Roots Rails & Rambles Roots Rails & Rambles

A Chronology

2003
FREDTRAIN
March 10-15, 2003, Toronto-Vancouver:
Fred Eaglesmith, Bobby Watt, Serena Ryder, Jimmy Ryan, Roger Marin, Willie P Bennett, Ian Tamblyn, Washboard Hank, D. Rangers, Carolyn Mark, Greg Hobbs.
Crew: Gary, Ramcey, Sarah, Charlie

Our first trip, in which we tried to make a dining car a Performance Car with decidedly mixed results.

2004
TOMTRAIN
April 1-5, 2004, Vancouver-Toronto:
Tom Russell, Andrew Hardin, Hot Club of Cow Town, Fats Kaplin, Kristi Rose.
Crew: Gary, Ramcey, Patrick, Sarah, Charlie

In which a film crew was aboard to catch a trip grounded in the Heart of Darkness. Our first trip with #1750, the Canadian Performance Car!

FREDTRAIN 2
April 6-10, 2004, Toronto-Vancouver:
Fred Eaglesmith, Corb Lund Band, Nathan, Bobby Watt, Roger Marin, Willie P Bennett, Ian Tamblyn, Washboard Hank, David Olney, D. Rangers, Linda McRae.
Crew: Gary, Ramcey, Ezra, Sarah, Charlie

In which red bandannas were earned by most of those aboard.

2005
COWBOY TRAIN
March 20-24, 2005, Vancouver-Toronto:
Tom Russell, Andrew Hardin, Wylie & the Wild West, Paul Zarzyski, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Don Edwards.
Crew: Gary, Ramcey, Patrick, SO, CWH

As extensively reported in THE GUARDIAN, and which trip produced the classic "Cold Cowboy" poster, now tattooed on Patrick's arm!

SONGWRITER TRAIN
March 25-29, 2005, Toronto-Vancouver:
Tom Russell, Nanci Griffith, Gretchen Peters, Andrew Hardin, Mary Gauthier.
Crew: Gary, Patrick, Ramcey, SO, CWH

In which we almost lost one of our performers in Winnipeg, but didn't. Trip reported in READERS DIGEST (CN).

2006
TARAHUMARA TRAIN
March 2-9, 2006, Tucson-Copper Canyon, Mexico:
Tom Russell, Peter Rowan, Steve Young, Eliza Gilkyson.
Crew: Gary, Patrick, Thomasena, SO, CWH

Losing air conditioning in the Sonoran Desert builds character. Folklorico dancers, anyone?

ROCKET THROUGH THE ROCKIES
March 31-April 6, 2006: Vancouver-Prince Rupert, BC-Vancouver: Fred Eaglesmith, Hayes Carll, Romi Mayes, Washboard Hank, Willie P Bennett, Lance Loree, Raghu Lochanathan.
Crew: Gary, Patrick, Brian Brown, Elsabe, SO, CWH

The ferry may have sunk, but our spirits were resilient. Hayes Carll was asleep.

COWBOY TRAIN
Nov 4-8, 2006, Vancouver-Toronto:
Tom Russell, Michael Martin, Wylie and the Wild West, Rosalie Sorrels, Sourdough Slim, Stephanie Davis.
Crew: Gary, Patrick, Brian Brown, Elsabe, SO, CWH

A wonderful, smooth-running trip in which everybody behaved.

COWBOY JUNKIES TRAIN
Nov 10-14, 2006, Toronto-Vancouver:
Cowboy Junkies, Skydiggers, Fred Eaglesmith, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Over the Rhine.
Crew: Gary, Patrick, Brian Brown, Elsabe, SO, CWH

A wonderful, smooth-running trip which devolved into "Talk Like A Pirate" day.

2007
TARAHUMARA TRAIN
Sep 13-20, 2007, Copper Canyon, Mexico:
Tom Russell, Dave Alvin, Michael Martin, Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum, Butch Hancock and Terry Allen.
Crew: Gary, Patrick, SO, CWH

In which the train owner jumped the border with a cowboy HVAC technician and a compressor in order to prevent us from building even more character. We almost lose a patron in the railyards of Benjamin Hill. We DO lose a bus at the border. Some find Montezuma.

