O Pioneers!!

Saturday was transition day. It was time (sadly and with great reluctance) to put Monica on the plane back to Washington. Frank helped ease my sorrow by meeting me for breakfast at the Highland Grill, one of his favorite haunts. I can see why.

Funky vibe, everyone knows Frank, and yummy food.

He gave me a quick tour of St. Paul’s varied neighborhoods, then it was off to the airport to pick up Debra at Terminal 2 . Having the pleasure of her company was the only compensation for losing Monica's. It was time to say goodbye to the lush Midwest and venture out onto the Plains.

Setting off at noon, we skirted the city through surprisingly heavy traffic and eventually found open road outside Minneapolis. Once we did, it was beautiful. Here’s a little video to show you what it’s like.

We stopped in St. Cloud, Debra having ferreted out a spot in the somewhat revitalized downtown area. We had yummy walleye sandwiches and Debra enjoyed a Guinness, which she thought would get her a nap to compensate for having gotten up at 5:30 (now 4:30) to catch her flight.

It worked. Here’s a shot I made (while Debra snoozed) so you can get a sense of the sky and space.

Next stop, North Dakota, just to say we’ve been there. Here’s the three of us crossing the line.

And here Debra is buying freshly picked and fried green beans to snack on.

 The idea was that Debra would buy the beans while I went across the street and filled up the car. There was just one problem: the station didn’t sell premium gas. For real. So that was that for North Dakota except for a lovely shot of Debra’s favorite – bales of hay – and what I think are the prettiest state road signs I’ve ever seen.

Back on the road, we headed straight south then straight west. We tried another gas station -- no premium -- before finding a gold mine in Watertown. Not only did we fill the car with premium (yay!) but we filled ourselves at iHop (oh my, not at all yay!). 

We debated whether to push all the way to Mitchell or just call it a day in Sioux Falls. Knowing we had a big day again today, we decided to check out places to stay in Mitchell. This was great foresight on Debra’s part because it turned into our first brush with the Sturgis factor. No room at the Hampton Inn (our first choice), one last room at the Ramada (our second choice) that the reservation taker assured us would be gone by the time we arrived. We booked it and started booking it to Mitchell. This was made a bit easier by the fact that the posted speed limit was now 75. Ah, civilization at last!!!

It’s breathtaking driving through this country. Fields of sunflowers wave in the sun, breaking up the corn and soybean fields. The color of the land varies from rich green to blue to yellow, creating a quality of light I’ve never seen anywhere else. The clouds create a visual tableau of their own.

And then night began to fall (at 9:47PM there was still afterglow from the sunset) and one lone star twinkled against the deepening blue of the sky. We were thrilled to pull into Mitchell right around 10PM, less thrilled that the Ramada was not quite as presented in the AAA write-up (“oh the free breakfast was what the old owners did”).

Yes, this is the door to our room, replete with a plague of tiny crickets (the insect I’m most phobic about for some reason). Clean beds, decent bathroom, and nothing an Ambien couldn’t tackle.

Frank-ly Minneapolis

Since 2005 I have had an article that I clipped from the Post Travel section tucked into a "someday" folder. It was all about driving through Wisconsin along the Mississippi through the bluffs. The high point of the trip (literally) was a visit to Buena Vista park in Alma, Wisconsin. That's where this photo was taken, our light lunch spot as we wended our way from La Crosse to Minneapolis yesterday.

Here's a little video that shows the panorama. It's breathtaking looking across the wide expanse of river over to Minnesota. What you can't hear on the video is the sound of a freight train chugging through. Although it's just a short walk from the parking lot, it's a surprise when the dappled walkway opens up and you find yourself on the edge of the bluff looking out on all this.

And by the way, could the day be any more perfect? Completely clear, high 70s. The best.

Our day was also vastly improved by our encounter with Elmer, kingpin of a little town we stopped in before Alma. (He's also the one who told us how to find Buena Vista.) Elmer performed the greatest feat of the day -- clearing most of the insects and road debris that had been collecting on the windshield since we last saw a drop of rain (Mackinac Island). Bravo Elmer!

