Get Your Kicks...Trippin' to CO via Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas

 

So...Tornado weather. Yeah. I ended up staying an extra day in Illinois because of this predicted weather situation that may lead to tornados and the like. There were some storms and some funnel clouds spotted north of me but it was nowhere near what the weather guys were predicting. Mostly, I have been going when and where I want. I don't really have a schedule or have to be anywhere at any particular time. People I'm staying with, however, tend to be more...time oriented than I am. Point: I'm not exactly sure what day it is and occasionally unsure of the time zone. Either way, I was originally going to stop in Missouri for a night, then Kansas for a night but squashed that idea after the delay and decided to cruise on through Missouri and stay over in Topeka. So, as fast as I cruised through those states, I'll cruise through the road trip to Colorado from Illinois.

Illinois: I headed south on I-55 and, of course, meandered through some small towns to check out some old Route 66 sights. Coolest place I saw? Pontiac, Illinois. I didn't get to stay forever and check out any local diners, etc. but I did get to see the neat little town and their historical buildings. Definitely drive through and stop if you are in the area.

I also stopped in Mt. Olive, Illinois only to see the Mother Jones memorial in the Union Miner's Cemetery. If you don't know who Mother Jones is, then it's clear you are not from West Virginia or you didn't pay attention to anything throughout any of your history classes while growing up in West Virginia. Mother Jones was a figurehead in labor reform movements throughout the United States in the early 20th century. She was a prominent figure during miner labor reform and the cultivation of unions in mining. In West Virginia, we grow up hearing stories and learning about the mining industry and the stories that accompany coal mining. Most people in the state have family who have worked in the coal mines at one point or another (me included!) and understanding how our culture is/was impacted by mining over the years is incredibly important to us. Though the cemetery itself isn't the most interesting of historical sites, it was something I couldn't just drive by without a stop. My favorite part was on the back of the gate/arch that sits at the entrance, someone had written on the back of the emblem in white paint: Resting Place of Good Union People. I don't know if it was good graffiti or an afterthought, but it certainly left an impression as to how important these movements were for the life of many people in our history.

 

 

 

 

 

My next stop was the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. You can check out my thoughts about that in a previous post found here.

After the Arch, I flew through the rest of Missouri and into Kansas to reach Topeka. A big part of my trip changed here in this town: it was my first stop where I did not know anyone or friends of friends to crash a couch. I had to find a hotel. Enter extremely sad face here. The highlight of my Topeka stopover? Saying "Topeka" as much as possible! (Go ahead! Say it!) Also, the drunken fireworks display that was set off in the Denny's parking lot adjacent to the hotel and very visible from my window. A spectacular show it certainly was though I wouldn't say the fireworks were much to look at. The man attempting to set them off after one too many beers or whiskies was more entertaining.

Even with time against me on this leg of the trip, it still turned out to be very interesting and I got to see a lot of great stuff!

Happy Tripping! -D.

Happy Birthday West Virginia!

Today is West Virginia's 150th birthday! I may be a little sad that I'm not home for this because to me, WV really is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. And I love it! Very proud to me a Mountaineer!

 

Montani Semper Liberi!

Roadtripping Re-Route!

My trip has changed from when I originally "planned" it. Click on the link below and check out where I've been so far!!


Halfway Point! | My new trip on Roadtrippers


Extra information: Roadtrippers.com has an app for iPhone that allows you to choose things you are looking for (interesting attractions, food, natural sights, etc) within a certain mile radius - which you choose - and shows you what is around you. It's pretty useful at times, but be aware, it doesn't show you everything and often shows more local, non-chain places or activities.

*My posts are not caught up with my actual route yet! I haven't put up all my posts from all my stops in order to space things out. I also don't have time every day because I'm so busy doing awesome stuff! Check back later for more updates on the places I've been!

Life Above the Mississippi: The Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch

If there's one thing I don't like about road tripping...it's being in a hurry. I like to wake up and lay in bed a while. I like to pull over at picnic areas or rest areas and relax. I definitely don't mind turning around to look at something I passed too quickly or to take a picture. This is how I've been for most of my trip, including when I left Illinois to head to my next stop in Topeka, Kansas.

