Last night we found a really great place to camp and this would be my first time camping on this trip. Linds and I set up the tent and I feel quickly asleep with a warm breeze blowing through the wheat grass surrounding us. When I woke up this morning Linds had our oatmeal breakfast ready and was reorganizing our packing situation in the back of her truck. It was 7am.
It was nice to shower, although the giant spider that decided to shower with me was less than welcome. I made Lindsay kill it.
We then headed out towards Devils Gulch in Garretson, MN where, according to legend, Jesse James jumped over the gulch while running from the law. Unfortunately it would take us a bit longer to find Devil’s Gulch because for the first time, we got lost.
We have been traveling off of the highway because I-90 just gets long and boring after a while. The alternate roads are a little slower but far more beautiful. Today we found ourselves on a road that was not paved and not leading us to our desired destination. Eventually we found our way, but we spent a good part of the morning driving around corn fields and cow pastures, and we were having a great time doing it. Getting lost was actually a lot of fun.
South Dakota is where we are starting to notice where the definition of middle America comes from. Life is different here. For starters, the size of the pickup trucks increases proportionally with the size of the insects. It seems like everything moves slower and the land just gets flatter and flatter. Driving along Route 14 West, we are surrounded on both sides by never-ending “amber waves of grain.” Pheasant count: 9.
We stopped by the Corn Palace in Mitchell briefly because although it has been a spectualr sight, this year was rather boring. Don’t worry, I’m still sending postcards that say “We Were Ear.”
Next stop: Pierre, SD.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Minnesota
After waking up in a parking lot around 5am, Linds and I went to a McDonalds to have breakfast and figure out what to do next. I must say that the McDonalds was a great introduction to Minnesota: the accent and the demeanor of the people. There must be in lithium in the water because even at the crack of dawn everyone was so kind and courteous. We had breakfast, wrote out our postcards, and drove around Austin looking for the post office to kill three hours before the Spam Museum opened. Oddly enough, by the time 10am rolled around, we were not the first people to walk through the museum doors. The ode to Spam was more than I initially expected and it gave an extensive history of the Hormel family’s involvement in the war effort during WWI and WWII. It was 30 minutes well spent. As we drove away from Austin towards the twin cities we made the mistake of keeping the windows down while we drove past the Hormel factory where Spam is created. Imagine what pureed pork shoulder would smell like on a 90 degree day and that’s what came wafting into the car. Linds almost got sick an thinking and even thinking about it now makes me a little ill.
We then headed north towards the Mall of America and arrived shortly after noon. The mall was so much more than I expected and I was thoroughly amazed to find out that in addition to having a Nordstrom, they have a water park (and a hotel, and an amusement park, and Aldo was having a clearance sale). After getting lattes at our new favorite coffee shop Carribou Coffee, we proceed to spend the day shopping without the burden of sales tax. With hunger getting the best of us, we left the mall and headed out towards Darwin, Minnesota the home of the largest ball of twine rolled by one man. We originally planned to go into Minneapolis, but the Sculpture Garden and Walker Art Center are both closed on Mondays. Much to our dismay, we decided to forgo the trip in to the cities and head straight to Darwin.
As we were about to leave the city limits, I sped right by a local police officer. Obviously speeding (68 in a 55 so I would later find out) the officer turned around and pulled us over. Lindsay pulled out the road map and I put on my most confused face. The young, male officer approached the vehicle and asked me why I thought he pulled us over. I said (in a high and anxiety-filled voice) that I was probably going too fast, but was extremely stressed because we were lost (this was a lie, we knew exactly where we were going). He asked where we were headed to and Lindsay, in a moment of brilliance, started staring at the map but said nothing. Then she puts her finger down and exclaims “Marshalll!” Then I started stammering about how I thought we were on 23 but we haven’t seen a sign in ages, etc. The nice police officer, looking and sounding exactly like the officers in Fargo, proceeded to give us the sweetest directions. At the end he did say, “I’m not going to give you a ticket, in case you hadn’t figured that out already.” He did take my license, and was going to give us a written warning, but all his stuff was in the back seat of his car and he didn’t want to go through the hassle of getting it. Hats off to that very nice officer. It just goes to show you, the damsel in distress still works.