FIDDLE TRAIN
Nov 3-7, 2007, Vancouver to Toronto:
Alasdair Fraser, Natalie Haas and Genticorum.
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, Michael, SO, CWH

In which the music never stopped in 2,000 miles.

COWBOY TRAIN
Nov 9-13, 2007, Toronto to Vancouver:
Ian Tyson, Tom Russell, Michael Martin and Ramblin' Jack Elliott.
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, Michael, SO, CWH

In which Jim Bone delivers Ramblin' Jack to us midway across the continent.

ROOTS ON THE NARROW GAUGE
Sep 28-Oct 5, 2007, New Mexico-Colorado:
Fred Eaglesmith, Eilen Jewell, Washboard Hank.
Crew: Elsabe, Gary, Patrick, Bob & Bonnie, SO, CWH, Doug Eagle

Our first trip to the Silver San Juans, thanks to Bob & Bonnie Michel! Washboard Hank is mistaken for part of the scenery by a Japanese Film Crew.

2008
ROOTS ON THE NARROW GAUGE
Sep 26-Oct 3, 2008, New Mexico-Colorado:
Fred Eaglesmith, Po' Girl, Corb Lund, Washboard Hank
Crew: Elsabe, Gary, Bob & Bonnie, SO, CWH, Doug Eagle

In which we almost lose Po'Girl over the guardrail-optional mountain pass, and Kori in one of the hot springs. Doug Eagle the soundman gets a new truck!

COWBOY TRAIN
Oct 27-Nov 1, 2008, Vancouver-Winnipeg:
Tom Russell, Michael Martin, Eliza Gilkyson, Nina Gerber, Ian Tyson
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, Michael Poole, SO, CWH

For the first time, we experience the prowess of Gary, our Actual Locomotive Engineer, as he pilots our train out of Vancouver with nary a jerk nor dropped coupler, before rejoining our ranks as open-mic co-host.

POLAR BEAR TRAIN
Nov. 2-9, 2008, Winnipeg-Churchill, MB-Winnipeg:
Fred Eaglesmith, Jon Dee Graham, Gurf Morlix, Audrey Auld, Andrew Hardin, Washboard Hank and Lance Loree
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, Michael Poole, SO, CWH

Toilets? Who needs toilets? We saw POLAR BEARS! Our unforgettable trip to the Land of Little Sticks.

SONGWRITER TRAIN
Nov. 10-14, 2008, Toronto to Vancouver:
Tom Russell, Michael Martin The Flatlanders (Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock)
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, Michael Poole, SO, CWH

Aside from nearly losing all our merchandise in Jasper, the plumbers trying to re-plumb the 1750 and the Skyline running dry in Capreol, everything went smoothly.

2009
ROOTS ON THE NARROW GAUGE
Sep 18-25, 2009, New Mexico-Colorado:
Tom Russell, Thad Beckman, Wylie Gustafson, Paul Zarzyski, Gretchen Peters and Barry Walsh, Sourdough Slim
Crew: Elsabe, Gary, Bob & Bonnie, SO, CWH, Doug Eagle

In which Gretchen Peters personifies "The show must go on!" by performing to a packed house in Durango with a 103 degree fever. And when the narrow gauge engine conks out, Roots on the Railers come through by entertaining the crowd for several hours in the Osier mess hall.

KACHINA EXPRESS
Sep 26-30, 2009, Los Angeles-Albuquerque-Grand Canyon-LA:
Dave Alvin, The Flatlanders (Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock)
Crew: Elsabe, Gary, SO, CWH

Our first trip with LA Rail! Taco Tuesday in Flagstaff causes a traumatic flashback for Mr. Alvin.

