Life happens to us, for us, and all around us. Sometimes things get a bit heavy, even overwhelming. It may ultimately be nothing we can’t handle, but that doesn’t change the sheer weight of it. Long ago I discovered that when faced with a tough assignment or tricky problem, if I just walk away for a while, I often return with a fresh perspective. But can one do that with life? Just walk away for a while? Sure, why not. So I decided to run away from home.

Sometime last year, I had begun toying with this idea to make a run to a city in the deep south with a rich history in Delta blues music. I tossed my idea to an old friend of mine who, like myself, is quite fond of the blues — indeed, of many genres of traditional American music — and he upped the ante by suggesting a road trip that would include three cities, each having its own part in the evolution of the blues. As time went on, we made our plans and, with a little help from our families, are now bringing those plans to fruition.

Matt and I have known each other for almost forty-five years now. We met in 1979 while at college, where we played in a band together, and our friendship grew from there. We attended each other’s weddings, rang in many new years together, started our respective families with in a year of each other, traveled together, etc. Our four children, two apiece, grew up to form lasting friendship bonds of their own. We’ve been though a lot over the decades, both highs and lows. This trip is gonna’ be an experience, no matter what happens.

Day one began with a drive to Dwight, Illinois for hearty breakfast at the Old Route 66 Family Restaurant, located on the southwest corner of Illinois Highway 17 and historic Old Route 66. After breakfast we went kitty corner to the Ambler/Becker Station, which was the last Texaco station operating on the Mother Road. After that, we got on Interstate 55 and headed for St. Louis, MO.

A little over three hours later, we had reached St. Louis and went directly to the National Blues Museum downtown. The museum’s three-dimensional sign is fashioned in the shape of a giant harmonica. Inside, a variety of informational and interactive exhibits convey the story of the blues, not just in this city but across America and abroad. These exhibits weave a story of the evolution of the blues, from its origins through the present day. Among the displays, I saw quite a few names with which I was familiar and quite a few that I did not know well, if at all.

One exhibit that caught my attention was a collection of 900 harmonicas donated by their owner, Jim McClarnes, a St. Louis harmonica player. It’s hard to miss 900 harmonicas arranged on a brick wall and taking up most of that wall’s height.

In all, Matt and I spent a couple of hours at the museum, reading, watching, listening, and talking, as we shared our own experiences and knowledge with each other. I’m glad he had suggested this museum as a stop on our road trip.

By mid-to-late afternoon, we were ready to eat again. As a late lunch/early supper, we selected Sugarfire Smokehouse, a local BBQ chain with a location right by the museum. I had a pulled pork sandwich, while Matt enjoyed some BBQ turkey. The meats and sides are well-prepared and quite tasty.

Once we had eaten our fill, it was time to go to our hotel. After we checked in, Matt and I walked down to the hotel bar for a bit of liquid refreshment before turning in to plan our next day (and so I could tell you about this one).

Next up… well, I’ll tell you about it in my next installment. As always, thanks for hanging with me.