By the way, Elmer owns quite the car sales business (Elmer's Cars) next to the gas station. Turns out he's quite a racer -- was picked up doing 124 which, he says, was him slowing down from 170! I hope it wasn't along Wisconsin 35, the two-lane road that we were on!

After lolling along the river we realized we'd better hustle if we were ever going to make it to Minneapolis. It was really tough to tear ourselves away from the beauty and relaxed rhythm of driving along the river. (By the way, we started our day by crossing into Minnesota and driving along that side for a bit. Seemed I just couldn't get enough of being close to the Mississippi.)

Soon enough, St. Paul loomed ahead. Unaccustomed as we were by now to urban areas, we managed to navigate the myriad interstates (and tons of road construction once again) and find our hotel by the university. (According to Frank, there are two seasons in this part of the world -- winter and road construction. Maybe that explains why everything is torn up on the roads!)

Our tour guide, chauffeur, and all around pleasurable companion Frank showed up moments later and we were off for our tour and dinner. Frank took us to Stillwater, to a fabulous restaurant on the St. Croix river -- the Dock Cafe. Monica had her second dish of walleye (local fish), we sampled Wisconsin cheese (finally), and I enjoyed the best ruby red (grapefruit) cosmo. I was celebrating not being the driver for once.

After dinner Frank took us through Minneapolis. There's nothing like touring a city with a realtor. He knew all sorts of wonderful spots to show us, took us through charming neighborhoods that opened onto the lakes around town, and zipped us through downtown so I could see the skyways. and the Mary Tyler Moore statue (have to do some hokey tourist things once in a while). For the finale, we drove past the Mall of America. My life is complete.

Today is changeover day. Shortly I'll take Monica to the airport, meet Frank for breakfast, and pick up Debra. It's bittersweet for me. Monica has been a delight, gamely navigating, figuring out how to pack the passenger capsule and the back seat with military precision, snapping photos and videos while I zoomed along, and good-naturedly meeting old friends of mine. To any of you who have been receiving texts from me while I'm driving along, it's because Monica has been manning two phones, three cameras, and the iPad. Traveling with Monica means you'll pay special attention to the flora and fauna, whether it's her enthusiasm for the miles and miles of perfect wild "Christmas trees" that line the road in Michigan or her awe for the oversized petunias spilling out of a perfect hanging basket. She's been game for anything, unfailingly positive ... everything you could want in a travel companion. This was a first for us -- we've never traveled so long and far together. I've enjoyed having the opportunity to renew and deepen our friendship.

Wright and Rivers

Today we had the most perfect weather for our drive from Madison to LaCrosse. It was top down all the way as we tooled along two-lane roads that paralleled the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers.

By the way, if you've been wondering where all the stimulus road construction money is being spent, rest assured that we have found the answer. Every main thoroughfare in Madison is under construction. I have never seen so much road construction going on in one jurisdiction, which made finding our way out of town a tad grueling.

But within a few minutes we were deep in beautiful dairy country. You'd never know you were just outside Madison -- it immediately changed to a very rural, picturesque scene. It seemed like in minutes we arrived at Spring Green and Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie home and school. Because today was the day the fates were smiling kindly on us, we arrived 10 minutes before the next available tour and were able to sign up for it.

Add this one to your list of places to see. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and we learned a lot: about how Wright came to build his school here (family land and the site of a school his maiden aunts had started); that he made more money as a dealer in Asian objects than as an architect; and why he started Taliesin West (health issues). Quite a complex man and quite a beautiful complex. You have to keep reminding yourself (or be reminded by the tour guide) that Wright was creating in his style at the same time that Victorian gingerbread architecture was all the rage. His lines are so modern that it's easy to forget how avant garde his ideas were.

