Original Facebook post June 27 at 8:46 AM

My last stop in Colorado on this leg of the trip was with the incredible Daddis family. I first met Midi (on left under a sign with her name, while her lovely daughter, Macey, awesome husband, Jarrod and brilliant son, Joshua, all point her out), years ago when interviewing her for a lifestyle feature. I made an unintentional faux pas about her town of Castle Rock, CO which immediately turned my face beat red. She saw my surprise and started laughing, which graciously left me off the hook. And that laughter turned into a long term friendship that has included all of us vacationing together in CO and AZ, training together, accountability challenges, hiking, discovering delicious eateries, and enjoying great times together. 

I have often said that I get together with someone for the first time, it is a special occasion. But if I'm lucky enough to have it happen a second time, I consider it a tradition to honor and uphold. And I'm very lucky to have a now-long standing tradition of spending time with these Amazing Faces. 

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Original Facebook post June 27 at 11:08 AM

I met Brad Nachtigal in 1984 when we both worked at the 24 Hour Nautilus club in Downey, CA. My former wife saw how stressed I was working mega hours at the high pressure job and told me I needed a hobby, so she got me a camera to replace the one that had been stolen years before. So I asked Brad if he wanted to trade his time modeling for some prints he could use and he said yes. The photo shoot went so well that he was able to use some of the prints to help him get a Kodak commercial produced by the prestigious J. Walter Thompson agency, an MTV music video, etc. - all of which helped support his training for the Olympics. 

Fast forward to 2018, and Brad was kind enough to invite me to visit him and his wonderful family in Hutchinson, KS. There I met his lovely, gracious wife of 25 years, Angie, and see the incredible log home they had built on their farm land. During the course of our visit, I learned that Brad - who STILL has chiseled abs at 59 - had authored a comprehensive guide to getting and staying in shape, Physical Results: The Most Direct Route.

Naturally, I talked this good looking, loving Mom and Dad into doing a photo shoot - hey, it's something Brad and I have to do every 34 years or so :-) - with their gorgeous daughter, Haylee. It was a blast! Not present for the shoot, but ever present in our conversations were siblings Caden, Abby and Ashley.  

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Original Facebook post June 27 at 1:55 PM

When I say that Hutchinson, KS is a super place I am not being super-fluous. Because for two days this year "Hutch" temporarily changed it's name to Smallville when it hosted Smallville Con with special guest, Dean Cain. (I'll pause while all the women swooning recover.) :-) The reason for the super celebration is that Hutchinson most resembles the fabled hometown of Clark Kent, and his earthly parents, Martha and Jonathon Kent. 

But what makes this place so super the rest of the year are the hardworking people who live and work here. And thanks to Brad Nachtigal and family (that post here), I got to experience it first hand.

Brad's neighbors, David and Steven Seck, were kind enough to show me these massive farm machines up close. And thanks to their Dad, Richard Seck, I got to ride in a gigantic combine while it was harvesting acres of crops. It sure did give me a super appreciation for all the time, intellect, experience, risk, work, money and passion that goes into putting food on America's table. 

I have to say that like many places in the USA, Kansas was a very pleasant surprise. The life there is authentic, pure and rewarding. And the people are warm, welcoming and unpretentious. No wonder Dorothy repeatedly said, "There's no place like home." 

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Original Facebook post June 27 at 5:53 PM

Once I spotted Frankenstein, MO on the map, I knew I had to make the monster drive to get there. Frank-ly, I was expecting an electrifying experience, and maybe a town slogan of "Fire BAAADDD", "Rest In Pieces" or "We All Cary A Torch For You". But the truth is that while Frankenstein has a graveyard and a spooky looking ball park sign, it really wasn't scary at all.

Come to find out the town was there long before the movie was ever made. And according to a couple of residents I talked to, except for an occasional remote television broadcast on Halloween, it is quiet and serene all year round.

So, as I drove away on hilly, gorgeous green country roads, I left with a song in my heart. Unfortunately, it went something like this...

