epilogue

Here are some of the vital statistics from the trip. We (I) drove 4318 miles over 26 days. The tank was filled 8 times. The average mileage was 52.9 mpg. I went $300 over budget. Not bad, really, the budget was quite tight. I stopped paying attention to the mpg as I became more dependent upon the GPS. I can't imagine navigating this trip without the GPS. 90% of the time, I loved it. For the other 10, I found it extremely frustrating. She always kept her voice calm while giving me frustrating information that I didn't want to hear.

We have adjusted to blog to allow for comments without needing to be registered. So, if you had something to say, please go ahead and leave your comments now. We would still love to hear from you.

We visited 12 states (counting Maryland even though we just had lunch there), one providence and the District of Columbia. Where to next? We have yet to decide if and/or where we will travel to next, so keep checking in.

Thanks for all the support you gave us over the last month, it was much appreciated!

~Xzfz and Jq4q

Iowa

After the Lincoln museum, we drove on to Iowa. About 60 miles west of Cedar Rapids is the Grant Woods Scenic Byway. Who knew how scenic Iowa actually is? I thought it was mostly flat, but it has lots of rolling hills and beautiful farm land. Grant did not exaggerate in his lovely landscapes. Apparently, the only way to do justice to the hills and valleys is to paint them, because all the pictures I tried to take looked awful. Along the way we passed Grant Wood's childhood school house. Yes, this portion of the trip was devoted to Wood, another great American artist. The next day we visited the studio Wood renovated and lived in for many years. It was amazing what he did with a little space. Every corner was put to use. Our plan was to then check out the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and see some of his paintings, but it was still closed from the June floods.

So, we drove on to McGregor, Iowa for our last evening on the road. We stayed at another B & B. I thought it would be a nice treat for our last night. The house was OK, not nearly as quaint and awesomely over done as the Seneca Falls one. The breakfast was just OK, too. The whole stay would have been OK, had I not woken up with little red itchy spots all over my legs and arms. These small spots developed into big red splotches and have been most irritating.

The original plan for our final day on the road was to visit the Effigy Mounds just north of McGregor. But in Cedar Rapids, I saw a brochure for a museum in Austin, MN that I thought would conclude our trip more appropriately. So we headed off to the SPAM Museum. It was great! Definitely should be part of any road trip to MN. We lunched on more SPAM at Johnny's across the street.

We arrived home at 3:00, whew.

~xzfz

Lincoln sites

On Friday and Saturday we went to Springfield Illinois and went on a Lincoln tour! On Friday we went to Lincoln's tomb (which was under construction so we couldn't go upstairs) where he was buried. There were many statues of him and what not. There were three other family members buried with him. Then, we went to his neighborhood where you could tour his house! When Lincoln died his son wanted to make their house a place where people can take FREE tours and learn about him. And that is exactly what they did! There were also two other houses where you could look at other things. They also had a gift shop where you can... well, buy stuff! And they also have this thing were if you press a button, a certain area in this wooden replica of his neighborhood would light up, so you knew where it was and then you can read about it below the button!

Then on Saturday we went to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. It was amazing! I loved it. The first thing we did was check out the Attic which was a little kids corner where even adults can have fun! (The attic is not really in the attic) There was a doll house, Lincoln logs (Link 'n' logs) a little table where there were many old fashion toys and a fake kitchen where you can make food. (The old fashion hard way!) The next thing we did was see a holigraphic film called "Ghosts of the Library", which was about why they keep all that old stuff in the library. Then we saw another movie called "Lincoln's Eyes". All of these movies are FREE just to tell you. "Lincoln's Eyes" has many loud and surprising noises so small children might get scared by the booms and chair shaking. I also suggest you see "Ghosts of the Library" first because "Lincoln's Eyes" is amazing. If you see it first the other film might seem disappointing ("Lincoln's Eyes" might have been a limited time movie, we are not sure so don't get your hopes up). After that we visited the White House! It was full of interesting exhibits.

In these two days I have learned a lot about Lincoln.