 

I chose not to drive immediately west through Iowa and Nebraska on my way to Colorado Springs, but instead go south then over through Kansas. Why you might ask? The Gateway Arch in St. Louis of course. I'm not one that MUST to do the normal tourist things, but this I had to see. I'm kind of an architecture junkie. This isn't a building; however, it is an awesome engineering feat. Plus...it's part of our National Parks. (Check out my previous post about our National Park system!)

Another bonus is that it's on the Mississippi River. Though the river is a serious wonder of nature, the Mississippi River is more than that to me personally. As a kid, my favorite books were The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Not to mention, Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain is one of my favorite books I read as an adult. If you haven't read ANY of these. Go do it now. Go. Order it on Amazon, stop into the library...do something because you are missing out otherwise. If you've read any or all of these, then you can understand my affinity for the river even though I've only ever seen it in the delta region of Louisiana. Maybe Mark Twain's stories were a little exaggerated - meeting robbers in a labyrinth of caves (Tom Sawyer) or rafting down the river (Huck Finn) - but come on! Who didn't want to run away and do awesome stuff as a kid where there weren't any rules and you didn't have to wear shoes?! (I'm currently doing this right now. Adult here. My life may be ridiculous.)

Enough about my love affair with a river and back to the Gateway Arch.  The arch was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States. In case you don't remember history class or any of the movies that your dad or grandpap watch on the Western Channel, Americans were kind of badass back in the day when they decided to move west to build, expand, and create better lives for themselves. According the information at the arch, settlers would often arrive in St. Louis before making their way to Independence, Missouri to buy supplies for their trips westward. We all know the supplies they had to purchase. WE ALL PLAYED OREGON TRAIL! The only thing was that people really didn't always make it to Oregon, or California. It wasn't always for bad reasons though. How do you think we settled all the space in between?





North base of arch

                        

This National Monument is still a must see no matter what you like to do or see while traveling. Walking up and standing beside one of the bases is incredible. It doesn't seem like it should be able to stand there without crashing down when the first strong wind kicks up. Amazing.

Don't forget - you can ride up into the arch too. Being at the top and looking out over St. Louis or the river is incredible. The best part for me is the ride up. You don't take a normal elevator. Instead, you are squeezed into a pod with four other people (hopefully four other non-stinky people) and you ascend the arch in about four minutes, listening to the cranking and clanking of the gears and chains that push the pods upward. This is not for the claustrophobic. Once at the top, you are released from the pods to walk up to the viewing deck and check out the sights on either side of the river. The windows are narrow and it's a little different because you have to lean out to the windows, but the view is worth it.

Looking west

Looking east

If you visit the Gateway Arch and the surrounding park area, I suggest taking your time. I did not have as much time as I would have liked (more to come on that later) but it was worth the visit even if it was rushed. Again, a big shout out to our National Parks system. There really are some great places out there to explore.

Happy roadtripping! -D.

Hey Boo Boo! (National Parks!)

I just wanted to put down in writing how much I like the National Parks and State Parks. They are EVERYWHERE and usually, they have some pretty interesting stuff going on there. Most offer free or fairly inexpensive services (check out the camping!) and a lot of information and resources.

I know you've seen those little brown signs that point you to a campsite, lake, or monument. I highly recommend checking out what those signs lead to sometime. Like anything, it may be your personal interests that results in whether you like the place you visit or not. Find something that will keep you interested.

My advice: Get online and check out your state park system (all states have information for each park linked from the major state site) or the National Park Service site. Get out and do something!

Crashing American Stop #2: A Tribute to Campo's Garage

Stop #2: Diamond/Coal City, Illinois

I'm just going to lay it out all crazy style to reflect the randomness of this garage. No, it's not some historic place along Route 66. It's my cousin's boyfriend's garage. Honest. It's .... pretty awesome.

Here's the run down:

This guy (Campo) has a garage that is "decorated" with mostly snowmobile stuff.  (I don't know what word is manly enough to describe the stuff in a garage that is only there for aesthetic purposes, so going to stick with "decorate.") He's pretty enthusiastic about his sleds. And apparently that enthusiasm carries over into making his garage pretty. freaking. spectacular. There's a cool, old fridge with crazy stuff all over it (WARNING: It's vulgar). Elvis memorabilia everywhere. Gas cans hanging from the ceiling. A well graffiti-ed work table (or drinking table?). A prosthetic leg that was left in the yard. I mean, it just spews amazing right? Yeah, I thought so too. Besides the awesome garage, he also has a basement/tornado shelter/apocalypse bunker that is equipped with a bar, a drum kit, and a really old slot machine. I know what you're thinking and yes, you're right. It just got better.