MYSTERY TRAIN
Nov. 14-18, 2009, Los Angeles-Albuquerque-Grand Canyon-LA:
Stan Ridgway Trio, Jill Sobule, The Handsome Family
Crew: Annie, Michael, SO, CWH

Only Mr. Ridgway knows the answers to two of life's mysteries: what happened to the champagne for the final morning's mimosas, and what's inside that electrical cabinet?

2010
KINGS OF CALIFORNIA
April 4-9, 2010, Los Angeles-Portland, OR-LA:
Tom Russell, Thad Beckman, Dave Alvin, Steve Young
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, SO, CWH

Earthquake! Also, our first trip with the Silver Splendor. And thus Overland Trail becomes our new performance car.

ATLANTIC ADVENTURE
Sep 13-18, 2010, Halifax, NS-St. John's, Newfoundland
Fred Eaglesmith, Washboard Hank and Lance Loree, Kathleen Edwards, Jim Bryson
Crew: Dan, Gary, SO, CWH

We may be in the wrong bay, and there may be no cobblestone streets, we may have been hosed by the people we sub-chartered from and everyone may be a tad greenish around the gills, but we're on a boat! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUjx4_X1qA

ROOTS ON THE NARROW GAUGE
Sep 24-Oct 1, 2010, New Mexico-Colorado:
Tom Russell, Thad Beckman, The Flatlanders (Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock), Paul Zarzyski
Crew: Elsabe, Gary, Patrick, Bob & Bonnie, SO, CWH

In which we travel from Antonito to Cumbres, due to a trestle fire at Lobato and Jimmie Dale Gilmore poses the ultimate question, "What would happen if we all remembered everything we have ever forgotten.....all at the same time"?

OVER THE RHINE ACROSS THE WEST
Nov. 5-10, 2010, Los Angeles-Santa Fe-Grand Canyon-LA:
Over The Rhine, Swan Dive, Lucy Wainright-Roche, Michael Wilson (guest lecturer on photography)
Crew: Lynn Neal, SO, CWH

Our first trip with Naturalist Lynn Neal, Karin's high school friend from Ohio and no mean Leprechaun dancer.

2011
MASTERS OF AMERICAN SONG
Jan. 14-18, 2011, Los Angeles-Oakland-LA:
Tom Russell, Thad Beckman, Jimmy Webb, Jesse Winchester
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, SO, CWH

Yes, the lounge car on the Amtrak train is actually on fire. Sorry about that.

KINGS OF CALIFORNIA
April 3-8, 2011, Los Angeles-Portland, OR-LA:
Dave Alvin, Rick Shea, Peter Case, Chris Smither, Laurie Lewis, Nina Gerber
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, SO, CWH

In which Dave Alvin is retroactively pardoned by the Mayor of Davis, CA for unspeakable acts committed many decades ago while with the Blasters.

ROOTS ON THE NARROW GAUGE
Sep 22-29, 2011, New Mexico-Colorado:
Over The Rhine, Mary Gauthier, Richard Shindell, Michael Wilson (guest lecturer on photography)
Crew: Lynn, Gary, Bob & Bonnie, SO, CWH

"Black Eyed Susans Looking Back" - we witness the first collaborative songwriting effort by Roots on the Rails performers.

2012
PORTLAND ROSE
April 13-19, 2012, Los Angeles-Portland, OR-LA:
Tom Russell, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Jon Langford, Thad Beckman
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, SO, CWH

Great music, great scenery, great food, great company.

TIN CAN CARAVAN
Sept 13-30, 2012, Route 66 from Chicago to LA.
Fred Eaglesmith's Travelling Steam Show, Tif Ginn, Bill Poss, Robbie Fulks, Jon Langford, Audrey Auld, Jon Dee Graham, Mary Gauthier, Roger Marin & Gordie Tentrees.
Crew: Elsabe, Gary, SO, CWH

In which "Inside The Whale" is sung inside a whale, Gojira joins our ranks in Grants, NM, and we discover the simple joys of a bus wash from inside the Death Star.