~Jq4q

Indiana Driving, fast and slow

We went to the Motor Speedway and Hall of Fame on Thursday. We began with a tour of the track. We rode a bus all the way around and into some behind the scenes places. The bus driver promised we only went 35 mph, but as we sped by on the ramped corners, I felt like we were doing at least 50! Can't quite imagine what it must feel like to go 200+. The Hall of Fame had lots of cars and lots of pictures of Indy 500 winners. Very interesting, if that's what your into. We topped off our day with a viewing of KungFu Panda and then swam in the outdoor pool at our hotel.

The next morning, on the way to Springfield, IL, we drove through Parke County, IN, the covered bridge capital of the world. There are over 30 covered bridges within the county. Move over Madison County. From Rockville, there are 5 driving routes through the area. We were just heading west, so we drove on a few of the routes. We saw 6 bridges and were able to drive through two of them. The roads in the area were extremely rustic, some were not even paved. The bridges are made of wood. Not just the covering part, but also the part you drive on. That is why so many are closed. Driving over the wood planks on a 100 year old bridge is pretty exciting, and then you get to turn around and do it again, because they are not actually on the road you need to take. If you are in the area, this is worth a short detour. Who knows how long these bridges will be standing. Maybe the 35W engineers should check them out.

~xzfz

Sport sites

On Wednesday we went to The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory where they make baseball bats. We took a tour of the factory and they actually showed us where the bats are made. We got to hold a lot of bats and get free base ball bat stubs! I was amazed how many famous player bats we were allowed to hold! At the end of the tour you receive a free mini bat. They also have a batting cage (which I chickened out on) and a collection of many base balls signed by presidents (every president to be precise), with a jersey over it saying their name and what number president they were. They had blue jerseys for the Democrats and red for Republicans. They also had Barack Obama and John McCain. There was also a 20 minute video which we did not see but I'm sure it was nice anyway.

After the slugger museum we went to the Kentucky Derby museum. They had two tours. The basic tour and the behind the scenes tour where you can see the horses. We could not see the behind the scenes tour but I would if I could so you should. You could also try riding plastic horses to feel what it's like and much more. I don't want to give it all away though. There were mostly a lot of little things but they also had a Cafe which looked nice but we came too late to go.

After that we didn't go to another museum but we did go to a KFC which, may I say, was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! You can really taste the Kentuckyness of it. You should go to one if you find one, any KFC in Kentucky, it will really taste good! Get the popcorn chicken! It's delicious!

~Jq4q

6 days, 6 cities

After Philadelphia, we stayed a couple days with friends in Lancaster. Very nice stay. Nice adults, kids, dog and birds. The second day there, we drove back to Phili to visit the Barnes collection. Pretty amazing, worth the trip back. We had to make reservations at least two weeks in advance and they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so Wednesday it was. To learn more about the Barnes, look it up.

From there, we went on to Washington, DC. The afternoon we arrived, we went to the National Gallery. We were then going to go on a walking tour around the monuments, but on the way there, a torrential rain storm hit. We hid in the entry way of a large building. The archway was probably 6 feet deep and we still got wet cowering by the door. The door mat said Internal Revenue Service, so thanks to all the tax payers out there for shelter from the storm. When it cleared, we opted out of the walking tour and taxi-ed back to the hotel. Day 2, we went to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. More people should go there, a very nice collection, but they do charge admission. Then we headed back to the corner we tried for the day before and joined the DC by Foot tour. It was very fun, good information and humor all rolled into one. Among other things, we saw the new WWII memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. Maya Lin sure had an amazing vision. The only down side was the 95 degrees and the shining sun. I forgot sunscreen and now have quite the clown nose.

We drove to Pittsburgh the next day. On the way there, we stopped at Fallingwater. An amazing home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright back in the '30's. Quite something, if you are ever in the area, it's a must see.

Pittsburgh was an Andy Warhol pilgrimage. We began the day by visiting his childhood home, his high school, and the recycling center still run by his brother. AJ Warhola Recycling is located near the Heinz factory. Apparently you can buy a trendy condo there. Sounds nice, except for the constant smell of ketchup in the air. The Warhol Museum was next. Cool, cool. Not as densely packed with Warhol stuff as I had expected. Everything is very tastefully displayed. Did you know Warhol loved Fiestaware? The room with silver mylar balloons was pretty great. There are three matching bridges in Pittsburgh and they have all been named for famous locals. The middle one is named for Warhol.