The rest of the ride along Route 12 was an education in the meaning of “small town.” We only stopped once and that was when we arrived at Darwin (population:226). We drove down the main street to the Ball of Twine Museum only to discover a HUGE ball of twine and most of the inhabitants of Darwin congregating around it. As the town’s only claim to fame, it seems to be a pretty big deal. We were invited inside the “museum” (which was actually someone’s home) for some lemonade and to chat with the locals. We declined the lemonade but did stay to chat a bit. As nice as they were, we had no intention of staying in Darwin more than 20 minutes, so we made a polite but quick getaway before we became “one of them.” It was a very, very different experience.
We then headed north towards the Mall of America and arrived shortly after noon. The mall was so much more than I expected and I was thoroughly amazed to find out that in addition to having a Nordstrom, they have a water park (and a hotel, and an amusement park, and Aldo was having a clearance sale). After getting lattes at our new favorite coffee shop Carribou Coffee, we proceed to spend the day shopping without the burden of sales tax. With hunger getting the best of us, we left the mall and headed out towards Darwin, Minnesota the home of the largest ball of twine rolled by one man. We originally planned to go into Minneapolis, but the Sculpture Garden and Walker Art Center are both closed on Mondays. Much to our dismay, we decided to forgo the trip in to the cities and head straight to Darwin.
As we were about to leave the city limits, I sped right by a local police officer. Obviously speeding (68 in a 55 so I would later find out) the officer turned around and pulled us over. Lindsay pulled out the road map and I put on my most confused face. The young, male officer approached the vehicle and asked me why I thought he pulled us over. I said (in a high and anxiety-filled voice) that I was probably going too fast, but was extremely stressed because we were lost (this was a lie, we knew exactly where we were going). He asked where we were headed to and Lindsay, in a moment of brilliance, started staring at the map but said nothing. Then she puts her finger down and exclaims “Marshalll!” Then I started stammering about how I thought we were on 23 but we haven’t seen a sign in ages, etc. The nice police officer, looking and sounding exactly like the officers in Fargo, proceeded to give us the sweetest directions. At the end he did say, “I’m not going to give you a ticket, in case you hadn’t figured that out already.” He did take my license, and was going to give us a written warning, but all his stuff was in the back seat of his car and he didn’t want to go through the hassle of getting it. Hats off to that very nice officer. It just goes to show you, the damsel in distress still works.
The rest of the ride along Route 12 was an education in the meaning of “small town.” We only stopped once and that was when we arrived at Darwin (population:226). We drove down the main street to the Ball of Twine Museum only to discover a HUGE ball of twine and most of the inhabitants of Darwin congregating around it. As the town’s only claim to fame, it seems to be a pretty big deal. We were invited inside the “museum” (which was actually someone’s home) for some lemonade and to chat with the locals. We declined the lemonade but did stay to chat a bit. As nice as they were, we had no intention of staying in Darwin more than 20 minutes, so we made a polite but quick getaway before we became “one of them.” It was a very, very different experience.
Monday, June 25, 2007
June 24, 2007 - Wisconsin & Minnesota
…So we got some cheese. WI was a success! After a morning of screwing around on the road (we turned around several times just because we missed the “welcome to…” signs, just to have a picture, we finally made it to Minnesota where we encounter our first hitch hiker at a rest stop along I-90W. Don’t worry we did not pick him up, when asked if “ya’al goin’ west” I quickly responded with “no.” No worries.
The drive through Wisconsin on 14W was a lesson in agricultural sciences. This is where the cow competition really heated up. By the time we reached the state line it was 107 Lindsay to 73 Michele, with some local cemeteries along the way claiming both our herds.
Another interesting sighting along route 14W was a horse drawn buggy carrying an Amish family wearing homemade cloths with no buttons or zippers (because we all know the Amish do not believe in using such modern devices). We had no idea that the Amish community extended so far north as we were.
Michele and I were amazed and proven wrong in our initial expectations of Wisconsin. Watching the sunset over the rolling plains, green pastures and countryside spotted with Red Barns was breathtaking. Wisconsin is Beautiful!
