Towns with Roundabouts

Forward Thinking Towns

August 30- Cleveland

Huron River, running through Ann Arbor. Robin rows on
this 6 months of the year, getting up at 5am to row in the dark!

I've been in some hip and happening towns this summer. 'You have to go to Ashland', 'you're gonna love Bozeman', 'don't miss Madison'. So I listened and went. I touched on many small and large towns along the way and tried to get the flavor of each for a bit. Here are some things I noticed that are total generalizations but never-the-less...

I've driven through some towns that I'd describe as pastie- washed out, no color added, attention not being paid. They make me want to get a group of citizens together to add some fresh paint and color to show some civic pride.


Prosperous, forward-thinking towns have roundabouts. They've figured out traffic snarls and put money into untangling them with roundabouts. They have flowers and flower beds and trees creating green streets. The paint is fresh and the coffee is brewing. The number of coffee shops and breweries per capita is very high. People are walking downtown. There's a coop. Bikes are a priority and bike paths abound.

Everyone needs a sign like this is their front yard!

Ann Arbor is a poster child for this kind of town. Yes, it has the ubiquitous big box strip that so many towns and cities have, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a chain store in the city proper. This is a one-of-a-kind kind of town. And it's downtown is thriving with evening hubbub out on the sidewalks- outside seating under the large shade trees, lots of young people meeting up, lots of oldsters joining in.

Beautiful rain gardens along Miller Avenue to filter
and process storm runoff.

Above and beyond is the effort toward capturing groundwater with rain gardens along the avenues. And the overt effort to be welcoming and inclusive.

Natalie and Will on their fantastic back porch.

Robin, back from an early morning row.

Once again I stayed with near-strangers who quickly became people I hoped to see again and stay in touch with. Will, Robin and Natalie live in a truly quintessential neighborhood of mixed ages, economic brackets and races. Everything is within walking, biking or bus distance, and a river runs through the town. Oh, and chickens in the backyard! They made me feel so welcome.

Let me add that there are lesser-known towns that are equally proactive, many of them beautified for their citizenry, as opposed to potential tourists. Even without roundabouts, the flowers give them away every time.

Could be almost anywhere, I can't even remember.

A vegetable bed in the landscaping around Madison's capitol building!

Tiny Revelations Along the Way

Small Bubbles of Understanding and Perspective

Ann Arbor- August 22-24

A much needed walk in the woods in Huron National
Forest. I am sure I was the only one for miles around.

• Being in the woods has stopped being exercise and started being about being in the woods. I'm slowing down to feel what's around me, attempting to be here now.
• On the other hand, it's okay to relax and not be here now- just let my mind go.

And of course there was a lake to go with it.

• Water is the very best grumpiness annihilator I've found. One dunk in a lake or river and I am born anew, ready for the road or the camp. 
• There's A LOT of water between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic, at least in the northern states. Even in dry, hot Montana, there are so many upland lakes and beautiful rivers. It's safe for this Pisces to move about the country.

A roadside attraction installed at a gas station in the 60s
to stand out from every other gas station. Worked for me.

• It's hard to let go of a lifetime of 'shoulds', despite my attempts. There is sometimes someone in my head (ultimately me) telling me to do things in ways other than I'm doing them. I have the ability to choose otherwise.
• Always go a little further than you think. When I think I've lost my way, I just have to keep the faith and go further. Works every time.

I found an awareness of the need to protect
milkweed as I traveled, with the reward
of attracting a satisfied customer.

• Being a guest in a near-stranger's house can be delightful, has been delightful. Four homes now have welcomed me and it has been amazing fun.
• Traveling is excellent memory practice. Where did I put that chapstick/can opener/$500/wet bathing suit? What state was I in three nights ago and where was the campsite? What's the name of that really good Wisconsin beer I had? (Spotted Pig)
• Having your dear friend in New Hampshire keep you company for an hour by phone in the car, and act as virtual navigator scratches the companionship itch.

Yup, the real McCoy. Renoir, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh,
so many of the masters were represented at the Chicago
Art Museum.

