The Biggest Butte is a site meant to celebrate the kind patriotism that - oh I don't know - Teddy Roosvelt would have approved of - a patriotism for a land of individualism, dust, and adventure. Character built out of dehydration. That kind of celebration.

There is something so big, so spacious, so lawless about the other side of the rockies.

A vintage postcard picked up at the Prospectin’ Supply Store:

And a Vistas Video:

Ghost Town & BOOMTOWN!  (I especially like the TIMELINE on that site)

…has far to go. I’d always thought that line meant my life was fated to a long series of sisyphusian struggles. It wasn’t until I found this pendant at Charlie’s Ore House Prospecting Supplies and Antique store in Randsburg, CA that I finally understood:

Far to go, as illustrated by the umbrella and suitcase in the little girl’s hand, means Lots of traveling.  I’m very pleased with the prospecting supplies I picked up that day.

Randsburg, CA:

New vids up:

We’ve been housed at The Roosevelt Hotel  for the past week. I’ve choking on pool floaties, sixteen-dollar Miami Vices, and enough Ed Hardy to bedazzle and silk screen skulls and roses over all the asses in China, but I am going to miss this place and all the ultra celeb photographs like the one of Lou Reed in our room:

and this one in the hallway:

In case you don’t know The Roosevelt is a renovated historical hotel with some major hollywood history. Besides being the place for the first Academy Awards, I am pretty sure that Brando used to beat people up in the hallways and Gable used to get in on with (the real) JC in the cocktail lounge. Now it’s really just a fancy place for long valet lines, Bollywood parties, and for watching people swarm around Grauman's Chinese Theater on the Hotel Streetcam TV channel:

This is what it really looks like outside:

And from the roof:

And from the doorway:

We leave tomorrow but will be back because it is true: