Marilyn, a friend of Nancy’s (and a new blog member!) suggested I see Wyalusing State Park. It was out of my way, but adhering to the “Blue Highways” mindset, I reminded myself the journey isn’t about the least distance between two points, so I did. The park has a vista where the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers converge, and it was well worth it; plus, from that point I followed the Mississippi all the way up to my next friend destination, Colleen and Tom’s farm. I worked with Tom at Ethical Culture, then moved into Colleen’s position at Fieldston Lower in the Bronx in 2007 when she retired.
Right on my way was Effigy Mounds National Monument. Early inhabitants had made earthen mounds in the shape of bears and birds, and now we could walk among them. I think little kids would be disappointed; you don’t see bears and birds. You see little lifts in the grass. Someone walking in the woods would probably never know they were there. I loved being there, though, walking on sacred ground for people long gone. There is a tremendous effort in documenting and preserving ancestral mounds all around the country. There are thousands of them, reminders of a time before roads and cars.
As I drove, I passed through the Driftless Area, a part of the country that was somehow spared alteration from the Ice Age. At almost regular intervals I passed steep bluffs that seemed to almost lean over the road. It made me wish I could see the topography from above.
When I arrived at Colleen and Tom’s farm, I said, “You live in Middle Earth!” The country is gorgeous and the farm a replica of what you’d imagine a dream farm to look like. I spent two wonderful days with them, and only talked shit about school a couple times.
As I left the farm, I had a little feeling of loneliness as I realized I won’t being seeing anyone I know until I get to Denver mid-August for my niece’s wedding.
I went due north to Amnicon State Park just south of Duluth. The park is situated on the Douglas Fault, where there was a tremendous earthquake 500 million years ago that made the wild waterfalls in this flat land. I wanted to swim, but the water was moving too fast to be safe in the main river. I found the Now and Then Falls off to the side of the park where no one was around and it was perfect. I climbed over some rocks and startled a crayfish as I worked my way over to dunk my head under the rushing water. It was not lost on me that a bystander may have thoughts about an old guy climbing into murky brown water to stand under a waterfall. It also occurred to me I might be doing it just so I could blog about it. Regardless, it was refreshing.
The next day I crushed Minnesota. I could choose to pace myself and meander here and there as I work my way to Colorado, but no, I am impatient to get into mountains. I watched the landscape gradually shift from corn and soybeans to scrubby pine and new crops of alfalfa and wheat. I made it all the way to North Dakota, but I did make two stops; the Judy Garland Museum and the Forest History Center.
The museum was attached to her childhood home, when she was known as Frances Gumm, or “Baby”. I saw the staircase where she often entertained the family. Lots of memorabilia and info, but I got a real kick out of the fact that one of the four pair of ruby slippers worn in The Wizard of Oz were stolen from the museum. They eventually caught one of the guys but he was in his 90s and they didn’t prosecute. Now that’s what you call a rabid fan…
The Forest History Center was a re-creation of a traditional logging camp. I’ll just say it was really interesting; you can Google it.
I spent last night just over the border in ND, and today I crushed it as well. I made it across the state in six hours. Crushing boredom would apply here. Crossing the Great Plains, I now understand “plain” as an adjective. I sang nonsense syllables in a Gregorian Chant/Native American mashup. I measured the time it took to get to something on the horizon at 71mph; generally 5 to 6 minutes. I started playing my entire Apple Music library.
The section I'm reading in Blue Highways intersected with me today! I saw a few of the places he mentions as he headed East. I'll share one of his descriptions: “If you fired a rifle down the highway, a mile or so east you'd find the spent slug in the middle of the blacktop."
Finally, I made it to Theodore National Park and have an amazing campsite in the beginning of the hills. A cool breeze is wafting through the van, I have the side and back doors open with the bug screens down so it feels like I’m in a tent. Really nice. I’ll stay a few days around here then head to South Dakota to see Mt Rushmore (the ultimate vandalism in my view), Badlands, Black Hills, Wind Cave and Devil’s Tower. Stay tuned!