• Campgrounds are, 1. sites of the most polluted air, with so many smokey campfires, 2. some of the safest places you could possibly find, and 3. most often filled with the sound of happy children and loving parents.
• NPR signals don't reach far enough.
• Swearing, a practice to which I have become accustomed, is now ubiquitous everywhere. I realized that my love for the 'punch' of a curse word now lacks any punch what-so-ever. I am going on a swear moratorium. I will have to find other words and strategies for making my points have swagger.

The boat tour to see the Painted Rocks of the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

• It is possible to leave fear behind. I truly haven't found anything to be afraid of for the past month. 
• There are a lot of people in this country trying very hard to do good things and make a difference. It's nice to see that and feel it. I don't want to forget.

  

  I see a Japanese landscape, what do you see?

Two Months In

Traverse City, Michigan- August 21

Two nights ago on the shores of Lake Michigan, my first
campfire.

It has been two months since I left Maui. I left having realized the imperative of getting away, just to regain some of the me I had lost. I thought of myself as a positive, upbeat person who had forgotten how to be that; the negatives had moved closer in to obstruct.

Excited and apprehensive at the same time, I was ready for something radical that would take me out of bounds: untethered, as I had come to think of it. Being the next frontier of aloneness and self-independence, I felt prepared but unsure as to where my mind might go.

An amazing campsite on the shores of Grand Sable Lake
in Upper Peninsula, Michigan. Just me, the lake and the breeze.

It was never a matter of physical safety. All the people who worried about dangerous strangers and my vulnerability couldn’t find fertile ground in my imagination. It was where the hours and days of being alone might take my mind and emotions that had me wondering. Could I really maintain my enthusiasm for 3 months… or the possible 6 months? Might I just run into an endless cycle of undermining questions and projections?

Yet I also wanted to tackle this possibility head on and do a bit of 'wrasslin' ' with it. And so I have. The first month was so full of the newness of traveling, being free, seeing amazing scenes and realizing that my 'one-ness' was okay. Plus there was a generous sprinkling of people I knew or got to know to break things up.

This second month has gotten down to it. Weeks with no one I knew, less spectacular scenery, and the growing normal-ness of being on the road left room for more introspection. The word is... 'It's all good'.

Lake Michigan, "unsalted and no sharks", as seen on a
t-shirt. 

Rainy days of just driving. Tourists everywhere. Worrying about campsites. Trying to find cafes and wifi. Such huge problems!!!

I come back to wanting to just understand this country, know what it looks and feels like, find some sweet spots/accept the dull spots. The mission is more than just me feeling excited and happy. The mission is to be here and live it- react, sure, but also find the humanity in myself and in those around me. I fall short and stumble regularly, but I also remember and get back on track. And writing about it always helps, so thank you.

The clouds are a skyscape in their own rite.

Washington Island- The Heart of Wisconsin

Wisconsin- August 16-17 (I've been having a hard time connecting on wifi, thus the delayed posts)

Every time I am able to just drive on a ferry in a humane
manner, I remember the craziness of Martha's Vineyard and
the Steamship Authority- take that SSA!

Until Tuesday I hadn’t realized that I’d been missing the spark that I’d felt earlier in the trip, that sense of being so delighted with where I am and all that’s around me. I realized it because I felt it again, the moment I drove off the ferry. Washington Island is a small island, accessible by car ferry, at the tip of Wisconsin’s thumb, or Door County. 721 people live there, mostly of Scandanavian extraction. It sits in the cusp of Green Bay and Lake Michigan, woods and hayfields predominantly. It is meant for 30 mph driving- I drove 25.

I fell in love with Jeannie, the most engaging
octogenarian museum docent ever.

It was the quiet, rural, friendly, solid nature of the place that drew me. Like being back in Canada with those steady, straightforward folk who smile easily and are ready for a chat. Maybe there was also the ingredient of never being more than ten minutes from the water in any direction. That immense freshwater magic of the Great Lakes- pinch me.

Stated by Chief Roy Oshkosh, last titular head
of the Menominees in 1890s.

