The Windmill Posts

The Long Way Home to Myself

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  • The hill country, Day #1

    The hill country, Day #1

    Of all of the numbers and funny quips about farms or whatever, the thing I want to comment on every day is one thing of beauty I enjoyed.   A thing of beauty.  It could be those kayakers, or my art on the rain fly on my tent.  But the thing that came to mind so strongly was the first 80 mph speed limit sign.  Go back and look at the warning message this morning.  Full circle!

    I’m surrounded by old people.  On my right is an old couple and I overheard something about them day counting, so they’re likely on a long trip.  The couple on my left have been as quiet as if they turned the volume off.  I had dreams of one of my neighbors being these ridiculous old gay guys who could tell stories for days but preferred mine.  Not so close their drinking late into the night bothered me, but close enough that they rescued me.  I don’t have firewood, and even if I did what do I need?  Like, a 20 minute fire?  The whole campground seems to be a nursing home, but that makes sense.  No kids far enough out of school yet, and it’s a Sunday. It’s sooooo way out of my comfort zone, but if anyone invited me to their campfire, I’d go.  Not lonely or desperate, just wanting the camping experience. And I have to learn that people are nice.

    Things are going well. As suspected, I’m tired from the day and will sleep like a rock.  I hope.  I have a bag of earplugs and if anyone complains I’ll throw a handful at them.  Nobody will mind though because they won’t have their hearing aids in, will be in a soundproofed RV, the RV generator will drown me out.

    So we’ll just see how it goes.

    Little Observations

    • So many silent cars.
    • I forget that our driftless area in Wisconsin isn’t the only one. Southern Minnesota let way to hills and clumps of trees and rivers and creeks and brooks, oh my!
    • The number of people driving the speed limit are exponentially affecting my speed over the speed limit. We’re all chillin’.
    • I forgot to bring a book. Had Hemingway’s short stories out and ready to go. Forgot it.
    • Also forgot an RC I set aside in the fridge. And a grape gatorade. I need more beverages. It’s good to be hydrated, as well. I’ve had a couple times of “what happened to my mouth?”

    Pictures

    Internet connection is iffy no matter where you go remote.  I’m great at finding the dead zones.  So uploading photos is slow.  AI won’t enhance my picture.  I can’t upload an update because I’m camping so remote it’s on the edge of a Dark Sky Area.

    So it’s quite likely you won’t get an update for a while, then get a handful all at once.  It doesn’t mean my car is hanging precariously off a cliff.  If I’ve shared my location with you and I’m on a cliff road, just go to street view and see that I’m not there.

    I’ll try not to drone about this too many times.  But it’s important.  The last trip was about mileage and times and ETAs and crossing cities off lists.  Very .. military veteran of me.  This one is about the moment, being patient with now, and enjoying a view of three kayakers on the lake in the golden hour.  I’m not even going to take a picture.  It’s just mine.

    So we’ll just see how it goes.

    WordPress and the Google Photos connector decided to die on me. After 45 minutes talking with Gemini about it, I quit. So until the connector heals or I have time to fix it, you get word pictures. I’m literally about to hit publish and the images start working. Well, you get photos, word pictures, and captions today. And then I’m done and I’m behind by another post.

    Imagine a moonwalk grey 2019 Mini Cooper Convertible.. It rests quietly on the right hand side of the picture. It’s facing the camera as if to say “Let’s go!” In the middle of the picture is a fire circle (without fire) and an impossibly comfortable chair that folds up into the smalled thing you’ve seen. And on the left, almost in the background, site an orange tent with a Stylized “Dulcinea” on the side. It looks like it would have taken quite a bit of time to create.

    Home sweet home.  Next to all the giant RVs, Rocinante is tiny!  Tent felt tint, chair is tiny (but super comfortable).  I feel lucky to be on the lake and faced my door towards the water, I think it might be chilly tonight, I’m already cooling off.

    Another shot closer to the fire circle. Still no fire. There will be no fire. On the right, the fire circle, empty of flame or ember. Because they sell wood across the highway and I was done driving for the day. On the left is a closer shot of the wonderful camp chair. In the middle of the photo is a picture of the tent with aforementioned logo – except this time the tent has been lit up by the setting sun, and appears to be on fire. There is no fire in the tent. Much like the fire circle

    The sun hitting the tent just right, beautiful!

