It is still Fall here in Chicago, but my thoughts have turned to Oregon. These are some oldish pictures of some of our favorite places on the wet side of the mountains. Enjoy.
The picture above and below were taken at Sunset Bay State Park. The Oregon coast rocks.
Silver Falls State Park, about 45 miles south east of Portland is pretty cool too. We especially enjoyed hiking behind the falls.
In the best of travels one finds themselves suddenly in a place as comfortable as home and as mysterious as the dark side of the moon. It is a moment when everything is easy, especially the sense of discovery. Kouchibouguac National Park was that place for us. Kouchibouguac was no small place and its large campground was almost filled to capacity. New Brunswick makes a triangle into the coast with Fundy National Park south and Kouchibouguac National Park north of its most eastern point. With miles of beaches and dense forests one could bike on paved paths, hike on the beach to distant seal colonies, dig in the tide pools for crabs and starfishes, or swim on a lifeguarded beach. What we could not do was agree on how to pronounce the place. A year later after traveling through BC we discovered that no two people ever pronounce it the same way. Also everyone is sure that they are correct in their pronunciation.
We spent the day jumping in the ocean (actually the Northumberland Straight which is much warmer than the ocean) then running to the tide pools. Henna dug out pools for her catches and played with a band of children of which only a few spoke English. Corey and I had many conversations which led us later that night to a small restaurant nearby St. Louis (not pronounced like they do in Missouri) where they boasted a lobster and scalloped covered pizza. Next to us was an overdressed family who spoke French. They were three like us but, in their neatly pressed clothes, did not smile or laugh like us. Instead they spoke low and (maybe it was my imagination) occasionally glanced at us. They looked glum which only made us feel happier with what we had; that tight grip on the present which I feel now even more than a year away from that town near the beach. 
Ever wonder whose home that is on the back of the nickel? It is Mr. Jefferson’s’, the one- two-three man (first vice president, second secretary of state, and third president of the United States). Please do not confuse him with the one-two punch of Dernier and Sandberg of the 1984 Cubs. After seeing recreated Colonial Williamsburg and very much alive Washington D.C., it was interesting to visit Monticello. There are no actors dressed up in funny clothes here. Just a wonderfully restored home of one the greatest men in American History. For a few bucks one is treated to a tour of a classic architectural gem that offers insight into the celebrated man’s interests and talents. No pictures were allowed inside the home, but I can tell you it is filled with original and replica fossils (President Jefferson was fascinated with mastadones), a lot of books, and very interesting details like a dumb-waiter that went to his wine cellar. It should be noted too that upon his death Monticello went first to a daughter who then sold to a local before being purchased by Uriah P. Levy. Mr. Levy was the first Jewish Commodore (Admiral) and very much admired the former president. First him and then later his nephew took immaculate care of the home before selling it to a preservation society in the 1920s.
After our tour we found a cool apple farm nearby and then retired at the local KOA. The next day we took a gander at the University of VA (designed by Mr. Jefferson). UVA is almost as picturesque as Ohio University but has better eating options nearby. We then enjoyed camping at Douthat State Park.
Recently while crossing the Mason Dixon line en route to D.C. a thought occurred to me; where exactly do the Sirs start? No one called me Sir in Ohio and I did not get any Sirs in D.C. or the Baltimore area either. But D.C. is a strange place, one where the man working the cashier may have been a former lobbyist from Cleveland. No one there is ever from there. Tourists too come from all over the world just to marvel at the beautiful landmarks housing dysfunctional politicians. It seems that in our capital there is no general agreement for anything, let alone speech patterns.
I did not hear any Sirs either in Williamsburg, but again Williamsburg is a home for the displaced (retirees, wine makers, colonial reenactors, and brainy college students). Heading a little north and west I began to hear plenty of Sirs. The thing about hearing Sir is you begin to think you should Sir too. There is an art to this. You do not want to over Sir anyone (“Yes Sir, Sir, we might want to go there, Sir”). But you do not want to under Sir someone either. I mean, if the elder person next to you calls you Sir, you should definitely Sir him back. I tried my best to Sir accordingly, but right when I started to get the hang of it we went to West Virginia and the Sirs stopped as quickly as they had begun.