2013
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS - I
August 9-12, 2013, Chicago-New Orleans-Chicago
Jon Dee Graham, Hardin Burns (Andrew Hardin, Jeannie Burns)
Crew: SO, CWH, Dan

We rock and roll up and down the Main Line of Mid-America. And Mr. Graham is inspired to write "Ghost on a Train."

OVER THE RHINE TO THE LAST FRONTIER
September 2-7, 2013, Anchorage-Kenai Peninsula-Anchorage, AK
Over The Rhine, Lucy Wainright-Roche, Michael Wilson (guest photographer)
Crew: Elsabe, Gary, SO, CWH

Linford experiences a recap of years in the music business on our way to see glaciers calve, and Sarah sees many puffins.

COWBOY JUNKIES: DENALI
September 6-11, 2013, Anchorage-Denali Park-Anchorage, AK
Cowboy Junkies, others TBA
Crew: Elsabe, Gary, SO, CWH

We head into the wild to see moose, bear, sheep and North America's highest peak and meet the other Charlie.

KINGS OF CALIFORNIA III
October 20-26, 2013, Los Angeles-Seattle--LA:
Dave Alvin, Peter Case, Chris Smither, Rick Shea
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, SO, CWH

Stuck inside the performance car with the Paso Robles blues again.

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS - II
December 6-9, 2013, Chicago-New Orleans-Chicago
Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock
Crew: SO, CWH, Dan, Elsabe, Kate Richardson

The cajuns say the last time that this happened they weren't here / Now Beaumont's full of penguins and I'm playing it by ear. - Townes Van Zandt

2014
WEST OF THE WEST GRAND CIRCLE
April 11-21, 2014, Los Angeles-Albuquerque-Chicago-Glacier Park-Portland-LA:
Dave Alvin, Rick Shea, Phil Alvin, Terry Allen, Jo Harvey Allen, Jon Langford, David Olney, Christy McWilson, Eilen Jewell
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Gary, SO, CWH, Michael Lawson

It was snowing on Raton. We do well with trains. With buses, not so much.

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS 2014
July 24-28, 2014, Chicago-New Orleans-Chicago:
Chris Smither and Peter Mulvey
Crew: Dan, Gary, Michael, SO, CWH

Mr. Smither introduces us to the land of his people. And we meet Mr. Bobblehead.

TRANSCONTINENTAL LIMITED 2014
August 20-28, 2014, New York to Los Angeles via Chicago, Glacier Park and Portland: Fred Eaglesmith, Sean Rowe, John Fullbright, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Gretchen Peters, Barry Walsh, Sam Baker, Anthony DaCosta and Rick Shea.
Crew: Dan, Michael, Sarah, Charlie. Phil Hunt pitch-hits for Elsabe.

We examine our relationship with the concept of "lateness." And Sarah conjures a phantom bus.

THE GURFDAY PARTY 2014
October 31-November 4 at La Posada, Winslow, AZ with Gurf Morlix, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Slaid Cleaves, Syd Straw, Grant Peeples and BettySoo.
Crew: Michael, Patrick, Charlie, Lynn Neal/Susanna Holm. Sound by Mike Seitz.

Four days at La Posada with amazing music every night in the ballroom. What's not to love?

2015
WEST OF THE WEST GRAND CIRCLE
April 17-27, 2015, Los Angeles-San Antonio-Chicago-Denver-Bay Area-LA:
Dave Alvin, Rick Shea, Phil Alvin, Peter Case, Sarah Borges, Jon Dee Graham, Jon Langford, David Olney, Christy McWilson, with guest appearances by Thad Beckman, Michael Martin, BettySoo and Andy Hardin.
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Michael, SO, CWH

A day in Austin. A day in Denver. We lose Wynelle in Texarkana. And we arrive back in LA ....early. Perish the thought.

THE WAINWRIGHT FAMILY VACATION
August 29-September 3, 2015, Anchorage-Homer-Seward-Anchorage:
Lucy Wainwright-Roche, Suzzy Roche, Sloan Wainwright, Loudon Wainwright III and Rufus Wainwright
Crew: Michael, SO, CWH, Lynn and Suzanna

"Meet the Wainwrights" ear-worms its way into our skulls. And the President decides to visit Seward the same day as us. Thanks, Obama.