    The interior of a tent. It is lit by a beam of the setting sun. The only things visible are sleeping bag pad, sleeping bag, and pillow. The pad is boring. The sleeping bag has a blue exterior and a red and back checked interior – flannel. Or at least something close enough to it that I can’t tell except for the lower price tag. The pillow is dark blue with constellations on it. It’s folded Marine Corps boot camp style, meaning the less than fluffy pillow is folder over once and then shoved in the pillowcase, which is tucked up toward the pillow. It creates a smaller but fluffier pillow out of what seemed like a thick piece of fabric. In this case, the pillow has also been connected to itself with zip ties that can’t be felt.

    Another great shot only because the sun showed up.  Cushion and sleeping bag should keep my warm, especially later in the trip when I’m at altitude and its frosty!

    You see what looks to be a common gym bag. Athletic shoes, spare shirt. Collection of pill bottles containing controlled substances.

    This is my new invention and I think it’s going to be awesome!  It’s a bag with hygiene kit, PRN meds, daily meds for today and tomorrow, and tomorrow’s clothes.  No having to shuffle out in pjs to the car trunk and open the suitcase with the world’s loudest zip noise.  Today I will toss the empty pill container into the empty pill bag from yesterday, throw laundry in the laundry bag behind the driver’s side seat, and grab clothes for the next day.  I’m so excited to see how this works out.

  • And we’re (not quite) off..

    This came on within a block of leaving my apartment. Continue 80 mph? I was going 20!

    My second turn I heard the familiar “bing!” of an alarm, meaning the car is not comfortable with it’s current situation. Tire pressure warning. I was going to check those anyway, it’s been a minute. Fine, I’ll stop at the huge gas/service station at 494 and France. I figured they were big enough they would have good air machines.

    Oh, did they! I hadn’t seen one of these before, and it was cool. Set the pressure on the display, then go pop the hose on your tire and it inflates it to that value. Front left, filled and happy. Rear left, filled and happy. Front right and- oh wait, not happy. The valve stem cover was tight. Like not moving. Fine, it’s stuck, pull out the trusty pocket tool. And:

    Well that’s not right

    Well, that seems bad. It’s pretty much toast. I head over to the service area and asked a guy if he could help me. Four different tools later and he declared it screwed. He got the left rear off, but the front was really On There. He eventually got it unscrewed to the point where it looked like it was about to come off, but it just started spinning. Screwed. He told me to go check inside if they could help me at the service desk.

    While I’m thinking the guy behind the counter would not be able to help me – he didn’t seem mechanical. Maybe more pharmaceutical. Looking around though, I saw the service desk. Super nice area, two smart and competant guys. One of them started checking me in, and gave me the rundown.

    If you can’t get the (metal) cover off, it needs replacing at the base and beyond. And the pressure gauge would need to be replaced. $100. We’ll see what it comes out to. But I really want that pressure monitor working, so yeah.

    Bad news: “Hour, Hour and a half” turned into “Hour and a half, two hours” and here I sit. Their waiting lounge is very nice, big comfy chairs and free water bottles.

    It’s 10:02, 10:00 was the original launch time. Nice that I left early. My ETA was around 5, which is really late for the typical day, which got me worried about check-in time. Called the number on the web page, which was the Lewis & Clark visitor’s center. Guessing I’ll miss checking that out. Super nice staff assured me that if I get in too late. While I’ll probably remove the Pipestone National Monument from my itinerary, I’ll get back there some day on my Minnesota travels.

    Trying to count this as a good omen. The tires will be in great shape and I’ve got time to write. An embarrassing revelation – I never finished Don Quixote, and barely remember the content I did read. It’s was though. Anyway, I’m wishing now that I read it and retained it so I could say “this tire situation is like when Don Quixote did xxx” and I would look super smart. Going to go search for the golden book version.

    So here I sit, waiting. if you’re looking to visit me, I’m in a customer lounge. Not stressing. (Seriously, surprisingly calm)

    Update:  they found an easy fix and I’m back on the road!  And THAT’s I could omen for the day.

  • Introduction to Dulcinea, the next trip

    Introduction to Dulcinea, the next trip

    In Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Dulcinea del Toboso is the idealized muse and romantic obsession of the titular character. Inspired by the chivalric romances he reads, Quixote renames a local, earthy peasant girl named Aldonza Lorenzo to serve as his “lady”.

