Small Town America

The picture on the right is Harrison-burg, VA, home of James Madison University and Jess' Quick Lunch, where you can get a grilled cheese for about $2.50. The one on the left is Front Royal, VA.

Pictures - Minnesota

This spot in Chamberlain, MN, was a stop on Lewis and Clark's route. They traveled over 4,000 miles westward collecting new plant and animal species for President Jefferson. One of the few or sole animals that survived the trip back was the prairie dog.

2,000 Miles Later ...

And still haven't run out of clean underwear yet! Yay. It's been a whirlwind and I wish I had written down my impressions earlier but I can blame exhaustion and glacial Internet speed. After being on the road for almost 2 weeks, I have learned to appreciate certain things, such as:

• clear skies
• friendly hotel clerks
• cell phone reception
• clean bathrooms
• finding a bathroom!
• places that serve food after 9 p.m.
• a 50-cent cup of coffee
• interstates

The change in landscapes has been amazing. Small towns with cool bridges in Ohio, skyscrapers in Chicago, then silos and rolling farmland in Wisconsin, followed by.. more silos in Minnesota and all kinds of wacky stuff in South Dakota, like caves and giant sculptures. No, I didn't go to Mt. Rushmore. Long story. But Crazy Horse Memorial is bigger, so I'm sure better.

Now I'm in Wyoming surrounded by huge majestic mountains, after a very long ride through dirt. I don't know what else to call it, other than the 100-mile trek with no billboards, gas stations, restaurant, trees, flowers, people, etc... You appreciate grass when it is out of sight for so long. My favorite sign so far was "Hiland, Pop. 10", the "the wages of sin are death" runs a close second.

The driving has been a little intense as it always takes longer than you think. Always. I find that my fondness for the scenic route is inversely related to the number of hours driven. After the 5th hour, "screw the scenic route" is muttered a few times, interspersed with "why am I doing this?". But then you hit a surprise, like the view of the Missouri River in Chamberlain, Minnesota, and you get a second wind. Actually, that view was from a visitor center on I-90 but there have been others. I am getting up to go white water rafting tomorrow so I must sign off now. I hope everyone is doing well and would love to hear from you.