Days 36 and 37: Historical Magic Eye

For our second day in Detroit I got a pretty late start, but managed to leave enough time to check out Greenfield Village before it closed. After a short drive across the city I arrived at the Henry Ford Museum complex where I entered the village. It's meant to be a replica of a turn of the century town and houses historically significant buildings that were literally moved from their original locations to be made available for viewing in the "living museum." Model T's sputtered around the narrow streets alongside horse-drawn carriages as villagers dressed in period clothing passed me on the sidewalk.

I walked by a working farm where men were baling hay on my way through the streets before I arrived at Orville and Wilbur Wright's cycle shop. More striking than the diminutive size of the shop was how little bike parts have changed in nearly a century. All of the parts in the display cases and lining the walls looked like they could just have easily replaced something on my bike right now. It was a stark contrast to how much aircraft have changed from the replica of the Wright brothers' first plane design that sat in the back room of the shop.

Next was the part of the village that I was most excited about. I'm more of a Tesla fan, so I didn't quite agree with the village staff's constant assertions that Edison was the greatest electrical engineer of his time, but nonetheless he was an incredible inventor and I was looking forward to seeing his workspace. In that respect, Greenfield Village didn't disappoint, holding the entire Menlo Park complex where Edison did much of his most important work. With hundreds of jars and contraptions filling shelves that lined every inch of wall space and heavy machinery in every corner, all run by belts driven from a colossal steam engine in the back room, the work space looked like something a mad scientist would envy. Just being in the space was a cool experience, but also revealed the problem with the premise of the village. In Edison's workshop I felt a kind of fragile closeness to the history, like a Magic Eye where if you squint and concentrate hard enough an image begins to emerge, but the smallest things like an overweight tourist creaking the floorboards or the overenthusiastic grinning of the village staff broke the illusion in an instant. I suppose that's something inherent in any museum, but the distractions became especially apparent at Greenfield Village. In any case, it was definitely a worthwhile experience, although for the price I think I may have enjoyed the Henry Ford museum more. I'll just have to check that out on my next visit to Detroit.

When I returned to the house I sat around outside with my grandparents for a while as we waited for Geries to return from his adventures. Once he got back, we headed out for some dinner at Outback before retiring for the night to get some sleep before heading out for our long drive the next day. We got up pretty early and set out on our way to Boston.

The drive to Boston was pretty uneventful aside from some ridiculous tolls along the way through Ohio and New York, and a bit of uncertainty as to where we were staying at our destination. We hadn't gotten any responses from couchsurfing by the time we were on the road, and it didn't seem like there were any forthcoming. Thankfully Robyn, a friend we met in San Francisco while we were all couchsurfing with Lance, hooked us up with a friend of a friend who could let us stay with her in Boston. All of this got arranged while we were on the road, and we ended up being all set by the time we got in town. It was late when we arrived, so after a brief introduction we took out spots on the couches and promptly fell asleep.

Days 34 and 35: Family matters

Our second day in West Olive/Grand Haven was very relaxed. I woke up at the crack of noon and sat around the house for the better part of the day until my grandparents came home. It was great to see my grandfather out of the hospital bed, especially since he seemed so ill suited for it. Even though he had broken free, he was still tired from the hospital staff's constant poking and prodding the night before. Nonetheless we got the chance to talk for a while and catch up for a few hours and over a nice dinner we had at the house.

Not long after dinner the sun was starting to get lower in the sky. So Geries and I made a trip to the beach to catch the sunset. It had rained earlier, so we lowered our expectations, but it turned out to be just as spectacular as the view from the previous night. This night there was a small tuft of cloud in the distant west that slightly obscured the sun until moments before it touched the horizon. The backlight from the sun rimmed the blue-grey clouds in a rich gold, and the wisps of cloud on the horizon feathered the edges of the glowing orb as it steadily sunk beneath the waves.

Next we took a quick trip to downtown Grand Haven to experience some of the nightlife. We found a group of people crowded onto some bleachers facing the channel, so we decided to join them for a little while to see what was going on. As it turned out we had arrived just in time for the famous Grand Haven musical fountain show. Unfortunately the grandeur of the show was a little spoiled by the Bellagio fountain show in Vegas, but it was a nice diversion anyway. Tired from doing nothing all day, Geries and I just stopped long enough to get some ice cream before heading back to get to bed and prepare for our early start the next day.