    Gemini’s explanation:

    Naming a road trip Dulcinea is a beautiful choice because a great road trip is all about how you choose to see the world. It is a perfect fit for three main reasons:

    • Finding Magic in the Ordinary: Just like Don Quixote used his imagination to turn a regular windmill into a giant or an ordinary road into a grand adventure, your road trip is about looking at the open highway and seeing romance, wonder, and endless possibilities.
    • The Spirit of Exploration: In the story, Dulcinea is the inspiring force that drives a traveler to pack up, leave home, and head out into the unknown. Naming your trip after her means the journey itself is fueled by a sense of high ideals, passion, and a search for beauty.
    • Connecting with True Nature: Your trip will blend the two sides of Dulcinea. You will get to experience the grand, poetic beauty of the landscapes (Don Quixote’s dream), while also experiencing the real, earthy, and raw power of the great outdoors (Aldonza’s reality).

    Ultimately, the name fits because a road trip isn’t just about the miles you drive—it is about the beautiful way you choose to look at the world around you.

    My Why

    Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony – The Symphony of Sorrowful Song, is being performed in San Francisco on June 21st. I have a ticket. Well, a free RSVP. This is the symphony I’ve listened to through Ketamine Therapy for years, and the perfect music for a rainy day.

    I thought about flying out, but that’s really stressful, takes forever, and rental cars are a hassle. So rather than take 5 hours to get there, I’m driving. Seven days to get there and, well, more than that to get home.

    Goals, besides the performance: Nature. On the last trip it was the nature that moved me most, and this trip is focusing on those things. Planning for being able to take short hikes at locations. I took a mile or two hike around Devils Tower and it made my day. I spent a part of a day at Yosemite, and this time I’m going to have two whole days. And on it goes. There will be hotel stays here and there for a shower and real bed.

    I will be working to post daily but with less technical detail than last time. No google ETA vs car ETA and temperature, etc. Posts sharing what the day brought me. And

    Thanks for reading.. we’ll see you there!

  • Sunday the 14th

  • I have a tent!

    In keeping with the mani tradition it’s quite minimalist. Tonight I will crank up the AC or just open the balcony door and see what it’s like to sleep in colder weather. And then the next night I might crank the heat and see if I can sleep in that weather. I do have a fan.

    When you live in a house you can just walk out into the backyard set up your tent and say yeah, that works. When you live in an apartment you have to get creative. I have a system of bungee cords and heavy books simulating the stakes.

    Ideally I will run out to a local campground and do an actual overnight, possibly with food. We’ll see.

    Wait a second, you ask. Why do I need a tent? Well, hotels are not cheap sometimes running up to $150. Campsites are cheap sometimes running as though as zero. I guess that means I’m going somewhere again and it’s getting real.

    I will post the whole itinerary or rather the goal itinerary at some time.

    I also now have an Instagram account for the Windmill Posts. The idea being popping off quick shots through the day and have more of a narrative at end of day. In theory. 🙂

  • A Gneiss Day 3/21 (1/1)

    A Gneiss Day 3/21 (1/1)

    Welcome to a continuation of the tilting at windmills posts.. The goal is to post about future trips. Some of them may be a 25 mile jaunt, others may be across multiple states. Sadly, it’s not likely to be as long and as crazy as The Big Trip, but the hope is that they’re interesting at least. I like in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, so lots of day trips from there and as far as you can get in half a day. Opening it up for multiple day trips, but I can’t do hotels every trip. So I’m thinking of dabbling in camping options. We’ll see.

    First of all, this is all one of my psychiatrists idea. There was a near magical respite from the depression and anxiety during The Big Trip. When I got home in December things settled back into my horrible life. Depression, anxiety, and so much therapy. She wanted to explore the idea of recreating that respite in the form of short trips.

