A Man, A Jeep, No Real Plan

Amazing Stories and Adventures

The Adventures!

Underground zip lines? Why yes!

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There are some things worth setting an alarm for, and underground zip-lining is on that list. We have a rough couple of days coming up, but some of the Grinch crew and I got up and ventured out to an underground zip line course today. Some of the highlights involved nervous laughter that made everyone break down into hysterics (thanks D!). A failed attempt to hang up side down and inform the tour guide that “I AM BATMAN”. And the guides discovering that when you have a professional climber such as myself on the tour, instructions will be interpreted in the most interesting way possible…

Here are some of the photos that actually came out.

The land of bourbon!

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Hello all,

Well we succeeded in moving the show from Madison, WI to Louisville, KY.

The move was a bit rough….

To be fair the load out in Madison was great, our locals did exactly as we needed, there was space to demolish Whoville offstage while other things happened onstage, and we shaved an hour off our load out time.

Then we got on a sleeper bus. That’s right, instead of doing the normal, hour nap, bus to airport, sleep an hour on the plan, arrive in next city and go straight to work thing…. we got on a sleeper bus and not everyone took advantage, but I slept a solid 9 hours. Ok, so I brought a my bottle of jack into my bunk and watched Star Wars while drinking…. but I was horizontal for 9 hours.

We arrived in Louisville around noon on Monday and had the best surprise ever. Our hotel rooms were ready. That’s right, we not only were able to check into our hotel rooms, but have enough time to shower, take a nap, and find food before our call time.

Atleast that’s what we thought. I took a shower, watched some TV, and headed out with some of the crew for a late lunch before our 3pm load in. At 2:15 we received word that the load in started at 2pm and we were late. By 2:25 I was in the venue and discovered that somehow the advance had been messed up and the locals did not have our lineset schedule (that’s the document that literally dictates where everything goes). So I got them the correct documents and we made things happen.

We knocked off around 11 and that’s when the land of bourbon began to call. Our local department heads invited us to their “private bar” for shots of single barrel Evan Williams. I ended up doing a quick dinner in the hotel bar and then discovering a dueling piano bar where the only thing more out of tune than the pianos were the “singers” operating said pianos. However a lot can be overlooked when the drinks are cheap and the pours are long. I retired to my hotel around 2, like a good little boy. Some of my compatriots however… well let’s just say that I strongly suspect they found an after hours club when the bars closed down around 4am…

Load in day two began at 8am on Tuesday. There were a few people a little worse for wear, but we had a clean opening night here in Louisville and post opening I chose to stumble into the land of bourbon.

I did not have to return to work until 6pm the following day and I began my journey at about 9:30pm. The night is a bit fuzzy, but from what I remember (and what I was reminded of after the fact) I went on a bender that would have made Hunter S Thompson take pause. There were atleast 4 establishments visited, 22 verifiable drinks consumed, one very broken hot mess of a blonde (who even black out me knew to flee from) and the stated goal of drinking all the bourbon in Louisville… I would like to take this moment to thank my dear coworkers for chaperoning and documenting my valiant attempt to drink all the bourbon.

Upon awaking on Wednesday I felt every last drink from the depths of my soul. It took me 6 hours, 3 liters of water, 2 cans of V8, multivitamins, and the best damn chicken noodle soup I’ve ever had, but I recovered from my failed attempt and was perfectly functional by work… another smooth show!

I have not had a drop since and I am unsure if I will be able to venture back into the land of bourbon on this visit. That being said, since my last journey was so epic… I think I am ok for a hot second. 😉

Doughnuts

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In the touring world doughnuts fulfill a special niche. Yes they are contractually required for technicians during load ins, but they also are a form of doing penance.

Every tour has different rules, but generally speaking:

If you blow a cue, you owe doughnuts.

If you’re late to work, you owe doughnuts.

If you break something from another department, you owe doughnuts.

If you do something exceedingly stupid, you owe doughnuts.

If you get laid, you owe doughnuts.

Granted the last one is more of a bragging thing, but in a puritanical based society, you could call it penance. Well ladies and gentlemen, I’m not going to out anyone on here, but the above doughnuts were all required by the last of the doughnut rules. Looks like more than one person has had a little bit too much free time. 😉

That being said, while some were partaking in extracurricular activities, the rest of us have been resting up, it’s going to be a long weekend. We have 3 shows today, 2 tomorrow, followed by a load out and long bus ride to Louisville, KY. Upon arriving in Louisville we will immediately begin the 2 day load in of the show.

On that note, I just heard the 10 minutes call, so It’s time to start this marathon!

Yes, I’m still working hard on the road trip.

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Yes friends, I have been spending a lot of time working on Grinch lately, but I have also been working on securing partners for this adventure. Today I sent the following letter out countless times (yes I personalized where I could). Let me be clear, this trip is happening no matter what, but if any of my perspective partners want to ease my financial burden, or just give me a shiny new toy to play with this summer. I’d be ok with that too.

To whom it may concern,

“Who has not felt the urge to throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence.” – John Muir

My name is Tyler DeLong and I have had this urge most of my life. The road trip has long been part of the American experience. It is deeply ingrained in our culture through film, music, and countless stories across print and digital media. At its height it was a family tradition for many, but slowly over the years it has waned to mainly being a thing of the past. I plan on not only reviving the road trip this summer, but sharing it across several social media platforms as well as a website that I have created for blogging this adventure.

I am reaching out to you because I would like to invite you to become a partner in this endeavor. Please check out my planned route on the website and if you are at all intrigued I’d like to open a dialogue about how you and your company can become a partner in this experience.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you taking the time to consider becoming a partner with A Man, A Jeep, and No Real Plan.

Tyler DeLong

Traveler and Writer

A Man, A Jeep, and No Real Plan

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