Go West Miss Thang!

Drive by scenery in Wisconsin

The past two days of westward travel took near as much strength, determination and grit as it took our early American pioneers. Ok, that is if you ignore that we actually sat in comfort, in a warm car, and with loads of food. OK, OK, traveling the past two days was a cake walk, but it had its moments.

Wisconsin 'Cheese-land' Farm

The most traumatic and inconsequential was in some tiny Wisconsin town, when during lunch at a Chinese buffet as I pondered the sushi bar, I felt a tap on my shoulder. An embarrassed looking guy gingerly told me, "Ma'am, you uh... there's... uh.. there's toilet paper hanging off your... uh... 'rear'".

Rats! It was toilet paper from the Wal-Mart rest room I'd visited earlier. The stall there was of questionable sanitation, and I'd piled paper high upon the seat and brought a banner of it with me. I almost dropped my tray as I jerked loose the streamer from my slacks. I thanked the gentleman profusely for shortening the bit of time I was standing around looking like a hapless jerk. I bet pioneers didn't have to put up with that kind of hardship. They too probably whined about their little so-called 'incidents',  "A rattlesnake bit my rear while I was hoovering it over a rock behind that cactus yonder."  Wah! The wimps.

Yeah, we had to put up with a lot on our drive through the midwest. There was snow, and for no good reason at all, I'm subjecting you to an entire minute 12 seconds of it. Experience the wilderness of Wisconsin in my comfy  shoes! 

A snowy little corner in Alexandria, Minnesota

We spent on night Oh Claire... I mean, Eau Claire Wisconsin. Then into and through Minnesota.

We stopped in a cute little town for a lunch of Walleye Pike for Ila and prime rib *burp* for me. And we there we visited a cute book shop and yet another yarn store to feed the fiber fever. 
 





We reached North Dakota yesterday, where we spent an hour or so exploring Fargo, which Ila was particularly keen to visit. I acted all, 'You've seen one vast wasteland of the Dakotas, you've seen them all', because I visited it briefly a couple of years ago. However, this visit taught me that what I had actually done two years ago was visit one infinitesimally tiny corner of Fargo, and stupidly assumed I'd seen the entire HUMONGOUS spread out town - nope, I had not.

Little Park in not-so-tiny town of Fargo, North Dakota

Strange life forms of Fargo

Save for the snow and meal stops, the drive has been unconsequential since we left Michigan. But I think my favorite time has been mornings, when herds of White-tailed Deer can be seen grazing on in the pastures along the highway. I spotted a Bald Eagle one morning, not my first for the year, but memorable none-the-less. Oh, and on Saturday evening I enjoyed driving through Wisconsin while listening to A Prairie Home Companion. Not that that particular was great or anything, but listening to it after having driven past a Lake Woebegon exit on the Minnesota highway, was... magical.

Yip, Yip, Yp'silanti!

Susan and her back-up crew

Hurrah! Nothing like spending a day with friends one hasn't seen since in a decade or so. We started the day with yummy breakfast omelets prepared by Le Chef, Jamin. Then Susan led her faithful pack of dogs - Jet & Flash -  and friends - Ila and 'moi' - on a little tour of her neighborhood.

Susan & Jamin have lived in their neighborhood for more than 20 years. They love it so much, after setting their sites on a house to better accommodate themselves they chose a one only a few blocks away. The search for a new house in the same neighborhood took them 3 years. Their new house sure looks like it was worth the wait. It has lots of room for all & a huge back yard. Early in the day, after my shower, I happily 'spied' on Susan down in her yard, working with her dog Jet, who works for food and a little pat.

The neighborhood walk was fun. Susan showed us the local homes and stories attached to them, and even showed us their old house. Later, after lunch Susan took us for a little drive around Yipsilanti and nearby Ann Arbor.

Love this historic Ypsilanti house - looks like the Bates Motel house from Psycho, doesn't it?

Yipsilanti Water Tower

A local historic spot of Freudian implications is the Ypsilanti Tower, seen above. As you can read on the sign, the construction of the tower began in the 19th century but its use only ended in 1975. Sounds like the town got sufficient bang for its bucks.

 

Popular Ann Arbor Museum

Downtown Ann Arbor

There was loads to see in the Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor and I'm sure I've forgotten most of it, but not how much fun it was to sink into the passenger seat and just enjoy the commentary.  I'm nearly certain in a former life, I would have been the spaniel with my head out the window and tongue lolling.

After our tour, the day's activities weren't over yet. We all enjoyed a delish & nutrish dinner (again, complements to Jamin), pooches and humans bundled into cars and braving the Michigan rains, went to watch Susan & Jet at agility training.

