Dear Friends,
Yesterday I spent the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot and today I write to you from a Starbucks. I honestly do not know what has become of me. Although, in my defense, the ratio of bars to coffee shops is drastically different on the East Coast. After driving Aleisha to the Airport on Wednesday, I made an early start of it and began my drive to upstate New York. I did not feel inclined to stop in Buffalo for any reason, although I did have a strange desire to run up to a Buffaloan and shout Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo! Alas I did not. I continued North to Niagara Falls and contemplated my fleeting mortality as well as the tensile strength of a bungee cord (kidding). There are two main attractions to Niagara Falls State Park, neither one of which is Niagara Falls. They do not exist. The park is the first State Park in the nation and includes American Falls and the more famous Horseshoe Falls. After taking my leave of all things falling and moist I crossed the border into Canada and visited the Butterfly Conservatory which, contrary to popular belief in Canada, is not a front for a terrorist cell. Try convincing a border agent of THAT. I then drove to Rochester and engaged in my most recent hobby, wandering about. The next day was spent driving to Burlington, Vermont which reminded me in no small part of Arcata. I have noted with some dismay that pop culture seems to have homogenized the dialect of our country, and most people in major cities have little to no detectable accent to me. Vermont especially so. Throughout the North East are sprinkled quaint little towns and villages which consist of 1 volunteer fire dept, 1 Lutheran or Anglican or Catholic church (or an Anglican and Catholic church across the street from one another), 2 or 3 bars, and a railroad. The next day I drove from about 11am to 8pm, finally reaching the Atlantic and spending the night in Bar Harbor. The next morning I awoke to the sun rising over an ocean, something of a novelty for me. That day was spent exploring Acadia National Park and driving down the coast of Maine to my present location in Bath. I am sorry to report that there are no pictures to accompany this post (or likely any in the future) as I am without a digital camera. I am afraid you will have to use your imaginations.
I plan on staying in Maine and New Hampshire today before arriving in Boston later this week.
A good day to you all,
Pickles
Current mileage: 10,510.9
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Days 67-82
Hello friends and family!
Much has happened since our last post from Duluth. First, we traveled down to Minneapolis and spent one last day there before we moved on to Milwaukee, which is a pretty but windy city. In Milwaukee we walked around downtown, went to a local park and did a small nature hike, and toured Sprecher brewery. The beer samples at the brewery were a little too much for us unpracticed drinkers, however, and we got a little too toasted and had to sit in the parking lot for a while before driving on.
After Milwaukee we zipped over to Chicago and spent the day walking around Chinatown, Little Italy, and Navy Pier before going out swing dancing that night. One thing we noticed about Chicago is that everyone is really nice, and that was definitely true for the swing dancing scene. One awesome guy we met, named Gordon, even invited us to stay at his house for as long as we were in Chicago. We accepted and spent the next few days exploring the downtown area. The last evening we were there we all went to a swing dance at the Green Mill, a famous jazz club in Chicago, where they had a big band and a tiny (and packed) dance floor. The decor was awesome, and the place has a lot of history as a jazz club and some infamy as one of Al Capone's hangouts, so it felt really neat to be dancing there.
After Chicago we aimed our way towards Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where my half sister lives. On the way we passed through Detroit and Cleveland. Detroit was a sad little city living in the shell of a much larger one. The population decline has been so dramatic that you can drive on streets (within sight of downtown) where almost every building is abandoned. However, despite being almost empty, standing around is illegal almost everywhere. We found this puzzling.
Also on the way to Pittsburgh, Evan and I changed our traveling plans. Traveling without money of my own has been too hard on me, and we decided that I would go home to Arcata and get a job and live with friends while he would continue on with the trip by himself. It was a really hard decision to make, but we both felt like it was the right thing. When we arrived in Pittsburgh we stayed two days with my sister's family (we met my nephew who is a wild but lovable child) and then I hopped a flight to San Francisco and a bus to Arcata, where I am now. Evan traveled on to New York. I hope everything is wonderful for all of you, and send your thoughts with Evan as he makes his way through the east coast.
Love, Rainbow
P.S. This will be my last post, but look forward to more from Pickles.