That susceptibility to the quality of a place determining my mental and emotional wellbeing has me pondering. I can find the good in things with the best of them, although the skill had worn thin my last few months on Maui. But the spring in the step and joy in the heart that comes upon me in certain settings is unnerving- delightful and cause for reflection.

The small museum I visited was started by this
Dane to share the Native American artifacts
he'd found in his working of the land. I was told
Danes don't smile, but this man is all smile. I wish
I'd known him.

I seek the ground between the realms where I can say ‘it’s all good’, and feel that profoundly. This trip is a lesson in choosing a path, out of millions, and finding it 'all good'. Each moment holds the promise of an occasion to be embraced- to find the made-for-Melanie-ness of that moment.

Another opportunity to go skinny dipping in a Great Lake-
two down (Superior, Michigan), three more to go.

And yet, these hardworking, community-oriented farmers, loggers, fishermen, and craftspeople who look at life plain and don’t expect more than they can make happen are the perfect antidote to my frustrations with my fellow peeps. And their lovely island in these clean, clear waters will be the image I will hold as favorite for Wisconsin.

I have seen a number of Bald Eagles on my journey. Special every time.

Chicago, It's a Hell of a Town

The City By The Lake

Chicago- August 11 - 14

Flowers.... everywhere!

I admire the hell out of Chicago and love its striving spirit. It doesn't rest on its laurels, it digs and plants and builds to be more and better. I could feel it in the flower beds, amply spread throughout the city, in the riverwalk expanding to celebrate the Chicago River, in the magnificent and CLEAN Lake Michigan with its daily swimmers, in the many tours designed to proudly show off the city's fine points. If you're going to be a city, be one that doesn't stop improving itself.

Two wonderful Chicagoans- Judy and Ed

Staying with Judy was having the very best of a city visit. She loves her city, knows it since childhood, loves to share its secrets and drives like a genuine city driver. She supports so many different organizations that a visitor can enjoy art, gardens, and more by her generous intentions. If I ever live in a city (unlikely, but none the less) I will embrace it as Judy does- wholeheartedly.

So much more to know about the buildings and history
of Chicago. The river tour was an introduction.

As I travel and try to grok the nature of a place, I have learned some places to check in on: farmers markets, libraries, parks, cafes, waterways, and whatever sustainability efforts are being made. What are the bones of this locale? How healthy is its culture and environment? What is here to nurture its citizens? Is there effort being made?

Tiffany dome in the Cultural Center

In Chicago Judy and Ed encouraged me to look deeper and take advantage of some of the standout opportunities offered. A river tour with the history of the architecture, the art museum, the cultural center, the botanical garden, Millennium Park. The three days of time I spent looking into the heart of the city gave me the chance to love it a bit, despite my rural leanings. I am grateful for that.

This is the true selfie mecca.

Three Days With My Sister

Travels with Dinah

Madison, Wisconsin's cow mascot with sisters

Just when I thought I'd grab someone off the street to sit and listen to me talk, Dinah arrived at the Minneapolis Airport to spend three days with me. Surprisingly, I don't think I did talk her ear off but was able to maintain a fairly even give and take in conversation- in other words, I didn't embarrass myself with blathering on and on at her. Being alone is such an important piece of this journey, and I won't forego it, but having a break from it with someone I love as much as Dinah was just a pleasure and a half.

So, this week is city week- Minneapolis, St. Paul, Madison and then on to Chicago. So different, but also so cool, to search for human-made wonders instead of natural. We just got into tourist mode and embraced it.

Just a couple of dorks hanging' out on Segways- so fun!

The Magical History Tour was a wonderful Segway/history tour of the Mississippi Riverfront of Minneapolis. Three and a half hours of riding and seeing the plethora of parks and green spaces while learning about the history of this mill city.


















Wicked fun. It got us on the curiosity wavelength to learn more, see more, understand something of the nature of these places.

Vrooom!

Who, what, where, me?