Arriving in Austin, MN at 9:45pm Central time we found ourselves following signs to the SPAM Museum, while looking for the perfect parking lot to spend the night. Reorganizing the FJ allowed for a cozy B & B for Michele and I, Only to wake up every Hour on the hour because there was a knot in a part of my body didn’t know could be knotty. We woke at sunrise to a factory whistle at 5:00am. It was a very My Cousin Vinny Moment. By the time we were ready for our morning coffee we found we were no longer alone in the parking lot, we were sandwiched between the cars of locals on their way to work on this early Monday morning.
Next stop Minneapolis…
The drive through Wisconsin on 14W was a lesson in agricultural sciences. This is where the cow competition really heated up. By the time we reached the state line it was 107 Lindsay to 73 Michele, with some local cemeteries along the way claiming both our herds.
Another interesting sighting along route 14W was a horse drawn buggy carrying an Amish family wearing homemade cloths with no buttons or zippers (because we all know the Amish do not believe in using such modern devices). We had no idea that the Amish community extended so far north as we were.
Michele and I were amazed and proven wrong in our initial expectations of Wisconsin. Watching the sunset over the rolling plains, green pastures and countryside spotted with Red Barns was breathtaking. Wisconsin is Beautiful!
Arriving in Austin, MN at 9:45pm Central time we found ourselves following signs to the SPAM Museum, while looking for the perfect parking lot to spend the night. Reorganizing the FJ allowed for a cozy B & B for Michele and I, Only to wake up every Hour on the hour because there was a knot in a part of my body didn’t know could be knotty. We woke at sunrise to a factory whistle at 5:00am. It was a very My Cousin Vinny Moment. By the time we were ready for our morning coffee we found we were no longer alone in the parking lot, we were sandwiched between the cars of locals on their way to work on this early Monday morning.
Next stop Minneapolis…
June 24, 2007 - Wisconsin & Minnesota
June 24, 2007
…So we got some cheese. WI was a success! After a morning of screwing around on the road (we turned around several times just because we missed the “welcome to…” signs, just to have a picture, we finally made it to Minnesota where we encounter our first hitch hiker at a rest stop along I-90W. Don’t worry we did not pick him up, when asked if “ya’al goin’ west” I quickly responded with “no.” No worries.
The drive through Wisconsin on 14W was a lesson in agricultural sciences. This is where the cow competition really heated up. By the time we reached the state line it was 107 Lindsay to 73 Michele, with some local cemeteries along the way claiming both our herds.
Another interesting sighting along route 14W was a horse drawn buggy carrying an Amish family wearing homemade cloths with no buttons or zippers (because we all know the Amish do not believe in using such modern devices). We had no idea that the Amish community extended so far north as we were.
Michele and I were amazed and proven wrong in our initial expectations of Wisconsin. Watching the sunset over the rolling plains, green pastures and countryside spotted with Red Barns was breathtaking. Wisconsin is Beautiful!
Arriving in Austin, MN at 9:45pm Central time we found ourselves following signs to the SPAM Museum, while looking for the perfect parking lot to spend the night. Reorganizing the FJ allowed for a cozy B & B for Michele and I, Only to wake up every Hour on the hour because there was a knot in a part of my body didn’t know could be knotty. We woke at sunrise to a factory whistle at 5:00am. It was a very My Cousin Vinny Moment. By the time we were ready for our morning coffee we found we were no longer alone in the parking lot, we were sandwiched between the cars of locals on their way to work on this early Monday morning.
Next stop Minneapolis…
…So we got some cheese. WI was a success! After a morning of screwing around on the road (we turned around several times just because we missed the “welcome to…” signs, just to have a picture, we finally made it to Minnesota where we encounter our first hitch hiker at a rest stop along I-90W. Don’t worry we did not pick him up, when asked if “ya’al goin’ west” I quickly responded with “no.” No worries.
The drive through Wisconsin on 14W was a lesson in agricultural sciences. This is where the cow competition really heated up. By the time we reached the state line it was 107 Lindsay to 73 Michele, with some local cemeteries along the way claiming both our herds.
Another interesting sighting along route 14W was a horse drawn buggy carrying an Amish family wearing homemade cloths with no buttons or zippers (because we all know the Amish do not believe in using such modern devices). We had no idea that the Amish community extended so far north as we were.