Then we hopped back in the car and headed off on our second consecutive 4-5 hour drive. This time to Charleston, West Virginia. Wild, wonderful WV is entirely contained within the Appalachian mountains. That makes for some exciting driving for a mid-westerner, especially when we have another torrential rain storm. Blinding sheets of rain and huge semi trucks! Yeeha. What is there to do once in Charleston? Well, not much. There is a relatively new arts and science center that looked very interesting, but was closed. We toured the lovely, and highest in the nation, state capitol. The building was designed by Cass Gilbert. Minnesotans should know him. After a one hour walk around the capitol and grounds, it was back to the car and the third, and final, 4-5 hour drive. This time the destination was Cincinnati.


Cincinnati is just on the border of Kentucky, so most of the drive was in Kentucky. We spent less than 24 hours in one little corner of Ohio. I believe there is plenty more to see on another trip. We toured the National Underground Railroad museum. Very interesting exhibits. I liked the portraits by Robert Shetterly the best. They were of "Americans Who Tell the Truth". Then we dined on the official chili of the Cincinnati Reds at Skyline Chili. My companion enjoyed a 3 way and I went for the 5 way. Our final stop was the Cincinnati Art Museum in the lovely Eden Park. Looks like they have a very nice collection, but one of us is a bit tired of looking at things. There was an interesting exhibit of drawings by David Macaulay.

After the three intense days of drive a lot and tour a little, we had less than a 2 hour drive to Louisville, KY. Hoping for a nice hotel with a pool, we are disappointed on both counts. We have not had a pool that was open for swimming since Philadelphia. Keep your fingers crossed for Indianapolis. Tomorrow, the Kentucky Derby and the Louisville Slugger Museums.

Ta ta ~ xzfz

Pretzels and Chocolate

During our second day in Lancaster we went to Sturgis Pretzels. There was a tour, where you got to make a play-dough pretzels and learn about the history of the factory and the pretzels. There was also a little gift shop with (of course) pretzels, pretzel samples, pretzel merchandise and other stuff. I'll just let you learn the rest.

After that we went to the Wilbur Chocolate factory. There was no tour which I thought was kind of disappointing. We didn't really learn anything about the factory and it just seemed like a teeny chocolate store. We got a bag of chocolate Buds which were kind of like Hershey's kisses and a bag of sour gummy worms. We also watched a video that they were showing in the middle of the store about making chocolate.

The food factories in Lancaster are great! Quick Lancaster tip given by the Queen of Tarts:
Never say Lan-caster. Always say Lanc aster! (Fastishly but not really fast) It makes you sound like a local. (But sounding like a tourist isn't always that bad, is it?) The second picture is of Lucy.

~Jq4q

The crayola factory (store)

On our way to Philadelphia we went to Scranton where "The Office" takes place. It is not filmed there so there wasn't much to do. But in the theme song they did film the Welcome to Scranton sign and many of the buildings but we couldn't find any of those. Sorry Office fans!
Next, we decided to go to the Crayola factory in Easton, Pennsylvania. It was in the middle of a street fair which probably would be fun if you're a local. We went inside but we came too late to see the museum. They did say we could check out the factory store. Inside you could fill a jar of crayons, buy merchandise and take a picture of the largest crayon in the world:

DOB: October 11, 2003
Color: Blue
Weight:1,500 pounds
Length:15 feet

They used 123,000 gathered from kids around the country to help break the current record. I got a can of crayons, a button and a T-shirt. Even though we didn't get to go to the museum it seemed like we did.

And thank you to Ash for writing a comment for us. There are now 4 posts without comments! We would like those to have at least a comment each! Please we would appreciate your comments!