    The Trips

    So far I have come up with the following potential roadtrips:

    • Northernmost point in Minnesota. It’s up in the Northwest Angle, which involves some interesting border crossing.
    • Southernmost point in Minnesota. Anywhere on the southern border.
    • Easternmost point in Minnesota. Just past Grand Portage at the tip of the arrowhead.
    • Westernmost point in Minnesota. Not in the little knob in the side of the state, like you would think. All the way up to the eastern and northern border.
    • Highest point in Minnesota. Eagle mountain, 15 miles inland from around Grand Marais.
    • Lowest point in Minnesota. Lake Superior.
    • Geographical Center of Minnesota. South of Brainerd
    • We have more than one continental divide.
    • The Hill of Three Waters. Located near Hibbing, Minnesota, is a rare hydrological triple divide where water flows into three different watersheds: the Hudson Bay (Arctic Ocean), the Gulf of Mexico, and the St. Lawrence Seaway (Atlantic Ocean).
    • We have one or two locations where four counties meet at the same point.
    • Lost 40. 144 acres of red and white pines went untouched by loggers when a surveying error mapped the area as part of Coddington Lake. The Lost 40 pines are 300-400 years old, originating when the pilgrims came to America.
    • Big Bog State Recreation Area. The 500-square mile peat bog is the largest in the lower 48 states.
    • Both National Monuments
    • Sawtooth Mountains. Hint: Not really mountains
    • Oldest rock. Morton Gneiss!

    I’d like to report that it had the desired effect, but running on less than 4 hours sleep, there are a good number of times that road hypnosis kicked in. A little dissociating, but never enough to hurt my ability to drive. Plenty of stimulants in my morning meds to keep me awake.

    Depression poisons the future as much as the past. Looking forward to these trips is a challenge, and this trip was no different. I enjoyed bit of it here and there but the adventure didn’t quite catch my heart. Maybe they’ll get better.

    Landscape

    Minnesota was covered by glaciers, more than once. As they came and went they altered the landscape, making a flat earth into something more interesting. Unfortunately, they weren’t everywhere. There are some parts of the state that are flat as a pancake. And I got to experience some of that. Even the Dakotas had rolling hills. I was in flat nowhere.

    I thought I knew Minnesota, but there were so many towns I had never even heard of. Winthrop, Bernadette, Morton. I need to spend more time out in the unexplored territories. There were a handful of signs that had flashing signage when they were closed. Flooding?

    Eventually I dropped into the Minnesota river valley and got a chance to see the river. It was still a river, not a creek or stream. But it was absolutely smaller than the river that meets the Mississippi. It did not look like commercial (or even recreational) traffic would spend any time going up and down the river at this point. Though I’m sure there are jonboats that fisherman bring. While I drove across a bridge or two, there were other roads and bridges crossing the river. In one case a very muddy dirt road led to the river, where a very muddy, very not paved or gravelled bridge crossed the river. I’m guessing there were a culvert or two allowing the river to continue on it’s way.

    Morton Gneiss

    Wikipedia says: Morton gneiss, also known as rainbow gneiss, is an Archean-age gneiss found in the Minnesota River Valley of southwestern Minnesota, United States. It is one of the oldest stones on Earth, at about 3.5 billion years old. Along with the nearby Montevideo Gneiss, it is the oldest intact continental crust rock in the United States. Some references say it’s between 3.5 and 3.6 billion. The difference between those two numbers alone is 100 million years.

    The glaciers were here between 1 million and 10,000 years ago. These rocks had already been waiting billions of years. When it was created, the trees weren’t there. The animals were a twinkle in ocean microbes eyes. In fact, it was all ocean, no dry land at all. The atmosphere didn’t have oxygen in it. When I imagined what it must have been like so long ago it stretched the ability of my brain to comprehend that kind of time.

    I love old things. Something you can touch that’s been around far longer than you have. Even better if it’s been around deep into history. It’s part of why I love the Redwoods so much. A 1,500 year old tree has been waiting peacefully before and through our civilization. And will likely be around long after we are. I think I appreciate the patience. The rock didn’t feel like that. It wasn’t alive, it hadn’t persisted.

    But it was pretty cool to sit on and ponder the vastness of time.

