia/Delta manage to accomplish that itinerary change?

Anyway, everything worked out if by "work out," you mean I left from CVG and return to Dayton.

More soon. I hope to have internet access from Furnace Creek.

Project Update

2006-08-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

I thought it was time to give a sense of where I am with this project. I've visited numerous places, taken a good number of photos, shot some video, spoke with too many people to name, written a lot, and really learned a great deal in the past few months.

Britt Carr at Miami is working on the technical aspects (FLASH programming, etc.) for the Web interface. We may have an image of an old Plymouth to use as the navigation window, but I still would like to get a 41 Plymouth...my own "Melmoth." I can't just use a picture from the Web because the image has to be taken from a certain angle to be useful on the site. So, if anyone has any contacts that might help, please contact me.

I sent off letters today to Mrs. Hastie, who was one of the Plantation owners at the time that VN visited. I hope she remembers his visit. I also sent a letter to Mr. Manny Hough thanking him and his crew there in Shakespeare for their help. There's so much more I'd like to share on this blog, but I am also aware that much of what I want to say will have a more appropriate venue on the actual formal Web site for the project. So, if there's a question you have, please let me know. I haven't made any earth-shattering discoveries about VN, but I believe I have uncovered some details that other scholars haven't. We'll see.

I've also really appreciated the support and interest of Mr. Dmitri Nabokov. I try to avoid bothering him too much, but there have been a few times when I've asked him about whether his father was in a particular place.

Otherwise, it's back to teaching for me, so less travel. I will be in Death Valley in October. I also need to apply for more funding for this coming summer.

Thank you for reading.

My day in Shakespeare, NM

2006-08-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

I have had the BEST day. Thanks to the folks at Shakespeare and in Lordsburg that have made this such a wonderful visit. The picture above is of Janaloo Hill Hough's final resting place and of the view she, Rita, and Frank have of their beloved Shakespeare.

I will post more about my visit, but I wanted to get these pictures up now.

Looking ahead to today, looking back to yesterday

2006-08-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

So, today I go into Shakespeare, NM. I am very excited about my visit. I just finished Janaloo Hill's piece on Russian Bill. I also emailed DN to ask whether his father ever mentioned Rita Hill. I'm a bit bummed that what I wrote last night didn't get posted, and it seems like the blog as a whole is acting up. Oh well. These entries are really just for friends/family to see what I'm up to and how I'm handling the project.

Last night at the rodeo was interesting as it was the first time I've attended a ranch rodeo and heard the word "rodeo" used as a very - as in "Ok, let's rodeo!" The Bay ranch took the first event - the name of which I can't recall - but it involved roping horses in a pen, saddling them up, mounting them simultaneously, and riding past a chalk line at the other end of the arena. I really wondered about the timekeeper as it just seemed like 1:50 was a bit too brief for what they did. The second event involved cutting and driving cattle. That was a huge challenge for some. Imagine about two dozen or so cattle, and you have to find the four that are marked with your number ("brand"), cut them, and drive them into a pen at the other end of the arena.

I feel like I should include a picture since last night's post was lost. So I will below:

Lost post from last night

2006-08-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am visiting a ghost town; I guess it makes sense that my post from last night would be a ghost. It even included a picture of the downtown area. Argh!

The Hidalgo County Fair and Rodeo

2006-08-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Oh,I should mention that I attended the fair tonight - 3 dollars to get in - bought a barbecue plate for 6 dollars (well spent money) - and saw some of the rodeo before worrying that the storm was going to hit and I'd get soaked.

Greetings from Tucson, AZ

2006-08-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

Just arrived in my hotel near the airport. Tomorrow I set out for Shakespeare, NM. It's about 150 miles east on I-10, which is not a highway Humbert would have had access to as it didn't exist. I wish I had some old maps of this area with me, but I never did manage to locate any. The traveling has been a bit tiring - it's almost 1am "my time" now, but at least I am here. No pictures yet.

