Mr. Mark Richardson .is a writer and the Automobile -Motorcycle Editor for the Toronto Star Newspaper, one of Canada's foremost newspapers. Starting Monday 19 July 2004. Mr. Richardson also followed the ZMM Route. This Album Shows Mr. Richardson's Photos of his trip, as he toured on his trusty Jakie Blue motorcycle. His photos and interesting commentary started in Toronto and ended at the Zen Center in San Francisco, two weeks later. Mr. Richardson has written up his experiences into his forth-coming book. It is fascinating to read and I am sure you will not want to miss it! He is currently seeking a publisher. Ask me for more information.


Email 7 Nov 07, From Mark Richardson: His New Book Concerning His ZMM Route Experiences Has A Publisher!
Hi Henry and Ian:
I want you both to be first to know that my book Zen and Now was sold this week to Knopf, which will publish it simultaneously in the United States and Canada next September. This very fast turnaround is so that it will be published on the 40th anniversary of the original 1968 ride.
Knopf is one of Random House's most prestigious divisions. It will be published in paperback by Vintage.
*** Snip *** As before, I'll keep you in the loop about its progress and I hope to be able to send you a final version before publication. That's no longer my decision, of course, but I expect your feedback and comments on the manuscript will be welcomed. Your assistance and web sites will be properly acknowledged in the published book, of course. And if you want to go ahead now and mention on your sites that the book will be published next September by Knopf, that's fine.
All the best, and many, many thanks,
Mark R.

The photos here show some our working environment here at University of South Carolina Aiken, and a few "screen captures" of our software in use. The screen captures show the pages we work with and some of the "quirks" encountered & what to do about them. Active planning for what was to become ZMMquality WebSite, began around April 2002, when I walked over to the USCA University Library to visit Paul Lewis. I wanted his advice on what GPS Handheld Receiver I should purchase for my forth coming ZMM Research Trip. Paul is a University of South Carolina Aiken Research Librarian. Among his multitude of skills and interests, he is a first rate technology/computer expert! And among his various library responsibilities, he is in charge of the USCA Library's Global Position Information System (GIS) Computer Database. So I thought he ought to know what GPS would work best with a GIS. You will read "the rest of the story" in the captions of this album. Links to the software we use are also given.

This ZMMquality Site is dedicated to Paul Lewis, since in essence, he is it's co-creator! And … with many, many hours of prime trouble-shooting and expert computer code manipulations, Paul Lewis has definitely shown he is ZMMquality's mentor and friend!

Yes! These are the pictures taken on Robert Pirsig's very own camera as he, Chris, Sylvia, and John made that 1968 epic voyage upon which his book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (ZMM), was based. These 12 photos seem to be the only existing photos from that trip. Mr. Pirsig, when he sent me these photos, said that if he had known his book was going be so famous, he would have taken more photographs. As you will see, nearly all these photos appear to have been "written into" ZMM. This leads me to conjecture that there might have been many other photos that likewise were formative for many, many, other parts of the ZMM Travel Narrative.

NOW AVAILABLE: …
A Travel Route, Marked By Black Felt Tip Marker, On A USA Map Mailed To To Me By John (ZMM) Sutherland. In Mr Sutherland’s cover letter, he said 1) ”The map had been given to him by Mr. Robert Pirsig”, and 2) [The (black felt tip) marked travel route,] "Showed some of Pirsig ideas for their proposed trip in 1968." In essence showed an early ZMM Route.!!
In the envelope, all folded up, was an old National Geographic 26” x 40” Wall Map, dated in the title block June 1951. It is a Pre-Interstate Highway Road Map, that has old deep discolorations of Scotch Tape on the corners, indicating it was, in it’s history, for quite a long duration, actually hung on a wall. On this map, someone, most probably Mr. Pirsig, had marked a planned route West, through Northern Oregon, to the Pacific Coast and thence to San Francisco by way of the Pacific Ocean Coast.
Some other routes were also marked, one of which might have been a return route. Also there were notes on the map, using the same black marker, are written in what appears Mr. Pirsig’s hand writing. (Mr Pirsig typically signs his paper letters, with a black felt tip marker.)
In considering the above, I don't agree with Mr Sutherland, that this map was prepared for what became the "1968 ZMM Trip", over what is now known as the "ZMM Route": Had this map been marked any time after Mr. Pirsig was a Professor (1959-1961) at Montana State College (now Montana State University), Mr Pirsig would have included in the marked routes, Bozeman MT. Which this map does not show: Hence it must show pre 1959 route planning.
To see this map & travel route marked by Pirsig, with complete discussion go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28421778@N02/9694139034/
By Henry Gurr Site Master http://VentureArete.org

For the photographs you will see in this album, I have added a title, added a selected ZMM passage, and provided standard caption format, which includes: ZMM passage & page number, nearest town name, the probable GPS location where the picture was taken, as well as the photo number of my closest matching picture. Mr. Pirsig's own photo captions, sent with his original digital photo files, are included. My photo locations are referenced by a so called "GPS WayPoint Reference Number". A corresponding GPS WayPoint data file will made available upon request. This data file will in turn give precisely the coordinates (degrees North Latitude) + (Degrees West Longitude) for the site of each of my photographs.

