Posts by Hank

Big Dean’s: Beagle Man’s Bar in Santa Monica

LA/XC-2 DAYS FOURTEEN AND FIFTEEN: LAGUNA BEACH; SANTA MONICA; LOS ANGELES The first time we stayed in Santa Monica back in the spring of 2010, when Robby was in town for his first look at USC, I pegged Big Dean’s “Muscle In” Cafe as my perfect “home” beachside bar and hangout. Right on the San…

Welcome to L.A.

LA/XC-2 DAYS TWELVE AND THIRTEEN: PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY; L.A.; SANTA MONICA Day Twelve mileage: 464 [NOTE: While I’ll continue to tally miles during my stay in L.A.-Santa Monica for the next week, I won’t be posting it daily] Total LA/XC-2 mileage: 4,087 Weather leaving San Francisco: …

Upset Special

LA/XC-2 DAYS NINE, TEN, AND ELEVEN: NEVADA; OAKLAND, CA; PALO ALTO; SAN FRANCISCO Day Nine mileage: 509 Day Ten mileage: 27 Day Eleven mileage: 33 Total LA/XC-2 mileage: 3,622 Road Music: XM regular stations; LA/XC-2 Playlist (featuring Luc…

Chasing Old Faithful

LA/XC-2 DAYS FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, AND EIGHT: DENVER, THERMOPOLIS (WYOMING), YELLOWSTONE AND GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARKS, IDAHO, AND NEVADA Day Five mileage: 289 Day Six mileage: 420 Day Seven mileage: 298 Day Eight mileage: 406 Total LA/XC-2 mileage: 3,052 Road Music: XM regular stati…

An Extra Hour!

LA/XC-2 DAY FOUR: IOWA AND NEBRASKA Yesterday’s mileage: 467 Total LA/XC-2 mileage: 1,639 Road Music: NFL Football: Jets game; NFL “Drive Time”; Denver-Pittsburgh game; for a short musical break: Keith Urban (Get Closer album) Weather leaving Grinnell: 65 under a gorgeous blue Iowa sky Y…

There’s Something About Iowa

LA/XC-2 DAYS TWO AND THREE: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AND GRINNELL, IOWA Friday’s mileage: 560 Saturday’s mileage: 322 Total LA/XC-2 mileage: 1,173 Road Music Friday: XM “regulars” (Fox, CNN, ESPN); XM The Highway (worst song heard: American Beauty by the Lost Trailers; best song heard: American…

Greetings From Happy Valley

LA/XC-2 DAY ONE: STATE COLLEGE, PA Today’s mileage: 290.7 Total LA/XC-2 mileage: 290.7 Road Music: Local news (WCBS); local sports (ESPN); Fox News; CNN news; national sports (ESPN); The Highway (new country music); iPod singles playlist — a motley collection I put together, but I was rea…

Ricky Speaks Out

* * * COUNTDOWN: 4 DAYS TO LA/XC-2 * * * Throughout the Republican National Convention this past week, I kept hearing Tampa this, and Tampa that. Why all this love for Tampa? Then on Thursday, while I was listening to radio coverage of Day 3, the commentator said he was “reporting live from Ta…

Wordless Wednesday

* * * COUNTDOWN: 8 DAYS TO LA/XC-2 * * * Grand-nephew Teddy, Sheepadoodle Max. (That’s Teddy on the left.) You can follow Beagle Man on Facebook and Twitter

Ricky To Ride on Roof Rack?

* * * COUNTDOWN: 12 DAYS TO LA/XC-2 * * * Just back late last night from moving Robby into his new digs at USC. You might ask, why would you fly out to L.A. to help your son move in, fly back on August 24 — and then get ready to drive out to Cali again with your beagle on Sept. 6 — just 12 da…