By the time we finished the tour (and some shopping at the very well appointed gift shop) we were delighted that there were picnic tables so conveniently located by the parking lot. We laid out another spread (thanks to some provisioning we had managed to do in Madison) of smoked trout spread (the Wisconsin specialty that rivals Michigan's smoked whitefish pate), humboldt fog cheese, our trusty Ritz crackers, tomatoes, some watermelon, and figs. Oh, and of course a nicely chilled bottle of Australian chardonnay (unoaked). Perfect. I'm eternally grateful to my seatmate when I flew to Denver in June who suggested that I pack picnic supplies. These have been some of our finest meals.

After lunch we followed the Wisconsin River to Prairie du Chien, where we crossed the Mississippi into Iowa (now we can say we've been there), bought gas in Marquette (now we have proof that we were there), and then turned around and drove back to Wisconsin and picked up the Great River Road. Marquette's claim to fame is that it has one of those floating casinos where you have a building on land with a covered walkway leading to a river boat where the casino is.

Back in Wisconsin, we snaked along the Mississippi to La Crosse. The river along this stretch is very wide, with islands breaking it up and bluffs rising up on either side. Perhaps it was the expanse of river combined with perfect weather, the slightly fuzzy feel afternoon brings, and the genial mood we'd had all day. Whatever caused it, both Monica and I felt this tremendous calm and peacefulness that just doesn't convey in pictures.

Here's a photo looking the other way. I just like this one.

Next thing we knew we were in La Crosse and finding a hotel for the night. Here's the view from our window, another look at the Mississippi. (It seems it was a day of dirty windows!)

We met up with Jim and Debbie Nicholson for dinner. They were kind enough to re-route their trip to Michigan in order to connect with us. It was a fun meal of non-stop chatter that must have touched on just about everything. I'm sorry we won't get to see their Minneapolis -- something for our next visit. I think Jim enjoyed having a harem for the evening. Thanks guys! We really appreciate you going out of your way so we could see you!

On Wisconsin!

Our day began with our departure from Sister Bay. Realizing we had spent three days driving around Lake Michigan without ever actually touching it, we stopped in Fish Creek (first town south of Sister Bay) and tested the waters. Surprisingly warm. Walked around Fish Creek, then tooled on down to Egg Harbor where I did my part to support the local economy (a rug and a beautiful blown glass vase should be on their way to Rockville by the end of the week). Charming little resort towns surrounded once again by deep, soothing forests. Here's a little video we shot as we drove along.

Stopped in Sturgeon Bay for a lovely lunch. Along the streets they have various sturgeon fish public art pieces on display, all different interpretations kind of like the pandas they did in DC a few years back.

From there we started heading inland, past Green Bay (photo above), through very boring stretches of land made only slightly less dull by listening to Eat, Pray, Love. I am sorry to report that hearing the book is nearly as off-putting as reading it, something I tried several years ago and gave up on. We've made it through "Eat" and are now praying that it improves.

Soon enough, we caught sight of the state capitol looming ahead. We made our way around the building, through more construction than I've ever seen in any city in my life, and found a hotel.

We had yummy Arabic dinner at Lulu's, which I'd highly recommend. It was a lovely little neighborhood bistro where our Palestinian waiter helped direct us to the campus to visit the student union, per Andrea's direction.

If you've wondered why I decided to go to Madison, it's for just this reason. My brother went off to UW after high school, where he met and married Andrea. It has always seemed like a very important spot in our family's history and I've always wanted to see it for myself. So for me and for my bro and his wonderful wife, here are some pictures of the Rat!

U.P. U.P. and Away!

This morning we reluctantly left Mackinac Island, caught the ferry back to the mainland, and took off across the Mackinac Bridge to the Upper Peninsula (or the U.P. as its known in these parts). It had been raining on the Island and was incredibly foggy this morning, which remained with us for quite a while.

Here we were, hugging the coastline and you could barely even see the lake. It was beginning to seem like it was going to be quite the inauspicious day. As Monica said, outside it looked like a November day. All that was missing was the damp cold and a bowl of hot soup. And then the miracle happened. The fog lifted, the sun came out, and we reached Escabana and a lovely little Unbelievably Pretty (U.P.) picnic spot right by the shore.

