We've all come to look for America

Looking at the map of the states I realized it wouldn't take much to add seeing all the Great Lakes in one year to our plans. Most of the lakes were going to happen naturally because of other destinations I had planned on but Lake Huron was proving difficult. So even though Meg and I had already been to Michigan I planned another trip to the 26th state to see the Lake and so my Mom could also cross it off her list. 

I was planning on going on a road trip the weekend 7/10-7/12 because on 7/11 the convenience store chain  7-11 has given customers free slurpees; and I miss slurpees. There is no 7-11 near us. I know there are some in KY and I have seen a bunch in NC but I don't know of any in TN. So I searched for 7-11 in Michigan and found one in Canton. I now had two stops for the trip, and that is how road trips are born. 

I made more painted rocks two were stop specific and two were in general Michigan.

Before we could get to Michigan we had to drive through our old friend Ohio and stopped for lunch in Findlay, Ohio (AKA Flag City.) The town nickname started in the 1960s when one resident, John Cooke, decided that on Flag Day 1968 every house and business would display an American Flag. With the help of the Sons of The American Revolution 14,000 flags were purchased and proudly flown at each house.  Again in 1974 the Woman's Division of the Chamber of Commerce worked to ensure that the city would show its patriotism and filed papers with the Ohio Legislature to officially designate the town as Flag City. The town was really interesting and there were a number of buildings that grabbed my attention. At first I was going to walk around to look at the buildings but decided that we will return next year during Lent to visit the Catholic Church in town and explore further. For today though we stopped at Findlay Brewing.  At first we built two flights but we were enjoying their beers so much we made a third to get a full sampling. Also the food was delicious. We had the pretzel appetizer and I ordered FBC Burger and Meg ordered the Glazed Donut BLT. She had seen similar choices in other places but never actually tried them. 

I was super excited for our first stop, The Uni-royal tire. It's a giant tire on the side of the highway but it has a past. It was a ferris wheel built by the US Rubber Company for the 1964 World's Fair in NY. It was relocated to Allen Park, Michigan in 1966. The 'tire' is actually made of concrete, steel, and a fire proof resin. Estimates say the 12 ton structure had over 2 million passengers during the course of the fair. 

As we were driving we kept hearing mention of "The Palace at Auburn Hills" which was being demolished on 7/11/2020. It was a multi purpose arena that housed several sports teams including the Detroit Pistons and the Detroit Shock. From 1988-2017 the arena housed multiple sporting events from basketball, hockey, soccer, as well as concerts. I looked up a picture of the building and it looked beautiful. So we figured we would drive over and see it before it was demolished. Well what I didn't realize was that they had been deconstructing the arena before the demolishing. So while I expected this...

We saw this...

We then got back on the road to drive to Fort Gratiot, Michigan, and the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse situated on Lake Huron. This is the oldest lighthouse in Michigan as it guides vessels from the Lake to the St. Clair River.  The light house was built  in 1829 and the light was automated in 1933. I love seeing the Great Lakes with their ocean-like waves and currents. 

Next door to the Lighthouse is a Coast Guard Property and there was some information about the Coast Guard. I didn't know that the creation of the Coast Guard was actually the joining of two other organizations: The United States Life Saving Services USLSS and the Revenue Cutter Service. 

Originally we were going to stay in a hotel near the lighthouse but most of the hotels that allowed dogs were full. There was one that did allow dogs but the hotel looked a little off and we opted not to stay there. I haven't been pre-booking hotel rooms for these trips because I don't really know exactly where we are going to stop. As you can tell we add stops at a whim so it makes it hard to judge. No problem we decided to drive towards our next location to find a hotel on the way. We ended up at a Comfort Inn and Suites in Ann Arbor. The staff there was so friendly and welcoming and the room was very comfortable and clean. It was late, we were exhausted and really needed the rest. The suite also allowed Gypsy to sleep in one room with Meg and myself while Domino and my Mom took the other room which was good because the two of them, like the fuzzy toddlers most dogs are, like to get on each other's nerves. 

The next morning we slept in again and didn't leave the hotel until nine am. Meg found a spot to get coffee and breakfast- Zingerman's Coffee- which is just one in a series of businesses started by the very successful trio of Paul Saginow, Ari Weinzweig, and Ronald Maurer.  I got a regular cup of their Columbian blend coffee and Meg had their mocha. For breakfast they didn't have donuts as we have had on the last few trips but they did have... I don't know if I should call it craft or artisanal but it was the best toast I have ever had. 

