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How far have ya gone?


MY UNCLE

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Did you take U.S. 50 on your trek from Northern California to Colorado? Back in December 88' some buddies and I drove from Summit County Colorado to the Dead New Years shows in Oakland overnight and took that route out. Saw an article in a newspaper a couple months later calling it the loneliest stretch of highway in the country and I believe it. Had to drive through a herd of sheep in the middle of the highway. Cowboy told us to drive on through, they would get out of the way.

We must've been in summit county Colorado at the same time. Drove from there to Tacoma Washington for the infamous dead Santana show 8/1988 and from there to U of Oregon for the Autzen stadium show on my birthday 8/28/1988. Also did the the trek from summit co. (Solo) to pick up my bro in NC and did the whole NE stadium tour and back to Colorado - summer of 1989. Fucking love a good road trip.

For DSO (now in my responsible years) I've done gratefulfest and jubilee numerous times, bout 9hrs from Carolina. Also did Harrodsburg, ky solo bout 7 hrs. I'll do 3-4 hrs radius on a weeknight and be at work the next morning. Life's just too short to miss good live music. I can sleep anytime.

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Other than flying I didn't think I had much to contribute to this conversation but upon further reflection....

 

The wife and I went to a 2 night DC run in 2009 or 08 and that is 500+ miles from Detroit.  Solo trip in 2010 went from Detroit to Cincinnati, Nashville, and finally Carbondale, Il from Detroit.  That was about 1100 miles roundtrip.  Oh yea, in 1991, Ny Grateful Dead Madison Square Garden.  600miles!!

 

I've been stingy with the vacation time this year and I may beat my longest DSO road trip by going to Florida in February.  

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longest drive for me was Orlando to Grand Rapids, 1250 mi (one way)

close second to that was earlier this yr Orlando to Wilmington and PennsPeak and straight back,1100 mi

did the drive from Orlando to Ledges as well 1050 mi

drove from fla for the whole NYE run 08 richmond, norfolk, montclairNJ, baltimore (was a 2400 mi trip in total)

when i lived in NY we did the drive down to Raleigh, NC in early 07 bout 650 mi

longest flights for me are 2 trips from Orlando to SF, 2 trips to Colorado

lots of miles covered in northeast, and florida shows, so many roads to ease my soul

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I flew to San Francisco for the '86 New Year's shows (last ones at Kaiser).  That was the easy part.  To save money, however, we went back to the East Coast via a "drive away".  I assume such a thing still exists, whereby one party needs a car moved, a second party needs to get to where the car needs to go, and a 3rd party puts the other two parties together.  3 of us drove a small 4-door sedan from Santa Cruz to Ithaca in 57 hours.  That means you basically stop for gas and food but otherwise drive straight through.  Ah, to be young again....

 

There were two problems.  First, the owners filled the trunk, which was apparently against the rules.  But it meant no ability for the back seat passenger to spread out, as our luggage took up half the back seat.  Second, somewhere around Texas (we took the lower route due to weather concerns) I developed a pretty high fever -- gee, getting sick after a run of winter shows, imagine that.  Needless to say this was NOT a pleasant trip home!

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This is how I remember it:

 

Grateful Dead

-----------------

New Paltz, NY -> Lake Placid, NY - 4 hours

New Paltz, NY -> Syracuse, NY (two times)  - 4 hours, but with no private or public transportation, just thumb (just a ticket and $15 in my pocket).   (83 and 84)

New Paltz, NY -> Meadowlands, NJ - 3.5 hours - did 3 shows on 3 consecutve nights, back and forth.  Also passed a Calc exam in the midst.   (85 or 86)

New Paltz, NY -> Nassau, NY (2 times), Saratoga (times 3), Hartford (times 5)

 

Jerry Garcia Band and Jerry solo

-----------------------------------------

New Paltz, NY -> Caldwell Catholic college, NJ  (84)

New Paltz, NY -> Lincoln Center, NYC   (probably 84)  - solo

 

The Dead and Willie Nelson

-----------------------------------

Bob Weir - guitar, vocals Bill Kreutzmann - drums, percussion Mickey Hart - drums, percussion

Phil Lesh - bass, vocals Jimmy Herring - guitar Rob Barraco - keyboards Jeff Chimenti - keyboards

Joan Osborne - vocals

 

Keene, NH -> Camdon, NJ  (7 hours)

Keene, NH -> Austin Texas  (plane)

 

DSO

------

Keene -> Red Bank NJ - 5 or 6 hours

Keene -> Governers Island - 5 hours

A ton of shows near 3 hours drive

*** edit ***  Keene -> Nokia, Times Square, NYC (twice).

 

 

Shortest

----------

While staying with my Aunt in NYC, my cousin dragged me to MSG (Jan 7, 79) to see the band that played truckin'.  I was 15.

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That's great! I love to hear people just hittin the road with 15 bucks and thumbin it. I know the world has changed since those days, but the idea is still alive with me. The adventure is just as important as the show. Sure I want to hear hot playing and crazy jams and Lisa Mackey scream hear head off, get lost in the music & have a spiritual experience. The other side of that coin is in the whole adventure and crazy hoops that you have to jump through that gets you to the show. That's soo cool keep the stories coming. To quote Jimmy Buffett "we do it for the stories we can tell"

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We were living in SC when JK left and although it wasn't the longest drive I have done for this band, when we had JUST saved enough to the the anniversary run the week before he announced he was leaving officially with that 2 weeks notice letter and then had only TWO WEEKS to get our shit together enough to making from SC to buffalo in freaking December with dudes pregnant sister who had never seen em (she had to see em w JK, we couldn't NOT bring her) and we footed the bill with jobs (before I vended) and stayed in the car one night and a motel 6 the next when friends could throw down.  that was the most last minute trip over that long of a distance......... but I kinda don't understand the question because it's never the DRIVE that is the problem, it is the whole gas $ deal (hence Deadheads became vendors..... hehe)

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I guess Jubilee and Gratefulfest from Norfolk is the farthest. I have made multiple trips to Philly, Wilmington, DC, and NYC, drove up the day of the show, danced for hours, and drove back to make it to work the next day. I was a couple hours late after the NYC show, Irving Plaza I think was the name of the place, a two night stand but I could only make the first night. Here Comes Sunshine opener that night I think. 

 

Peace,

Joe

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