~Jq4q

Falls after Falls

We departed Niagara Falls and drove to Seneca Falls. What is the significance of Seneca Falls, you might ask? It was the sight of the first women's rights meeting in 1855 or so. There is a women's history museum and a store selling only woman made products. Not only that, but Seneca Falls is also thought to be the city that inspired the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". The town is very nice and quaint and they don't have any cheap hotels, so we stayed in a B & B. This was a first for my young companion and it couldn't have been a nicer spot for us. Our last few hotels were not so great. The B & B was on the water and we went for a paddle boat ride after dinner. The falls were nowhere is sight, though. We had a wonderful breakfast the next morning and then drove south to Philadelphia.

In Philadelphia, we are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn near China Town. A very nice hotel with the best internet connection we have had yet! We spent today walking around and visiting the historical sites. A fun time was had by all. We saw the Liberty Bell, walked down the oldest inhabited street in the US, visited Franklin's grave site and watched a revolutionary soldier train in some new recruits. We hoped to visit the US Mint, but were not allowed in with cameras. We also stopped off at an animal shelter and pet about 20 cats. For lunch, we had a Philly cheese steak from a street vendor that was de-licious.

~Xzfz

Royal Ontario Museum (aka ROM)

On Thursday we also went to the ROM. At 4:30 (we think) everyday it is free admission. (WOOHOO.) We waited until 4:30 in the Gift shop and what I thought was really cool- the Spirit House. There were really cool chairs, a picture of dead people from the museum and creepy noises playing which I have no way to describe. We had no idea where to go to so we went into a room with stuffed birds everywhere. They were very interesting especially considering how many birds there were. Then we went into a fake cave with a bat exhibit. There was one area where there were squeaking noises and the lights were blinking and fake bats were hanging on the ceiling which made it look like they were flying around. Then we went into a wilderness like area where there were bears, wolves, moose and this really cool area where small people (preferably children) could go through a little hole and there were small animals in the walls. Then we went into a kids area where you could search for fossils, dress up in old time clothes or have a tea party with stuffed animals. (I set up a very nice little party for whoever came in next.) Another thing is the outside of the museum. It's kind of hard to describe what it looks like so here are a few adjectives: shine-y, silvery blue, line-y (has lines on it, look it up), and spike-y. If you're walking through Toronto and you see a museum like that, then go in. It's across the street from a giant McDonald's, if that helps.

I would also like to thank all of our friends leaving us comments. They have really helped me with the blog and again even if we don't know you we would be very grateful if you add a comment and we would be sure to thank you in one of our blogs. Also, to all of our friends - and I know you're out there! Please tell your friends about our blog, we could use some more comments. Do not be afraid to read other peoples comments.

~Jq4q

O Canada

Canada's great, Eh? Tuesday, we drove to Toronto. The next morning, we visited Casa Loma. It's a mansion/castle that a very rich man built and then he went broke. It was interesting, but probably not a must see. From there, we went to the Bata Shoe Museum. Who could resist? Mostly, it focused on the history of shoes, not so much on current shoes, or anyone's obsessive collection of shoes. It probably falls into the "not a must see" category as well, but it was fun. Next, we walked over to the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art. I felt we had paid enough entry fees for the day, so we decided to just check out the store and the entryway. There was a set of three large pots that when you look at the negative space, you see two children. Very cool. There was also a woman making clay flowers at a table. The store was very nice, too. I thought we did pretty well for free and this museum is on my "must see" list for the next visit.

Thursday was our walk around Toronto day. The first stop was the CN tower. Not a quick stop, I think we were there for over 3 hours. Long lines, but amazing views. The day was clear and the visit was worth the time and energy. They also have lots of large stuffed animals that people can take pictures with, if that's what you're into, apparently we are. When we finally started our walk, we went to the Toronto Music Garden. It was designed by YoYo Ma and a landscape architect. Each area relates to a different musical piece. Very nice, right on the water. A nice swan family visited with us. We then walked by the Hockey Hall of Fame, but it was closing as we got there. I guess we spent too much time at the CN tower. Our journey concluded on Canada's Walk of Fame. There were stars for Joni Mitchell, John Candy, Neil Young, Bobby Orr and a few other people I have never heard of.

