Cat Stevens crooned about the Peace Train. Maybe he'll reprise the ballad, call it Peace Bike!

 West Village, NYC, summer 2013.  More of us could be singing about peace, pedaling in support of the concept.  Ride on!

Classic Fords, Caddies, RV's and Fast Food Trailers.

One of the great joys of being on the road (on a bike, in a car, hoofing it on foot) is discovering the range and variety of modes of transport.  Check out the gallery below.  I'll tell you a little bit about each vehicle.

Low ridin' El Dorado, with skirts, nearly scrapes the sidewalk outside a classic car showroom in Arizona.

What do you think?  Maybe '54 or '55 Ford?  RV of undetermined age but definitely older than the Ford wagon.  Sister of Charity statue ouside church on main drag keeps close watch on the rig, makes sure no one jumps behind the wheel, jumps the wires, and heads back to mid-Century.

I think we saw this one in Santa Monica.  License plate sorta says it all:  "we know our market and we're proud."

Not necessarily gear heads shop here, but tees and caps likely appeal to road runners of all persuasions in the Road Runner State.

Cowgirl Up! Artist Liz Wolf: One of a kind Whimsical Sculptor.

 Liz titled this one "The Jokester," an avian version of esteemed kachari.

 "Little Bird" is made of clay and wood, unlike "Jokester," a more classic bronze sculpture.

And here's a portrait of the artist.  We met Santa Fe sculptor Liz Wolf last weekend at Cowgirl Up! art show in Wickenburg.  Liz has a storied background, is richly talented and, as you can see by the red dots on the cards adjacent to her pieces, her work sells!

And why her whimsical streak?  Maybe it's because the artist grew up in St. Paul, MN, where her dad managed the St. Paul Hotel -- and Liz lived in an apt. on the top floor, just like Heloise!

FIAT Cinquecento, ca. 1973

I met this classic Italian mini-car today in Wickenburg, AZ.  Ain't she a beauty! A group of fellow admirers gathered quickly - kind of like a flash mob.  One lady said:  "I had one of those!  It was bright orange."  A man about my age remarked:  "I was a GI in Europe in the '60's, and was forbidden from riding around in such a teeny car."

The owner of this sweet 'mobile reports that this model was a 1973, the last year FIAT manufactured these cars.  He bought it overseas and the restoration had been done by then.  Paint job looks better than new.

Our admiring flash mob watched with longing as the '500' roared to life, backed up, turned on a dime (maybe a euro or lira would be more appropriate) and sped away.  Well, not exactly sped away.

Moved with purpose, elan, grace and style might be more like it.

Shadows in the Shadows of Safeway.

Took this one last year.  I was intrigued by the contrast between the shadowed bars/railings and the bleached concrete sidewalk.  Not too far from Safeway.  What do you think?

Would Jimi Hendrix have Chosen a Mini Van to do His Tripping?

All those dudes and dude-ettes groovin' on Hendrix at Woodstock grew up to get preggers, have babies, and buy mini vans.  Yup, against all odds that's what they did.

Some were hippies, some became hedge fund managers, but all of them piled into their Voyagers and Odysseys and headed for suburbia.

If Jimi were alive today, what do you suppose he'd think? Maybe he'd still have the old Town + Country in his own suburban garage.

Ain't life strange.  Meanwhile, saw this beauty in a coffee shop parking lot in Wickenburg, AZ.

Baby dove chick to pop out of these nested eggs, soon!

Right below our deck on Lazy Fox, nestled in an aging, elegant cactus, a Momma Dove has built a nest, laid her eggs.  We must have spooked her yesterday when we approached to take a peek.  Were relieved to see that Mom came home to warm up the chicks-in-waiting.

High Velocity Visit last week to SoCal: LA, Santa Monica, Palm Desert, La Quinta. New friends, adventures and memories come our way.

Charlie Cox is western genre strummer and crooner at La Brea Tar Pits on Wilshire in LA. Terrell, Poppina and Jason enjoy a two-buck serenade.

Birds of Paradise tropical flowers in full bloom near the place we stayed in Santa Monica.

Chill young electrician and his Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van on 18th St. off Montana Ave.

Part of the exhibit of "Black Mountain College" at the Hammer Museum in LA.  Definition of "synergy" courtesy of Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller, designer of Geodesic Dome.

Sidewalk art, ca. 1934, on Wilshire Boulevard in Downtown Los Angeles.

Your humble blogger, Old Poppy, meets up with pal Alan N. for coffee at The Chimney on Main St.

Now Poppina and I are in Palm Desert, enjoying the Public Art along world famous El Paseo.

Art for all to enjoy. Free. Public = no admission ticket required.

Spirited iced mocha served by spirited baristas, served in La Quinta's newest coffee shop.

Leaving a barista tip has never been easier. Simply dip your VISA, and a buck is debited painlessly and automatically from your card.

With Pedego brand electric bikes you can cruise the Desert Cities all day for a hundred bucks.  Didn't have time to check 'em out, but the bikes LOOK solid, well made, beautifully finished, and rarin' to go.

Pierce's Trip to India Confirms Vitality of the Velo Way of Life.