MEET ME AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD: DENALI
September 3-8, 2015, Anchorage-Talkeetna-Kantishna/Denali-Anchorage:
Over the Rhine, Richard Shindell, Mary Gauthier

Crew: Michael, SO, CWH, Lynn and Suzanna

Indeed. That is a bear. And, indeed, that is Denali - in 100% of its glory.

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN EXPRESS
November 6-8, 2015, Bellows Falls-Rutland-Bellows Falls, VT:
Jimmie Dale & Colin Gilmore, Meadows Bros., Winterpills, Syd Straw
Crew: SO, CWH, Sandy & Kathy, Richard Ewald

We learn about Phineas Gage as Carol Burnette roams the aisles.

2016
DAVE ALVIN'S WEST OF THE WEST
August 19-27, Los Angeles-Seattle-Spokane-Whitefish (Glacier Park)-Portland-LA

Dave Alvin, Rick Shea, Phil Alvin, Peter Case, Mary Gauthier, Eliza Gilkyson, Cindy Cashdollar, Butch Hancock, Christy McWilson, with guest appearances by Thad Beckman, Dan Weber and T. Scot Wilburn and the Shut Up 'n Playboys.
Crew: Dan, Elsabe, Michael, SO, CWH

Our first trip with the Cinnabon River. And, after a day in the Spokane railroad yards, our patrons learn about the true rock and roll tour bus experience.

2017

THE TEXAS SPECIAL
January 9 -13, 2017, Chicago - New Orleans - San Antonio - Chicago

Chip Taylor, John Platania, Dayna Kurtz, Eric Taylor, Betty Soo, Michael Fracasso, Birds of Chicago with special guest appearance by Michael Martin and George Batista
Crew: Charlie, Dan, Sarah

In which we discover that Chicago winters and vintage railcar plumbing are not a match made in heaven, but a 24 seat dome car and 18 passengers most definitely are! We may have become airborne somewhere around Kankakee.

THE CITIES OF THE SAINTS
January 14 - 23, 2017, Chicago - New Orleans - San Antonio - St. Louis - Chicago

Jon Langford, Jon Dee Graham, David Olney, Brock Zeman, Betty Soo, Andrew Hardin, Bill Poss, and yet another magical special guest appearance by Michael Martin and George Batista
Crew: Charlie, Dan, Sarah

The TSA and Homeland Security conspire to ban us from traveling through DC on the day after the Inauguration -- imagine that? -- but we stick it in their eye by having an amazing time on an alternate route, which looked astonishingly similar to the route we had just done.... but with more beignets this time.

2017 WEST OF THE WEST
August 13 - 25, 2017, Los Angeles - New Orleans - Chicago - Kansas City - St. Louis - Albuquerque - Los Angeles

Dave Alvin, Christy McWilson, Rick Shea, John Doe, Dead Rock West, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Blind Boy Paxton, Peter Case, Jon Langford, Cindy Lee Berryhill, Terry Allen and Jo Harvey Allen.
Crew: Charlie, Sarah, Dan Elsabe and Michael

In which there is some sweating. So much sweating. BUT, we get to watch the solar eclipse in 99.9% totality from the dome car!! Mr. Alvin schools us on the glories of Kansas City gas station barbecue, and we try not to fall off the mesa in Acoma Pueblo.

2017 DENALI
September 8 - 13, 2017, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali, Kantishna, Anchorage
Fred Eaglesmith, Tif Ginn, Mary Gauthier, and Gurf Morlix
Crew: Sarah, Michael, and Elsabe

In which we beat the odds and have spectacular views of Mt. Denali from both Talkeetna and Kantishna, Blue catches 5 enormous salmon and wears some enormous fishing pants, Tif ventures into the wild in cork wedgies, Fred and Gurf compete for "Singer-Songwriter Most Likely To Be Mistaken For A 1890's Gold Panner", and we see So Many Moose... and an Owl On A Stick.

