Sleeping Around
As Jen Garrett reminded me yesterday, it's time for my list of places where I slept in 2007. I only left Chicago twice all year, but one of those times was a three-week, 12,800-mile, whirlwind tour of the northern and northwestern U.S.A. with my wife. In fact, we nearly crossed paths with Jen as she was heading west to start a new life -- she and her Seattle guy hit Missoula only a couple of days after we did.

Chicago, IL
St. Cloud, MN
Dickinson, ND
Great Falls, MT
Missoula, MT
Cottonwood, ID
Yakima, WA
Kelso, WA
Wood Village, OR
Salem, OR
Waldport, OR
Roseburg, OR
Grants Pass, OR
Ukiah, CA
Klamath Falls, OR
Prineville, OR
Boise, ID
Pocatello, ID
Cheyenne, WY
Des Moines, IA
Duluth, MN

With three nights in Idaho, I have now slept in every state west of the Mississippi, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. The best place we stayed was surely Dog Bark Park Inn in Cottonwood, Idaho. Not only did we sleep in the belly of a beagle, but since I did some work there, it was also DJWriter World Headquarters for a night.

Labels: vacation

- posted by David Johnsen @ 1:58 AM 0 comments

 
It's Finally Finished! 2007 PNW Vacation
This afternoon I finished uploading photos and journals from our vacation to the Pacific Northwest three months ago. It's the biggest Web project I've launched since the still-unfinished BikingIllinois.com site (I've only made pages for 24 of the 60 rides so far -- now that this project is done, I'll have to get back to work on that one).

I put it on a "new" Web site, DavidJohnsen.com. I registered the vanity domain when I became a writer, but I don't use it for my business because people always misspell my name anyway. Now it will be the place for anything that doesn't fit thematically into my other sites. If it's a bike trip, it will go on DJRider.com, but if it's a car trip, it will go on DavidJohnsen.com.

In case you forgot about our vacation, here are some highlights:

• Theodore Roosevelt National Park
• Dog Bark Park Inn
• Mount Rainier National Park
• Portland Rose Garden
• Powell's Bookstore
• Pacific Coast
• Wildlife Safari
• Redwoods
• Crater Lake National Park
• World Center for Birds of Prey
• Craters of the Moon National Monument

Read all about it!

Please let me know if any photos are missing, or if you find typos, misspellings, etc.

Labels: vacation

- posted by David Johnsen @ 5:36 PM 1 comments

 
Wisconsin Road Trip Revisited
I forget a few things in my write-up of last month's whirlwind auto tour of Wisconsin and other northerly regions...

When visiting Lake Superior, it is impossible not to think of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald." That was my favorite song for a while when I was a kid, sometime before fifth grade. My dad had the album (Summertime Dream), and it included lyrics. Of course, I followed along until I knew the whole song. I was a weird kid.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy

On that moonlit night when I drove through Duluth toward the North Shore to collect counties, I saw a billboard for Gordon Lightfoot! He is appearing at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center on September 23. A Gordon Lightfoot billboard in Duluth -- that made my night.

But there was more to come. Way up in Little Marais, the last town in Lake County before the Cook County line where I turned around (coincidentally, Lake and Cook Counties are adjacent in northern Illinois as well), I saw a place called The Spirit of Gitche Gumee, which is a bed & breakfast, gift shop, and coffee shop. It was almost midnight, so I couldn't check it out, but there are some interesting items on their Web site.

On a completely different note... While driving through Eagle River, Wisconsin, I saw a store called The Flour Sack that sells bulk food and baking supplies. I got the idea to start a similarly named business to compete with "Nuts On Clark", but I suppose the name wouldn't be very appealing.

Labels: lyrics, vacation

- posted by David Johnsen @ 5:59 PM 0 comments

 
Wisconsin Road Trip
I had two free rental days from Hertz set to expire on August 31, so I took a brief but intense road trip to Duluth, Minnesota this week. I suppose I should have gone somewhere to do something rather than just driving around collecting counties, but nothing came to mind. Wisconsin isn't my favorite state, so my goal was just to collect counties and get it over with. My other objective was to listen to as many CDs as possible. I had a huge stack of CDs from my birthday and even Christmas that I hadn't listened to more than once or twice (at home I usually listen to downloaded concerts, but that's a topic for another time). Of course it was a profligate consumption of gasoline, but I figure I may as well take such trips while I still can.

