A college professor from Iowa made a brief pit stop in Hot Springs on Thursday along his ambitious journey to travel through the 48 contiguous states in a handbuilt 2017 Morgan 3 Wheeler.
Will Freeman teaches sports psychology and American studies in addition to coaching the school's cross-country and track team at Grinnell College in Iowa. After teaching a course on American journeys, Freeman decided it was time for him to hit the open road once again.
"I've always loved road trips ... (and) teaching about great American journeys resonated with me," he said.
Freeman began his own journey on Monday, making Arkansas the fifth state he visited along the way. His travels will take him further south to Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana before heading out West.
"The point of my journey is to meet people and hear about their life journeys. You don't have to be famous or rich to have an interesting journey," he said.
Although he tries to avoid big cities, major restaurant and hotel chains, and drive exclusively on two-lane highways, his cut through the middle of the state led him to Hot Springs. With the help of one of his students, Freeman sticks to his plan, for the most part.
Freeman's is Morgan 3 Wheeler, called the Spirit of Grinnell, was built by hand by Morgan Motor Co. in England. Freeman purchased it from Auto Europe of Birmingham, Mich.
The sleek and unique design of the vehicle catches the attention of anyone it passes and Freeman said that has been a vital tool in his journey.
"You can't not smile when you see it," he said.
Along the way, he is writing about the people he meets and the places he sees and hopes to publish a book about his journey just like he did about the trip he took 16 years ago with his son on a motorcycle.
Freeman officially plans to conclude his journey no later than Aug. 15 but he said he hopes he finishes up after the first week of August. Until then, he is hitting the open road on his very own American journey.
Local on 05/25/2018