 

 

My personal favorite in all of this? The old wooden ski that was in the bathroom...which is now mine and traveling the country. Yessssss. It is signed, so to speak, and branded.

                     

Besides drinking in this garage (definitely a highlight), I got to venture down some parts of old Route 66, see some pieces of Americana leftover from the heyday of cross country road tripping, eat at some local dives, and hang out with my cousins.

Art and Cigars and Salsa

Toledo Day 3 (and Detroit):

 A beautiful day. Finally. It was either cold or rainy until this point. Nothing follows a night at a party like a day wandering around looking at apples. Seriously. Fruit everywherrreeeee! Garden of Eden? Heck no. Just Detroit. I'm sure that was everyone's second guess. Either way, a visit to the Eastern Market had a lot of things going on. Mostly fruit and vegetables but even art, barbeque, and some live music. Eastern Market is an area in Detroit where on Saturdays, vendors crowd the “sheds”, sidewalks, and empty spaces to sell everything from salsa to art. I ate everything.

We kicked off the whole Eastern Market situation by downing barbeque and drinking beer. There was an older gentleman throwing out some Waylon or Hank Jr. songs the entire time. Good food. Good music.  I certainly can't complain. I also purchased a cool piece of art from a printing workshop/shop called Signal Return Press. Signal Return also gives classes and workshops on various printing techniques. Once you attend two classes, you can use their workshop for free. I can dig it. (Pictures to come later as it is packaged for travel.)

 

I also scored a cool shirt from a screen printing group who sells their merchandise through The Detroit Mercantile Co. Check out some information on the group here. It's a YouTube video. Not going to lie, I did not watch it.

 

 

We shot back to Toledo after the Market started packing up and followed up with an evening of mojitos, cigars, and random conversation at Tres Belle in Perrysburg, Ohio. Finished up with a visit to some pizza joint called Homeslice for pizza, beer, and a DJ playing some sweet nineties songs.

 

Lesson Learned: don't drink a lot of beer that is 10% alcohol.

Overall, I'd rate it a pretty solid day.

Several random afterthoughts...

1. Found my picture (with Micha and Dave) Beerlovesme.com. Dead serious. It's there.

2. I'm still a little mad I missed the exit for the Buffalo Preserve. Ugh. Road rage ensued after the realization.

Road Trip Stop #1: Toledo, Ohio

It was a late start heading out of West Virginia. Sleepiness that is hard to put aside when you wake up on a dark and rainy day contributed minimally, but it was the overturned pick up on Rt 119 that really put me behind. My mom called and let me know, allowing me to sleep an extra forty-five minutes. Excellent for me!  I still hit traffic but was quickly on my way to my first stop: TOLEDO, OHIO.

Toledo may seem like an unlikely way point on a cross country trip. My friends, Joel and Micha, currently live in Toledo or the surrounding area and it had been some time since I’d seen them last. Unfortunately for me, the trip between West Virginia and Toledo was somewhat uneventful. I took interstate and toll roads the entire way except for the winding two lane road I drove to leave town. Let me tell you something about toll roads: I hate them. I get the idea behind paying to drive them in order to maintain the roadway, but I spent a total of $13 just to get through Ohio. Plus, it was nothing but rain storms and flat fields for most of the trip. However boring the trip there may have been, it was balanced out by how great a place Toledo turned out to be along with the people there.

 

Toledo Day 1 and 2:

I arrived several hours behind schedule. It worked out in my favor because little time was spent sitting around. There was grilling followed by a Toledo Mudhens game. I had no clue what a Mudhen was. It was Googled. The team’s mascot, however, was kind of a weird looking chicken in a shirt-dress with no pants. Exactly what a real Mudhen wears. Check it out here.  Beers, baseball, and then the bar with people I’d just met through Joel. Alcohol seems to bring strangers together in many instances and then put everyone to sleep.

The second day started around lunch time with Barry’s Bagels, followed by wandering around a really excellent metro park called Wildwood. It is located on an old estate once owned by the co-founder of Champion Spark Plugs. There are great trails, animals running around everywhere, information about the former owners (the Stranahans), and some unique restrooms located in the former stables. 

