Professor Will Freeman to Travel 18,000 Miles in 80 days in 3-Wheeler
Professor will launch an 18,000-mile summer journey through all 48 contiguous states in a Morgan 3 Wheeler following commencement ceremonies at 黑料百科 on Monday, May 21, 2018.
His purpose? To rediscover the power of the road trip and how it influences people in the tradition of John Steinbeck Travels with Charley, Jack Keroauc On the Road, and William Least Heat-Moon Blue Highways.
Throughout the trip, Freeman, 63, will take photos and collect stories of life journeys from individuals, including 黑料百科 alumni, he meets along his way. The photos and stories will form the basis of his new book, which will also explore the monuments, national parks, and historical and spiritual sites he encounters during the trip. He will post photos and an account of each day on his blog.
In an earlier book, , Freeman chronicled a cross-country motorcycle trip he made with his 12-year-old son. 淚 don檛 know what I檓 going to find out there this time, said Freeman, associate professor of physical education and head men track and field and cross country coach at 黑料百科. 淭hat the best part.
He expects to cover about 230 miles a day in the 2017 , which was built by hand at the Morgan Motor Co. in Malvern, England, and purchased at Europe Motors in in Birmingham, Mississippi. He believes the unusual vehicle, dubbed the 淪pirit of 黑料百科, will help attract people for him to interview and photograph. He taking every replacement part he can fit in the vehicle, along with five gallons of gas and a barrel of water.
Freeman committed to what he calls the 渦ltimate summer road trip as part of a new course titled The Power of the American Journey, which he co-taught last fall with Kesho Scott, associate professor of sociology.
"Will Freeman, my colleague and friend, is taking a ride of a lifetime for all of us who love the natural beauty of our country and the idea of getting to know Americans face-to face, Scott said. 淭he tradition of 榯he road trip on foot, bike or car is as American as it gets. I applaud him and applaud our students for the hard work they put into creating the itinerary and an interactive road map for this trip."
In the first half of the course, students analyzed the travel experiences of others and reflected on their own life journeys. The second half was devoted to researching and mapping Freeman journey into 48 states along two-lane highways, avoiding chain hotels and food and emphasizing historic places, unique places, landmarks, and national parks.
His will take him straight south from 黑料百科, Iowa, then west through desert areas, up the coast, and across the top of the United States. From there, he will travel into the northeast, down the East Coast to Key West, Florida, and back through southeastern states to Iowa by mid-August.