Much has happened since our last post from Duluth. First, we traveled down to Minneapolis and spent one last day there before we moved on to Milwaukee, which is a pretty but windy city. In Milwaukee we walked around downtown, went to a local park and did a small nature hike, and toured Sprecher brewery. The beer samples at the brewery were a little too much for us unpracticed drinkers, however, and we got a little too toasted and had to sit in the parking lot for a while before driving on.
After Milwaukee we zipped over to Chicago and spent the day walking around Chinatown, Little Italy, and Navy Pier before going out swing dancing that night. One thing we noticed about Chicago is that everyone is really nice, and that was definitely true for the swing dancing scene. One awesome guy we met, named Gordon, even invited us to stay at his house for as long as we were in Chicago. We accepted and spent the next few days exploring the downtown area. The last evening we were there we all went to a swing dance at the Green Mill, a famous jazz club in Chicago, where they had a big band and a tiny (and packed) dance floor. The decor was awesome, and the place has a lot of history as a jazz club and some infamy as one of Al Capone's hangouts, so it felt really neat to be dancing there.
After Chicago we aimed our way towards Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where my half sister lives. On the way we passed through Detroit and Cleveland. Detroit was a sad little city living in the shell of a much larger one. The population decline has been so dramatic that you can drive on streets (within sight of downtown) where almost every building is abandoned. However, despite being almost empty, standing around is illegal almost everywhere. We found this puzzling.
Also on the way to Pittsburgh, Evan and I changed our traveling plans. Traveling without money of my own has been too hard on me, and we decided that I would go home to Arcata and get a job and live with friends while he would continue on with the trip by himself. It was a really hard decision to make, but we both felt like it was the right thing. When we arrived in Pittsburgh we stayed two days with my sister's family (we met my nephew who is a wild but lovable child) and then I hopped a flight to San Francisco and a bus to Arcata, where I am now. Evan traveled on to New York. I hope everything is wonderful for all of you, and send your thoughts with Evan as he makes his way through the east coast.
Love, Rainbow
P.S. This will be my last post, but look forward to more from Pickles.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Days 42 - 66: Farming to Duluth, MN
Dear Friends,
It has been a strange feeling being back on the road after settling down for a month with home cooked meals, fresh vegetables every day, and intermittent manual labor. I believe I described our duties on the farm in my last correspondence, so I shall not go into further detail. Our gracious hosts were Paul and Becky and their delightful children Hannah and Li. Paul is a full time farmer and teaches part time at the local State University while Becky works for the Department of Natural Resources in land management and conservation. Hannah does just about everything not the least of which is beginning High School, and Li is a leaf blown by the winds of interest and opportunity. We have had a wonderful time being a part of their family and learning many things beside farming. We made a 30 minute goat cheese mozzarella, bottled and spun honey (the process of extracting honey from the comb by centrifuge), baked scones, pickled cucumbers, and became surrogate hens. We took our leave last Monday after the shares went out (the farm is a CSA, dividing shares betwen members) and made our way North to Voyageurs National Park which we discovered is a lake. A really big lake. All of the camp grounds are accessable only by boat (or an ice bridge in the winter) and are scattered throughout the many islands between Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. We did take a short walk in the abutting forest which was a beautiful mix of maple, aspen, cedar and fir trees. Yesterday we came down into Duluth and found that, despite being between beautiful woods and a massive lake, it uses neither of these to improve its aesthetic. We played tourist (i.e. drove aimlessly through town) for most of the day and ate truffels.
Today is a new day and the sun is shining here, as I hope it is in your corner of the globe.
Stay in school and out of drugs,
Pickles
Mileage to date: 7222 mi.