The next morning, we drove to Niagara Falls. We checked in and then headed over to the touristy falls area. The falls are amazing. We took the Maid of the Mist boat ride. You get a souvenir blue plastic rain jacket and the the boat takes you right up to the falls. Up close and personal, in your face mist! We had a little scare on the way out when our elevator broke. Our guide pried the back door of the elevator open so that a second guide could get on and dig out the secret hidden key. All the riders now know where the secret hidden key is kept. I feel safer on all future elevator rides with this knowledge. The key saved the day and we were off and elevating again. Our next adventure was the behind the falls tour. This was a little less exciting (though, not to my co-tourist), but we did get another plastic rain jacket (yellow!). You do get to stand right next to the falls and also look through a couple of portals behind the falls. I think there might be a better behind the falls walk on the American side, we'll have to check that out on the next trip. We decided to splurge on a nice dinner in a restaurant with views of the falls. Then we waited for the sun to set when they shine colorful lights on the falls. The day ended with a beautiful fireworks show. Pretty nice, eh?

~Xzfz

Dear Greg, Ali, Sarah and Artemis Fowl freak,

Thank you for your various comments, we have enjoyed them! catluver, I will get you a stupid rock if we run into another beach. And I will read the series when I feel like it!!!!!! And to other readers please, we would really enjoy your comments even if we do not know you.

Daughter, cousin, neighbor and traveler,
~Jq4q

(Who do you know who fits the description?)

Day 2 in Detroit , actually Dearborn

On Monday we went to The Henry Ford, in Dearborn, MI. Henry collected stuff, all kinds of unique memorabilia. His focus was on interesting American inventions and artifacts. The collection included a wiener-mobile, the limousine Kennedy was shot in and the rocking chair Lincoln was shot in. There was a very cool, metal, round, pre-fab house designed in the 20's. There was also an outside area with people dressed is period clothes and many old buildings where you could see how things were made. We had a brief ride in a model T. The day was pretty interesting, but fairly expensive and hot.

Detroit has certain similarities with the Twin Cities. Ford plants, TCF bank, Northwest Airlines, I 94. One difference noted is that in the Detroit area, tire parts are strewn all over the freeways. Why is this? It appeared as if there are blow outs every few minutes, and yet we witnessed none. Do tires not blow out in other parts of the country? Is there an air pressure problem in the Detroit area? Hmmm. Maybe you could make a comment about this, if you have an opinion to share. In fact, we would appreciate any sort of comment on any sort of topic. Is anyone out there? Sarah, do you have anything else to say? Have you enjoyed the mileage information? By the way, it continues to average in the high 50's.

From Detroit, we headed on to Toronto. Yes, we are leaving the USA and visiting Canada.

~Xzfz

Hotel reviews by jq4q

On the 3rd and 4th we stayed in a suite at Econo Lodge Inn & Suites. First I would like to comment on their interesting commercials but back to the hotel. For all dog lovers, good news: Econo Lodge now allows dogs (with free doggy treats at the front desk!) When we first got there the lady at the front desk invited us to take some popcorn from the machine. There was a nice living room area where many people were eating and watching TV. When we got to our suite I was taken aback by the height of the ceiling. The room was amazing. The bathroom had free shampoo and soap on a fancy card (one of my favorite things at hotels). Later we decided to check out the pool. The place was pretty big so we had to go outside to find it. On the way there we found a camp fire area with tables and we saw motels on the side of the building and a little cabin that was titled game room. When we went in the pool room it was pretty nice. There were lounge chairs and tables to put your stuff on and of course a fancy hot tub. There was also an inner tube that was free for everyone to play with. On the way back we got ready to catch some Z's. I slept in an amazingly comfortable pull out couch while my travel companion slept in the bedroom. When we got up we had a wonderful breakfast in the lobby and wrote our blog entry in the computer area with their high speed internet access. Overall, I would rate it a 9 1/2 out of 10. I would highly recommend it.

more driving

We began our 4th of July celebration at the St. Ignace parade. Lots of noise and a few fire trucks. Next, we took the ferry to Mackinac island and immediately sampled some of their delicious ice cream. The island has an 8 mile road circling it, no cars allowed. We rented a tandem bike and headed off. About 1/2 way around, there was a picnic area where we enjoyed some pizza and shared it with a very friendly seagull. In the downtown area, extreme fudge smells fill the street, so we had to sample some and then try a bit more ice cream. We ended the night with a fireworks cruise. The boat took us out onto the lake and then we waited and waited for the sun to completely set. We saw fireworks from many cities around the lake but all were pretty far away. Finally, the Mackinac fireworks went off and they were worth the wait and the shivers.