Per Richard Gold's suggestion, we had found some smoked whitefish pate (a local specialty and the best I've ever tasted), which we savored on good ol' Ritz crackers along with some cheddar cheese, fresh cherries, fresh blackberries, and peaches. Oh, and clever Monica had bought some mini bottles of Pinot Grigio so we were all set. You can see our spot, the picnic, and the view above.

We continued through the Unspoiled Prettiness of this area. It's much less developed than the lower lakeside. This area has cottages, cabins, and campsites and far fewer estates and astonishing spreads. It's rangier, less cultivated, and brimming with pine trees.

We met two intrepid bicyclists, lovely ladies who were biking from Minneapolis to I'm not sure where (but I know Mackinac Island was one of their destinations). They asked if we'd had pasties yet and when we confessed we hadn't they told us we couldn't leave the U.P. without trying them. So as we drove along, we looked for and finally found a pasty seller and sampled the local specialty.

Here it is, in all its doughy glory. It was exactly as the bicyclist had predicted -- crust filled with lots of potato, some vegetables, and theoretically some chicken that was completely tasteless. But now we can say we've had one.

With the top down and the sun beating down on us (it actually got up to 91 degrees), we headed into Wisconsin (where, amazingly, the vegetation virtually transformed at the border from heavily pine forest to deciduous clumps rising from fields) to Door County and made our way to Sister Bay and our hotel. This is a charming piece of land that juts into Lake Michigan, bigger and more sparsely populated than I had expected. There is a certain Cape Cod feel to its wildness dotted with little towns. The Cape, however, is far more built up. Nature is still the winner here.

We continued our local gastronomic foray at dinner, dining on fresh walleye fish deftly prepared at the Mission Grill. It was undoubtedly our best meal so far on this trip.

After dinner we strolled around the marina, watching the sun descend into Sister Bay. What a delightful day!

Even the Troopers are Incredibly Nice in Michigan

[sorry for the delay posting; technical glitches last night and this morning on Mackinac Island]

Yesterday we cruised Lake Michigan on the Michigan side, following the shore from Traverse City to Cross Village, then catching the ferry at Mackinaw City and settling in on Mackinac Island for the night. Couldn't get Internet service last night so here's the recap of yesterday.

It was bound to be a good day since we hit our first winery at 10AM. Even a hardened California wine snob melted under the politeness, good cheer, and decent wine that the three wineries served up. I took very small tastes at each place and I assure you I was fine when I got back behind the wheel.

However, as we tooled up Route 31, I passed a trooper going the other way and watched in my rear view mirror as he u-turned and came up behind me. I pulled over, pulled out the requisite papers, and waited for the worst. Approaching the car, the officer said, "Do you have a gun? Do either of you have a gun?" Well that was a first. I said no, did you? Yes, he answered. It turns out you can carry a concealed weapon in Michigan (I knew there was something I hadn't checked before taking off on the trip!) and he always checks because, as he said, "I like to go home after work." Next surprise: handing over my driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance wasn't enough. He asked for Monica's driver's license, too!

Long story short, he couldn't have been more jovial or sweet tempered. And he let us off with a verbal warning and an admonition to Monica that as navigator she was in charge of keeping the lead out of my foot. Good luck, Monica! I'd share a picture of him but both Monica and I were afraid to ask if we could snap a photo.

So it was a slower, more relaxed, less speedy drive for the rest of the day, which took us through Charlevoix (charming little Victorian-inspired that lines the streets of the city with petunias planted, apparently, by convict labor that we saw being overseen by the sheriff's office) and Petosky (not impressed but we probably skirted the charming downtown if there is one). We then took the road less traveled -- a winding two lane road from Harbor Springs to Cross Village. Deeply forested, we'd catch sight of one stately mansion after the next. It was like a fairy tale forest, with glimpses of the lake. Quite magical.

The magic continued as we headed on to Mackinaw City and caught the ferry to Mackinac Island. (I like typing both of them because I think it’s neat that two different spellings have the same pronunciation and merrily coexist.)

