The Windmill Posts

Second longest drive in the whole trip, at 430 miles. And one of the last interesting days. By the last few hours I was stopping at every other rest area in order to stretch and get a blast of cold air to stay awake.

When I left Hamilton it was 15 degrees and I had to sit in the car shivering while it warmed up, and the windshield cleared a bit. Yes, I have an ice scraper, I just couldn’t be bothered. A stop at Tim Horton’s and I was off. A bunch of hours across Ontario and I was at the US border. Crossing was easy, very little line, and I was relieved to be across.

A quick jog south a few minutes got me to the easternmost point of the State of Michigan! It was just as excited as I thought it would be, but with better parking. There is a point in the railing where two ends meet at a big of an angle. And that’s it!

Another few hours on the road, and I found myself in Frankenmuth Michigan. My sister had recommended I stop by Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland – The World’s Largest Christmas Store!! I don’t know if it really is, but it has to be darn close. Multiple entrances, maps handed out at the door, nonlinear layout like casinos to keep you disoriented. Genius! It keeps you wandering about, buying more and more plastic pickles.

I was a bit overwhelmed by the volume and selection, and the fact that almost all of it fails my decluttering rule of late. I did want to buy a t-shirt that said “I went to the biggest Christmas store in the world and didn’t buy anything” – but then I would have been buying something and a liar. That and they don’t sell those. It was an interesting experience though. If you have a chance, it’s worth the side trip.

I’ve been meaning to cover this buy kept putting it off. It’s the reason why I don’t listen to story songs. You know, like in the list below. Not just a happy tune but a song that tells a story.

Background – my sister, the one who I am visiting right now – lives in Michigan. I have visited her every year for the last 25+ years. The drive from home to here is a long one. Either one torturous day, or two merely long days with a stop in the middle. Some of it is pretty, in the north woods. Other sections are. a bit monotonous. And doing it so many times now it gets a bit boring. So we do what we can. Chat with the passenger, play the alphabet game, listen to music. One year I thought it might be a good idea to make a playlist. Of story songs. Genius. I had always stuck to music or silence so I could focus on the road. So maybe I should try this.

That year I drove out to the east coast helping my daughter out to college. I also took the train back. I made another trip up north, and the end result was one month in which I traveled 5,000 miles. And in the last stretch from my sister’s home, I pulled out the story songs playlist. About halfway through Alice’s Restaurant I came out of my driver’s haze to see a state trooper with the full light show. Pulling me over.

Now, Michigan state troopers are comically obvious. Blue cars with a single giant siren light on top. The colors, the profile, the shape. There’s no excuse for missing them. From far away. So you can slow down. I was off in la la land and missed it. So I got my first ticket in 5,000 miles, on a drive I’d never gotten a ticket in before.

And that’s why I listen to anything but story songs. Except today, which went okay. I don’t think I’ll make it a habit though.

Tomorrow is a zero day and may not have a posting. You should get used to that, as there are only a few more posts to go.. I appreciate your reading these and liking or commenting. It’s a blog for my memory, but also to share with you.

Deets

• States: Ontario, MI
• Departed: 7:43 am EST, 15 degrees
• Original ETA 2:30 pm EST
• Arrival: 3:30 pm EST
• Warmest/Coldest: Death Valley 90°, Hamilton ON 15°
• Weather: Clear, cold
• Music:
  • Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome
  • Catherine Wheel – Ferment
  • Van Halen 1984
  • Van Halen – Van Halen
  • KISS – KISSWORLD the best of KISS
  • Story Song playlist
    • Arlo Guthrie – Alice’s Restaurant Massacre
    • Billy Joel – Piano Man
    • Johnny Cash – A boy named Sue
    • Kenny Rogers – Coward of the county
    • etc

Observations

• RC Cola from a vending machine in a Michigan Rest Area – awesome!
• I think I saw a roadkill bear
• Paying a toll coming into the US, I loved being able to just tap my VISA. Almost could have done it while moving!
• Traffic Jam in Frankenmuth Michigan – 3 horse drawn carriages!