I woke up around 6am to get ready and have some breakfast before heading to Detroit. The drive from Grand Haven wasn't a long one, but we had to get there around noon to catch my grandparents before leaving to go to my cousin Lauren's high school graduation party. I was fortunate in the timing of our trip (and delays) since we arrived right on the day of the party and I got to see almost all of my cousins from my mom's side for the first time in many years.

We spent the rest of the day hanging around with my uncles Gary and George and my cousins Matthew, Nick, Lauren, and Mike eating tons of food (including some special Romanian sausage links) and playing cornhole. Living so far away makes it difficult to see my family, so I enjoyed the opportunity to kick back with my cousins, uncles, and grandparents for a day.

Day 33: Sunset at dinner

Since we were staying south of downtown, we got one final glimpse of Chicago on our way out of the city toward my grandparents' house near Grand Haven, Michigan. Thankfully it waited to rain until we were leaving, and none of the dreary drizzling of this particular morning affected our previous days' activities. We made a mercifully short drive around the lake and through Indiana into Michigan before finally arriving at West Olive, where my grandmother, Connie, came out of the house to greet us.

My grandfather, Richard, was in the hospital at the time after having some heart troubles a few days prior, so once we had unpacked, relaxed, and talked with my grandmother for a bit, we headed over to the hospital to visit my grandfather. He looked remarkably well in spite of the incident and eager to get out of the hospital. We spent a while talking and catching up, which was very welcome since it had been over ten years since I had last seen my grandparents in person. Eventually we left to let Grandfather rest and to get some dinner along with a quick tour of Grand Haven.

The city of Grand Haven is extremely small, and mostly consists of shops and restaurants along the channel that flows from Lake Michigan to a smaller lake further inland. As we made our rounds the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, and we had an excellent view of it right above the channel from Snug Harbor restaurant where we had dinner. I had a heaping plate of delicious seafood nachos that I tried my best to finish, but couldn't quite make it.

Once we were finished with dinner we made a quick drive out to the pier to catch the incredible sunset over Lake Michigan. Geries and I walked out to the end of the pier where we could more clearly see the horizon. A soft orange streak across the sky faded into a rich purple just where the lake met the sky, reflecting back the muted, but gorgeous, colors of the setting sun. Even after the other places we had watched the sun set, it was hard to beat the brilliant display which smoothly transformed as the sun sunk deeper below the horizon.

Weary from our travels, and helped along by our full stomachs, Geries and I rested for a little while when we got back before finally getting to sleep.

Day 32: Mozart on the lawn

Our second full day in Chicago started pretty late. Geries and I split up since I needed to get my bike worked on before I could head out. Michael, one of the guys living in the place we were staying at graciously helped me take care of my shifter issues, and I managed to head into town by about midday. I probably went a little too fast down the Lakefront Trail, because by the time I reached the city I was drenched in sweat. I walked down Michigan Avenue for a bit before resting in the shade of the old water tower to cool off. It just so happened that they were filming a Marshall's commercial there, so I watched that for a while as I caught my breath and dried off.

Next I just rode around the city for a while. Fascinated with the buildings, I stopped often to look around and take some videos before moving on. Eventually I made my way to a McDonald's (a favorite on the trip because of the free wifi) to sit down and do some writing. Unfortunately I had trouble connecting to the wifi, but the milkshake was worth it, and I got a chance to at least type up some things so I'd be ready once I could get connected to the internet.

After I was thoroughly cooled off and had finished with my computer I headed back to Millenium Park, my favorite place in the city so far. Watching the people crowding around the Bean was an entertaining way to kill some time until the concert on the lawn began. The Chicago Symphony does regular concerts in Millenium Park's beautiful outdoor concert hall, and I was lucky enough to be around to catch one of them. I plopped down on the lush grass that formed the seating area for the venue, and had a relaxing time listening to some Mozart played by an incredibly accomplished orchestra for a couple hours before meeting back up with Geries to grab some dinner.