He did the Mash, he did the Monster Mash
And it's a graveyard smash
He did the Mash, it caught on in a flash
He did the Mash, he did the Monster Mash

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Original Facebook post July 3 at 10:02 AM

When I was a young boy, my Dad, Charles Maness and I boarded a train (so famous that Johnny Cash sang about it - the Wabash Cannonball) in Detroit, MI and rode it to see his boyhood home of De Soto, MO. So, while I was planning my route for this year's road trip, I thought it would be interesting to revisit it nearly 60 years later. And I am so glad I did. Being there brought back wonderful memories I had long forgotten, and reintroduced me to people and places that I just loved. Since I have talked about some of them (see update below), I want to focus on our family name and origins in this post. ​

I have often joked about growing up with a rhyming name, but I don't have that issue in Missouri because it is pronounced "MAIN-us" there (and "MAN-ess" in other parts of the country}. And wow is it ever a popular name! When I posted about hosting a MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion, I had over 40 people share the post with loved ones who currently or previously had our last name.

​While there I learned there once was a Maness store, garage, school, and that someone in our family owned the first car in De Soto. I also learned that today there still is a Maness cemetery and a church. But what I think intrigued me the most was Maness Road. With it's horses and livestock, vibrant green forest and land, ranch homes and barns, this pretty, tree lined dirt road seems like it leads back to a simpler, more peaceful time. 

My last stop on the journey through my Dad's past was to stop at his boyhood home. When I knocked on the door to ask permission to photograph the house, the very friendly people there were kind enough to invite me in and tell me about it. As I looked around, I tried to imagine my Dad, his parents John and Harriet, and his eight brothers and sisters, Edith, Harriet, Nellie, Minnie, Howard, Bertha, Frank and Joe all living there. 

Looking back, I came to De Soto to recollect some great memories and ended up leaving with many more. It is my sincerest hope that in doing so, I have honored my Father - a loving, hard working, fun and Godly man who called me his "Pal" - and the place he was blessed to call home. 

Update July 3, 2018: For more posts, photos and links about De Soto, MO, see: 
11. MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion Invite.
35. Honor Thy Father. 
36. Amazing Places: De Soto, MO.
​37: Amazing Places: Pine Mountain Country Coffee House.
38: MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion Photos.

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Original Facebook post July 6 

I will be the first to admit that I may be a little biased when I say that De Soto, MO is an Amazing Place. But since it is my Dad's hometown, I want to honor it for all that it is and once was.

De Soto was incorporated in 1869, which means it is celebrating it's 150th birthday next year. It currently is the site of a Union Pacific Railroad car repair shop and the home of the Railroad Employees' Memorial. The small town was known as "Fountain City" because of the abundance of artesian wells there. 

In case you are wondering, news still travels fast in small towns. I was only in De Soto for a couple of hours for the MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion when I was contacted by a charming reporter for Leader Publications named Tracey Bruce. She said she'd heard about the reunion and asked if she could attend to interview some of the family.

I really enjoyed seeing the quaint downtown and meeting some of the very friendly people there. It was my impression that De Soto has retained and cultivated that intimate charm that is a welcome part of the American experience. 

Update July 3, 2018: For more posts, photos and links about De Soto, MO, see: 
11. MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion Invite.
35. Honor Thy Father. 
36. Amazing Places: De Soto, MO.
​37: Amazing Places: Pine Mountain Country Coffee House.
38: MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion Photos.

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Original Facebook post July 6

​While visiting my Dad's hometown of De Soto, MO, I happened to wander into Pine Mountain Country Coffee House. And wow, what a treat it was.

The spacious, comfortably appointed place has a big city look with a friendly down home vibe. Owners Deanna Farrar and Ken Farrar set out to create a welcoming ambiance where locals and travelers alike could gather for a coffee, food, beer, wine, smoothies, ice cream or live music. And they hit that mark and took it up a notch or two. 