I am a resident of two states

2006-08-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

How is this possible?
(There's also a hidden message)

Returned from Middlesboro, KY and Cumberland Gap, TN

2006-08-11T05:42:00.000-07:00

I did not have internet access for several days, so that's why there were no updates to this site while I was actually ON THE ROAD. Overall, it was a great trip, and the area really grew on me. That said, I came a day earlier than originally planned to save on costs, because I accomplished enough during my visit. Amazing what no internet access will do for you. I also managed to see WTC for $1.50, but that's another story.

The drive down to Middlesboro, KY was easy until I hit some storms and major traffic congestion about 30 miles from 25E. Old 25 would have been the road HH drove, and I was tempted to take 25E from Cincinnati to the area, but I knew that would add time to my trip. I also figured I'd get a taste of it once off I 75.

The hotel I stayed at, the Best Western, was ok. I wish it had internet access. The town is overrun with fast food establishments; I was looking for a local place where I could get something to eat. I settled on the Waffle King for dinner. It's probably a local chain, but it felt better than a Ryan's or a Pizza Hut or a McDonald's.

There's a lot to tell about the trip, but I'm a bit hungry now that I've started writing about food, so I'll end this here. I'll post a picture in a moment in another post. More soon!

Talking with Mr. Johnny Leach

2006-07-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

While at Magnolia Plantation, I had the opportunity to speak with someone who has been working on the Plantation for 58 years. On a hot, humid day, you would think that an 85 year old man, who claimed he was "retired," wouldn't be outside working, but he was - and looked more comfortable outside than I did!

Ms. Jane Taylor introduced me to Mr. Leach, and we talked about how the Plantation and Gardens had changed since the 1940s. Initially, Mr. Leach was shy and quiet, but the more I asked him about his work, the more animated he became. He explained to me that the Gardens today do look different than they did in the 1940s as things have become more overgrown and plants have been added, so that the Gardens can remain open all year . When HH and Lolita would have visited, the Gardens would have only been open for 3 months or so. He also explained that now they have machines to do things that were done by hand back then - when about 20 people worked the Plantation and Gardens.

There's more to this interview, but I just wanted to give a few details. Thank you to Mr. Leach for speaking with me.

Magnolia Plantation visit.... some thoughts...

2006-07-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

My internet connection here is SLOW and frustrating; I feel like I'm on dialup, so this may be brief.

Today I visited Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, which is mentioned extensively (as compared with other sites) in Lolita. It wasn't as productive a visit as I had hoped; they just don't have extensive accessible archives, but Ms. Jane Taylor was extremely generous with her time and did find some useful material. I'm hoping my visit tomorrow to the SC Historical Society produces some good material too.

What struck me today was my visit to the "antebelleum house," aka slave quarters. I heard a slave talk given by a member of the staff there. The focus of the talk was on how slaves were treated well at the Plantation. I kept hearing about how things were not as bad for slaves as people think, etc. The idea of the talk was to deal with some of the misconceptions regarding slavery. It really made me uncomfortable. Yes, there were all sorts of experiences for slaves, and we can't essentialize the experience of slavery, but at its heart, the idea of one human OWNING another is beyond repellent.

The idea, too, that the place where I was sitting was used as a home up until 15 years ago was also pretty shocking; these cabins, which were once homes for slaves then became homes for those living and working on the plantation. You can see the picture of the outside here, and I have ones from the inside as well. Maybe I'll post those later.

Anyway, I want to post this now since the internet connection is so slow. I'll try to post more later.

Putting it all together...

2006-07-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

Right now I am in my hotel room in Charleston, SC. I'll go to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens tomorrow, but this afternoon/evening, I plan to work on writing up some of the entries for my California trip. There is a lot of work to do - the visiting, research, and talking with folks are the esay parts of this project; the actual writing is the challenge. I'm working on mini-essays for each "stop" and also thinking about academic articles. I believe I mentioned the Mexico-Lolita idea earlier. At the moment I am working on the RLS site. I have a headache and would rather be having coffee in a nice coffeeshop, but free internet in the hotel is pretty good for now.

Tomorrow I should have some photos and info about my trip to the Plantation. I just hope the weather holds.

My California adventures...

2006-07-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

Just a few words on the experience of being here in CA. It's been a great trip, and I'm very thankful to the helpful folks I've met here.