I got a ride to Hertz from my wife so I didn't have to schlep my backpack full of CDs there on foot. I'm sure I could have, but I didn't want to start my trip all sweaty. They offered me a Chevy Impala, but I asked for something with better mileage. They gave me a 2007 Ford Focus sedan, so I enjoyed spotting the minor differences between it and our own 2006 Focus hatchback. I headed toward Wisconsin via I-90, holding our I-PASS up to the windshield as I passed through toll areas. I stopped at the Wisconsin tourist info center for a state map, and then I kept going through Madison and north on I-39.

My route led through Plainfield, WI, but alas, a highway detour denied me a visit to the town associated with serial killer Ed Gein. In Medford, I saw a sign for a hair shop called "Cool Noggins." Personally, I think they stopped being cool when they attached outdated slang like noggins to their name. Then I drove through Colby, WI, where Colby cheese originated. Although the town is right on the county line of Clark and Marathon Counties, it is not where County Line cheese originated. In Ladysmith, WI (which I couldn't help calling Ladysmith Black Mambazo, WI), I passed a former Carnegie library converted into a bed & breakfast called Carnegie Hall.

A sane man would have called it a night upon arriving at the Motel 6 in Duluth around 8:30 PM, but the remote counties of Lake Superior's north shore were calling. First I went to a Country Kitchen for a meat lover's omelette and pancakes. It was a bit overwhelming for my first real meal all day, and the pancakes were a little burnt. Afterward I drove southwest to collect Carlton County. Then after a quick U-turn beyond the county line, I headed northeast to Cook County some 75 miles up the lakeshore. I struggled to stay awake, especially on the way out there. The lake was beautiful with the full moon shining, but the drive would have been even prettier in daylight.

When I got back to Duluth around 1 AM, I was amazed how deserted the freeway was, as well as how normally the few people on the highway were driving; in Chicago at that hour, some drivers would be pushing 85-90 mph and weaving across three lanes. I finally returned to the motel with more than 700 miles for the day, as well as 16 CDs in my "already played" pile.

I debated whether to get a wake-up call for 7:30 or 8:00 AM. I decided on 7:30, but it didn't matter. Despite my exhaustion, I had a terrible night of unsettling, violent dreams and restless sleep. I usually sleep better on the road than at home, but not this time. When I awoke at 6:30, I figured I might as well get out of Duluth before rush hour.

I've never been particularly nervous about bridges before -- aside from the fear of an accident bouncing me over the guardrail and sending me to a fiery death -- but I couldn't help thinking of the Minneapolis bridge collapse as I drove skyward on the gigantic I-535 bridge from Duluth to Superior. I followed U.S. 2 across northern Wisconsin and stopped in another Country Kitchen in Ashland for breakfast. I love their pancakes, and this cook made them perfectly.

I plotted a route to grab a couple of counties in Michigan's Upper Peninsula without adding too many miles, and it was a pretty drive through Ottawa National Forest. The leaves were already changing up there. I went through Watersmeet, "Home of the Nimrods." Although the school's Web site explains that a nimrod is a hunter, I am sure that opposing teams favor the word's other, less flattering definition.

I stopped for a "bladder buster" Coke, as my wife describes any cup 32 ounces or larger. I was already feeling very tired thanks to yesterday's high mileage combined with too little sleep. The only way I would make it home alive would be to consume immense quantities of caffeine-laden liquids. This meant I had almost constant bladder pressure, and that kept me awake as well. Whenever I stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom, I bought another tall cup. This strategy worked pretty well, but I was a bit concerned when it was only lunchtime and I still had 500 miles to drive.

I spent a couple of hours driving through Nicolet National Forest. Then I drove through Menominee County, all of which is an Indian reservation, on scenic Route 55. In Green Bay, I crossed another huge bridge and headed northeast to Door County. My wife has always wanted to go there, but I have resisted because I have a strong aversion to the crowds in popular tourist spots. I suppose that makes me a jerk for going there alone, though I only traveled a short distance beyond the county line.

By the time I got to Appleton, the drink-Coke-and-pee routine wasn't working anymore. I hate coffee, but I had little choice at this point. I stopped at a Mobil station, used the bathroom, and poured myself a cup. The woman at the counter said, "That's free if you buy a post crescent." A what? "A post crescent."

I was wondering whether this was some odd regional food, like a crescent roll of some sort. "Um, I'm not from here. I don't understand," I said dumbly. She explained that it was the local newspaper, the Appleton Post-Crescent. Ohhhhh... Many thanks to her for suggesting a way to get my coffee cheap plus a newspaper to peruse later when I was more awake. This was also the first store on the entire trip to carry atomic fireballs so I bought a bag.