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Madison were all such dynamic places- absolutely vibrant and bustling. And people are so proud of their cities, wanting us to see and enjoy their special favorite places. I could begin to see what was calling the millennials to these urban hubs. It's all right there at your doorstep. Really fun for visiting; how would it be to live there (for me)? Hard to imagine little country mouse thriving full-time in the city... nope, can't see it, but visiting is a blast.

My sister, as beautiful as the flowers around her.

It was hard to say goodbye to Dinah on Wednesday afternoon, but I'm so glad we had that time together.

Happy to be together.

Random Craziness on the Road

A Little Whimsy

Minneapolis, MN- August 7

Warming my hands on a bull dung fire. Davis
carefully carried 15 odd dried dung patties from
the wild bull in the woods so we could see how
they'd burn. Ummm, now that smells great.

Having lived for over 40 years with the hassle of the
Steamship Authority for the ferry to Martha's Vineyard, I laughed
 out loud at the FREE ferry services in Canada where the
employees are friendly, you get in line on the spot
and drive on 10 minutes later.

Stop traffic for buffalo. It's a beautiful sight.

Walking through the beautiful park north of Duluth, I couldn't
figure out why EVERYONE was on their cell phones.
Rolling my eyes I walked on. When I returned to that same spot
again, everyone was on their cell phone. Asking a couple of
women whether this was a wi-fi hot spot or something, I learned
that they were all playing a Pokemon game that was linked to
the park. This was Duluth's way of getting kids outside
and walking around. And the two older women loved it, too!

It feels like everywhere I go Hawaii is there.
This airbnb stay ended up being in the 'aloha
suite- absolutely covered with Hawaii
memorabilia. And the hosts had wonderful
aloha spirit.

Bozeman Montana was having a live concert on a
Wednesday morning. The community came out with pleasure.
Including this very patriotic poodle.

Babe the Blue Ox was toppled in a thunder, lightening and wind storm that rocked my little Prius, too. Babe was nearby
in Brainerd, Minnesota, while I was at Lake Itasca. She was back up and proud a day later.

Divining Her Way Through Minnesota

Land of 10,000 lakes- a water world to discover

Northern Minnesota- August 3-5

Once upon an August day there was a frustrated woman who crossed a bridge into Minnesota. She wondered, “where to go, what to do?” The only thing she knew about Minnesota is that her friend, Mary, was born there and swore she'd seen 3 foot catfish, or was it 6 foot? But you had to watch that Mary, she could be a trickster. 

This is the 30 foot wide spillway from Lake Itasca that suddenly becomes the
Mighty Mississippi River.

“Water”, she said, “there has to be water.” And so everywhere she went there was water. Itasca Lake, the headwaters of the Mississippi River- the allure of finding the source, understanding how a force so powerful as that mighty river got started grabbed her. Rivers and their windings are the veins for this country; she had been absolutely smitten with their glitter and meanderings, the confluence of smaller rivers into the larger waterways creating the limbs' lifeblood of the landmasses. What could be more vital and magnetic than this?

Looks like New Hampshire to me.

Voyageurs National Park, on the northern border of Minnesota, was all about water, not really to be understood without getting out on Lake Kabetogama and visiting the many islands. But where was the boat for this woman? What mythic polesman would navigate these waters for her? There was none. But wandering its shores, suddenly she was in woods she knew: white and red pine, aspen/poplar, cedar, white and black birch, blueberries, yellow yarrow, yellow dock, moss, deer flies, mosquitoes, granite and quartz. It was familiar and deflating all at the same time- she wanted the continuation of the new, different, surprising, dynamic. Yet she bathed in the lake to baptize herself at Voyageurs.

My own private Lake Superior

Finally, Lake Superior, clear, clean, shining and huge. She came upon a bay with nary a soul in it, so... stripped and jumped. Cold to the bone, cold and bracing and perfectly suited to her longing for immersion. This lake satisfied the wandering woman.

Proof of the skinny-dip

So difficult to leave its shores, so she wandered further the next day just north of Duluth in an urban setting of beautiful gardens and wonderful bike/walkways. Steeped in the glory of water.