My first stop, the Public Library, was an excellent destination and provided a lot of useful material. Even the midafternoon evacuation didn't slow me down. : )

My trip to Mission Dolores was productive; I have contact information - a business town until Monday, so I will perhaps try to reach him Monday before I leave - or just call once I'm back in OH. I took some video both in the Mission and in the cemetery. I also took some good shots at the site. I need to learn a bit more about the site in the 40s, but those questions might be answered by a book I purchased in the shop. I was interested to learn of the Mexico connection, which I think might be an avenue to pursue for an article.

At Russian Gulch, Tracy, the park ranger with whom I'd been in email contact, was very helpful to me in allowing me to look at the unit history that she kept - it wasn't too detailed, but it did have some fragments of material. I took some video both on the beach and up on the ridge overlooking the Pacific ocean. It's beautiful in Mendocino County. I've never seen anytihng quite like it. The "blow hole" was impressive - and the sign (pictured in another post) nearly scared me away.

At Mt. St. Helena, I did my research at Bothe Napa State Park - thanks to Linda Moran, who was in the visitor's center, and Eileen Bielecki, with whom I corresponded before visit. They were both very helpful to me. I bought a book by Ken Stanton and have his contact info, so I will try to call him soon. I also stopped by the Silverado Museum, where Mr. Reynolds is curator. Although I didn't learn anything period-specific, I did pick up a copy of the Silverado Squatters by RLS - and Mr. Reynolds kindly gave me a copy of his play.

So, tomorrow I leave for OH. I won't arrive until Tuesday, so I am not looking forward to the trip home - and then the drive from the airport to the house. Then I'm off on Th to Charleston, SC to see Magnolia Plantations.

Overall, I really enjoy this sort of research - it's challenging, because I'm following these various threads without necessarily knowing what I'm chasing. I'm looking forward to writing more and to seeing the results of my efforts on the Web site. I think Lolita readers will find the site useful - I know that I've learned a great deal already.

The top of Mount Saint Helena

2006-07-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I hiked Mt. St. Helena (helleena). The temperature was over 100 degrees - probably nearer to 110 - and the hike is about 5 miles up - the first mile or so I was on the trail near the RLS monument - but the rest is a dirt, fire road that is long, long, long with very little shade. Luckily, I ran into another hiker, Douglas, who had a lot of water with him - preparing for a trip to the Sierra Nevada range with his son. So, I had some company. There's more to share about the hike, but I just wanted to post a few pictures. These aren't necessarily Lolita-related - although I would guess that VN may have hiked the mountain in search of butterflies - we saw a few and my fellow hiker thought they were red admirals?

I will post a picture of the monument at some point; I want to save my best pictures for the official On the Road with Lolita site.

Russian Gulch State Park invites you ...

2006-07-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

or not.... This is the sign I encountered on the nature trail to the "blow-hole" overlook. I couldn't tell whether I was supposed to NOT follow the trail (stay back) or continue (how to survive). It was very misleading. I was particularly moved by the "Many have died here." Yikes. But I'm back in SF safely. More pictures soon.

Mission Dolores and Return to the SFPL

2006-07-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Right now I am blogging again from the History Center. I just can't seem to stay away from libraries.

This morning after having breakfast, I walked 17th street, with its 17.5% grade, to Mission Dolores. The post below re my trip is one I started while I was in a cafe:

Am at Café Trieste on Market Street. I went to Mission Dolores this morning after meeting Rich for breakfast at Zazie or whatever it’s called. It was about a 3 mile walk, so I was ready to eat when I got there. Now I am having a ham and cheese sandwich with a morning roll.

Mission Dolores is at the corner of 16^th and Dolores. The actual mission church is the smaller of the two structures – the basilica stands out most. After giving a five dollar donation, I enter the adobe church, which was not surprisingly very cool – four foot walls will do that. It kinda smells like poo in here for some reason. Ok, back to the Mission… I set up the video camera tripod and took one shot at getting the inside – it worked, I think. I’ll have to look at it later. I’m not sure how fast I can go, but I was nervous that someone would stop me.

Oh, before I forget, there’s a connection between the Mission and Mexico, which reminded me of HH’s dismissive comments re the Mexican trash in Charlotte’s home and Dolores being a product of their trip – Harold and Charlotte’s – to Mexico. I don’t think anyone has made this connection, so I really want to write something about that. But what to make of it?

