The title of this eighth production is AMERICA'S HEARTLAND, capturing the highlights of a loop trip that began and ended in Bismarck North Dakota. This is the true fly over zone where few venture unless they have relatives or business meetings in the larger cities.
I planned a trip that no exotic traveler would ever conceive, following the great US 83 south through South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and the Texas Panhandle. Then I cut east through Oklahoma City and Tulsa, which the hotel bellman designated as "The Buckle in the Bible Belt." Actually, Tulsa had lots of great art deco architecture, and yes, Baptist churches. It is a brilliant red state, but also the birthplace of Mickey Mantle. I subsequently turned northward through jazz-fested Kansas City and on up through Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. I saw the Fargo Red Hawks play the Joliet Jackhammers on July 4th and visited the grave of Roger Maris. Finally, I had to venture into the flatlands to see the infamous town of Zap, North Dakota, where post-Woodstock hippies invaded a farmer's acreage for a weekend way back in 1969. It was very quiet.
