Category Archives: Middle America

Third Coast (Michigan Side)

Posted on by
2

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.

Northeast Iowa

Posted on by
2

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.

The Smallest Show on Earth

Posted on by
Reply

A couple of days ago I wrote about the trips and adventures getting smaller.  It does not get much smaller than our day trip to Edison Park, Chicago (our home town/ neighborhood).  This weekend was the Edison Park Fest which I always find exciting, mostly because the parade route passes our house.  That means that once a year I live in the center of it all (and by all I mean Edison Park Fest).  But the rain came something fierce and washed the parade away.  There is nothing sadder than children, some of whom have been practicing throwing candy all week in anticipating of marching in the parade, realizing the parade is cancelled.  Henna was sad.  I know some of her friends were very sad.  But today there was no rain and we saw our first Flea Circus.  http://www.amazingfleacircus.com/   It was a lot of fun, especially since it was free, and I mean free (no passing of the hat here) and a few blocks from my house.  We also saw a dog show filled with neighborhood dogs.  There were contests for the biggest dog, the smallest dog, best obeyed dog, etc.  It went a little long for my tastes, but Henna had a good time.  Over the last three days I have eaten ribs, gyros, Italian ice, gelato, and washed it down with my first ever mojito.  We have also heard a lot of good, bad, and inbetween music but, again, it was all free and close to my house.  And Henna had fun jumping on various blow up “rides” that cost way too much ($2s just to go down a slide!).  But at last, all good things have to end.  Tomorrow Edison Park Fest will be just a memory.  But heart burn is forever.

Big Trouble in Little China Town

Posted on by
Reply

Sorry, I could not resist that title.  I must have seen that movie, with Kurt Russel, a million times as a kid.  I think HBO must have devoted entire weekends to just showing that movie.  The three of us went to ChinaTTown and did not find any real trouble.  The midwest just does not do Chinatowns as well as the west coast.  I have never been to Cleveland’s China Town (I have no idea if one exists), but I am guessing Chicago’s is the biggest in the U.S. midwest and, I have to say, it is nothing compared to Porland’s, Victoria (B.C.), or San Francisco.  It was nice and we had a good lunch.  And we bought two small turtles from a vendor.  Corey:  What kind of turtle is this?  Vendor:  Ah, just a turtle.  Corey:  How big do they get?  Vendor:  It depends on how long they live.  I went to the bathroom, that conversation went on without me, and when I located my family they had two pleading faces.  Twenty bucks later we have two turtles to join our one aquatic frog, one hermit crab, and three cats.  I mean, it’s not like we go away a lot and need people to look after these animals? 

Getting to Chinatown was kind of fun and, for us, novel.  We took the metra then a water taxi south.  There was a line of tourists waiting for the water taxi north (those views must have been stunning).  Our views were gritty and the smells were riverish with a tinge of industry.  Last time on a boat that small we saw whales, seals, sea lion, and bald eagels.  This time we saw weeds, broken glass, and rusting CTA cars.

Of Fairies and Cable Cars

Posted on by
Reply

Apologies for taking so long to post.  Since being home, our travels have slowed significantly and are adventures seem smaller.  But I think they are still worth sharing.

A couple of weeks ago we went to a Fairy Festival near Elgin, Il.  Corey saw an ad for the fest in a Chicago Parent magazine and, not surprisingly, Henna chose that over the music festival in Roscoe Village (Chicago).  What we imagined it would be:  lots and lots of families with girls dressed up as fairies and maybe retired pre-school teachers leading arts and crafts activities.  What it was:  a Dungeons and Dragons type renaissance fair with people walking around with bad English accents.  There were some families there (all looking pretty confused) along with a scantily overly suggestive belly dancer, guys in their 20s sword fighting, and a man with a falcon.  The falcon and the falconer were pretty cool (he was actually a high school science teacher) but the crowd had an edge and the admission was steep (and did not include anything other than allowing you to buy stuff at booths).  On the way back we stopped at the Cable Car Museum which was manned by a grumpy man who did not like tourists.  Me:  “Do you take credit cards?”  Grumpy Man:  “Urghhh, I guess so.”  Me:  “How old are some of these cable cars?”  Grumpy Man:  [silence and shoved a pamphlet at me].  The pamphlet told me that cable cars used to bring people from Elgin to Chicago where they could take other cable cars all through the city.  The museum also had some old train cars including one that ran on the South Shore Line.  That is the same line that takes my niece to high school each day.  It also took my wife into the city more times than she can remember along with her sisters, brother in-laws, mother, father, etc.  This car now sits as an artifact and Corey cannot be the only one who looks at it and sees not just an artifact of the greater adventure but a gateway to what used to be and still is.  In the same vein I noticed while driving that Elgin is on Route 20.  Route 20 goes west through Galena, Il. and Davenport, Iowa (a wonderful 2 to 3 hour day trip from Chicago) and then through the rest of Iowa and a Nebraska I have never seen (fossil beds, badlands, and bison) into a Wyoming I glimpsed a few weeks ago then into Yellowstone and Idaho and the high desert of Oregon (again, a place I was just in).  It was only my certainty that we would take that very route some day soon (either next summer or the summer after) that prevented us from writing you now from Yellowstone.