So, the inside of the church is really impressive – particularly the reredos at the front and the mural on the side. I took a lot of photos but have no clue whether they’ll turn out ok. Then I went through the door to a breezeway – there’s a museum up on the left that has pretty interesting artifacts in it. I should have spent more time there. The most interesting part of my tour was going through the cemetery, which has a lot of impressive headstones and a beautiful garden – there are a ton of plants and such in there. I think VN would have been impressed had he visited. I took a LOT of photos in there, and I also did another round robin with the video camera. Again, I was feeling rushed because I was afraid someone would stop me. After spending a lot of time in the cemetery, I went in to the gift shop and proceeded to pick up as much as possible with Mission Dolores on it, including a wooden whistle with a train and Mission Dolores written on the side. Why a wooden whistle? Who knows? I also bought a Miraculous Medal for Mom. I’m wearing the one she got from Grandma. I almost got hit by a car last night right in front of the Mission – was crossing 16^th at Dolores, and I had the walk sign, but then I just stopped for some reason. This lady FLIES into the intersection and nearly hits me – she would have had I not stopped as she didn’t stop her car until it was where I would have been. That would have been nasty. The lady in the store was really nice and she even gave me a bottle of iced water for free! I thought that was cool.
And I did need the water.

So now that I've returned to "live blogging," I'll just say that I will post some pictures soon. I just haven't had the time to download them to the computer yet. I don't know if I'll be online tomorrow as I'm going to Russian Gulch State Park, but we'll see how it goes.

Visit to the San Francisco Public Library and a Mission Dolores tease

2006-07-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

Today I spent most of the day - 7 hrs - at the SFPL. I was working in the Government Information Center looking at materials related to the state parks. Then I spent most of the time in the San Francisco History Center. The first gentleman I spoke with wasn't very helpful - he was slightly helpful, so I'm justified in using "very" - but then I spoke with the woman who responded to my email queries, and she had a lot of ideas. I looked at some clippings files for Mission Dolores as well as some old San Francisco and Northern California tourist guides from the late 40s. She also suggested I stop by the AAA offices nearby, because there's an archive there. I think it's right on Van Ness as I recall seeing a very large AAA office on my walk down to Mission Dolores. By the time I got to Mission Dolores, it was closed, but I took some outside shots. The walk there was somewhat shady at times, but I felt reasonably safe. Carrying the video camera and digital camera and tripod made me feel a bit vulnerable, but the tripod's a definite weapon too.

Tomorrow's itinerary: back to the Mission!

Today's plans: San Francisco Public Library and Mission Dolores

2006-07-19T07:52:00.001-07:00

No pictures yet to share, sorry, but today I will be taking some, so I should have soemthing to show this evening. The weather here is cool, cloudy. I hope it does not rain - that could dampen my efforts to take pictures.

The history room is not open until 10am, and the library does not open until 9am, so I am just doing some research in the room here until about 8:30am.

Today's plans: San Francisco Public Library and Mission Dolores

2006-07-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

Back on the road; Destination: San Francisco, CA

2006-07-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

Today I am blogging from Dayton International Airport thanks to free internet.
I will be in the Bay area visiting three sites: Mt. St. Helena, Russian Gulch State Park, and Mission Dolores.

For some reason, Mission Dolores has not responded to multiple queries; perhaps they're embarassed by the association with the novel? I also noted a Mission Dolores in TX that I may have to check out if I have time -- but not today.

I've been working on the Mesker Zoo piece, and I'm still struggling to finish that, but plan to complete it by the end of July.

As I get some interesting pictures of my travels this time, I'll post them.

Thanks for checking in.

Project Update

2006-07-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of activity lately on this project, but I am trying to restrict the number of posts here. First, it looks like the interface for the Web site has been determined, and I'm very excited about this. Now, I just need to locate the right blue sedan. Second, I'm heading on the road now that our summer session has ended. I'll be visiting Mission Dolores, Russian Gulch State Park, and Mt. St. Helena next week; I'll be visiting Magnolia Gardens the following week.