Michele and I were amazed and proven wrong in our initial expectations of Wisconsin. Watching the sunset over the rolling plains, green pastures and countryside spotted with Red Barns was breathtaking. Wisconsin is Beautiful!
Arriving in Austin, MN at 9:45pm Central time we found ourselves following signs to the SPAM Museum, while looking for the perfect parking lot to spend the night. Reorganizing the FJ allowed for a cozy B & B for Michele and I, Only to wake up every Hour on the hour because there was a knot in a part of my body didn’t know could be knotty. We woke at sunrise to a factory whistle at 5:00am. It was a very My Cousin Vinny Moment. By the time we were ready for our morning coffee we found we were no longer alone in the parking lot, we were sandwiched between the cars of locals on their way to work on this early Monday morning.
Next stop Minneapolis…
And the Adventure Begins...June 22, 2007
Friday morning Lindsay and I woke up at 4am, long before the sun was even thinking of rising, and left my house by 5:45am. The drive through the southern tier of New York was long but beautiful. Route 81 takes you through softly rolling hills dotted with cows, horses, and sheep. Lindsay’s boyfriend Jeff gave us the following fun car ride game to play:
The Cow Game
As you pass cows in pasture on your side of the car, you count them. The person with the most cows by the end of the trip wins. The only caveat is when you pass a graveyard your cows die and you must start counting all over.
I was up 197 cows to Lindsay’s 48 when we passed an unfortunately place graveyard around Olean. I came back in the end though and by the time we hit Chicago I was leading with 67 cows. Stay tuned for further score updates.
After leaving the seemingly never-ending state of New York, we passed quickly through a sliver of Pennsylvania and entered Ohio. Not only was the highway construction onerous but also driving through Cleveland on I-90 is much like the seventh circle of hell. Directionals are optional, as are speed limits and common courtesy. I didn’t know people could drive 90 miles an hour while making obscene hand gesture with both hands. Lindsay and I sought refuge in horribly loud sing-a-longs to classics produced by The Backstreet Boys and Sir Mix-a-lot.
The only good thing Ohio produced was lower gas prices, down to $2.85/gallon.
From Ohio we followed I-90 through the entire northern length of Indiana. It was nice to see the change in our country’s landscape from the curvaceous hills of New York to the flat, corn-filled fields of Indiana. We also began to notice more and more houses of worship cropping up as we went along.
Despite my mother’s doubts about making the 13-hour drive in one day, we pulled in to Chi-town and located our hotel in Lincoln Park around 7:30 Friday evening. The area reminds me of the South End in Boston, complete with brownstones and attractive twentysomethings. We met up with Lindsay’s good friend from college for dinner and then went out afterwards to a lively bar in the neighborhood. After making lots of friends at the bar (for anyone who knows me and Linds you know that we make friends everywhere) we got in around 3am. It was a great 23-hour day.
The next morning we woke up at 7 to move the car (the on-street parking rules here are a bit of a hassle) and then got ready to explore the city. We took the “L” red line to the “Chicago” stop, which puts you at the top of Michigan Avenue, or the Magnificent Mile. We spent a lot of time strolling down that street (stopping along the way to see the Water Tower and the Hancock building) until the weather decided not to cooperate. The rain made it a perfect time to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art. Their two installations, one featuring different types of photography the other a feature of South American artists, were great. Luckily for us we finished our tour of the museum just as the rain let up so we walked over to Lake Shore drive and meandered down to Grant Park and Navy Pier. Along the way we had to stop by one of the beaches and put our toes in the water just to say we were in Lake Michigan. That water was coooooooold.
We had lunch at Navy Pier and then continued our walk down to the Loop (passing by 200 South Wacker Drive!!). Lindsay and I were both struck by Chicago’s stunning architecture. From the Tribune Building to the bascule bridges, Chi-town mixes it up to create a truly breathtaking city.
Finally, to end the day, we took the L out to Oak Park to visit the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright. Unfortunately we got there too late and the last tour of the grounds had already begun so we walked around as much as we could (and looked in every window we could see in to). We enjoyed a latte along the quaint, boutique-lined main street before taking the L back to Lincoln Park. It has been quite a day and I don’t think I have ever walked so much in my life so we’re calling it quits.