It has been a strange feeling being back on the road after settling down for a month with home cooked meals, fresh vegetables every day, and intermittent manual labor. I believe I described our duties on the farm in my last correspondence, so I shall not go into further detail. Our gracious hosts were Paul and Becky and their delightful children Hannah and Li. Paul is a full time farmer and teaches part time at the local State University while Becky works for the Department of Natural Resources in land management and conservation. Hannah does just about everything not the least of which is beginning High School, and Li is a leaf blown by the winds of interest and opportunity. We have had a wonderful time being a part of their family and learning many things beside farming. We made a 30 minute goat cheese mozzarella, bottled and spun honey (the process of extracting honey from the comb by centrifuge), baked scones, pickled cucumbers, and became surrogate hens. We took our leave last Monday after the shares went out (the farm is a CSA, dividing shares betwen members) and made our way North to Voyageurs National Park which we discovered is a lake. A really big lake. All of the camp grounds are accessable only by boat (or an ice bridge in the winter) and are scattered throughout the many islands between Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. We did take a short walk in the abutting forest which was a beautiful mix of maple, aspen, cedar and fir trees. Yesterday we came down into Duluth and found that, despite being between beautiful woods and a massive lake, it uses neither of these to improve its aesthetic. We played tourist (i.e. drove aimlessly through town) for most of the day and ate truffels.
Today is a new day and the sun is shining here, as I hope it is in your corner of the globe.
Stay in school and out of drugs,
Pickles
Mileage to date: 7222 mi.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Days 26 - 41: Omaha, NB to Minnesota
Dear Friends,
Many things have happened since I last wrote, not the least of which is that we are now volunteering on an organic farm in Northern Minnesota picking vegetables and harassing chickens. But let us not put the cart before the horse. After basking in the reflected glory of sunflower fields outside of Pierre, SD, we headed South for the Maha Music Festival in Omaha, NB. Among others, we saw The Appleseed Cast, Army Navy, G Love & Special Sauce, and Dashboard Confessional. It was Super. We spent the night at yet another rest stop just outside the city before driving into Southern Minnesota and Eastern Iowa the next day. I must confess, the sight of a strange, badly lit, smelly rest stop is becoming quite comforting. After exploring the Northern section of the Mississippi river for a few days, we made our way into the Twin Cities, taking in the Minnesota State Fair (everything you could imagine fried on a stick and, not unrelated, Garrison Keillor), some late night swing dancing, as well as various local flavours. We were welcomed onto Northern Lights Farm on September 5th and have been picking vegetables, feeding cows and chickens, repairing fences, playing badminton, making cheese, and generally raising a ruckus ever since. At least as much as the hippie Quakers we are living with will allow. This morning we saw President Obama give a speech on health care. Live. We were sitting not 20 feet away from his face. He smiled in our general direction. I think I saw him blow us a kiss out of the corner of my eye, but I can't be certain.
I hope this letter finds you all frolicking in meadows of frankincense and myrrh.
Yours,
Pickles
Mileage to date: 6152.5
Times locked out: 0 and counting...Kurt
Many things have happened since I last wrote, not the least of which is that we are now volunteering on an organic farm in Northern Minnesota picking vegetables and harassing chickens. But let us not put the cart before the horse. After basking in the reflected glory of sunflower fields outside of Pierre, SD, we headed South for the Maha Music Festival in Omaha, NB. Among others, we saw The Appleseed Cast, Army Navy, G Love & Special Sauce, and Dashboard Confessional. It was Super. We spent the night at yet another rest stop just outside the city before driving into Southern Minnesota and Eastern Iowa the next day. I must confess, the sight of a strange, badly lit, smelly rest stop is becoming quite comforting. After exploring the Northern section of the Mississippi river for a few days, we made our way into the Twin Cities, taking in the Minnesota State Fair (everything you could imagine fried on a stick and, not unrelated, Garrison Keillor), some late night swing dancing, as well as various local flavours. We were welcomed onto Northern Lights Farm on September 5th and have been picking vegetables, feeding cows and chickens, repairing fences, playing badminton, making cheese, and generally raising a ruckus ever since. At least as much as the hippie Quakers we are living with will allow. This morning we saw President Obama give a speech on health care. Live. We were sitting not 20 feet away from his face. He smiled in our general direction. I think I saw him blow us a kiss out of the corner of my eye, but I can't be certain.
I hope this letter finds you all frolicking in meadows of frankincense and myrrh.
Yours,
Pickles
Mileage to date: 6152.5
Times locked out: 0 and counting...Kurt
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