I've also been working on the Mesker Zoo article; so far, it's coming along slowly. My goal is to complete that article this month and complete another article in August.

Thanks to everyone who has been helpful to me with this project; I really believe it will be an amazing thing once it's done.

That's not an aztec red convertible in the background

2006-06-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm back in OH, I can post some pictures. To the right is the Battle of Blue Licks monument mentioned in the novel. The entrance to the park is right off of 68, and my first thought was, this is a perfect stopping place for a pedophile. It has a remote feel to it. I was told that the foliage was not as developed in the late 1940s and that the property consisted of perhaps 11 acres, so it was a very different place than the resort park it is today.

I really enjoyed my visit - particularly to the Pioneer Museum, where I paid 2.40 more than Humbert paid for Lo.

gentile history?

2006-06-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

From the front page of my current location:
"You'll discover that classic elegance and southern charm are not just a part of our gentile history but rather a pleasant description of the facilities and services you'll find here."

GENTILE?

I'm wondering if it truly is a typo. Is there a phrase, "Churches nearby" in the description of the hotel in my AAA guide?

Destination: a granite obelisk in KY

2006-06-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

Today I drove from OH to The Battle of Blue Licks National Monument Park, which is in Mt. Olivet, KY near Maysville, KY, but NOT in Blue Licks, KY.

I should have pictures to post, but I thought I'd be able to insert the memory card into the computer - a computer engineer who shall remain nameless - he knows who he is - told me I could do so, even though I said I didn't think the card was the correct size for the slot. So, I left my usb cable at home. You'll have to wait for shots until I get back to OH.

The drive was beautiful - particularly 68 West and 460 West, which I took to get to Louisville. The roads undulated through some of the most beautiful countryside I've seen. The greens were incredible. It's so amazing when you note the different ways nature defines color. A box of crayolas doesn't adequately capture the experience, but it's probably the closest analogy I can make.

I wish I had more energy to type, but I am hungry so I will end this post quickly. I hope to post more about the trip later tonight.

Future Itinerary

2006-06-08T06:13:00.000-07:00

I will be visiting the following sites: The Battle of Blue Licks National Monument, Lincoln's birthplace, Mt. St. Helena, Mission Dolores, Russian Gulch State Park, and Magnolia Plantation. I hope to schedule my NM trip soon as well.

Once I'm on the road, the posts on this site will increase.

I also continue to think about how to organize and present my work both on the Web and through scholarly articles. Currently I am writing a piece that offers an argument about Mesker Zoo and the novel rather than merely telling the history of the zoo and its connection to Lolita. Once I have a formulated argument, I'll post something here.

Going back in time on Rt 50 East

2006-06-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

My trip to IN and back was a lot of fun and useful for my project. As I posted the other day, I wanted to take a road or two that HH might have driven, so I chose to head on 41 N. I need to learn a bit more about that road's history, but given what I saw along the road, I assume it was around in the late 40s in some form or other. I've been looking at ebay trying to locate old maps to help me pinpoint highways, etc. The picture here shows a place I saw along 50 East. I went back after passing it, because I thought it was a nifty shot. It's next to someone's house, so I felt a bit odd pulling in and taking the picture. Clearly this is a collector's display and not something that was there years ago.

Rt 50 is called the loneliest highway and I can understand why. I enjoyed the drive immensely and was often distracted by the beautiful scenery. I did become a tad nervous when I first was on 50 after being on 41, because I did not see anywhere to fill up my tank. I had less than 1/4 left, and I wanted to be sure that didn't become a concern. I stopped at a BP station near Washington, IN I believe.

Town names are fascinating as well. There's a lot of repetition from other states, so you get the sense that perhaps you've been to a place but of course you haven't. For example, I went through Salem, IN. Didn't see any witches though.

I almost stopped for a tour at Baden Springs, but I was cold, wearing shorts, and needed to keep moving. I didn't quite get to the new French Lick, IN hotel/casino. They were advertising on the radio for a big job fair to be there next week.

I'll post mileage, costs, etc. later. I just wanted to write a few thoughts and post this picture. I'll post another later. Thanks for checking in. b

Take 41 N to 50 E to 150 E to 56 W then head 56 E to 135 N to 50 E to 275 N to 75 N and what do you get?