New topic: Look closely at the reflection in the shiny gas tank in the first photo. You can faintly discern the image of John, holding the camera at his waist, as he took that photo! HSG

Following the Route of the California Gold Rush ‘49s (In Reverse Direction). This album shows photos of my return trip back to my home in Aiken, South Carolina.

Introduction: My ZMM Research involved following the "ZMM Route, and of course, ended in San Francisco. On my way home from "The Bay Area", I first traveled to Stutters Fort, now a Historical Monument. This very large fort and terminus of the California Trail is now a wonderful well preserved museum. AND it is a very good way to learn about the lives of the "Emigrants" on the California Trail. For me this was the start point for following the California Trail (backwards) into Nevada & Idaho. In Idaho, the California Trail joined with the Oregon Trail, I followed the combined trails (backwards) through Southern Idaho to St. Louis, MO. Along the route were fantastic wide open natural landscapes, many Informative Local History Signs, Interpretive Centers, Museums, Commemorative Monuments (re California/Oregon Trails), and a wonderful Fossil Museum at the Fossil Butte National Monument.

Details: Starting from my home in Aiken SC, my Research lead me, of course, to Minneapolis, and then along the ZMM Route to San Francisco, and close to my son’s, David Gurr’s, home then in Palo Alto, CA. I arranged to stay with him for about two months. There I rested, visited, and toured around with my son: We toured, mountain drives, beach vistas, Frank Lloyd Wrights buildings, nature museums, etc). I also made computer back-ups of all my ZMM Route photos, re-read and edited all my ZMM Route research notes, and visited friends in Irvine, California. On my drive to (and from) Irvine I studied & photographed the St Andreas Fault and visited the J. Paul Getty Museum near Santa Monica, CA. While in Palo Alto, David and I also traveled to see my Nephew, Edward Gurr, and family in Mariposa CA. He treated us to a trip up to the Sweetwater Gold Mine. This was quite exciting.
After I left Palo Alto, I traveled East on I-580 and crossed Altamont Pass, by Livermore and thru Stockton. In Sacramento, I was quite excited to visit the old Stutters Fort (mentioned above). After an overnight visit with friends, in Chico, CA, I "angled SouthEast to I-80 at Auburn CA. Going now N. East, I soon switched into the old paved road, parallel and just South of I-80. This is the old route of the California Trail over Donner Pass. As I followed the Historic California Trail (backwards) into Nevada, I was in fact, following the entire Historic Trail of California Gold Rush ‘49ers! This was a very rewarding experience for me! Very thrilling both for the history experienced (first hand) and the incredible natural beauty and open spaces. Altogether, my trip back was just as thrilling as the ZMM route itself, which is saying something!!
Moreover, as mentioned elsewhere in this Photo Gallery, I have one of Robert Pirsig’s old National Geographic Full Size Wall Maps on which a pre-1968 versions of the ZMM Route had been "inked-in". Significant to this discussion, the “Route of the ‘49ers’ is likewise marked on this map!
Thus, for Pirsig Pilgrims, there are multiple reasons why I highly recommend ‘49ers route. Here now is a selection from my photographs taken on my return trip. Henry Gurr, Dec 04. Rev Oct 07.

On my trip in the summer of 2006, I showed the former home of John and Sylvia Sutherland (seen in these photos) to Anthony McWatt and MOQ film crew. In ZMM (page 143), the Narrator quotes John Sutherland's disparaging comment about their home and life back in Minneapolis. So here are 18 photos of what is here at the address quoted. Despite John's statement, this looks to us like a wonderful home along a quiet shady street, in a perfectly fine neighborhood! We found it empty and for rent, so we fully used the chance to experience and absorb this fantastic, multicolored Victorian masterpiece! Although this style of architecture is not normally my “type”, it was still fun to be here and take photos in the bright sun. In these views you will see Anthony McWatt, Rebecca Temmer, and Gavin Gee Cough. The MOQ video production team's photographer, David Buchanan, by happenstance is missing from my photos taken at this home. From my two trips to Minneapolis, I have many other photos and will post these in this album ASAP. Notice: If you are the person now living in this home please contact me. Anyone having (or needing) more information, please contact me. I want to hear from you.