I have always wished there were agility classes back when I had my whippet, Chiquilla. Therefore it was wonderful to actually attend, albeit as a spectator, a real class. The class participants, ignoring the non-furry kind, were an ensie, and remarkably fearless chihuahua, a Jack Russel Terrier (or as Jamin put it, 'Jack Russel Terrorist'), an Aussie shepherd, a black Lab. Oh, and I won't forget Jet's brother 'Dash' who with his owner, who coincidentally is also named Susan, was also in the class. I got lots of photos, but here is a video of one of Susan & Jet's runs, which is worth a thousand still photos.


Doggie class aside, I was so impresssed with Susan & Jamin's care of their dogs. Flash is 14 years old now and pretty mellow, but Jet impressed me as being quite a handful. Yet, both Jamin & especially Susan, showed endless patience in providing their girl with a great home & an interesting doggie life. If I had that kind of patience, diligence & skill, I could train a cobra to balance a mouse on its nose. 

Although our visit was just one day, I totally enjoyed being with ever gracious hosts, Susan and Jamin.  I hope to visit them again within a year or two. Here's a day dream: I would love to visit in the Spring & haul Susan north with me to view courting Kirkland's Warblers. Been meaning to do that for the past two decades. Here's to that little dream coming true!

Jamin, Jet, Flash and Susan posing for me in front of their fireplace

Over the Falls, No Barrel Required

Adorable fact: as you drive into Buffalo, NY, you see big, ole, shiny metal buffaloes. And, as if that isn't cute enough, there are even wee, red, metal buffalo calves. I didn't even know the calves are there until I reviewed the photos I took as we shot over the highway ramps.

Ila and I didn't stop in Buffalo, we were headed for the one time honeymoon capital of planet Earth: Niagara Falls. Born & raised in New York, I've never been there so it's been a landmark day for me.



The whole set up is interesting; you park in a big lot, then walk through the Orin Lehman Visitor Center (whomever the heck Lehman was).

The Orin Lehman Visitor Center

Inside the Visitor Center

Inside the Visitor Center is an information desk, loads of exhibits, a Imax type theater on the falls, massive gift shops and the like. Finally you go downstairs and enter a park, on your way to the falls.

View of park; the white is the river, headed to the falls, thataway--->

The great Niagara Falls, the American side

Awesome falls and LOUD; a roaring that is accompanied by the cries a thousand gulls that loiter at the base of the falls. The buildings on the other side of the river are Canada. Concerning Canada, therein lies a story...

Prior to this trip, it was decided we would visit Niagara Falls on the trip home. Knowing that, we knew we needed passports. Well, I have one, but for the life of me, I couldn't find it. Suspect I stuffed it 'some place safe' then forgot where that safe place is. We decided to try going over to the Canadian side of the falls anyway, and therein laid an adventure.

View of rainbow at foot of falls - pot of gold is guarded by Irish gulls

At the Canadian border, we made it past the American guards & their drug sniffing dogs easily. When we finally made it to the Canadian border gate, I was chewed out by the guard lady in her kiosk. "Why should I let you in with only a driver's license for identification!" she snarled at me. Thought I, "Because I an old bat like me couldn't pull off an act of terrorism even if I had TNT wired to my panties?" Thank heavens I didn't say that out loud. Long story short, after being ordered to pull over to Canadian offices where I was again scolded again, we were granted entry. Hurrah!

The Falls as seen from the Canadian side

Another Canadian view

Parking on the Canadian side of the falls cost $10! Must admit the view was even more spectacular, and a bit quieter than on the American side of Niagara.

We took some time to stroll around the shore front, then we were off, headed for Michigan, overland through Canada. The scenery was flat open farmland and to my amazement, the speed limit was 100kph, which for the shocked is only 62mph. I reckoned, if a Canadian crashes, its the government that has to paste them back together again, hence, the slower speeds.

A few hours later we reached the US/Canadian border and it was time for us to go through the mill again, as I hadn't exactly acquired a passport on the journey from Niagara. This time, it was a tough border guard guy who enjoyed himself giving me the third degree and scolding me like a naughty tot.
Again, we had to pull over, park and enter an American border office where yet another officer proceeded to give me the third degree.

Remarkably, we really didn't have to wait too long for the officer to look up the records, see that yes indeedy, I have a passport, even if I haven't a clue to its current whereabouts. We got to enter Michigan!

We were on our way to Ypsilanti, and along the way we were hit with the worse rain storm I've experience since a trip to Minnesota a few years ago. The rain came down in buckets. I relaxed, concentrated on the road and soon we were maneuvering through Ypsilanti via GPS, where we were greeted by my old friend Susan, who, with her signif. other Jamin, were sweet enough to let me come visit and even bring along friend Ila. Seeing Susan and Jamin is an immense treat and we get to visit with each other all day tomorrow. Joy!

More on our visit tomorrow. Meanwhile, here is a noisier glimpse of Niagara Falls.