    Deets

    • Departed: 11:05 am CST, 63 degrees
    • Original ETA 4:44 pm CST
    • Arrival: 4:50 pm CST
    • Weather: 77 degrees, sunny, partly cloudy
    • Music:
      • Prince – Sign o the Times
      • Lady Gaga – Mayhem
      • Bis – Return to Central
      • Led Zeppelin – IV
      • David Bowie – Let’s Dance
      • The Crystal Method – The Trip Home
      • Mix

    Observations

    • I found a new reason to hate the Waymo spinny spinner cars. Because they’ve been programmed to follow the roads properly, they’re also programmed to follow the speed limit. Learned that along with nine other cars following one at 15 mph down a parkway.
    • I was going to go to the World’s Largest Candy Store, but they were closed for the season.
    • If you trick your vehicle out to look like a giant Police vehicle, then you shouldn’t mind when I slow down to the speed limit or less. Because all I can see is law enforcement about to pull me over. It’s nothing personal. When you roar past me and I realize you’re actually an over compensating wanna be, then it’s personal.
    • Heading out into the prairies it seemed like a lot of the roads are scenic byways. I’ll have to come back when it’s green to see if they are.
    • I was worried highway 212 would be boring. It exceeded my expectations.
    • How do you know it’s the first convertible ride of the year? The sunburn. If I blush, you wouldn’t be able to tell.

    Pictures

    A non candid candid shot
    Minnesota can be quite flat
    The Minnesota River was really beautiful. It was smaller than it is in the Twin Cities, but it still had this strength to it. Like someone who looks skinny but is super healthy and strong. I think it had a sort of depth that it’s shallow pools hid. And it has already traveled hundreds of miles to come to this point.
    Gneiss Rocks!
    Gneiss Rocks!
    Home sweet home. Or at least twenty minutes from it.
  • Home. 12/8 (42)

    Home. 12/8 (42)

    Don Quixote dies at the end of his journey. Steinbeck returns home exhausted and disillusioned at the state of the nation. I am ending my journey unemployed and uncertain of my future. But I’m not dead, nor am I exhausted and disillusioned. I have great memories and experiences, as well as still retaining a bit of a tan on my face and neck. I looked for a poignant quote, but they were all telling someone elses story. I will need to continue to tell my story, and perhaps that’s my end of journey thought.

    As for today, I left my hotel in the early hours and simply began driving. After a few hours I reached the Exact Center of the Northern Half of the Western Hemisphere, 45 latitude, 90 longitude. Nice little stop with educational signs and a great round spot pointing to the crossing of two imaginary lines.

    From there it was more hours on the road with an interlude at a Kwik Trip – I knew I was getting close. When I saw the first Minnesota license plate I had that “ship on the sea seeing a seagull” moment and knew it wouldn’t be long.

    Light traffic, even on the interstate, and before I knew it I was home. Took a few trips to haul the luggage, bins, and mail to my home, and then I was home.Triaged the mail a bit and unpacked most things. Most of my unpacking went right into a laundry basket.

    This is not the last post. I intend to do some behind the scenes posts, and a friend has agreed to interview me! I thought it would be a fun way to share my thoughts. So keep watch, dear readers. Feel free to comment with your favorite pert of the trip or whatever wishes you wish.

    I’m home again. What do I do now?

    Deets

    • License Plates: Complete!
    • States: MI, WI, MN
    • Departed: 7:57 am CST, -5 degrees
    • Original ETA 1:35 pm CST
    • Arrival: 1:40 pm CST
    • Warmest/Coldest: Death Valley 90°, Iron Mountain MI -11°
    • Weather: Bitter cold, clear
    • Music: Prime Albums of the trip
      • Prince – Sign o the times
      • Lady Gaga – Mayhem
      • Bis – Return to Central
      • Led Zeppelin – IV
      • David Bowie – Let’s Dance
      • The Crystal Method – The Trip Home

    Observations

    • This would be a very different and difficult thing if I were going back to work
    • I saw Bison on a ranch. Only took 10,000 miles to see more than a handful
    • I wear my magnet ring on my left hand when driving, but today my arm was bothering me. Took the ring off and it helped. The unhealing powers of magnets?
    • Saw 1 deer standing on the side of the road. When have I last seen deer? Have I?

    Pictures

    Magnets and Shot glasses
    What 42 days of Mail looks like
    Someone is due for a bath. Me too.
  • Ten Thousand Miles 12/7 (41)

    Ten Thousand Miles 12/7 (41)

    Well folks, we’re getting there. Some of the signs are the scenery getting familiar, my incredibly organized suitcase packing is now chaotic, and the weather is getting colder. It feels like a mad dash to get home now, but I made myself take tonight in Iron Mountain because otherwise it would have been a soul crushing 10 hour driving day.