Since we were both very hungry by the time we met up, and we didn't feel like hunting down another place to eat, we decided to visit the downtown branch of Portillo's where I got another great Italian beef sandwich as well as an excellent Chicago chili dog. Once we were full we made another trip to the Hancock Tower to get some more night shots of the city from above.

When we finished at the tower we had a pretty thrilling bike ride back to the car. Along the way I was going pretty fast when a guy decided to cut me off in his car. I managed to brake in time (making a pretty spectacular skidding stop), but couldn't express my displeasure before the car had zoomed off in the distance. Thankfully we made it back to the car with no casualties, and headed over to Alice's place near the University of Chicago to spend our final night in the city since we had only originally planned to stay with our other host for two nights.

Day 31: Beating the system

Our first full day in Chicago began with more of the sweltering heat from the previous day. After a welcome shower we headed over to the bike shop where I got the tube earlier. This time I just let them install the tube at the shop, and after a short wait I was ready to go. We biked down a few blocks to the edge of Lake Michigan and caught the Lakefront Trail which leads around the shore all the way to downtown Chicago. Lake Michigan is so large that it's impossible to see the opposite shore, making it seem more like an ocean than a lake. As we made our way down the bike trail beaches popped up along the shore. It was quite a unique experience being on a beach with nothing but water to one side and the towering skyline of a sprawling metropolis to the other.

When we entered the city proper we found ourselves on Michigan Avenue which provided an incredible first impression of the downtown area. My neck hurt from craning it upward to take in the diverse collection of skyscrapers as we walked down the bustling street. Even in the summer heat there were throngs of people jockeying for position on the sidewalk. Before long we arrived at the river running through the heart of the city. It was an impressive sight with the soaring buildings standing just feet from the picturesque waterway.

By this time we were starting to get hungry for lunch, so after making a few calls to locals to guide us, we made our way to Xoco's to grab something to eat. The restaurant was a modern, crowded little space where we got some excellent Mexican sandwiches to tide us over until dinner. Once we were finished eating we explored the city a little more and found ourselves in Millenium Park, the home of the famous Bean. The park houses dozens of public sculptures, but by far the most famous is the giant mirrored bean that glimmered in the sunlight as we arrived. Curved in such a way that reveals an incredible mirrored view of the cityscape around it, the bean also has a fun-house mirror room area underneath that projected dizzying reflections of the dozens of people that were milling about in its shadow.

We didn't have much time to linger at the Bean, however, since we had to meet Mark, a friend of Geries's, at Linden in a short while. Thinking it would be a pretty quick ride, we hopped on the iconic L Train to make our way over. As it turns out, Linden is one of the furthest stops on the rail line and it took us nearly an hour to get there. Thankfully our friend was still around, and after locking our bikes up in some of the coolest bike racks we've seen, he took us for a short tour of the North Shore area on our way to get some dinner. Mark took us to Portillo's, a Chicago staple and excellent Italian beef restaurant. The sandwich was as delicious as it was messy (we had ours dipped, so the bread fell apart as soon as we touched it), and after we had our fill we headed back to the train station to meet another friend downtown.

Alice, a friend from high school, met us at a small tea shop a short ride from the train station, and we set off to do some sight-seeing in the city. We walked around a little while, catching up, until we came to the Hancock Tower where we hoped to go to the top to get a bird's eye view of the city. Much like the Space Needle, there was a pretty hefty charge just to go up the elevator to the 94th floor. Thankfully, though, there was no minimum charge at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor. The beer was pretty overpriced, but it was still cheaper than going to the observation deck, so it was easier to think of it as getting a discounted elevator ride complete with a free drink. It was a surprisingly clear day, and the view from the top was spectacular. We could see the whole city laid out before us, and for miles over the lake. The sun had gone down by the time we finished our drinks, and we got to see the city come alive with thousands of shimmering lights blanketing the ground for miles.

When we finally left we were hungry again, so we took a trip to Lou Malnati's to partake in another Chicago staple: deep dish pizza. The pizza was great, and we had a good time catching up with Alice, who we hadn't seen since high school, but eventually it was time to go, so we packed up and headed out for the Lakefront Trail to get back to our place in Uptown. I had a little bike trouble along the way which made shifting impossible, so I was stuck in the highest gear for the rest of the trip, but we didn't stop much so it ended up not being too much of a handicap. However it meant that I would have to get some more help before I could go riding again the next day. Since we were tired when we got back I put it off for the morning, and we went straight to bed when we arrived at the hotel.