2006-06-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

HOME.

I promise to write more about my drive tomorrow. Please check back. I'll post some interesting photos as well.

On the road again...

2006-06-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

Today I leave Evansville, IN. Rather than take the same roads back to OH, I'm going to head on 41 N and then onto RT 50 East. I'm choosing 41 N because I believe it would be the sort of road that HH would take. Given the order of sites in the novel, he probably headed north after the Zoo. I'll also try to take some pictures, but the weather may be uncooperative.

I can almost picture

2006-06-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Humbert Humbert peering down on Lolita and her coevals from this perspective.

Trying to impress the lady

2006-06-01T18:12:00.000-07:00

The peacocks pictured here provided quite a show right before I left the Mesker Zoo. I noticed that they both were displaying their feathers and prancing back and forth as well as ruffling some feathers at the base of te fan. Then I saw why: you can see (just barely) the presence of a female about 5 feet behind the peacock on the left. This part of the zoo had an exhibit that you could literally walk through - with only a wire fence on either side that would easily allow anyone to join the animals. After hearing the noises some peacocks were making up in the trees (I saw a peacock on top of a building earlier in the day), I don't think anyone would try such a thing as I assume the peacocks were sounding the alarm that I was walking along the Mesker-Zoo-sanctioned pathway.

I did not eat at a chain restaurant for dinner...

2006-06-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

instead I went to The Jungle Restaurant pictured to the right; it's located on Main Street. I cruised downtown taking pictures and passed the place (as well as some other restaurants). This seemed the most appealing perhaps because it reminds me of Jungle Jim's.

I visited Donna the Hippo today...

2006-06-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

at the Mesker Zoo. I also saw the infamous Monkey Ship, took lots of pictures, and accomplished some useful research in the education center thanks to the assistance of several staff members. Right now I am blogging from Panera, or I'd be uploading a teaser picture or two. I had a great day at the Zoo, and even if I weren't working, I would have enjoyed my visit. When I first arrived at 9am, the Zoo was empty and storms threatened. I took some quick pictures and video of the Monkey Ship and then went inside briefly before exploring the Zoo.

It was wild to feel like the only person at the Zoo (there were probably 3-5 people that I saw while walking around). The animals seemed calmer, and I felt as though I were intruding by looking at them. I was especially touched looking at the various primates.

I saw two hippos, lots of tortoises, some turtles, many birds (in the Kley building), two grey wolves, a tiger (who looked a bit cramped in his cage), horses, Axis deer, lemurs, gibbons (who were singing!!!), peacocks (more on them later), bald eagles, owls, snakes, frogs, bats, ostriches, other primates, and lots of things I'm probably forgetting.

When I took pictures of the Monkey Ship, no children were there, but it indeed is a bumper boat park for children. HH could look down from a slight hill overlooking the bumper boat park and hear the voices of children at play.

I'll do some driving around this evening, take some more pictures, and head out tomorrow morning. I may take Rt. 50 back, which means a longer trip, but I'm thinking it might be the sort of highway HH would drive. We'll see. More tonight.

I could be anywhere...

2006-06-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in a Panera, which has free WI-FI. I'm looking out on the corner of Burkhardt and Rt 66 (also known as the Lloyd Expressway). I can see a Staples, a McDonalds, a CVS, a Wal-Mart, and a Home Depot. If HH were writing his narrative today, what sorts of observations might he make about the generic quality of small cities such as Evansville, IN? This could be a corner almost anywhere in the US. What makes it unique? Nothing that I can see from my pov.

HH's "itinerary" has a Whitmanesque catalog-like quality to it that I love (although HH is no Whitman in his love for the US). Were he writing his narrative today, I think he'd talk about "thousands of McDonalds" rather than "thousands of Bear Creeks, Soda Springs, Painted Canyons" (157). There's something here that I want to write more about.

Is this a place where HH might stay?