Tomorrow morning we’re getting up to see Wrigley Field before putting Chicago in our rear view mirror on our way to Wisconsin. It’s been a long and wonderful two days, but now it’s time for some cheese…
The Cow Game
As you pass cows in pasture on your side of the car, you count them. The person with the most cows by the end of the trip wins. The only caveat is when you pass a graveyard your cows die and you must start counting all over.
I was up 197 cows to Lindsay’s 48 when we passed an unfortunately place graveyard around Olean. I came back in the end though and by the time we hit Chicago I was leading with 67 cows. Stay tuned for further score updates.
After leaving the seemingly never-ending state of New York, we passed quickly through a sliver of Pennsylvania and entered Ohio. Not only was the highway construction onerous but also driving through Cleveland on I-90 is much like the seventh circle of hell. Directionals are optional, as are speed limits and common courtesy. I didn’t know people could drive 90 miles an hour while making obscene hand gesture with both hands. Lindsay and I sought refuge in horribly loud sing-a-longs to classics produced by The Backstreet Boys and Sir Mix-a-lot.
The only good thing Ohio produced was lower gas prices, down to $2.85/gallon.
From Ohio we followed I-90 through the entire northern length of Indiana. It was nice to see the change in our country’s landscape from the curvaceous hills of New York to the flat, corn-filled fields of Indiana. We also began to notice more and more houses of worship cropping up as we went along.
Despite my mother’s doubts about making the 13-hour drive in one day, we pulled in to Chi-town and located our hotel in Lincoln Park around 7:30 Friday evening. The area reminds me of the South End in Boston, complete with brownstones and attractive twentysomethings. We met up with Lindsay’s good friend from college for dinner and then went out afterwards to a lively bar in the neighborhood. After making lots of friends at the bar (for anyone who knows me and Linds you know that we make friends everywhere) we got in around 3am. It was a great 23-hour day.
The next morning we woke up at 7 to move the car (the on-street parking rules here are a bit of a hassle) and then got ready to explore the city. We took the “L” red line to the “Chicago” stop, which puts you at the top of Michigan Avenue, or the Magnificent Mile. We spent a lot of time strolling down that street (stopping along the way to see the Water Tower and the Hancock building) until the weather decided not to cooperate. The rain made it a perfect time to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art. Their two installations, one featuring different types of photography the other a feature of South American artists, were great. Luckily for us we finished our tour of the museum just as the rain let up so we walked over to Lake Shore drive and meandered down to Grant Park and Navy Pier. Along the way we had to stop by one of the beaches and put our toes in the water just to say we were in Lake Michigan. That water was coooooooold.
We had lunch at Navy Pier and then continued our walk down to the Loop (passing by 200 South Wacker Drive!!). Lindsay and I were both struck by Chicago’s stunning architecture. From the Tribune Building to the bascule bridges, Chi-town mixes it up to create a truly breathtaking city.
Finally, to end the day, we took the L out to Oak Park to visit the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright. Unfortunately we got there too late and the last tour of the grounds had already begun so we walked around as much as we could (and looked in every window we could see in to). We enjoyed a latte along the quaint, boutique-lined main street before taking the L back to Lincoln Park. It has been quite a day and I don’t think I have ever walked so much in my life so we’re calling it quits.
Tomorrow morning we’re getting up to see Wrigley Field before putting Chicago in our rear view mirror on our way to Wisconsin. It’s been a long and wonderful two days, but now it’s time for some cheese…
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Words of wisdom
As I prepare for this trip and I tell people of my upcoming adventures, some words of wisdom have been handed down to me. For example:
Gabe: "Good luck with everything and have a great time on your trip. Be crazy, but be safe."
Me: "Well...you know...I lived in Africa for almost a year, I think we'll be OK."
Gabe: "Africa is not the South."
Gabe: "Good luck with everything and have a great time on your trip. Be crazy, but be safe."
Me: "Well...you know...I lived in Africa for almost a year, I think we'll be OK."
Gabe: "Africa is not the South."
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