Next door was their bakery where my Mom went and got a cook book, challah bread, and really delicious graham crackers. Across the street they had a building where they hold business management/training courses. I will assume that each business had their books as well. We purchased the Lapsed Anarchist's Guide to Being A Better Leader and I look forward to reading it. Clearly they have been very successful. Later we went by their deli but did not stop because the line and wait was too long.

Now the theme of the 1964 World's Fair was World Peace so it seemed fitting to visit our next stop on the same trip.  In Ann Arbor at the absolutely beautiful campus of the University of Michigan John F. Kennedy first introduced the idea of a Peace Corp. It was during a campaign visit on October 14, 1960, when Kennedy stood in front of the Student Union and proposed the idea to cheering students. The idea carried through in his inaugural address when he stated: "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."

 

 For something completely different a few blocks away in Ann Arbor proper we found an amusing wall mural. It is Gene Kelly in his famous dance number of 'Singing in the Rain.' But to add extra fun a light pole placed a few feet in front of it can be lined up perfectly to become a part of the mural.

  And then the moment the day was named for: 7-11 Slurpee Day. Now it has been a recurring promotion that on 7/11 they give out free small slurpees.  I planned on getting my free slurpee and probably buying a big slurpee for the road cause I love slurpees so much. Just one problem. The promotion changed. I guess I should have seen it coming. On one website we saw that instead of anyone able to get a free slurpee you had to have the app and were sent a coupon. However when we got there the clerk said there were no free slurpees. Apparently to keep crowds down there wasn't free slurpees. But even better any size slurpee was a dollar. So I got the largest one I could for a dollar which is still a win in my book.

Now at this point we were supposed to drive home. 

That was it. 

The road trip was over. 

But it was still early and my Mom kept noticing the beautiful bridge on the Michigan license plate. Now the bridge was the Mackinac Bridge in the very north of Michigan... way too far to drive to at this point. But the name sounded familiar and we tried to think of if it was in a song. The song we were thinking of was America by Simon and Garfunkel which does not mention the bridge but it does mention Saginaw. We looked up Saginaw and it was only  around two hours away. So we changed course for Saginaw. 

On the way there we saw a large pick up truck completely covered in a tarp. It must be the new line from one of the big auto manufacturers but which one? 

 

As we approached Saginaw we began searching for breweries to get something to eat. We did find a brewery, Loggers Brewing Company, in fact I am drinking the growler we brought home right now. As the name sounds the inside looked and felt very rustic. Out back they had a small seating area where we were able to sit with the dogs. Unfortunately they didn't serve food and the local places were busy because delivery would be almost an hour. So we enjoyed one flight and then left to see two sites in Saginaw before heading home for real this time. 

Our first stop was the home of Theodore Roethke (1908-1963). He was born and grew up on the family farm in Saginaw. As we were driving to the brewery we had passed the home which had a large sign about the friends of Theodore Roethke and "Save the stone house." So we pulled in to the drive to check out the info. The white house where Theodore grew up has been preserved. However next door is his brother's home which is not preserved. So the sign to save the stone house was urging people to help donate and support preservation.  

I looked up several of Roethke's poems but one that really stood out to me was My Papa's Waltz. Theodore lost his Father young and you feel his sense of loss in his poem. I lost my Dad when I was in my twenties so not nearly as young as he was but there are major life moments I can't help but think about how different they will be without him here. The biggest one for me is obviously when ever I finally find a guy, settle down, and get married. One barring some miracle from my past the guy I marry will have never meet my Dad, but two the thought of who will walk me down the aisle comes to my mind every so often. Anyway here is the poem and I highly recommend taking a look at his other writings as well:

My Papa's Waltz

The whiskey on your breath

Could make a small boy dizzy;

But I hung on like death;

Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans

Slid from the kitchen shelf;

My Mother's countenance

Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist

Was battered on one knuckle;

At every step you missed

My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head

With a palm caked hard by dirt,

Then waltzed me off to bed

Still clinging to your shirt.

We also saw signs for the Castle Museum so we drove over to take a look. We didn't have much planned since I hadn't looked up anything in Saginaw and we had the dogs so going inside places is impossible. The castle is a museum with multiple exhibits, some permanent and others rotating, that give insight into the history and people of Saginaw. The building itself was built in 1898 as a post office. William Martin Atkin was the chief architect and he used a chateau finish to tip his hat to the original French settlers and trappers who moved to Michigan. The building was earmarked to be destroyed in the 30s but several petitions saved it and in 1935 it was remodeled to make it larger and more capable of handling the mail for the growing city/area. 

We started home but ended up stopping in Delphos, Ohio for the night. We got up early to try and see the comet C/2020 F3. It was supposed to be visible right before sun rise at the time. Meg set her camera up to try and capture it and while she got a few gorgeous sunrise photos we did not see the comet.