You arrive and are immediately greeted by a profusion of bicyclists, horse-drawn carriages, and pedestrians. The main street is lined with all the shops you’d expect in a resort. Hovering over the town is the fort and most of the island is actually a park/preserve. We were instantly charmed.


People who live here (all 500 of them) and those who descend for the summer (lots more) go by horse taxi or bicycle. And they're quite serious about it, as you can see from the photo we snapped of a house party -- check out the "parking lot" of bikes (that's the blob between the houses)!

Today we cross to the UP (Upper Peninsula) and make our way to Wisconsin. Hope they can match the standard that the Michiganders (thanks, Rosie, for sharing the term) have set.

I stand corrected. As I spoke with a “local” at Starbucks she told me that actually it’s not magical; it's a very healing, sacred island. Whatever … worth adding to your “must see” list.

Day Two, State #6

Here's Max, our trip mascot, nicely framing the "welcome to Michigan" sign. After passing through Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, today we made it to Michigan. Not bad for two days' work!

We started our day at the Golds, which we only reluctantly left later than planned once Richard and Alice had plied us with a delicious breakfast. 5 stars for the Golds. On the way out of town, we drove a few streets, taking in the Henry Moore sculpture in front of the library and buildings that make Columbus quite a standout town.

Then it was on to Bloomington to see Lydia, the person who originally match made Monica and me. This was the first we'd seen her in over 20 years! She's recovering from knee replacement, getting around remarkably well for 10 days out of surgery (we found her energetically pumping away on the stationary bike when we arrived). Delightful visit, even stayed for lunch, which put us even further behind schedule of course.

We left Bloomington at 1 and seemed to drive through Indiana forever. Finally, around 4 or 5, we finally crossed the border into Michigan, an achievement we celebrated by stopping and filling the car with gas. The biggest surprise so far on the trip: gas prices are not appreciably lower here, maybe a couple of cents less than in Rockville.

Stopped for dinner and forged ahead, finally arriving in Traverse Bay as dusk was settling into night (at 9:30PM by the way). This is the view from our hotel room -- lovely Lake Michigan -- our reward for 21 hours of driving in 2 days.

Having a Jones for Indiana

Day one we made it from Rockville to Columbus, Indiana, where the Gold family has generously put us up for the night. What they don't know is that we plan to cancel the rest of the trip and stay here forever! Gorgeous home, beautiful family, and the only opportunity I've ever had to sleep with the NBA (son Andrew's room is a shrine to that sport, complete with NBA sheets), especially Dwayne Wade.

How did we do on day one? Set off with a bang a little after 7 and made incredible time through Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Then hit Ohio and several backups, including one that cost us over an hour. We regrouped, put off seeing Lydia until this morning because Columbus was closer, and arrived around 8PM.

This morning we're having coffee with Achilles the parrot, and Zeus the dog, about to take a garden tour before heading off to Bloomington and on to Traverse City.

6 Days and Counting

Can't wait to go and can't believe I'll get it together to go. So excited about it and so overwhelmed with all the last minute work things that spilled in Friday afternoon. As my dear friend and business partner Mary would say, what the what????? I think 6 RFPs landed in my inbox Friday afternoon. No way to deal with all that and leave in 6 days.

Plans have come together beautifully. A few changes to the itinerary and still sketchy about whether David will join me in LA or Albuquerque (which is a word I just don't know if I can keep having to type) and therefore what, exactly the LA to Marfa, Texas route will be. But it's good to have some mystery.

Have added a visit with another Whitman alum -- Richard Gold has kindly offered to put us up in Columbus for the night. Looking forward to seeing that party animal. That makes 6 (seems to be today's magic number) confirmed Whitman connections for this trip -- Richard, Frank Popplewell, Jim Nicholson, Doug Henry, Jim Monday, and Lisa Howorth.


The car's been in for a major servicing and is good to go. Suitcase is picked out, packing list is, er, still in my head at the moment, and taking care of the house in my absence is pretty well under control. This week I'll tie up loose ends and I guess come Saturday whatever's not tied up is just going to be left loose!

