MADISON (WKOW) — Longtime mayor Paul Soglin’s loss to Sotya Rhodes-Conway ushered in a major change for the city of Madison, not to mention a major change in lifestyle for Soglin.
Following his last day of work April 16, Soglin went dark on Twitter. Then heturned up againApril 25 at the beginning of what has turned into an epic road trip.
The first Tweetof the trip shows Soglin at the the Battle of Virden Monument in Illinois. It includes a bonus question, for those who care to answer.
The monument commemorates the 1898 Battle of Virden, the tragic result of local coal miners fighting for worker’s rights.
Soglin seemed right at home at a monument commemorating workers’ rights.
What follows are a meandering series of posts sprinkled with historical tidbits and trivia.
For example, one photo (April 27) shows the Sayre, Oklahoma, county courthouse, the same one seen briefly as the Okies drive away in the 1940 film, “The Grapes of Wrath.”
Then Soglin heads out on the original Route 66, a quintessential Baby Boomer road trip immortalized in numerous songs and movies.
Officially, the numerical designation 66 was assigned to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route in the summer of 1926, but with the advent of the Interstate System in mid 1950s, the original Route 66 was retired to a slow, more scenic pace.
“#WilliamsAZ last city to fall to interstate system. When I-40 came through this gateway to the #GrandCanyon represents one the best examples of life in #route66. It’s water system is a result of another 1930’s WPA project.” Soglin posted on April 30.
On April 29, Soglin finds himself, “standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona,” as the lyrics of the Eagles’ “Take it Easy” song go.
Such a fine site to see, we assume.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Soglin was still in Arizona, so it could be a while before we see him back in town.
You can follow Soglin’s tripHERE.
More at WKOW 27 News