Fall Trip 2013: Candy and Dunes

Posted on October 15, 2013 by hennacornoelidays

Sunset at Ludington State Park

So we took a couple of days off work and pulled Henna out of school in order to take one Hennacornoelious fall trip. We were going to check out Great Smoky Mountain National Park but the stupid Republicans shut down the government. Don’t feel too bad for us, we’ve been to the park before. But think of all those tourists coming in from overseas (and all that money they were going to spend at local hotels, diners, etc). Will they and their wallets come back to the U.S?

We decided instead to go up the coast then down the spine of Michigan in a sort of irregular, 960 mile circle (think a thought bubble with Northwest Indiana the stem). Saw and learned a lot over the four nights we were gone beginning with the fact that people in Michigan are lazy when it comes to naming streets. “7 Mile Road,” “4 Mile Road,” “10 Mile Road,” and, wait for it, “14 Mile Road” are just not clever street names. Do you remember the Eminem movie “8 Mile Road (which refers to a road in Detroit)?” Maybe that began some sort of weird street naming trend in Michigan?

Where we began was in a candy shop in Grand Haven. My friend Audra let it slip out that her husband’s family owns a candy and liquor store in their hometown of Grand Haven. I imagined a little strip mall shop that tasted Michigan wines. I was wrong on both counts as the shop, Fortinos, appeared almost as the center piece to what is really a cute little harbor town (they also don’t sell Michigan wines). Fortinos has been in business (and a part of the Fortino family) since 1907 (or since about the last time the Cubs won the World Series). As candy shops go this one is pretty awesome with rows and rows of sugar options offered behind glass. Checking out took a while as Corey and Henna kept adding to the bounty. Sugared up we then moved further north to Ludington and summited our first dune of the trip. Noel October 15, 2013

Great Travel Books: Road Fever by Tim Cahill

Posted on September 16, 2013 by hennacornoelidays

Coming at you from 1987, Tim Cahill’s Road Fever is worth waiting over 25 years to read. Starting at the tip of South America, Road Fever takes the reader on a frantic trip up the Pan American highway all the way to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in under twenty five days (which set a still standing record). Along with professional driver Gary Sowerby, he battles hairpin turns up winding mountain roads (where one unfortunate driver passes them and then passes on via a thousand foot drop) and endless border crossings manned by nervous, heavily armed teenagers who really enjoy pointing their automatic weapons at confused drivers. Just last summer we went on our own road trip, a six thousand mile or so seven week plus cruise. No border hassles, but we did encounter a few bears. I will take that over crossing into Nicaragua any day.

And while we generally avoid the long drives, sometimes we just have to suck it up and spend a day or two driving. It was while on one of those drives that I had an epiphany about travel time. Travel time is a triangulation of regular time, miles spent, and the miles you hope to gain. You do of course age while traveling at top speed through the interstate, but you do so at a slower rate than everything outside your vehicle. At least that’s what I tell myself when I have to ignore my bladder just to steal a few more miles from the day. Noel

Cool Spot #40: Public Beach at Cour d’Alene, Idaho

Posted on August 19, 2013 by hennacornoelidays

For my final and fortieth cool spot of this past Milestone Trip 2013, I present to you the main city beach at Cour d’Alene, Idaho.

Cour d’Alene, ID

To be honest Cour d’Alene was not in our plans at all, but after Henna got stomach sick in Missoula we opted out of Lolo Pass and instead drove the interstate. A couple of years ago we traveled through Cour d’Alene and thought it nice. Not spectacular, but nice. On our first day there Henna craved white rice. Luckily we found a slightly better than average Chinese restaurant. By nightfall she was back to her old self and in the morning we hit the beach on the way out of town.

