Someone in Alaska told me that from top to bottom, Alaska spans from Duluth, MN to Austin, TX. Talk about vastness! And one more AK fact I heard that stuck with me: if the population to square miles ratio of Alaska was applied to Manhattan, there would be 9 people on the island. Imagine that. I’ve been back in NY for six weeks and I’m still wrapping my head around that notion. From 8 million down to a singular 9! Anyway, after we left Hope, AK, we motored back to Anchorage for some adventuring before heading north to the Denali Park entrance, where we played a lovely show, and then up to Fairbanks. In Fairbanks I met more soulmates than I thought I ever had, and was immediately adopted by the kindness of the Footes and the Judkins… maybe the best doctor/artists/nurse/music leftbrained meets the rightbrained and found perfect balance sort of people you could imagine. We journeyed on into Denali Park for the Kantishna music festival. Tim Easton’s wife, Katie, and I had the good fortune of riding this little plane into the park.

Kantishna Air Taxi

and within minutes we could see Denali in the distance. We actually got so close that I began to think of stories about planes crashing into mountains, and I had never really wrapped my head around that possibility before.

View of Denali from the plane

That photo reminds me of cookies and cream. Anyway, when we arrived in Kantishna, which is at the end of the only real road going through Denali Park (mile 92), we arrived at Camp Happy and lived happily ever after in the bliss of a music festival in the middle of nowhere with bears as potential audience members.

The festival was magical and beautiful, and even a little bit wild. Imagine that! We drove out of the park with the Footes and the Judkins and saw not one but seven grizzly bears, a moose drinking at Wonder Lake, and a Caribou crossing the street.

And with that, it was time to head to Portland. At least I didn’t have to return to NY just yet. I stayed in Portland visiting my family there and falling harder than ever for my nephew Arthur.

I also got to spend time making music with my new friend I met in AK who lives in Portland named Dylan Lee Johnston. We made songs and ran with a bunch of great artisan Portlanders, including a friend who seemed to have a lot of old BMW’s on his farm.

Then it was good-bye Portland, hello Brooklyn. No offense to Brooklyn. But everything is so close together. A little shocking.

But there is hope! Tim Easton and I will be hitting the road again in November! This is where we’ll be:

11.01.12 Asheville, NC Grey Eagle
11.02.12 Atlanta, GA Eddie’s Attic
11.05.12 Arlington, VA Iota Club
11.07.12 Philadelphia, PA North Star
11.08.12 NYC, DIRTY BIRD DOWNTOWN
11.09.12 Brooklyn, NY Rock Shop
11.10.12 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe
11.12.12 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern
11.13.12 Chicago, IL Schuba’s Tavern
11.14.12 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway
11.15.12 Little Rock, AR White Water Tavern
11.16.12 Denton, TX Dan’s Silver Leaf
11.17.12 Austin, TX Frank
11.21.12 Columbus, OH Bluestone
11.23.12 Columbus, OH : The Spikedrivers annual post turkey day drink a thon: DICK’S DEN
11.24 + 11.25. 12 Worthington, OH: Natalie’s Coal Fired Pizza: “OUT OF OUR TREE”

and “OUT OF OUR TREE” officially will be launched in Feb 2013 but it’s what’s coming together out of the work Mr. Easton and I have been collaborating on (that’s a sneak preview) We do have a FB page, you can find it here

thanks for reading! peace! mp