The field would have been another lonely, filled in former coal mine if it were not for the tragic events of 9/11. Instead there is this long road that takes you to a parking lot filled with tour and school buses as well as minivans, cars, etc. Nobody dare speaks in too loud of a voice as the wounds here do not feel distant at all. Where other memorial sites seem to encourage picnic baskets and frisbees, this one encourages quiet contemplation and a shared grief. 
The evil is told plainly in fact filled signs. The NPS avoids hyperbole and lets the facts speak for itself. People purposefully planned and executed innocent people.
Other signs are just as plain. Above is a picture roster of those aboard Flight 93. They include tourists, a woman from Hawaii, an observant Jew, and several persons who overtook the terrorists and possibly prevented a greater tragedy on 9/11. What struck me is that this is who we are: many people from many different backgrounds with different beliefs who, when necessary, pull together for a greater cause. The bad guys hate that.
Took a small road trip to the highest point in southwest Wisconsin. O.K., you cannot see the curvature of the earth from the top of Blue Mound. We also did not need Sherpas and really had no trouble acclimating ourselves to the altitude. But the views were nice and a good time was had by all. Only regret is that we did not bring bikes (there are miles of bike trails in the park and easy access to bike trails that extend maybe a hundred or so miles out). The campsites were large and pretty, but the park is off a highway and the constant roar of traffic got a little on my nerves. But this is a cool state park and is definitely Hennacornoeli approved.
Recently my Yahoo page offered one of their endless fluff photo essays (which I always waste a few minutes on) on the prettiest colleges in the U.S. In what I was sure was an oversight, my alma mater, Ohio University, was not listed. It just so happened that I took a recent road trip through beautiful Athens, Ohio and was pleasantly surprised at how well it aesthetically stood out even when compared to the University of VA (which I had just visited a few days prior and did make that stupid Yahoo list) as well as William and Mary (which I also had just visited). Thomas Jefferson did not design OU (like he did with UVA), but OU is old in American terms (early 1800s) and is the tenth oldest US public university as well as the oldest college in the Northwest territories. Although I attended OU for four great years, I had never approach the campus from W. Va which added to the charm. Route 33, heading north-west from Ripley W. Va, snakes beautifully through the low hills and wide valleys of Ohio and W. Va. Unfortunately the road loses some charm after Athens on its way to Columbus. Take a gander at these photos and tell me if Yahoo missed the boat.
Greetings from Somerset, PA. What am I doing in Somerset? Just passing through on my way to Baltimore to marry off two young kids. Really. My cousin Chad and soon to be cousin Amy flattered me a few months ago by asking me if I would officiate at their wedding. Very very excited to do just that in two days in Baltimore.
Our last summer trip also began with a wedding. Five weeks after that wedding we returned home from Cincinatti. We took the long way home to Chicago (all the way past Toffino, BC). Now we have to balance school and plan on being home in just a few days. Hopefully we will get a chance to see some of the museums we missed last time we were in D.C. And tomorrow we hope to take a small detour to the 9-11 memorial that is nearby(Somerset is the county where the heroes on 9-11 made a stand against the terrorists).
Quick thoughts on the Ohio and PA Turnpike: They sure like to pay tolls on the East Coast. My I-Pass sort of worked meaning that each time I approached a gate I had to cross my fingers that it would work. Twice I had to hit the help button in order to tell the attendant the pay code on my pass so that they could remotely open the gate. There is a national park just south of Cleveland near Akron (Cuyahoga Valley N.P.) Is this new? I visited Cleveland several time in my years of being a Bobcat (O.U.) and do not remember such a park. Are there campgrounds there? The views from the PA turnpike were really stunning- lots of hills and trees. But unfortuantly Somerset smells. Really bad. Like a steel plant and a dump got together and made a stinker.
We will post some more from this mini trip and will hopefully have some pictures to share.
