Country Road

 

There's nothing like a small town. The cricket and cicadas buzzing in the background, the sounds of people talking in small conversations, and the occasional burrr of a car driving by. This is small town America, and from what is quickly becoming clear on this journey out west, this is most of America.

I grew up in a small town; graduated 80-something people from my high school class. Everybody knew everybody, and I can still remember the bus route we took, and where everyone lived. Sure, that meant more people "in your business", but small town Americans have a charm about us. It's really that we care, and think it takes a village to get stuff done. Sure, city-dwellers can be gentle and welcoming too, but there's nothing quite like good 'ol country folk.

I drove through Illinois and Iowa today (spending tonight in Omaha, NE). I made a point, as I ways do, to get off the highway for a bit and drive some smaller roads. Interstates all start looking the same after a while (plus it's a great cure for getting road sleepy- smaller roads keep you awake!), and these roads hug the contours, and get you into the parts-unknown (to outsiders, that is). I was pleasantly surprised by stumbling onto Sacred Rock State Park in Illinois. I was actually hunting down Utica, IL, since I'm from nearby Utica, NY. It's a fantastic park, and worth checking out! But all this driving in these gorgeous, lesser known areas got me thinking all philosophical-like: why do we get so "bored" without constant stimulation?

I won't actually attempt to answer it- I'm not that good at blogging yet. But I can say that people from bigger cities (NYC cough NYC) tend to complain of the lack of "things to do" in small cities. Boy, I'd like to show them Utica, IL, or Grinnel, IA. Now, that by no means is wrong, or even untrue- I mean I love cities, I really do (see Chicago post) it's just a different perspective of things. Now, comparing any town to NYC will probably leave the opinion wanting, but it's worth thinking about how your outlook effects your happiness.

Small towns show the value of being quiet, slowing down, and letting your thoughts, well, be thoughts. Instead of puzzling through something, how often do we drown it out with media, a text, a game on the i-whatever. Being out here lets one think, and that's a good thing. Also, it's beautiful to look at too. Food for thought!

A Day In Chicago

 

Ahh Chicago. I honestly think I knew nothing about you, and what to see here. Except something about a bean. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed (in the rest of the city, not just the bean thing).

I am currently en route to Seattle, WA from Syracuse, NY. I've never been to the "capital of the midwest" (I just made that title up, I hope it's correct), so I figured I'd have to drop in for at least a full day to walk around the highlights. This probably sounds atrocious to many people/travelers, appauled that I'm not budgeting a month for The Lopp district alone. But in efficieny travel, it's all about seeing the most you can, genuinely enjoying it, and kinda moving onward and upward. And upward...and upward. So..many..skyscrapers.

Chicago has architecture. It's that industrial, purely capitalistic neo-who-knows architecture surrounding the city. Buildings are imposing, elegant, and just massive! I've been to NYC many times, and though it's tough to compare skyscraper game to the Big Apple, Chicago is an easy contender. And did I mention the River?? NYC has a couple of those too, but not so well dressed up.

I spent the first part of my day at Millennium Park. This is where "The Cloud Gate" is, and what everybody for descriptively refers to as "The Bean". It looks exactly as the latter nickname infers. After one-too-many photos, I headed over to Giordano's for deep dish pizza. This was a Yelp suggestion, and was 0.2 miles away as opposed to 1 mile, so convince beat out stars. That being said, the pizza was great! Still may favor my NY thin crust though.

I then began an epic walking trek through the jungles of Chicago. The Loop district is fairly grid-like, so navigation is easy. Heading north, you reach the river bend, which is borderline majestic (think Pocohantas, just less singing, and talking raccoons). The Chicago skyliners line the river directly, and with severl old tell bridges spanning the water, it makes for an impressive scene. It's like Paris and NYC had a love child.

My day ended with a free ballet concert at Millennium Park (lucky Saturday), which lasted a few hours, and I was glad of it. One last drive up/down the "Magnificent Mile" (Michigan Avenue) listening to my favorite city driving song, then I headed back to the hotel. Great day!

Let Us Letchworth

As I started my way westward, I told myself not to get too caught up in "just getting there". That's the whole point of travel, isn't it? To enjoy the little things to do and see on the way to wherever we're going (so many life lessons hidden in there- look out). Well, attempting to live by my own advice, I stopped by a state park I had barely even heard of before- Letchworth State Park. Totally. Worth it.