Too many mosquitoes in Minnesota

Posted on by
2

Sometimes the road does not play nice.  Months ago I stared at the map and saw a clear route across America.  Route 2, known as the Hi Line in Montana is a pretty clear shot west from St. Ignace, Michigan through Washington State.  Our family has been on 2 in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Michigan before.  Corey and I once took 2 from Glacier NP to Duluth, MN.  It is an awesome, mostly 2 lane road that strings a lot of small towns, some small cities, and comes close to many state parks/ national parks.  A true Hennacornoeli road.  But months ago I did not forsee the Minnesota state legislature blocking me (and other tourists and state citizens) from going to any state park this July 4th weekend.  No bike or canoe rentals at the source of the Mississippi for us (Lake Itasca State Park) for us.  I also did not anticipate a more rapid melting of ice and snow in Canada than typical which resulted in serious flooding for the northern sections of North Dakota.  So now I sit, about to have my first cup of coffee for the day, and stare at a map.  Route 200?  Detour south to I94?  High tail it north to Canada (least likely choice)?  Will keep you posted.

What The Road Gave Us Today

Posted on by
Reply

What the road gave us today……..                                                                  6.29.2011 Wed.

A lovely morning fire with good coffee

Plans to get as far as Duluth

Cool college town of Marquette gave us spotty wifi, more good coffee, a young Dylan lookalike and good conversation.

A forgiving state trooper who gave a warning instead of a ticket for speeding.

Henna’s urging to find somewhere to fish.

Semi secluded lake, one blue gill, biting bugs and several fawns playing with momma on the side of the road.

A bee in the back seat, with lots of screaming

Sunny warm day with room for alternate plans

Iron county campground with tent site right on Lake Superior, still in Wisconsin (Duluth still in the distance).

UP Photos

Posted on by
Reply

Here are some random photos taken over the last few days.  They are being shared while I wait for my eggs benedict at the Breakwater Cafe in Ashland.

A feel….

Posted on by
Reply

Today’s route took us from the KOA in Newberry Michigan through to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.   We started in the rain as we left the cabin we stayed in last night.  The KOA had a worn down feel, but it kept us dry so I was not complaining.  Henna was able to fish on a small lake and she caught two fish!  She looked so big taking care of it all herself….even baiting the night crawlers on her hook.  So while heading along our scenic path, (because the dots on the map told us so) we headed through many small towns of the Upper Peninsula.  During one particular drive through a town, I heard from the back seat, “This place is so sad”.  Those were my exact sentiments but what struck me the most was that at such a young age Henna already knows when the “feel” is not there.  Now I cannot explain what the “feel” is….but I just know it when it’s there.  Like the KOA of the previous night, the feel just was missing.    The UP seems to just not care if folks come to visit, which is cool and all but sad in a way.  We stopped along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and did three hikes…in 48 degree weather.  Lake Superior is such an awesome lake, and we were able to walk along the shores as monster waves crashed  along side us…it was so loud.  We saw the old foundations of sunken ships that had crashed onto the rocky shores 100 or more years ago.   We were crabby and cold, with no plans for tonight.  We stopped into a local restaurant called The Bear Trap, and the “feel” was there.  Henna and Noel played pool and the locals were kind.   After filling our bellies we headed off for our last stop along the national lakeshore, Miner’s Castle.  It was short walk down to the sandstone bluffs overlooking the lake.  The signs all told of the geological explanations for it all, but you’ll have to visit for yourself to find out what it says.  Henna and I laughed the whole walk down, Henna was making up her own language along the way, and then pretended that I was a horse the whole way up.  The hike had that “feel” again……might be our full bellies to thank.  We headed out not knowing what the night would bring……it was teetering on 48 degrees and night was approaching.  We stopped at a Holiday Inn Express…but again the “feel” was not there.    We found ourselves in Christmas Michigan checking out Bay Furnace national forest campground…….loaded up on firewood from a house where we were able to drop off 8 bucks, on the honor system and set up our camp.  The fire is warm, the smores are yummy, my home away from home is set up and ready to keep me warm tonight.  Yep it’s got the “feel”.

Is Lake Huron great too?

Posted on by
Reply

Lake Michigan has a state named after it, thousands of miles of beautiful beaches and harbor towns, Tim Allen voice overs, and the jewel of the Midwest (my hometown Chicago) anchored at the south end.  Lake Superior is truly awesome; the second largest fresh water lake in the world.  As treacherous as an ocean you respect Lake Superior. Lake Erie has the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Cleveland.  Not the most impressive credentials, but something you remember.  Lake Ontario is Canadian.  And then there is Lake Huron.  Yes, Mackinaw Island is on Lake Huron, but most people think it is in Lake Michigan.  Lake Huron is that forgotten child, the one that does not get out of the house much.  Last night we camped at Bay City SRA which is across the road from the Forgotten One.  We arrived at early evening and played at a cool park overlooking the lake.  There was a nice boardwalk trail that passed by marshes and delivered us to a beach were we looked for seashells.  Later we roasted baby potatoes, hot dogs, and corn.  The campground was boisterous and had an odd river/ wet mud smell.  Today we plan on moving on in search of greater lakes.