 

It was also National Donut Day. We drove around for almost an hour trying to find a local donut shop to celebrate such an important holiday. Sparky's Donuts and Ice Cream was the final stop.  We picked out a dozen, informed the girl working behind the counter of the holiday, snapped some photos and celebrated the holiday. I ate three and my favorite was the one that looked like a bratwurst.

That evening, we went to a party at Joel’s friend’s place. Again, alcohol brings people together. To keep it short I’ll list some of the events of the evening (in no particular order):

1.       Beer drinking (regular)

2.       Eating

3.       Beer drinking (pong style)

4.       Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey watching

5.       Drinking (Pittsburgh Penguins out of the playoffs style)

6.       Bets being introduced regarding goose catching abilities

7.       First edition book discussion

8.       Moonshine “tasting”

9.       Terrible website name ideas

10.   Wearing of an Iron Man mask

 

11.   Something about a naked lady painting

 

 

 

12.   Drinking (flip cup style)

13.   Reggae music. Yeah. Reggae. I don’t even know what to say about that.

14.   Drinking (winding down style)

15.   Arrival of police

16.   Our departure.

There was a lot more. Really. But maybe it’s one of those times that less is more. Or something like that.

Bucket List. Bucket List! BUCKET LIST!

Plain and simple, I need a bucket list for this road trip.

I have some ideas, but would like to hear input from anyone. I'm looking for specific places or activities along the route. If you look at the previous post, there is a general trip route - general meaning that it is kind of the direction I'll be going. The waypoints are just there as guides. It does not mean I will be staying there, so keep that in mind. Also, while at the places I'll actually stay, I'll have people to hang out with and they mostly have made plans or suggestions. It's the space between major cities that usually offers the best stuff.

In case you are reading this and you do not know me, I don't do the normal vacation things most people like. I never eat at chain restaurants, I'm not afraid to do oddball things, and I like to keep it relative to the local culture if possible. Of course, there may be some things to do along the way that are fun and not exclusive to one place.

So, shoot me your ideas in the comments area if you have anything!

**To leave comments, click on the post title, then scroll to the bottom for the comment box!**

Couch Crashing America Trip Route!

Check out my general route for my road trip. If you have any suggestions of things to do or see along this route, be sure to comment!


Couch Crashing America! | My new trip on Roadtrippers

Pre-Tripping

Trip launch is fast approaching and unfortunately, the worst part of all of it is the pre-trip planning/packing. As much as I DESPISE planning, I have to for this one.  There's just too much time on the road and too many places to see or things to do for this trip. Here's a little insight into my planning/packing.

Packing (Personal Items): I'm 50/50 when it comes to over packing. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't, though normally I would love to travel light. This is mostly in regard to clothing and things of that nature. For this trip, I'll be spending more than a night in some places and doing a variety of activities, so my bags may be a little heavier than I'd care to have them. But I'll survive.

Packing (Jeep): My Jeep is my mode of transportation for this trip. I've made sure I have some essentials such as jumper cables, first aid kit, sleeping bag, small tent (you never know!), small tools, flashlights, phone charger, and water. My cooler is also a part of my Jeep and very important to me for this road trip. It will include sandwich materials, fruit, water, and some type of caffeinated product (just in case). I'm trying to ban fast food from this trip to cut down on spending as well as not worrying about finding food in some of the more rural stretches- looking at you Kansas and Missouri. Plus, I'm trying to see awesome stuff. I can veer off the main route to check out some interesting sights and not worry about where my next cheese burger is coming from.

Route Planning (my style): The route itself is planned and without going into great, annoyingly long detail, it looks a little something like this: Start in West Virginia. Drive to Colorado. Stop, see, stay in various cities along the way. Leave Colorado. End trip back in West Virginia. Stop, see, stay in various other cities on different return route. Simple enough. I have a phone and a map. I often lean towards the old school way of using a map rather than a GPS. If I run into a problem I have my phone and I'm in no way shy and will ask how to get to the next road I'm trying to find.

Other planning issues: I've created accounts with both Shutterfly and Snapfish. I hear different things about each of them regarding ease of use, photo quality, etc. I may have to try both and make my decision for the final photographs. I'll update at the end of the trip. Input is welcome prior to this, however.

These pre-trip posts are somewhat boring but hopefully will be less so once on the road.

D.