The staff is very personable. The attitude is family friendly. There are positive messages posted daily to inspire. They have a unique program that will allow you to thank and "pay forward" to those who serve and protect. And you just never know what great talent might be stepping up to the microphone to perform. 

​Update July 3, 2018: For more posts, photos and links about De Soto, MO, see: 
11. MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion Invite.
35. Honor Thy Father. 
36. Amazing Places: De Soto, MO.
​37: Amazing Places: Pine Mountain Country Coffee House.
38: MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion Photos.

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Original Facebook post July 7 at 4:14 AM

Do you ever have a crazy idea that you just can't resist? Well, that happened one night to me while I was planning the 8000 mile road trip I call "Life Is A Highway". I thought, "What if I routed it through the heart of America? I wonder if I could reconnect with any of my Dad's family in Missouri?"

Those persistent questions lead me on a late night internet search for Maness names that might be related. And that search led me to reconnect with my wonderful cousin, Denise Gau, who I had only met once 50 years ago when I was hitchhiking around America. A couple of emails later between her, her brother, Eric Brinley and myself, and I received an invitation to come visit Denise and her amazing husband, Bill in Missouri. 

But wait, there's more. 

The more I kept thinking about the abundance of people back there that shared my last name, the more I wanted to meet some of them. That nudged me to plan what I called the MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion. I called the wonderfully accommodating, Mindy Davis at Pogolinos in De Soto and she set us up with the amazing servers, Erin and Ayrehl. Then I lucked out to find that one of the town historians, Francine Bailey-Henderson was also my distant cousin! And she and her terrific husband, BT, not only put a ton of Maness family research together on poster boards, they acted as co-hosts to the event and even put me up for the night in their guest room. 

I had no idea who or if anyone would come, so I was absolutely delighted when the twelve of us gathered to share personal stories, family histories and fond memories of growing up in De Soto. The conversation was easy and animated. And thanks to cousin, Cindy Greer, we saw photos of family we never knew existed.

It was so much fun that I smiled for days afterwards. And I'd like to thank each and everyone of my long lost cousins for driving in from near and far to turn my crazy idea into a memorable occasion.  

Update July 3, 2018: For more posts, photos and links about De Soto, MO, see: 
11. MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion Invite.
35. Honor Thy Father. 
36. Amazing Places: De Soto, MO.
​37: Amazing Places: Pine Mountain Country Coffee House.
38: MANESS (Long Lost Cousin) Family Reunion Photos.

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Original Facebook post July 9 at 1:15 PM

When I was a kid, Popeye was one of my favorite characters. If memory serves me correctly, the cartoons played on local Detroit, MI shows with hosts Captain Jolly and Poopdeck Paul.  I was so obsessed with the fact that he could eat spinach and immediately grow huge biceps that I asked my parents to serve it at meals and to get me a Popeye hat and pipe. Unfortunately, my arms didn't grow exponentially after choking spinach down. However, I did develop a brief, but decent impression of Popeye and a so-so one of woman with the world's greatest metabolism, Olive Oyl that I still do occasionally. So yeah, I was obsessed. 

With that as a backdrop, you can imagine my delight when I crossed the bridge from Missouri to Illinois and was greeted by the sign, "Welcome To CHESTER, home of Popeye". At first, I was going to just drive through it, but my inner 9 year old wouldn't hear such crazy talk. So I got out and began photographing some of the many statues of main characters like Bluto (the original poster man for bullying) and Wimpy (who had a hamburger eating disorder), and some of the abundant artwork all over the Popeye Character Trail. That lead me to go into Spinach Can Collectables/Popeye Museum - the very building where the comic strip was born - and meet the co-owner, Debbie Brooks. She told me her incredible connection to the character started when she was kidnapped as a child, rescued before any dire harm came to her, and told adults she, "stayed strong like Popeye".

Fast forward many years later and she and her husband, Mike, began a drive to put Popeye's hometown of Chester on the cartoon map. And today, the characters - which creator, Elzie Crisler Segar based on local townspeople  - are so much a part of the town's culture that even the police and fire departments now sport Popeye emblems. 

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