On the 5th, we headed over the suspension bridge connecting the U.P. with the rest of Michigan. We drove to Ann Arbor and found our way to Zingerman's Deli. An amazing place Oprah had recommended. She does know her brisket. The next day, we drove into Detroit and visited the DIA. A lovely museum with Rodin's Thinker sitting out front to greet visitors. Inside, among lots of nice art, are Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry Murals. They are well worth a visit to motor city. We borrowed free audio guides that go into great detail about every corner of the mural. Fascinating! On the way back to the hotel, we drove along Jefferson Ave. It follows along the river and into Grosse Pointe. Many lovely homes, some were for sale, but I don't think we are ready to buy at this pointe. The last home we saw was the estate of Edsel Ford. We were too late to have much of a tour, so we just drove in and checked out their gift shop. Tomorrow - The Henry Ford.
~xzfz

3rd of July

We drove and drove and drove on the 3rd. We did not tour Eagle River much, because we wanted to get on the move. Our lunch plans for Escanaba had to be a bit altered. As I had thought, Bonamer's Tavern was not a destination destined for Frommer's. One long bar full of customers at noon on a Wednesday, no food in sight. We got the only souvenir we could find and then continued on to the UP. The last town in Wisconsin was Spread Eagle, so we stopped for a break. The next town across the border was Norway! We have a friend visiting Norway right now, what a thrill that we could be there too. We finally had lunch at a Big Boy with beautiful views of Lake Michigan and lots of interesting photo op.s. The whole drive was full of lovely views of trees and water. We pulled over about an hour from St. Ignace to take a closer look and to put our toes in the water. My travel companion got a bit carried away by the waves and sand and I thought I might have to leave her behind. Instead, she brought some sand and water along for the ride.

Prius update, avert your eyes if you drive an SUV:

On the way to Eagle River, the mpg was 55.6. As we drove 70 mph north of the Twin Cities,we were only getting about 48, but the 55 mph roads made a difference. The next day, the mpg went up to 57. We filled the tank (at $4.26) and for the last 75 miles of the trip averaged 58.

Best Western Derby Inn

We just had our first night in a hotel and our first hotel breakfast. We have stayed at Best Western Derby Inn in Eagle River Wisconsin. It is the snowmobile capitol of the world so I'm guessing it would be better in the winter. The lobby was HUGE. 1/3 of the lobby was the check in area, another was a section for breakfast and the third was what looked to be a bar. It was also filled with snowmobile trophies. When we entered our hotel room it looked like a regular room to me.  There were many winter paintings in the room probably reflecting on the snowmobiles.  But when I came in the bathroom it was amazing! The shower was curved and even the toilet paper looked fancy! We went to the pool later in the day. Of course it was just a normal pool room with a hot tub sauna and video game room but the room made the pool look huge. Also of course there was a tile snowmobile on the floor of the pool, and speaking of pool, the video game room had a pool table. There was also a laundry room right by our room. I have to admit that it wasn't what I expected. There was one washer and one dryer. It was a dollar to wash and a dollar to dry. We spent $4 on laundry which is pretty cheap I guess.  So after a wonderful sleep in 2 queen sized beds we went to breakfast in the lobby. It wasn't a buffet but it was pretty good. We were planning on eating in the lobby but since it was in the lobby there were only 5 tables and they were all full so we had to go back to the hotel room. Rating from 

1-10 1 being the worst I would rate it an 8. Two words to describe the hotel would be Fancy and Winter.

~Jq4q