Days 29 and 30: Attack of the floating heads

While not the longest we've had, the drive from Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore was easily the most brutal. It ended up taking about twelve hours, but it seemed like far longer. The scenery was beautiful for a little while, with vast plains stretching into the distance to meet the huge sky dotted with puffs of white cloud. However, the road was so flat and straight, and the countryside so similar that it seemed as if we weren't moving at all throughout the time we were driving through eastern Montana and South Dakota. Eventually we the landscape was broken up by small rocky hills that steadily grew into grey spires stabbing the endless blue sky. As we wound our way through the Black Hills we came to the road leading to Mount Rushmore, and climbed a winding path through the mountains. A small town had sprouted up due to the monument and was filled with nothing but garish signs, hotels, and restaurants. Thankfully the town faded out of view before we were able to see Mount Rushmore.

When we finally crested the hill we were blinded by the sun sitting low in the sky, but could barely make out the outline of the massive sculpture we had come to see. We wound our way up the road a little more to the parking lot where we finally caught a good look at Mount Rushmore. It was still difficult to see with the sun just above the presidents' heads, but it was still an incredible sight. Once we parked we walked up to the viewing area and visitor's center. At the end of a walkway of smooth stone is the Grand View Terrace with its unobstructed view of the incredible monument. Hundreds of feet above the ground Washing, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln look out from their stony home on the side of Mount Rushmore. There's a strange sense of life in the sculptures that is a testament to Borglum's work, and makes the monument that much more impressive.

We didn't look for long at first, since the sun still made it difficult to see, and we wanted to see the sculptor's studio before it closed, so we rushed down the stairs to the small wooden building where Borglum prepared his masterpiece. The studio was a relatively small space with a large model of what was originally supposed to be the finished monument complete with bodies supporting the presidents' heads. In another corner stood a mockup of the hall of records that was partially built into the mountain behind the sculptures. Once we were done poking around the studio, I headed to the visitor's center to see some of the exhibits and wait for the sun to fall behind the mountain.

Once we had a clear view of Mount Rushmore we took some pictures and sat around admiring the larger-than-life work of art until the lighting program started in the amphitheater underneath the terrace. A ranger presented some history before the stage was given over to a short film about the construction of the monument and the importance of the figures that it depicts. The film was cheesy patriotism at its finest, and in any other setting might have seemed like stomach-churning propaganda, but in the shadow of Mount Rushmore I couldn't help but buy into it and feel a swelling sense of pride.

After the presentation we made our way back to the car to get on the road again. We originally intended to stay the night in the area, but realizing that we had another long ride ahead of us we made the poor decision to drive through the night so we could get to Chicago before it got too late the following day. I didn't end up driving very much at night, so I did get some restless sleep before I took my shifts the next day. Despite the discomfort, we did make it to Chicago by around four. After braving the many tolls on I-90, uncharacteristic heat, and a vicious wind we finally made it to our host's place in Uptown.

Although it wasn't clear from the couchsurfing profile, we ended up staying in an old hotel that had been converted into what can only be described as a Christian commune. The people were very friendly, and we got our own room that is presumably reserved for couchsurfers. We didn't end up doing much exploring that night, although I did get a new innertube to replace my bicycle's flat tire and promptly broke it while trying to install the thing. By that time the shop was closed, so I had to wait until the next day to get it taken care of. Once we were finished wrestling with the broken innertube we just relaxed for the rest of the night and got to bed early to rest up for our day in the city.

Day 28: Smarter than the average bear

I woke up in the morning to a scene quite different from the previous night with light streaming into the tent heating the small space until it was almost unbearable. Once Geries was up I began getting ready for my trip through the park. Geries decided that he just wanted to rest for the day, so I would be exploring on my own. I set out shortly after and made a quick trip to the Mammoth Springs Inn where I spent the best $3.38 of my life on a shower after not having had one for a few days while we were camping.