Corey found the beach dirty, Henna liked building sand castles, and I just kind of drifted on our inner tube in the shallow, warm water. A sightseeing float plane took off every thirty minutes or so which at first was pretty cool but then eventually became just a loud annoyance. There were also a lot of pre-teens and teenagers running around and although harmless, they also became annoying. But laying there in the water, with Henna feeling better and our whole trip stretched out before us, I felt pretty good. I forgot about the noises, the litter on the beach, and even where I was. I knew warmth, the rocking of the tube, and peace. After maybe thirty minutes of this we were ready to head back on the road toward Mount Rainier where we would hike for days with David and Mariah. Slowly I deflated the tube and walked toward the car. Noel 8/19/13

A Few Roadside Attractions

Posted on August 16, 2013 by hennacornoelidays

The best things in life are free or at least not more than a nickel and for that reason alone we love Wall Drug (Cool Stop#37). Where else can you get free ice water as well as coffee for five cents? They actually charge 20 cents if you take it to go, but that is still a lot cheaper than Starbucks. An article framed on the wall there describes Wall Drug as being famous for being famous (kind of like the Kardashians of drug stores). There is some truth to that, but few places in America deliver on their promises as well as Wall Drug. The billboards advertise the chance to see a giant dinosaur and, by godly, you will see a giant flesh eating tyrannosaurus roar every fifteen minutes or so. And we are proud to say that for the first time Henna, with her hands over her ears, was able to stay for almost the entire growling.

Cool Stop #38 is the granddaddy of all roadside attractions. Run almost continuously from 1854 (the fair took some time off for both the Spanish American War and World War II), the Iowa State Fair offers children a chance to marvel at farm animals and then throw up their lunch after riding some spinning object. Luckily the fair flows from animal exhibits to rides which results in most of the vomit being spilled outside of the animal pens. The Iowa State Fair is also good for showing off exciting advances in stick-food technology (my favorite was a rib wrapped in bacon; just $3). One of my favorite magazines is the The Onion which has been having a lot of fun at the fair’s expense (one article told how Iowa fair workers were told to shoot non-Iowa residents on sight).

We had a good time checking out the animals (who knew that ostrich eggs and their hatchlings could be so big) as well as browsing among the food items. Henna and I rode the carrousel and then Corey and Henna spent a lot of time concerned about where I might get sick. Luckily that did not happen and I left with a better appreciation for solid ground.

Another road side attraction worth your time is The World’s Largest Truck Stop off Interstate 80 between Iowa City and Davenport (Cool Spot #39). Plenty of truck stops offer showers and laundry mats, but dentists and chiropractors too? And if we were not so anxious to get home, I would have got my hair cut there too. But at last, home beckoned and the essentials were put off for a few more days. Noel 8/16/13

Road Tripping Across South Dakota

Posted on August 15, 2013 by hennacornoelidays

Spoiler Alert: We made it home safe. On August 14th, after beginning our trip on June 24th, we arrived back at our home on the northwest side of Chicago. Before coming home we made a couple of stops that included meeting our new niece/ cousin (welcome to the world Willow, we love you already!) and hanging out with Mor Mor. So I know what you are thinking, did Noel get to 40 Cool Things? And did Corey really go on 40 hikes? Well, you are just going to have to keep checking in to find out.

For the next three cool spots, I direct you to Custer State Park. With over 30,000 acres of semi-wilderness, Custer State Park definitely resembles a National Park. It has the lakes, the mountains, and the micro weather systems (a tornado reportedly landed less than thirty miles away from us on our final, quiet and dry night in the park). But it’s actually a state park so you have things like “begging burros” and a bison herd that gets thinned out each fall. There are also no bears here so you can leave out your cooler which we found to be a refreshing change. For us though the star attraction has to be Mount Harney (Cool Stop #34).

Coming in at over 7,000 feet, Mount Harney is the highest mountain east of the Rockies and the first mountain Corey and I hiked up together. A couple of years ago Corey and Henna hung out at Sylvan Lake while I hiked solo up Little Devil’s Tower (which rises opposite Harney’s peak). Since then Corey has had a strong urge to come back and summit the peak (she also had a fond memory of a hot dog served up at the cafeteria which did not at all live up to her recollection). Well, despite some ping pong size hail on the way up, we made it to the top. And there, delicately perched like a nest, was the CCC built Fire Tower which offered a basement, killer views of the needle-like mountain, and an attic of sorts which required climbing up a ladder. The clouds cleared and we spent some time just hanging out and enjoying the view before heading down. And then, with about a mile and half to go before reaching our car, the heavens opened up and pelted us with a very persistent and painful hail.