    Crossed 10,000 miles today. That’s pretty incredible. For scale:

    • Almost halfway around the planet at the equator
    • Going down the Amazon river two and a half times
    • I could have driven down the Mississippi river and back home almost three times
    • It’s about a twenty fifth the distance from Earth to the Moon
    • About 4,000 laps on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
    • It’s 40,000 Empire State Buildings laid end to end
    • And that’s about as long as 4,000,000 MINI Coopers parked end to end

    It occurs to me that if I were to figure out exactly how much this trip cost (which I won’t be doing) I would need to add in how much the value of my car dropped by adding 10,000 miles. My trusty little Rocinante. When I left I felt like it was an extension of my driving body, but now it’s something more. Someone I have been in battle with, sharing the experiences of so many onramps and offramps.

    I will likely be making a shortish post tomorrow, as I’ll be at home and either busy unpacking or just laying on my comfy bed. I will have a followup post or two. I still want to cover the logistics and packing tactics as well as a review of what was useful (many things) and what I shouldn’t have brought (very few things.)

    Weather

    Today’s weather was crazy! A beautiful start to the morning, crossing the Mackinac Bridge in clear skies and just a bit of dawn light hanging around. Some serious dark clouds to the north, but my sister and I talked about the weather. Lake effect snow is just a reality in these parts, and can be intense but short lived.

    The first time I hit what I’m calling a micro blizzard it was sudden. A few flakes of snow turned into a huge snowfall limiting visibility to hundreds of feet, if that. I followed the road by following previous vehicles tracks in the snow. There were not many other vehicles, so this petered out eventually. I felt like I was in the scene from Finding Nemo where the speedboat is zooming away. Follow the bubbles and engine turbulence as well as the wake. Eventually it just becomes the engine, then finally, nothing to follow.

    I wasn’t sure about stopping and waiting it out. It was coming down fast enough that I would be covered fairly quickly, and just being on the shoulder put me at risk of a plow coming through. I was close enough to the Soo that I just pushed on, running about 35 miles an hour in a 65. Constantly watching in front but also my mirrors to see if anyone is about to pass me. Eventually I got to my exit (last exit before Canada) and found a bit more visibility in town. The plows had hit the city streets well, and I had already seen a couple on the highway in the other direction. They were serious about making the roads more safe. Heroes!

    As fast as it came, the micro blizzard gave way to blue skies and clear roadways. Like nothing had every happened. That was all after I left the Soo though.

    The Soo

    Sault Ste. Marie, or “The Soo” as most people call it, is the canal between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. It’s usually got some boat traffic, and it’s often very busy. Because it’s so close, in the summer you can get on a viewing platform that puts you dozens of feet from the boats. You can even talk to deskhands if they’re not busy, floating by at a few miles and hour. I’d been to the Soo twice before and always vowed to go on my way home from my sister’s, but you’re always in a hurry to get back. Well not this time! Visibility sucked, it was really cold, and I loved it! I really want to go back in the summer so I can pillage some of the gift shops for some good boat souvenirs.

    I was also happy to see random pickup trucks pulled over with a guy standing, watching a boat go through. Boatnerds unite!

    The Seney Stretch

    The Seney Stretch is, as Atlas Obscura says, the most boring road in the state. Of Michigan. I’ve actually done it before, but I felt like it was appropriate for this trip, and it only added 15 minutes to the overall day. It’s a long stretch in wilderness, so there’s really nothing to see. And it’s a straight line. So I understand how some could call it boring, but honestly it was very pretty, and it takes an awful lot for a road to bore me these days. Honestly there are other Michigan stretches that are far more boring, and much longer! The Stretch is actually fairly short.

    The stretch starts at an intersection which is the town of Seney. There are a bunch of signs pointing to different highways and the towns they can take you to. All directions except the stretch. Ominous! It’s mostly forest mixed with some wetlands. Pretty common Michigan/Minnesota landscape. when I look out at a huge marsh and there’s a tree growing there, I think about how it’s likely that no human being has ever touched that tree. I also think about the creatures that linger just out of sight – or a mile into the forest. Bears, Moose, Elk, Deer, cats, unabombers. You just never know what might be watching you.

    I play something I call the distance game. You pick something as far as way as possible, like an antenna or hill or turn in the road. You look at the odometer and remember the mileage. When you reach the far object, look at the odometer again and calculate the distance. Up in northern Minnesota it’s often 3 or so miles. I’ve seen eight before, and on this trip some of the Texas stretches were so far you couldn’t pick out a far object, it was just the vanishing point. The Seney stretch had some of these, which is impressive.