Feeling rejuvenated, I began to drive to Norris Geyser Basin, home of Steamboat, the largest geyser in the world. Unfortunately while I was there there was no major eruption, but the chances were pretty slim since the last one was seven years ago. As if in a meek attempt to appease the hopeful crowds, Steamboat let off some smaller eruptions hurling steaming water about ten feet into the air every five minutes or so. It managed to keep me entertained while I was there for about an hour catching up on blog posts. Once I was finished and it was clear that I wasn't going to catch a Steamboat eruption, I followed the creaking boardwalk through the rest of Norris Basin. Without too many other park visitors around it was kind of eerie walking through the scarred landscape with its cracked and barren soil hosting only a few crippled trees that sprouted between steaming pools of stinking water. I was thankful for the boardwalk since just feet from the path I spotted several holes punched through the rocky crust that seemed to extend deeper than I could imagine. The path was littered with hot spring and geysers, but one of the most interesting was Porkchop Geyser, which exploded in 1989, flinging rocks and debris at eight park visitors (thankfully missing all of them). A ring of jagged rocks rimming a small blue pool are the only remnants of the explosion.

Once I finished the short hike through Norris, I went to check out some of Yellowstone's other diverse landscapes. I soon found myself at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, a glacier-carved gash that stretches for miles and houses the roaring Yellowstone River. I took a quick stop at the brink of the Upper Falls where the Yellowstone River dumps thousands of gallons of frothing water into the base of the canyon below. The speed and might of the river produced a deafening roar that echoed against the surrounding cliffs.

Next I made my way to the south rim of the canyon to visit Artist Point. I took a short hike along the rim of the canyon to get there. Narrow and broken, the path wound along the rim, occasionally brushing the edge long enough to get a view of the falls behind and induce a sense of dizzying vertigo. I soon reached Artist Point, which is a small outcrop of rock that juts into the canyon, offering a view down its length, revealing the falls in the distance and showcasing the beauty of the rift's sheer walls. While the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is tiny compared to its big brother in Arizona, its multicolored striated walls are just as striking, with vibrant oranges and sunny yellows contrasting nicely with the green trees clinging to its rocky shoulders.

Intending to turn away from the rim and head back to the car along the rest of the loop I was following, I started down a trail past Artist Point. The maps were a little misleading, however, and since I was unsure if I had chosen the right path, I doubled back and followed my original trail back to the car. Once back at the car I headed to Yellowstone Lake, which I don't remember seeing on the previous trip. I chose a hike out to Storm Point along the edge of the massive lake. From my view along the path, the only land visible was Stevenson Island and the towering mountains many miles in the distance. As I walked through a dense forest that skirted the lake shore I was reminded of the trail description that mentioned that the trail was usually closed in early summer due to bear activity. Every creaking pine or gust of wind became the signal of an approaching bear, and I found myself walking faster until I finally broke out of the forest and made a short climb to the tip of Storm Point. By this time the sun was low in the sky, and the panoramic view of the vast lake was completed by the streaks of sunlight reflecting off the wind fueled waves crashing against the shore.

I enjoyed the view for a while, gathering the courage needed to trek back through the supposedly bear-infested woods when a couple of hikers showed up speaking in thick Russian accents. I introduced myself to Alex and Isaac, and after we all got some pictures at the point, I hiked back with them. We had a nice talk, and the walk back seemed much short, and less fraught with anxiety. We soon reached our cars and parted ways, but it was nice to meet the two boisterous Russians.

From the lake I began the long drive back to Mammoth along what I thought was the same path I had taken out there. However, soon I saw snow drifts along the side of the road where I could have sworn there weren't any before. It eventually became clear to me that I made a wrong turn, but thankfully the road I chose also led back to the campsite, so what could have been a long delay turned into an opportunity to see some more of the park. Along the drive through the Tower area I couldn't help but stop at almost all of the pullouts I saw so I could get pictures of the sunbathed meadows and towering peaks that I passed. Wildlife encounters slowed my progress a bit, but it was nothing compared to the previous day.

When I finally arrived back at the campsite, Geries was there with three newcomers, Leslie, Martha, and Michael, who he had met that day on his travels in the campground. It was cool to have some people to hang out with as we had our dinner, and we ended up talking well into the night as Geries showed Michael how to do star photography. We eventually said goodnight to our new friends and got to bed so we could wake up early for the drive to Mount Rushmore in the morning.