May 27-29, 2006 – With Hollywood and New York deserted for the long Memorial Day weekend, we headed out of town, too, following the celebrity trail through mid-America.

Famous folks are addressing college graduations everywhere at this time of year, but the U.S. Military Academy at West Point caught the biggest fish, President George W. Bush. W. personally greeted each 2006 graduate, and also waved to those families seated in the audience that yelled the loudest. Bush discussed the war on terrorism, and also officially “pardoned” the cadets for minor infractions committed during their school careers.

General H. Norman “Stormin’ Norman” Schwarzkopf, class of 1956, attended the ceremony, and, as you can tell by the frumpy chair he sat in, West Point has yet to embrace mid-century modern, or hire Philippe Starck to update their image. (No wonder yuppies aren’t attracted to military careers.)

Anyway, we took off for Indianapolis, where auto racing fans Ludacris, James Caviezel, Tim Allen, David Letterman and Ashley Judd all flitted around at the Indy 500. Singer Josh Kelley entertained the crowd, and he alluded to his lover from the hit TV show Grey’s Anatomy – reportedly Katherine Heigl – but it was Dr. McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey, who joined him at the Indy. We’re just saying.

And then we headed through the heartland to Chicago, where Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston did not allude to their love at the premiere of The Break-Up.