2006-05-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the former Hotel McCurdy, which now is a retirement home. I took some pictures of the interior. I'm angry that I cropped the shot poorly, but the picture still gives you a good sense of what the place looks like. It overlooks Riverside Avenue and the river itself, so it was probably quite the swank hotel in its time. You can see old postcards of the hotel as well as the interior. I emailed the webmaster of the site I linked, and I hope he'll allow me to use some images on my site once I establish it. For now, this blog will be a tease/log of my travels and thoughts about the project.

Should you heed warnings from reference librarians?

2006-05-31T18:04:00.000-07:00

So, I was working at the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library this evening, and I started talking with the reference librarian who was helping me. I told him the area where I was staying, and he immediately began spinning tales of prostitution and drug busts. "Oh, you're staying on old Rt 41....that's the worst part of town....I'd be careful of what you do there...." I was waiting to be told, "Don't go out after dark," or "Be sure to pile some furniture against the door."

Well, I'm blogging from my hotel room, so it can't be that bad, right? I went to Los Bravos for dinner. It was nothing spectacular, but it was relatively cheap and fast. I'm sure I'll be hungry in 20 minutes.

Downtown Evansville

2006-05-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm here - in the Indiana Room of the public library. It is a beautiful facility - similar in style to a university library - that opened 2 years ago. I'm looking through clippings related to the Mesker Zoo and have found some interesting details - I'll probably wind up seeing some of the same materials when I visit the Zoo tomorrow.

I also stopped by the old Hotel McCurdy and took some pictures. I'll post one or two if I have a chance.

Inauspicious signs?

2006-05-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

As I was driving on Rt 71 South and then on Rt 64 W, I hit at least two butterflies (let's hope they were moths) - they were both black and tumbled to the roadway behind me as my car sped along. I'm wondering if they were Black Swallowtails. Regardless, it cannot be a good sign if I leave dead butterflies in my wake.

At least I'm in Evansville, IN. I'll head to the public library tonight and the zoo tomorrow. I'm very excited about the project. I also plan to check out the Hotel McCurdy if possible.

Overall, the drive was quick. I went from gently rolling hills to absolute plains here in Indiana. The landscape here is beautiful, but it also seems very much like what I've seen in PA in terms of the farms, etc... I did drive through part of Hoosier Forest and passed the Lincoln National Historic Site, which I may check out on the drive back.

Until my next post...

Destination: Evansville, IN and the Mesker Zoo

2006-05-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

Today will be my first attempt to document sites mentioned during Humbert Humbert's travels with Lolita.

I will be driving to see the "concrete replica of Christopher Columbus' flagship" (Lolita, 158) today. While in Evansville, I plan to visit the public library to look at old Evansville Courier and Evansville Press newspapers as well from the late 1940s and early 1950s. There's a great collection of picture postcards online related to Evansville. I emailed the owner of the cards/site with the hope that he will allow me to use some images on the Lolita site.

I'll post more from the road. Although I am taking a major highway there, I'll be doing a bit of driving around in the area to look for routes that HH and LH may have used as well. I'll also be looking for images related to the period as well. We'll see what I find!

Thinking about interface design

2006-05-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

So, I have an idea for two separate interfaces for On The Road With Lolita: one will be a standard e-text with hyperlinks and the other will be map-based.

The thing I need to consider more seriously is how the interfaces I create will offer a kind of argument about the novel. Web pages don't merely deliver information neutrally. Just as maps aren't neutral, Web pages aren't. So, what sort of arguments am I offer through this Web site? What am I suggesting is important about the novel by calling attention to these "sites"?

Mike gave me a great idea for using Google API for my maps, so I will probably do that.

On the Road With Lolita Web Project

2006-05-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

I have started this blog to record my work creating the On the Road With Lolita Web project.

Let me explain the project:

I will travel around the country to sites mentioned by Humbert in Nabokov's novel. I will create audio/video/still images of those sites during my visits. The object is to create a Web site, On the Road With Lolita, that will be useful/interesting/provocative to readers (students, teachers, etc.) of the novel. I will provide information about what the site was like in the 1940s when possible and will give a sense of what the site is now. The Web Project is being created as a means of helping me to think about how Nabokov imagines postwar American tourism.

When I am on the road, I will blog about my experiences here. Before that, I will blog about the process of creating the project.

Please email me (cotugnm@muohio.edu) with questions if you're interested in learning more.