Days 4-7 - Bang-Bang, Kiss,Kiss.

The Fourth of July was lovely - but Hot as Hades. Christopher kept my string of hearty breakfasts going by rising and making us bangers and eggs, because he loves us, and Elspeth shared her last remaining very good coffee from a lovely press. It''s nice to know I am not the only one who has traded some of his booze elitism for caffeine elitism.

Chris and Elspeth outside their amazing apartment.

Tuesday dawned hot as well, and I had trouble motivating myself to get up and get going. First, there was a shopping trip, while I was still in Chicago, to try and get some items that I had left behind in the rush: a charger for my FitBit, boots, (yes, it's an embarrassing story, but I left my new riding boots at the foot of the steps in my apartment - I was in that much of a rush to get on the road - rode off in my New Balance shoes that I had put on to ease the up and down the steps to load the bike) but Target (and a Kmart) that I found not far from their apartment, to the rescue! Then the process of loading the bike again, in the heat and sticky, from the second floor apartment, and off to the races again. (I left behind items in Chicago, too - I am traversing the midwest "trailing shards of glory"...

UPDATE: CHIRS, KEITH FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN WEST CHICAGO CALLED TO SAY THAT'S WHERE I LEFT MY VISOR SLING. IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE....

Elspeth was insistent that I contact a friend of hers from way back; she made sure of it by giving me this post-it. Also, to see into her mind, see the previous post on my itinerary - I mistakenly left it open for editing while she was about. She's devious. 

UPDATE: YES, ELSPETH, WE MET. SEE FUTURE POST ON RED LODGE, ETC.

The heat was oppressive from Chicago to the outskirts of Wisconsin, but as I made Madison, the air dried, and the sun backed off a little. I arrived at the home of my dear college friend, Carol Cizauskas, and her lovely husband Don, later than I would have preferred, but Carol had ordered a pizza, and made a lovely salad, and we sat out on their patio, caught up, and enjoyed a very nice dinner, despite the mosquitoes. Madison is a very attractive city, with great water views and a kind of cool, college town/capital city vibe, I didn't get to see too much of it, but what I did see was very inviting. 

Don works nights, and very kindly gave up his bed, so I didn't have to couch surf, and I took my time getting up in the a.m., after waking to say goodbye to Carol, and share excellent French-press coffee. (NOTE: motif warning....) I've been blessed to be able to reconnect with loved ones and catch up in the early stages of this venture. I headed out to get breakfast at a place recommended by Carol, called The Weary Traveler (how apropos!) but it turned out to be not open until 11:30, so it was really more of a lunch. 

Carol and I get a goodbye selfie.

I couldn't help myself.

I stayed there quite a while, putting finishing touches on a design submission for a show for next season (Illyria, at Ac=vant-Bard), and then was shocked to find that the restaurant had no wi-fi; that set me off in search of a coffee house that THEY recommended, so I could forward the drawing. That brought me to Mother Fool, a coffee house that has a very college town art house aesthetic (and really good cold brew). Drawing sent, and on with the mission... 

The coffee bar at Mother Fool.

Leaving Madison, I was first really aware of the changes in the landscape. The rolling hills were familiar, but the foliage changed - the greens were more varied and often deeper than we are used to back east, and the native vegetation was all different textures. The one thing I was most aware of, crossing the "Dairy State" is that I saw no cows from the road. Seriously, not a single cow. Either they were all working very, very hard on our collective lactose intolerance, or they were on vacation.

I had been looking forward to this moment, because, as I may have mentioned before, I have never been west of the Mississippi; and this would be the day. I was counting down the miles, and as I cam over the rise, and saw the river below me, I located a spot to pull over, and took as many vistas of the great river as I could... I even imagined I could see an old-fashioned "river boat" up the water a ways. I crossed what had been, for  me, apparently a barrier, with a sense of emerging optimism and excitement - everything from hereon out was New World. (I would find out later that what i has assumed was the "mighty Mississippi" was, in fact, the St. Clair, and that I actualy crossed the "Big River" later on, mistaking it for a creek. Assumptions....)