Back on U.S. 41, I drank my coffee in big gulps as if taking bitter medicine. I really don't like the stuff (my mom later said I should have added things to make it taste good, but she didn't understand -- I don't want to like coffee). Sufficiently dosed, I started sucking on atomic fireballs. Then I came to a construction zone. Traffic was okay, and I scooted along at 60-65 mph without anyone around me. As I looked at those orange and white-striped barrels, I knew that without the coffee in my system, I'd be drowsily bouncing back and force between them.

Soon enough, I was navigating the freeways of Milwaukee. Then I drove south on I-94, and I was into the "home stretch." I stopped for gas at the Lake Forest Oasis, bouncing back and forth from one foot to the other as I waited for the tank to fill. I drove over to the restaurant area to use the restroom, and to my surprise, I didn't need another shot of caffeine to get home. I was probably more awake now -- a good 150 miles past my coffee stop -- than I was in Superior this morning. I got back to Chicago around 11:30 PM.

Overall, I did well for a two-day trip. I covered 1,460 miles to Duluth, MN and back, collecting 43 counties in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. It was enough to bump me up a spot on the list. Now I need only two counties in southwestern Wisconsin to finish the state. I also listened to 31 CDs along the way. Most incredibly, I managed to take an overnight trip without my laptop for the first time in years. Of course, in Duluth I was too tired to miss it much.

I didn't go to sleep until 2:30 AM. After only 4.5 hours of sleep, I returned the car first thing the next morning, paying only the $2.75 per rental fee mandated by Chicago. The 1.3-mile walk home was brutal -- my lack of sleep was catching up with me. My legs seemed heavy and I felt a little dizzy. When I got home, I went back to bed.

Labels: vacation

- posted by David Johnsen @ 3:05 PM 1 comments

 
Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane
Two weeks ago I was in Florence on the Oregon coast. Then today I'm dogpiling myself (like googling oneself, but here), and I find this guy who paints walking sticks there. I suppose I'd have to choose a different design since my wife's cousin works for the Beavers (that's Oregon State -- the duck is painted with U. of Oregon colors).

Labels: vacation

- posted by David Johnsen @ 10:55 PM 0 comments

 
Vacation by Numbers
21 days
12 states
5 national parks/monuments

We traveled for three weeks through every state west of home and north of I-80 except Nevada, Utah, and South Dakota. Along the way, we visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, Mount Rainier N.P. in Washington, Redwood N.P. in California, Crater Lake N.P. in Oregon, and Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.


$390 spent at Powell's Bookstore in Portland, OR
$209 spent at Cabela's World Headquarters in Sidney, NE

The first was no surprise, at least to me. My wife seemed shocked by the total, but I fully intended to walk out with multiple bags; we filled three. Powell's is just incredible. By the end of the day, I was very close to breaking my shopping basket as I leaned in the opposite direction to steady myself. I bought a T-shirt, too. On the other hand, I didn't expect to spend so much at Cabela's, but they had some great deals. We also bought lunch in their cafe (not included in the total).


79 new counties visited
2,575 total U.S. counties visited (out of 3,141)
1 new state finished (every county visited)
22 total states finished

Despite all the new counties, I still didn't move up on this list. I would have gained two spots had I followed my original plan to collect 12 more Wyoming and Nebraska counties on the way home by heading north from I-80. Instead I chose to make the drive easier by eliminating that lengthy detour. Alas, the time we spent shopping at Cabela's and the Sierra Trading Post Outlet in Cheyenne ate up all the time we "saved"... and set us back a few C-notes. At least I managed to "finish" one state (Oregon), which has become a goal for every road trip. My original route also would have finished Nebraska.


$5,600 estimated expenses

Coincidentally, that's about equal to the tax refund I deposited a week before we left. Obviously high gas prices contributed although our car was pretty fuel-efficient. Lodging prices were the biggest shock -- even Motel 6s were often over $50 (by the way, Tom Bodett claims their prices are the lowest of any national chain, but that's only valid for a single person; add $6 for a second adult and Motel 6 often costs as much or more than an Econo Lodge, Super 8, Travelodge, etc.). We used a few discount coupons from booklets collected at highway rest areas, but a couple of $80 nights canceled out those savings. Even some of the "mom & pop" motels cost as much as the chains. Meals were surprisingly expensive, too. We didn't find the bargains we used to find outside the city.

Our expenses look awfully high, but here are some reasons the total isn't so bad:

• As we traveled, we were simultaneously saving money that we would have spent at home.