Henna collecting trail hail

Cool Spot #35 is the Wildlife Loop. Along this eighteen mile road are the previously mentioned “begging burros” (which took visitors to Harney’s Peak up until the 1930 when the rides were discontinued and the burros left to fend for themselves), antelope, about 1,500 bison, nowhere near as many bighorn sheep, and a lot of mule and white tail deer. The whole ride is kind of like a fake safari ride only a lot cooler. Corey swears that bison are the ugliest, nastiest animals she has ever seen. Henna and I disagree and found the calves especially endearing. Our new bobble head bison agreed with us.

The other scenic highway worthy of being titled a cool spot is Iron Mountain Road (Cool Spot #36). First conceptualized by former South Dakota governor Peter Norbeck (who also is responsible for setting aside land for Custer State Park), this road links the state park with Mount Rushmore. A slow road, it twists like a pretzel and offers up a different view of the presidents at each turn. The many one lane bridges also force a sort of patient negotiation between the tourists whom are leaving and those who are coming to the Black Hills. We were among those leaving and, with the last of the mountains seen from our rear view mirror, we headed east on the interstate. Noel 8/15/13

Cool Stop #33: The KOA at Devil’s Tower

Posted on August 13, 2013 by hennacornoelidays

The night sky was cloudy and starless but every once in a while lightning would grace the sky and we would catch a glimpse of Devil’s Tower. Joining us in watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind were a few other families and about a dozen bikers headed to and from nearby Sturgis. Corey and I sipped our cocktails while all three of us were completely engrossed in Steven Spielberg’s first feature film about aliens.

This summer we have stayed at about a dozen KOAs. Some of them have been great, others less so. But the KOA at Devil’s Tower beats them all. They have a pool opened until ten, easy access to booze, popcorn, and ice cream (as well as a diner) and a comfortable tenting area (although we stayed in a cabin). Oh, they are also just across the street from the monument and that tower dominates the day time skyline. Throw in nightly showing of Close Encounters and you got yourself a good time. Noel 8/11/13

Cool Stop #32: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Posted on August 12, 2013 by hennacornoelidays

Just off Interstate 90 in Montana (around where it splits from Interstate 94) is a pretty neat slice of history. There, on the high plains where the ground rolls like a Buffalo with an itchy back, General Custer led over two hundred Calvary soldiers and attached civilians to their death. Littered about the former battlefield are headstones indicating where men, both Calvary and Native American, fell. The one trail we took led to a ravine where possibly twenty eight soldiers met their fate (there are no markers here, however, as the first efforts at marking the battlefield looked over this site). A lot of the National Monument also focuses on the Native Americans who were essentially defending their land and their way of life. After the battle, the victorious Sitting Bull fled to Canada where he remained until 1881 when he returned south to surrender. Later he was killed by Indian police on a reservation in South Dakota. The west was won and we all lost more than a little something in the process. Noel 8/9/13

Cool Stops along the Bear Tooth Highway

Posted on August 8, 2013 by hennacornoelidays

View from Bear Tooth Highway

Before packing up camp in Yellowstone this morning I met a young couple who reminded me greatly of ourselves fifteen years ago. Peter and Molly, self-professed camping newbies are at the beginning of a six week road trip to celebrate their taking the Bar Exam. They have no reservations and only a little idea of what awaits them. I wish them well (and also told them something an older couple told Corey and I at the beginning of our first trip; at the end of their trip they will either not be speaking or never be apart again. I am hoping and betting on the latter).

For Cool Thing #30 I present the Clay Butte Fire Tower which can be found on the Bear Tooth Highway. The legendary news man Charles Kuralt repeatedly called this stretch the most beautiful drive in America. He may be right as the road repeatedly delivers images usually seen only after a long, upwards hike. Just when the scenery was getting really good, we came across a pictograph of a sign that pointed us to the tower. Ten minutes of windy, graveled, and climbing road later (not to mention many blind turns) we arrived at the tower.

