2007-11-14 
 

sore

Spent a few hours today playing a complicated game of move the boxes in our storage unit in order to get at some paperwork stored in one little box at the very back of the unit.

THe fact that this particular box was placed on the floor beneath several larger boxes and a piece of furniture or two made the game extra challenging. Any false move could have created an avalance with yours truly wedged underneath.

Point is that I finally got the contents of the box out (as the box was wedged in just so) and took them home. Now, rifling through them was fun as they were mostly diary entries and half written stories from the 90s. That said, the pages I was looking for were not in the batch and I'm afeared I'll be heading back on the hunt again tomorrow.

Going to go take an extra stregth something or the other in order to dull the slowly growing ache in my back. AHHH. Thank you modern medicine.

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, writing

* posted by me at 5:30 PM

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2007-11-08 
 

cross country math

I had a minor freak out today after visiting the storage unit. In order to bring my brain back under control I did various math problems.

I figured out that we used 122 gallons of gas to drive a total of 4300 miles across the country. We averaged about 35.3 miles to the gallon. (Considering our car was weighted down with all the extra stuff we forgot to cram into the moving truck, not too shabby.)

We spent a total of 358 dollars on gas at an average price of $2.94 per gallon.

Did you need to know that? Perhaps not, but it helped make my brain feel a bit better about the possibility of a missing box.

Here's a semi-accurate map of the journey. Mapquest only allows 10 destinations, so our stops in Hardin, Montana; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Freemont, Indiana are missing. It also neatly chops of about 500 miles in various sections where we took the road less travelled, but at this size it doesn't make that much of a difference. (Clicking on the map should make it slightly larger.)

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey

* posted by me at 5:16 PM

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2007-10-26 
 

object at rest

For those of you keeping tabs, we've arrived at our destination. Popped in to Walton and said hello to Mom and Dad last night and then zipped over to hang out with Dude and Dudette.

Yes, I cried upon reaching the driveway. Sort of appropriate since I cried pulling out of it 12 years ago. Not from sadness so much on either occasion, but from the knowledge that a chapter had ended and a new one was about to begin. That and I'm a sucker for the bittersweet. Appropriately enough, it was Verve's Bittersweet Symphony that accompanied us into Weymouth.

It all feels surreal.

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, memory lane

* posted by me at 10:08 PM

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2007-10-25 
 

cleveland rocks and niagara falls

Cleveland turned out to be a rather interesting city. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame kept us entertained for almost four hours, and if we'd listened to as much as we would have liked we could have spent several hours more. My favorite bit? Seeing Tom Petty's Mad Hatter hat from Don't Come Around Here No More.

I always wanted that hat.

Spent the night in Cleveland at a wonderful Bed & Breakfast called The Stone Gables. We didn't think to even look at B&Bs until Wisconsin, figuring they'd be too pricey. Turns out that the off season prices make them just as affordable as the hotel/motels of the area...and much nicer to stay in.

Yesterday saw us driving up to Canada to see Niagara Falls from the good side. G's never been to Canada or the Falls, so I was very happy that we had good weather. Found another fantastic B&B called Absolute Elegance. Again, a wonderfully restored place from the 1800's. Had a wonderful meal and drinks on a terrace overlooking the falls. As it got darker, we saw them illuminated in white spot lights and then a bit later in shifting colors. We had an excellent vantage point which allowed us to see both the American and Canadian falls. Front row seats as it were. Niagara Falls, the city, is a bit of a cheeze fest, but we enjoy that sort of thing so it was all good.

Today we're on our way to Massachusetts. Will decide en route whether to spend one last night in the Berkshires or to push on all the way to Weymouth.

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, g

* posted by me at 12:00 PM

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2007-10-23 
 

of traffic jams and jelly donuts

Drove down into Indiana from Wisconsin yesterday. Got caught in our first traffic snarl since leaving the bay area. (Should've guessed that 4pm is not a good time to traverse Chicago.) We have yet to see a Dunkin Donuts...rather surprising since we've been on EDT for over 12 hours.

On the plus side, the scenery has been fantastic. Wisconsin surprised me by feeling quite a bit like Massachusetts with rolling hills all on fire with fall foliage. Pardon the alliteration...it was an early morning. The weather and traffic had us short of our goal last night and we actually set the alarm this morning in order to get to the Rock & Roll Hall of fame in a timely manner...maybe there'll be a DD in Cleveland.

random trip quote of the day
G's comment upon seeing a small child in passenger seat of a Fed Ex truck, "Wow! They'll deliver anything these days."

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, g

* posted by me at 9:50 AM

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2007-10-21 
 

brief break for brand building 101

We interupt this travelblog for a brief note about brand building.

We stayed in a Comfort Inn last night for the first time. I do have a certain level of expectation when staying in a place with a price point about 10 dollars more than the lower rate numbered motels (Motel 6/Super 8). I was dissatisfied.

The room was out of date, still using the heavy comforters that all good travelers know carry more germs than the toilet seat. (even the cut rate motel in southern Montana with the naugahyde chairs had replaced theirs with a thin, easy to pull off and hide in the corner version-intentional or not, we appreciated it) All in all though it wasn't the worst hotel. The customer service made up for in joviality what it lacked in professionalism, and the cable selection was one of the better ones we've seen. If it wasn't for the bathroom, I'd be blogging about our drive across Minnesota, the state that's fun to say.