THE DEETS

Letchworth State Park is in Upstate new York, about an hour and change south of Rochester. So for those from NYC, it may a well be Washington State, I know, I know. Well, I wouldn't come from Georgia just to go to this park, but if you live in Upstate NY, it is a MUST do. It's $8 admission (unless nobody is in the booth- this seems to occur after 6pm or so- wink, wink). The driving is straight forward, with viewpoint pull-off spots along the way. Coming from the north side of the park, your views will become more and more dramatic before landing at the falls. Come peak leaf season, this place is where I want to be.

5 Reasons You Should All-American Road Trip

 

The state of the road trip is in need of a All-American come back. From the mountains to the prairies, and yes, those oceans white with foam (gross), the great USofA has everything you need for your next travel extravaganza. Now, I'll let you know where I'm coming from; I often find myself going down tangential internet quests looking at the most exotic places across the globe, scheming and planning how I can get myself into those unknown corners. But you see, I don't have to go half way across the globe to see true beauty, to experience another culture, and to even scratch that travel itch. Now, I'm the first one to support a classic euro-backpacking tour, or a lets-go-natural SE Asia tour, but before you get your passport out of the nightstand, it's time to review some of the benefits to an extended staycation.

BEAUTY

I encourage you to scroll through a "50 most beautiful spots in America" Google search. Prepare to be amazed and instantly in the mood to get there. The Swiss Alps are amazing, and so is South Africa and Nepal, but before flying off to find raw, natural beauty elsewhere, snookered some of the exquisite beauty here in America. Start exploring the inter-webs and you'll find a never-ending list of places that will drop your jaw, right here in The States. A clever idea if you have the time is a National Park tour- annual passes are just $80!

MONEY

Money money moneeeyyy. Now, before I discuss the state of the Chinese market fluctuations, and how Greece can't seem to hold it together (sorry Greece), there are some obvious, simple benefits to the USA money situation.

• You already have it in your pocket/bank. Seems simple enough, but unless you've dealt with chip-less credit cards in Europe or the god-forsaken western union,  you'll never understand just how nice it is to already have your cash on your dash (ok, maybe in your wallet, dash probably isn't the best idea, though I did that once). Not to mention currency exchange. No hoards of hawking border bankers here.**
• No massive changes in value. Going from country to country, you risk fluctuations in relative prices of goods (apple here is $1 vs 2$, etc). Now, those variations are certain to occur at home in the states, but the cost of most things is relatively stable, and perhaps most importantly, predictable.  It's nice spending American dollars in America.

**Fo non-Americans, I suppose the currency exchange headaches still apply to you, but for most Europeans, America still = cheap(er).

CULTURE

Let's sit a New Yorker, Midwesterner and a West coaster down at a table and just observe. Americans vary widely, and you can still get a small taste of culture shock without going across the oceans. Stay in between them, and you'll get plenty of it! I think it's a great testament to the fact that America's diversity is what makes us, well, America. Such a mixed history, backgrounds, ways of doing things is hard to rival, and a pretty neat thing to experience in an of itself. A US road trip will offer the opportunity to explore these differences and see how you fit in!

LANGUAGE

OK sure, practicing your French in the quintessential cafe du croissant in Paris (yes, that's made up) is fun, practical, and carries of hint of travelesque romance to it, until you're yelled at. Less Fun. Not in the spirit of travel you might argue? Let me counter with the idea that it is still in the spirit of travel. There's a romantic beauty in apprenticing the dialects of your own language and being able to travel 3000 miles, stop at any diner, and be speaking one language the entire time. It's a different kind of fun, and worth experiencing.

ESPIRIT DE 'MERICA

This is my way of saying cause you've got to do it in your lifetime. Don't let your travel days pass by and only ever see the grass on the other side. There is plenty of that right here (seriously, go to Nebraska). The All-American Road Trip is still a big long trip, but you could feasibly cross the country in a week, 10 days would be fun. Imagine if you took [only] 2-3 weeks? Imagine what you could see!

I hope I've inspired you to consider your own back yard for your next big trip! America has so much to offer in ways of traveling, and it really must be explored. And if you don't have time/money for a big trip soon, the principle of "staying home" can really change how you travel. Have a free weekend? Go to a nearby town and spend the night there. Try a new restaurant. Do something new! Remember, it's not about the destination, but all the things on the way- enjoy your journey!!