After the river crossing, it wasn't long before I was passing through St. Paul on my way to Minneapolis, and my cousin Jo Ann's house, Now, Jo Ann Musumeci and I haven't seen each other since I was a young boy, and I was more than a little trepidatious about the reunion. I had no idea what to expect... Suffice to say that:

• She is definitely  a Musumeci
• I should have her genes (and her energy)
• I feel I have not just met a relative, but made a new friend.

We share a number of interests and proclivities, and got on very well - she was an exceptional host, and I hope I was not too burdensome a guest. I also saw, in what I realize now was less than two days, more of Minneapolis than I would have thought possible. Jo Ann is super involved in the city and her neighborhood; she took me down the greenway, and the arts district, and we got to tour a few theatres, not just the Guthrie, and met the artistic director of one of the small theatres when we toured one of the mid-sized theatres where she worked as a box office manager. (Jungle Theatre seems super cool, and the AD of Dark and Stormy Theatre works there. Watch for her - she's a dynamo.) We toured a theatre in a bowling alley, and hit a number of cool restaurants. I walked more in Minneapolis than I have anywhere all summer, and I am still feeling it today ;-)

There is amazing grafitti in Minneapolis

There is a theatre inside this bowling alley

See?

Jungle Theatre is super cool.

All the lobby art is done by the founding director, I am told...

View out the "bridge" of the new Guthrie. My feelings about this whole complex are complicated. (If you have ever heard me rant about the Mead Center, you will get it.)

All the waterways

Other bonuses - Jo Ann is an audiophile, so we listened to a lot of cool music, and she has a garage!!!  I didn't have to unpack and repack the bike, which was a real blessing. While waking up at Jo Ann's on the 8th, and scrolling through my "feed", I discovered that, entirely by accident, I would be setting out from Minneapolis on the "Pirsig" portion of the ride on exactly the same date 50 years later. Omens.

I had known only that Pirsig started in July, and since I decided to start all the way at the shore in Delaware, I didn't want to know what the "correct" date was to leave Minneapolis - my timetable is supposed to have some slack in it. But lo and behold, circumstances conspired ( I actually reworked my schedule so that I could stay longer in Minneapolis and see a friend from college before I left and still spend time with Jo Ann) and I was setting out on the exact day that Pirsig did. Now, I want to make it very clear that I am not going to try and replicate the journey day by day - I am already varying it by typing this from a hotel in Aberdeen, SD, rather than Ellendale, ND (or Oak - it varies, depending on which account you follow) but I zigged to avoid a bad storm system to the north (Pirsig would, I think, approve) and this was also the only hotel room I could find on the fly, using my phone.

Sunday morning dawned bright and lovely in Minneapolis, and I loaded the bike with the few things i had taken off, said my farewells to Jo Ann, with a promise to return to the twin cities, and headed off to met college friend Heather Fraser for breakfast.

I have aged more on this journey than heather has in 35 years. Life is unfair.

Heather and her partner Jonathan and their daughter Erin live in a town to the west  called Golden Valley, and it’s lovely, They sail, and Jonathan was just buying (or selling, I’m unclear) a new boat as I arrived, so he was outside and greeted me first. Heather and I had coffee inside while we caught up, briefly, and fended off their adorable pup, Sparky (I'm sad to say I have forgotten the name of the older, more refined canine.) and then, after Jonathan showed me his cool ’53 Willys Jeep, we headed out for breakfast at the Good Day Cafe. I have been mostly eating breakfasts as my main meal, as you have probably noticed, and the grilled egg sandwich I had at Heathers recommendation was exceptional - as were their version of home fries and the side of oatmeal I had. It was great fun to catch up with her life, and which friends from school we were still in touch with, and Heather had to be wrestled to the ground to even let me leave a tip for the meal - I am feeling awkward on this journey, as everyone feels they have to treat me as a guest, and I am… not great at accepting things. I took a little time to call Bonnie, since it was a Sunday, and after we caught up, I took a deep breath, and shot off into the wild yonder. 

(to be continued)


The WiFi in the Super 8 in Aberdeen SD is horrible. I will amend this and add photos when I get to a real server. If ever.

UPDATE: WIFI IN THE WEST IS A LIE!!!!! A CRUEL JOKE. VIDEO MAY NOT HAPPEN UNTIL I REACH SAN FRANCISCO. A LIE I TELL YOU!!!