• We bought things we needed "back in the real world," particularly at Cabela's and various drugstores (next time I will pack my wife's bags since she forgot at least half the stuff she needed to get through the day).


• We bought lots of gifts for birthdays and Christmas, so that's money we would have spent later anyway.


• We won't have to buy books for a long, long time!

$476 car rental
7,315 miles driven in rented Mazda 6

Anyone who questions our decision to rent cars for long trips instead of driving our own should consider that we only put about 10,000 miles on our car in an entire year. Why wear it out with nine months worth of miles in three weeks?

I am working on a travelogue, but I've only finished the first week so far. I'll put it online with photos someday.

Labels: vacation

- posted by David Johnsen @ 4:02 PM 0 comments

 
Roadtrip Notes
As I mentioned earlier, we just took a week-long trip to Texas and back, covering 3,000 in a rented Chrysler Sebring. We rented in Aurora since it would have cost three times as much to rent in Chicago, not to mention that the rental tax in Chicago is inflated to soak tourists. Our primary objective was to visit my wife's uncle in Dallas-Fort Worth, and our secondary goal was to visit Palo Duro Canyon, one of my favorite places on Earth.

To make a long story short, the visit to Palo Duro didn't work out, though we passed within 20 miles of the place. We were a bit too late in the season. On the bright side, I managed to visit 14 new counties in Texas and 20 new counties in Oklahoma, completing both. Now I have been to all 254 counties in the Lone Star State.

As for road food, we revisited a couple of regional favorites. First of all, anyone venturing to Oklahoma or northern Texas really ought to try Braum's. We've had their outstanding burgers before, but this time we ate breakfast there, too. The Johnsen men's love for Hardee's breakfast biscuits is legendary, but the Braum's equivalent puts them to shame. The biscuits are fluffier and much less greasy. The cheese is flavorful, a rarity among fast food joints (but after all, Braum's is a dairy). The egg layer is at least 50% thicker than at Hardee's. The meats are tasty as well, and even the sausage isn't greasy.

For a sit-down meal, I recommend another regional chain, The Kettle. I first discovered The Kettle during my 2003 tour of Texas, and this time we ate at the Plainview location. Dinner was so good that we went back for breakfast, a buffet that pleasantly lacked all the pitfalls of buffets (cold food, mystery foods, etc.).

I had the darnedest time staying awake while driving on this trip. Even when I thought I was well-rested, I found myself getting sleepy to the point where my eyes would lose focus and I'd start seeing double. It got so bad that I actually drank a cup of coffee on the way home. Not only do I hate coffee -- I've never ordered a cup before in my life -- but it's the first time I've had any caffeine in nearly four years. Even with that boost, I handed the keys to my wife two hours later and let her drive through southwestern Missouri (the best benefit of the Hertz Gold card is that spouses can drive for no extra charge).

Labels: dining, vacation

- posted by David Johnsen @ 6:25 PM 0 comments

 
Anywhere I Lay My Head, I'm Gonna Call My Home
My gal in Beantown, Jen Garrett, put together a list of places she slept last year. I've always wanted to make a list of every town I've ever slept in, so reviewing 2005 is a start. Of course, this year was heavily influenced by my book project. I've slept in almost every Motel 6 in Illinois outside of Chicagoland. In fact, I'll put "*" next to every town where I didn't stay in a Motel 6! And you will see that there is no overlap between Jen's list and mine, so just stop those rumors!

Chicago, IL* (home)
Springfield, IL
Greenville, IL*
Senatobia, MS
Gadsden, AL
Columbus, OH
Asheville, NC
Marietta, GA
Newport, TN
Marion, IL
Normal, IL
Peoria, IL*
Mount Vernon, IL
Collinsville, IL
Carbondale, IL
Moline, IL
Effingham, IL
Freeport, IL*
Dubuque, IA*
Honorable Mention: Fulton, IL* (I had paid for my room, but I didn't sleep there because our dog Teddy got sick and I had to drive home ASAP. It was a nice, affordable place with free wi-fi, the Pine Motel. I'd love to go back, but it would just remind me of that night and depress me.)

It's not a long list compared to years past, but I spent at least five weeks on the road this year. I stayed in the same places repeatedly, particularly Marion, Springfield, Normal, and Moline. My biggest complaint about this year's list is that it's so boring. In 2003 I visited 48 states and probably slept in at least half of them. Now that was exciting!

Labels: vacation

- posted by David Johnsen @ 4:04 AM 2 comments