Marafiki…

These days, if you tell people you’re taking a road trip, it is considered strange if you don’t take a mostly direct route. Yes, perhaps I am going from H to T, but I still want to see A-G and U-Z. I have the time, so why NOT see A-G or U-Z? Why is that so hard to understand?

One person that I knew would understand my out-of-the-way road trip was Jack Kerouac, author of the infamous, era-defining, ultimate road trip novel On the Road. My road trip has a lot less drug use, but now we’re splitting hairs.

Naturally, this meant I had to take the time to visit JACK KEROUAC’S GRAVE- 1375 Gorham St., Lowell, MA.

Jack was born in Lowell and is buried in Edson Cemetery.

FYI, I took this picture from inside the cemetery. No, the house you see through the gates is not inside the cemetery, but outside.

He is buried near his family and, like so many other famous people, gets visitors leaving things on his grave.

The small Jack Daniels bottle was my contribution. I found it elsewhere in the cemetery and wanted to leave something. Besides, his name was Jack…

One of my artsy moments (notice how I got myself in the reflection).

“The Road is Life.” Oh, how true, Jack, how true.

So… how do you find his grave?

It’s actually pretty easy if you follow these directions:

Head towards the chapel (pictured earlier in the blog). Take the second right after the chapel (7th St.).  Turn left onto Lincoln and stop. He is in the section to your right. If you can’t find it from all the paraphernalia piled on it, count 6 gravestones in from the intersection and 3 back from the road.

Hit the open road, go experience some life, and come thank the man that has inspired so many to do the same.

Until next time, dahlings…