    Tomorrow: Home! But not before catching at least one geographical oddity.

    Deets

    • States: MI
    • Departed: 8:02 am EST, 18 degrees
    • Original ETA 12:11 pm EST
    • Arrival: 1:30 pm CST
    • Warmest/Coldest: Death Valley 90°, Iron Mountain MI 2°
    • Weather: Blue skies and sunny alternating with low visibility blizzards
    • Music:
      • Dash and Lily – Complete soundtrack playlist
      • Decemberists – The King is Dead
      • Mix

    Observations

    • “I imagine this is what is would be like to drive a cartoon car” – my Sister after driving my car
    • Escanaba was so quiet I used cruise control down the main drag – which is usually packed with summer traffic.
    • Entered the Central Time Zone!
    • My car was so encrusted in show I had to scrub parts of it with the snow brush.
    • The proximity sensors for the backup camera were encrusted and complained there was something Very Close.

    Pictures

  • Back in the US, Back in the US, Back in the USSA! 12/5 (39)

    Back in the US, Back in the US, Back in the USSA! 12/5 (39)

    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!
  • O Canada! 12/4 (38)

    O Canada! 12/4 (38)

    Yes, another long day. Driving was monotonous except for the instant blizzard in which visibility was down to a couple hundred feet. Wasn’t perfectly vibing off the music of the day.

    Started the day off with an extremely empty gas tank. Filled it up with the only non locking gas nozzle on the trip. I would encounter another one later in the day when I filled the tank as full as possible. More in a bit. I also stopped at the Largest WalMart On The Planet. No idea why it’s in Latham New York, but it is! It was essentially a regular Walmart but with more space between the aisles. And a second floor. I suppose I wasn’t expecting much but I was still disappointed.

    After a couple of hours driving I stopped to see the Irish Stoplight. Many Irish helped build the Erie canal, and when it was done, a good few of them settled in Syracuse New York. There was a squabble about the green light on a stoplight being the bottom, and lesser somehow than the British, so they fought for a reversed order to the colors on this particular light. Eventually it settled down and we now have a light that’s reversed.

    Was going to go to Niagara Falls and I heard the view was better from the Canadian side. After going through the border and talking to a delightful border guard (accent and all) I followed the signs. I was stressing a bit because I had a deadline I was trying to make so I could do my therapy call from the hotel. The drive was taking much longer to get to the falls, and when I got to the area parking was confusing and hard to find. I ended up going in the opposite direction so I just pulled over, took a few pictures, and went on my way. I’m sure it’s amazing, and I’m sure I would be impressed if I had more time and got closer.

    As it turned out, my deadline was early by half an hour. But I made it to the hotel with a bit of time to spare. Luckily I had the extra time to be able to get gas, as I had been neglecting that for many, many miles. So much so in fact that I got down to 6 miles worth remaining. And then it was suddenly 2. But when I got off the highway it was back to 4. By the time I located the closest gas station it was down to 1. And as I pulled in, the car gave up telling me and just showed “–” – I put exactly 40 liters in, and I have a feeling that’s the exact size of my tank. So much for my early trip rule about “half means empty” in order to always have half a tank at the ready.

    Tomorrow it’s straight through to my sister’s house where I’ll take a zero day. And then it’s the short long drive home.

    Deets

    • License Plates: collection complete
    • States: NY, Ontario
    • Countries seen so far: US, MX, CA
    • Departed: 7:56 am EST, 32 degrees
    • Original ETA 1:40 pm EST
    • Arrival: 4:30 pm EST
    • Warmest/Coldest: Death Valley 90°, Hamilton ON 12°
    • Weather: Bright and Cold, then low visibility blizzard, then Partly sunny and cold
    • Music:
      • Moxy Fruvous – Bargainville
      • Moby – Moby
      • M.I.A. – Kala
      • Muppets – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (new movie)
      • Walk off the Earth – Sing it all away
      • Mix

    Observations

    • Fleeing the country was easier than I thought
    • Canadian interstates are just like US interstates, but I can go 110 instead of 65. Also, drivers are more polite.

    Pictures

    keyword: Style
    My hotel room has no less than three hockey memorabilia
    My view during the storm