2018
2018 ROOTS ON THE ROCKS: MONHEGAN ISLAND
June 10 - 15, 2018, Ellis Paul, Sam Baker, Antje Duvekot
Crew: Sarah, Michael and Annie Poole

In which we cluster around the woodstove each night to listen to dysfunctional family childhood songs from Ellis and Antje, then witness Sam terrorizing the children of Monhegan with his bone-chilling rendition of "Itsy Bitsy Spider". We do some virtuous hiking and some slightly less virtuous porch-loafing, gawk at some seals and puffins, and invite the whole island to join us for music in the church.

2018 ROOTS ON THE NARROW GAUGE
September 21 - 28, 2018, Albuquerque, Durango, Silverton, Mesa Verde, Pagosa Springs, Chama, Santa Fe
Tom Russell, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Andy Hedges
Crew: Sarah. Michael, Elsabe, Bubba, and Dan

In which we experience oxygen deprivation at 10,000 feet, bugling elk in the middle of the night, Ramblin' Jack in a state with legal weed, Tom busking on a steam train, and a LOT of green chile cheeseburgers.

2018 WEST OF THE WEST
October 7 - 17, 2018, Los Angeles, Fort Worth, Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Los Angeles
Dave Alvin, Rick Shea, Christy McWilson, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Howe Gelb, Blind Boy Paxton, Carolyn Wonderland, Ruthie Foster, Bill Kirchen, Dead Rock West, and Betty Soo.
Crew: Charlie, Sarah, Elsabe, Michael, and Dan

In which we delight in the existential musings of Mr. Gilmore, follow the Pied Piper of Kansas City Barbecue, Mr. Alvin, to a gas station for arguably the best ribs ever, and almost get blown out of the Overland Trail by some of the most powerful blues we've ever had on board.

2018 GREEN MOUNTAIN EXPRESS
November 7 - 11, 2018, Bellows Falls, VT - Burlington and return
Livingston Taylor, Susan Werner, Peter Mulvey, and the Milk House Heaters
Crew: Sarah, Dan, Jan and Mike Sheehy, Kathy and Sandy Martin

In which we experience all of Vermont's seasons (except summer) in 4 days, postulate theories about haunted covered bridges, consume an unholy amount of cider donuts, and witness a Roots on the Rails first: early arrivals in both directions.

2019
2019 ROOTS ON THE ROCKS: MONHEGAN ISLAND, MAINE
June 2-8, 2019,  Portland, ME - Boothbay Harbor - Monhegan Island - Portland, ME
Ellis Paul, Seth Glier and Abbie Gardner.
Crew: Sarah, Michael and Annie Poole

In which we experience fair skies and following seas on our ferry crossings (miraculous!), climb some lighthouses, stand some lobsters on their heads, and contradance in a one-room schoolhouse. Seth puts a new, and perhaps the only, hilarious spin on the joys of white, male, heterosexual privilege.

2019 DAVE ALVIN'S DOWNEY TO DENALI
SEPTEMBER 8 -16, 2019, Anchorage, AK - Talkeetna - Anchorage- Seward - Anchorage, Dave Alvin, Rick Shea, Jon Langford, and Christy McWilson

In which we accompany Dave to his 50th state and discover that, contrary to his long-held superstition, the world does not end, get up close and personal with a whole lotta bears, moose, caribou, sea otters, puffins and orcas, participate in an "Alaskan Baptism" under a glacial waterfall, and frolic under the Northern Lights!

Crew: Sarah, Elsabe, and Michael Lawson

GURFDAY 2019
Ooctober 29-November 4, 2019, Las Vegas, NM
Gurf Morlix, Jon Dee Graham, Bonnie Whitmore, Curtis McMurtry and a special appearance by James McMurtry
Crew: Sarah, Dan and Michael Lawson

In which we take over the Plaza Hotel in the "Other Las Vegas", channel the spirits of Doc Holiday, The Rough Riders and many other bandits and ne'er do wells, eat green chile on everything, explore pueblos, kivas, and overpriced Taos jewelry, and festoon the hotel library with jiggly eyeballs and bats.