Less Than Three Weeks To Go!!!

Wow, time sure flies! When I started this blog I had triple digit days to go. Now departure is right around the corner. Looks like the route is pretty much settled (maybe you can see the string on the map?) and has fallen into place with a couple of modifications:

Monica will be going with me from Rockville to Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Debra then joins me from Minnesota to North Dakota (just setting foot there to say I've been there), South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah.
Bonnie picks up in Utah, then on to Arizona and California.
I'll be solo from California to Albuquerque and then David will join me for New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and home. Well, he may not make the whole trip back with me -- negotiations continue.


Meanwhile I snuck off to the beach to bid adieu to east coast for a bit.

Thanks to Monica for the brilliant suggestion to take photographs of the "welcome to" signs along the way. Should make a nice montage AND remind me where I've breezed through! Thanks Andrea for the suggestion to download podcasts. If only I could figure out how!! And thanks to my seatmate on my flight to LA a couple of weeks ago who suggested bringing some provisions to be able to picnic occasionally and not be wholly at the mercy of restaurant food for five weeks.

Do you have a suggestion?

Searching for a Photo Theme

I think it would be neat to have something that I take a picture of everywhere I go. Not a landmark, though I'm sure there will be plenty of those, but, rather, something that would mark the difference and sameness of every place I see. For example, perhaps you remember posters of the doors of Europe? I couldn't find that one but this one of the doors of Yale is similar in concept.



That's the kind of thing I'm looking for. Some ideas I've had: mailboxes, window flower boxes, feet or hands (a stretch but I really love feet/shoes and hands), some sort of sign, rocks. Nothing's floating my boat and a lot of the destinations are really arrive, eat, sleep, and leave the next morning. So perhaps the constant is food, as is so often the case. Perhaps the dinner table each night? Ideas please!

Itinerary - What Do You Think?

Okay, here it is, what I think works to get from point a to point z and several in between. Check it out. Add your two cents' worth. Suggest better stops, places to stay, see, eat, skip ... your ideas much appreciated. Meanwhile, I'm off to bed 'cause it's up at the crack o' dawn tomorrow.

Is There a Harley in My Future??

Wow, I've managed to use up more planning time than I have left and I'm probably a little better than halfway through planning. No, that's not true. The big picture, minus a few stops, is planned out. Monica, Debra, and Bonnie are committed and have pretty much gotten their plane tickets (I think only Debra still needs to find her Utah to DC best fare). David just needs to swing a ticket to LA, which won't be at all difficult to do.

Today I put pins in the map for the spots I know I'm going to. The big "hole" is Minneapolis to Yellowstone, complicated by the fact that our travel through South Dakota runs us smack dab into the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally.


Sturgis, in case you happen not to know this, is near Mt. Rushmore. That's one of the places we plan to visit. Debra's never seen it. I have and I'm thrilled to see it and mostly the Badlands again. I also want to touch foot in North Dakota, which takes us a bit out of our way perhaps. So there's the challenge of mapping a route and also of finding a place or places to stay. Somehow I doubt there's much room left in Sturgis if this photo from an earlier rally is any indication.

Monica and I reserved places on Macknaw Island and also in Sister Bay in Door County. Bonnie and I have booked places in Zion, Capitol Reef, and Sedona. And Debra and I have a place to stay in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. For the rest, I'm relatively sure we can find places on the spot -- very daring of me, the one who always likes to know just where I'm going. It's too much to figure out in advance, frankly, and who knows what we'll find once we get some place. I've only been concerned about making sure we have a place to say in popular summer vacation spots.

Other progress: I have found someone to stay most of the time at the house. I think Jeff and Shelley will be able to manage the rest. So that's taken care of. I'm starting a pile in my room of things I'm picking up for the trip -- a first aid kit, a road trip game I saw. Any suggestions of what to be sure to bring???? And I'm starting a notebook with reservations, places to see, places to eat, etc. It's beginning to feel like it's really going to happen!