With the school year starting, my thoughts have turned to road trips closer to home. We have had our digital camera for about five years or, in road trip terms, about twenty thousand miles. Most of those pictures are stored on my hard drive and, patient subscriber, may soon be posted by me for your planning pleasure. Last post was about the Effigy Mounds/ Pikes Peak State Park area of Iowa. Tonight it will be South Haven, Michigan to the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
About an hour and a half from Chicago is South Haven home of beautiful beaches, hidden vineyards (some quite good- my favorite is Lemon Creek), and really expensive homes. Thrice we have camped at the relatively new, very well run and family friendly KOA in Covert, Michigan. From there it is a short drive to beaches and South Haven. 
South Haven is fun, but we prefer Saint Joseph. Once home to some kind of religious retreat, it now boasts a restored carousal, a pristine beach, a so-so children’s museum, and a small city area that has a Jimmy Johns and a few ice-cream stores. Although we have never done this, you can take Amtrak directly from Chicago. Other beautiful beaches can be found in several state parks including Saugatuck Dunes State Park.
Going a little further up the coast one passes through Grand Haven (truly more grand than its’ southern namesake) which has a very cool city beach. We have never camped there, but the very crowded sites are right on the beach. North of there is the lovely town of Ludington. During the summer a car ferry services Ludington from Wisconsin. Ludington also boasts a wonderful city park that often attracts cool lake breezes. Our second time at that park we met an aspiring actress vacationing from LA and were witness to a fishing derby centered deep on the lake. 
The drive from Ludington to Empire, Michigan, in stretches, is as awesome as any drive in America or Canada. Across the lake you spy “mountains” (or at least big hills) and the road hugs a few cliffs as tight as another road does in California. There are some dense woods and turnouts and the seventy miles might take you two to three hours, especially if you remembered to bring a picnic.
Sleeping Bear Dunes is a special area to us. It is one of the few places I know where the balance between wildness and development has been reached so perfectly. The small towns attract repeat customers, many of whom stay at the same cabins each summer (sometimes for the whole summer). We usually stay at a campground near Empire, Michigan. Empire is at the sleepy southern end. Each time we go there we drive to the public beach, roast some hot dogs on a fire pit, and watch the sun set. Usually there are hippies, tourists, and townies all gathered to do the same.
So there you have a short trip from Chicago guaranteed to lighten your soul and add some miles to your odometer. Please, I love hearing from you. If you have any comments, questions, or just want to say hi, do so.
When I am not road tripping I am planning future road trips. And when I am not doing that, I like to reminisce a little about past road trips. Over the next month or two I plan on focusing on places a day or two away from my hometown of Chicago. First up, Iowa.
Methinks Iowa gets a bad rap. People think of Iowa as flat, boring, and full of corn. Yes on the last one but no on the first two. And the north-east corner of Iowa is absolutely stunning. There is Pikes Peak State Park (discovered by the same Pike who named Pikes Peak in Colorado), the Effigy Mounds, and a beautiful, rolling river drive that takes you past stunning views of the river, deep valleys where hawks and bald eagles soar, and some pretty lousy, but picturesque wineries. The one winery we went to was actually in the kitchen/ dining area of a small ranch house and was run by its two elder owners. The old man was shirtless when we rang the bell, but put a shirt on for the tastings. You have to expect a certain touch of class at these things. Pikes Peak State Park has a few short trails and several dramatic overlooks. Effigy Mounds covers a very large area where one can hike past dozens of mounds in the shape of bears, eagles, and other animals. A lot of mystery here in that no one knows exactly what the mounds were used for, but they did often house the dead. To get there drive to Madison, WI and then take 18 east. It took us about 6 hours. We also got the last available campsite, so you might want to plan ahead. Closest town is McGreggor which I think was the birth place of John Wayne.
After taking in the mounds and the views, it is an easy drive south to Dubuque which is across the river from Galena. Galena is a much more happening town, but Dubuque has a cool aquarium focusing on the river, a casino (did not enter but I am sure it is nice), and a very clean, built up downtown that was curiously empty when we were there. Galena is a short drive away and offers a very historic, shop and resteraunt filled town. I believe that most of the city is a historic landmark and one can really get lost in the beautifully restored blocks that sometimes seem to climb straight up into the hills. The drive west on 20 is also very pretty and offers a scenic alternative close to Galena that is worth the drive.
Hennacornoeli Days 