2020
HAVANA 2019/20: December 28 - January 4, January 8 - 15, March 21 - 28
Crew: Sarah, Charlie and our incredible hostess/concierge, Carol Steele

We didn't bring musicians with us on these trips, but were absolutely engulfed in amazing music the entire time we were there -- street corners, bars, restaurants, peoples' living rooms emptying into the streets -- the soundtrack was omnipresent!

In our first three small-group trips to Havana we discover the delights of 10 am rum shots at the home of Fidel Castro's personal photographer, imperil our lives with a race through the streets of Habana Vieja in coco-taxis, get doused with balcony water at the stroke of midnight, learn to dance the Rumba (not the Rhumba!) and watch Adair singe-handedly re-define gender roles in Afro-Cuban culture, cruise along the Malecon in vintage convertibles, fist-pumping like teenagers to Enrique Iglesias, see dancers perform in deconsecrated synagogues, cement-floored abandoned movie theaters, and living rooms, and learn that everything in Havana depends on "having a guy" to get things done.

Then there was an interruption...


2021

THE GATHERING OF THE TRIBE, May 17-21, 2021, Winslow, AZ
Jon Dee Graham, Bonnie Whitmore, Mary Gauthier,  Jaimee Harris, BettySoo and Dead Rock West
Crew: Sarah, Dan, Charlie, Michael, with guest naturalist Lynn Neal

Gosh, it was good to see everybody again.

ROOTS ON THE ROCKS, June 12 - 19, 2021, Portland, Boothbay Harbor . Monhegan Island, Maine
Ellis Paul, Seth Glier, and Susan Werner
Crew: Sarah, Michael and Annie Poole

We did a bit of damage to the Maine lobster population, witnessed the pure joy of the artists' first public in-person concert in 15 months, perfected the art of porch-sittin', tackled some epic hikes along rocky cliffs and dense woods, climbed to the top of the lighthouse, and then returned to porch-sittin', because it just felt so great to spend time in the actual, physical company of other humans again.


2022
ADVENTURES IN HAVANA
April 18 – 25: Our first trip back to Cuba since the island re-opened! Great fun exploring Old Havana, scooting around in bicycle taxis, vintage convertible, coco-cabs and every possible means of conveyance you can imagine. We rumba’d (not rhumba’d) our butts off,

September 24 – October 1: This was the intrepid group whose trip had to be re-scheduled FOUR TIMES due to you-know-what! We had a hurricane! The lights went out! A lovely Cuban abuela cooked us Ropa Vieja on a propane stove, lit by the headlight of her son’s electric motorcycle. Couldn’t have gotten any more Cuban.

October 5 – 13: In which we felt like ballers in a rap video with our giant stacks of Cuban pesos (the exchange rate was about 180 pesos to $1 USD, so we each had a wad of cash many inches thick). We had an epic night with Septeto Nacional, Cuba’s leading son band at the Arab Union, Havana’s equivalent of the Moose Lodge.

November 7 – 15: A wonderful group, hitting all the high spots and a few of the lows - but like the Cuban people, Roots on the Railers are survivors!

WALES: May 2 – 9
Golly, what a lot of sheep! Jon Langford showed us all around his native land of unpronounceable towns, endless castles in every conceivable state of repair (swanky to piles of rubble), and some pretty great whisky. We took some spectacular teeny tiny trains up into the hills, some people swam in the Irish Sea (and froze), and we all fell deeply, deeply in love with this magical place. And the Welsh Cakes.

SCOTLAND: May 10 – 17
More sheep! Hairy cows! More castles! We almost got blown off the cliffs on the Isle of Skye, we were shamed endlessly by our driver, Bud: “It’s a LOCH, not a lake ya numpties!”. We ate all the Haggis, Black Pudding, Cranachan and Cullen Skink, but passed on the deep-fried Mars Bars. We pedaled a bicycle-powered weaving loom and were very supportive of the local craft gin producers.