Retired in the mid-70s, the tower now is operated by volunteers on a weekly basis who live on sight in a small apartment and give tours to people like us during the daytime. The current occupants told of grizzlies seen through binoculars and how the watchmen worked the tower before being replaced by helicopters. They also gave a quick geography lesson which accentuated the fact that the mountaintops used to be on a sea floor many, many years ago. Whoa.

Another gravel road, another adventure

These are 20 of the books Henna has read so far on the trip!

Cool Thing #31 is the nifty food truck masquerading as a diner called Mas Taco which is located in Red Lodge, Mt. Red Lodge is, depending on your perspective, either near the end or the beginning of the Bear Tooth Highway. We think it is probably a lot more impressive viewed from those just beginning to climb into the Yellowstone area.

Mas Taco will serve you tacos, empanadas, burritos, or quesadillas with shrimp, pork, steak, and veggie options. And man was it good. If you go to Red Lodge eat there. Noel 8/8/13

Cool Stop #29: Yellowstone at Night

Posted on August 5, 2013 by hennacornoelidays

Who says you can’t ever go back? About a month ago we left our comfy home in the Tetons headed to Mount Rainier. The route took us through Yellowstone but Corey was not feeling well so we barely left the car. Henna and I were able to check out a few geysers, but the whole thing left us kind of frustrated. So here we are, a week or so from home, and it has been kind of hard to adjust to Crazy Tourist Place U.S.A. Want to camp, better get to the park before ten (even on a Sunday). And if you ask a ranger a question, you better be prepared to listen to an extended lecture on bear safety. Me: Have you had much bear activity in this area? Ranger: Let me give you a five minute lecture about bears and what to do if you come across one.

There is a reason why this place is so darn popular. It’s beautiful for one. It’s also pretty wild once you get off the pavement. Today we took a short trail while waiting to go on white water rafting trip and ended up in a sunny ranch landscape of buttes and grass. We also came across some possible Native American ruins and antelope skulls. Pretty cool considering that we were rarely out of sight from the main road.

But my favorite thing here so far has to be the nights. There is a meteor shower going on and last night we counted about ten shooting stars in maybe thirty minutes. Here the Milky Way looks like milk spilled across a starry night and you will feel like you went to bed too soon regardless of the hour. That is how I feel about the trip too. Noel 8/5/13

Cool Spot #28: The Mountain Front Market in Choteau, MT

Posted on August 4, 2013 by hennacornoelidays

We left the Many Glacier Lodge in the pouring rain pretty bummed about never leaving the hotel. Instead we snoozed and played card games on their comfy chairs by the fire and then slept fittingly in their “rustic splendor” of a room. Our most expensive accommodation of the trip boasted of paper thin walls and squeaky floor in the brochure. In fact, it was a regular step back in time as the place was devoid of televisions and had really lousy wifi. Corey and I had spent two wonderful nights there on our first road trip together. Despite the rain, it was nice doing it again with Henna.

Mountain Front Market in Choteau, MT

Anyways, we were headed down 287 between Browning and Helena, MT when I started getting kind of hungry. No sooner did I tell Corey that I was craving an apple that she suddenly pulled off to the side of the road. There, within the charming small town of Choteau, MT, was an organic and locally grown oasis of good stuff. A BYOB (bring your own bag) kind of store, it offered lots of ripe fruit, cheese, and grass fed local meats. In between stuffing my face with cherries, I also struck up a good book conversation with Maggie who was running the place. An Americorp graduate who previously serviced Chicago’s impoverished Lincoln Park neighborhood (where some of its residents can barely afford a decent latte a day), Maggie seemed genuinely excited to be featured in this award blog.
That same day then ended with clear skies, a comfy grass tent site, and overpriced washing machines. All in all it felt good to be back on the road. Noel 8/4/13

Hennacornoeli Days

road trip musings

Fall Trip 2013: Candy and Dunes

Great Travel Books: Road Fever by Tim Cahill

Cool Spot #40: Public Beach at Cour d’Alene, Idaho

A Few Roadside Attractions

Road Tripping Across South Dakota

Cool Stop #33: The KOA at Devil’s Tower

Cool Stop #32: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Cool Stops along the Bear Tooth Highway

Cool Stop #29: Yellowstone at Night

Cool Spot #28: The Mountain Front Market in Choteau, MT

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