Now, I'm willing to acknowledge that I've got semi high standards for any bathroom. Many folk may find a toilet seat with the finish worn off delightfully rustic, but I'm not one of them. The worst bit was the shower. After no more than 30 seconds it began to back up. The super low wattage lighting did nothing to hide the fact that this back up contained about half a head of hair left behind by some prior tenant. Enough said.

I tried to mention this to the staff upon check out, but they were a bit busy playing around and I got no more than a nod and a, "That happens sometimes."

So the lesson for the day is that for a first time consumer, your brand is only as strong as its weakest touchpoint.

Your regularly scheduled travelblog will continue tomorrow from Wisconsin Dell, WI.

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, g, sharketing

* posted by me at 7:17 PM

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2007-10-20 
 

black hills

Saw Mount Rushmore today and also the Crazy Horse Memorial that's in
progress. Both very impressive and both places I'd like to come back
to some day for a bit of hiking around.

There's also other things that I'd like to spend more time exploring
and in the Black Hills of South Dakota, but they'll have to wait for a
trip that happens earlier than October. We've got a storm chasing us
and we're hoping to make it to Sioux Falls before the end of the day.
Bother winter!

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, g

* posted by me at 6:57 PM

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2007-10-19 
 

winding through wyoming

Yesterday, we drove from Lincoln to Hardin, MT. Quite a nice drive, but a long one. Other than a brief stop at Montana Wheat in Helena for lunch, we didn't take a break.

Woke up this morning and headed over to Little Big Horn. I've never been a big fan of cowboy and indian tales, but it's always a bit
sobering to be reminded just how unfair the US has been to the native
inhabitants of this land. The fact that this particular site was
established to commemorate Custer and his men just drove the point
home. Sure, there's a bit more about the various tribes that banded
together there now than when the site opened, but somehow it still left a sour taste in our mouths.

Spent most of the rest of the day driving on the red roads of Wyoming. G's just taken the wheel for the remainder of the trip to Keystone, SD. Looking forward to a good night's rest and tomorrow's excursion to Mount Rushmore.

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, g

* posted by me at 8:50 PM

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2007-10-17 
 

criss crossing the continental divide

Started out yesterday driving through Grand Teton National Monument and then Yellowstone. Over the course of the day we crossed the continental divide numerous times.

I remember driving to California over a decade ago and crossing the divide in Colorado. It seemed a momentous occasion to me back then. This time it became ordinary to see the markers noting the divide, but the scenery remained anything but. Mountains' majesty indeed.

The one thing I will say is that Old Faithful's over rated. The fact that the rest of Yellowstone is under rated easily makes up for this fact, but if you're ever there and find that you've just missed the eruption? Drive on and enjoy the surreal sulphur plains upon which bison graze. Waiting 90 minutes for the next eruption was a bit dissapointing. (especially in the cold)

Left Yellowtone for Lincoln at 4:30 and found ourselves at U. Bob's doorstep about six hours later. A long drive, but worth it for the warm hospitality we found waiting for us there. More on that tomorrow.

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, g, memory lane

* posted by me at 10:07 PM

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2007-10-16 
 

out of this world

Crater's of the Moon was unlike anything I've ever seen. Being the
sci-fi geek that I am, it was easy to imagine some studio wanting to
use it as a set for an alien planet. Fortunately, it's being protected
since aggressive tourism in the 20th Century crumbled parts of it
away. Interesting to observe the the struggle between the
conservation of a park and the public's ability to enjoy it without
causing further damage.

There was much more to do there than we'd anticipated...hiking up old
lava flows, walking through the Devil's Orchard, peering into splatter
cones and just generally being awed by our surroundings. We ended up
spending so much time that Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons had to
wait for today. Don't want to shortchange our National Parks.

We ended up staying in a little log cabin in Jackson, Wyoming. Town
was like something out of a modern day fairy tale. Gotta tell you,
there's something about seeing all of this that has me contemplating
going on the road permanently. Then I remember that those cute little
log cabins cost money. Problematic.

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, g

* posted by me at 1:26 PM

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2007-10-15 
 

hard drive

Today we're on our way to Crater's of the Moon National Monument.
Will do the 7 mile loop and then make our way to Yellowstone and Old
Faithful.

Yesterday was all about driving. Six hundred miles from Roseville, CA
to Jerome, ID. We did stop briefly in Winnemucca in honor of
Armistead Maupin. I won three dollars on the quarter poker machine
and then we were back on the road.

After turning north at Wells, we were on the home stretch, but I have
to say that Greg's the reason we made it all the way. Driving at
night is not my forte.

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, g, shout out

* posted by me at 1:59 PM

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2007-10-14 
 

farewell sf

Been trying to post from phone for two days now...think I finally got it figured out.

Spent an extra day in SF to finish packing all the stuff we didn't get
onto the moving truck. Also took time to say some last minute
goodbyes and enjoy Hug's hospitality. (He let us crash at his place
for two nights since he was in Denver on business...much nicer than
our almost empty apartment.)

Then, yesterday at 5:30, we crossed over the Bay Bridge and headed to
G's parentals for dinner and our first overnight on the road.

Packed ourselves back into the car this morning and headed east. Just left Reno...more to come!

Edited to add that the formatting will be off, so please bear with us.

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, g

* posted by me at 4:40 PM

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