MONHEGAN: June 12 – 18
Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, and Molly Venter.
Another trip to this little rocky piece of paradise. We did all of our Monhegan Favorites: Hiking along the cliffs, guitar-picking on the hotel front porch, drippy lobster rolls at picnic tables on the sand, nightly unplugged music after ridiculously delicious dinners, afternoon ice cream cone runs to the Novelty, Manana Island goat-spotting, sketching up at the lighthouse – the slow pace and familiarity of this routine is pretty idyllic.

ALASKA: September 11- 18
Tom Rush, Seth Glier, and Monica Rizzio.
Not going to lie, it rained a bit, but the Kenai Peninsula was spectacular -- glaciers, fjords, otters, eagles, orcas – we saw them all;  we cheated a bit and saw the moose and bears at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Elsabe, our Naturalist, claims to have seen the tail end of a moose scampering into the forest, but she’s known for telling whoppers. Terrific unplugged music at night from Tom, Seth, and Monica – each of them digging deep into their back catalogues and risking some spectacular, unrehearsed collaborations, much to our collective delight!

2023

SCOTLAND: April 26 - May 5
We're eagerly awaiting our respective knighthoods and damehoods in recognition of  our support of the Scottish Whisky and Gin Distillers. Anything for a good cause. Wow, what a gorgeous country! This time we headed out to the Outer Hebrides and found that they really weren't kidding when they say that things shut down on Sundays so everyone can go to church. We did not go to church -- we went exploring on roads that were so rough  the step counters on our phones and fitness trackers recorded Olympian levels of athleticism. We rode some great ferries, some even greater trains, and even patted some hairy cows! We did not, however, master the Scottish Gaelic pronunciation of "Good Morning" despite the very best efforts of our driver Donald: "Madainn mhath" -- believe it or not there's a "v"sound in there!!

WALES: May 6 - 14
With Jon Langford
We dodged the coronation insanity of London by starting this year's trip in Manchester at a hotel overlooking  a street full of drag bars where the hostesses were serving up some fierce and spangled patriotic finery -- sequined Union Jack hotpants anyone? Headed into Wales where the general enthusiasm about the historic events were boiled down to the Best Headline Ever: "Man in Hat Sits On Chair". A great concert by Jon Langford and His Men of Gwent  launched us into the festive spirit of the trip. There was some hiking along the Pembrokeshire Coastal path where the perilousness of the endeavor got increasingly inflated as the day went on: "We hiked for forty miles straight up hill! On our hands and knees!". We rode some excellent wee little trains and enjoyed a gloriously sunny  afternoon tea at Langford's cousin's place -- Rose Cottage B&B, overlooking the estuary leading to the Irish Sea. We enjoyed a  sunset beach picnic and sing along in Llandudno, featuring what will be forever know as "Hygiene Meat". We also took the world's slowest canal boat cruise over the world's tallest aqueduct, where we were overtaken by ducks and didn't mind a bit. Turns out we're not much better at saying "Good Morning" in Welsh either.

ISTANBUL: May 29 - June 5
Our inaugural trip to this corner of the world! We patted a lot of cats, drank a lot of tea, rode on trams, buses, ferries, funiculars, and took a couple of hair-raising van rides through the legendary Istanbul traffic, visited a lot of really old stuff (keep in mind that the mosque commonly know as the "new" mosque was built in 1663), learned a lot about how carpets are woven, how baklava is made, how to dodge too-good-to-be-true offers in the Grand Bazaar, and how to deflect seagulls intent on stealing your lunch. Speaking  of food, we ate and drank everything from fermented barley aperitifs, stuffed mussels, simits, kebabs, fish, fish, and more fish, a vast array of mezzes and  cheeses, lokums, kunefes, lahmacuns, boreks, pides, and menemen -- and thankfully were walking up to 5 miles each day to counteract all of that. We traversed the length of the Bosphorus, the ancient and the modern neighborhoods of the city, popped over to Asia for lunch, and in spite of setting a vigorous pace each day, we still only managed to scratch the surface of this amazing city!