After packing up the car we took a ride to Dayton to get coffee at Ghostlight Coffee. Their food menu was severely limited because of either less business or trouble with shipping due to Covid. Either way I had a regular coffee with oat milk and an old world bagel with butter.

There was another coffee place called Boston Stoker Coffee which Meg found listed as best coffee in Dayton for 43 years. It was closed so we will have to return to Dayton to try that sometime because best coffee for 43 years means something for sure!

Now as I sit here finishing this blog up and drinking my Loggers Brewing beer Meg is watching Jelle's Marble Runs on youtube sponsored by Last Week Tonight Week With John Oliver and the winning team just had a donation made to a south east food bank in Michigan and I said: "hey we were just there." so if you haven't discovered the beauty of marble racing check out this video.

Our next trip will get us state number 15! The first big trip will be in less than a month and I am super nervous for it. Wish us luck, please. 

O O O O Ohio

"No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves." -Amelia Earhart

 Another weekend another road trip. This one did not get us a new state because technically we already visited Ohio but it didn't really feel like it should count since we had just stood on the corner of the state and not actually gone anywhere. I knew that I was going to visit St. Christopher in Vandalia, Ohio, so then I just had to find a few spots to fill in the hours. 

We left early on Friday June 26th while Venus, the morning jewel lit up the sky and started the drive north east through Kentucky and in to Ohio. We had to get to St. Christopher before 2pm when they close. And we did good, stayed on time, and got there at 1pm. Problem is it was Friday and as is common in a lot of places they closed early. Now the reason I had chosen St. Christopher's was because St. Christopher is the patron Saint of Travelers. And with the grand plan for road trips we have this year I think stopping to say a prayer to the patron Saint of Travelers seems like a good idea. Luckily for us a parishioner showed up to the office and went over to the Church to prepare bulletins for mass.  We asked her if we could come in and she allowed us to come in and say a prayer.

The statue above shows St. Christopher carrying a child. One story states St. Christopher helped travelers cross a dangerous river. One day a child asked to be carried across. As St. Christopher walked across the river the child became heavier and heavier. When he reached the other side the child identified himself as Christ.   

Next we drove to Greenville, Ohio, to see a statue of Annie Oakley, one of my all time favorite historical figures. For our birthday one year our parents bought us tickets to see Reba McEntire as Annie Oakley on Broadway in Annie Get Your Gun. So when I learned about "Little Sure Shots" connection to Ohio I knew we had to go.  

Annie Oakley was born Phoebe Ann Mosey in western Ohio on August 13, 1860. She learned to hunt, shoot, and trap to help support her mother and siblings. In 1875 Frank Butler, another American sharpshooter, was on part of a show at a hotel in Cincinnati. He bet the hotel owner $100 he could not be beat. The owner called on then 15 year old Annie and she won. A few years later her and Frank married and eventually joined Buffalo Bill Cody's traveling show. Her and Frank Butler spent their money on many different charities and Annie fought for women's rights and is credited with training many women in self defense and how to shoot a fire arm. 

As a bonus right by Annie Oakley Park was this sign celebrating one of Greenville's own, Zachary Lansdowne. Actually we noticed this throughout Ohio in the small towns we visited light poles along the downtown area had pictures and info of young men and woman who had served in the military. 

 

We left Greenville and drove to Brock, OH, where Annie Oakley and Frank Butler were buried side by side in a small cemetery. They died 18 days apart from each other and were buried. People have left coins and rocks on the graves and I added a coin for each of them. 

We left the Brock Cemetery to drive to Kenton, Ohio, and the home of the Gene Autry Repeating Cap Pistol. Gene Autry (1907-1998) was called the Singing Cowboy. He appeared in over 90 films where he is credited with bringing country music to a wider population. Gene Autry came to stand for the honest straight shooting hero and his pearl handled six shooters were a trademark piece. In Kenton, Ohio, the Kenton Hardware Company was having a difficult time. They had to reduce employees and hours in order to try and keep the industry going. In 1937 Willard Bixler, then VP of Kenton Hardware, thought the creation of a replica Gene Autry Cap Gun could be the solution needed for them. They created the replica gun complete with gun metal finish and pearl handles and retailed it at .50 cents. The toy was credited with saving the town as the factory began day and night production to try and keep up with sales. August 8, 1938 became Gene Autry Day in Kenton. In 1994 the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce contacted Gene Autry to have a festival in June and in 2004 a mural and park where unveiled in Gene Autry's honor. 

From what I can find the Kenton Hardware Company ceased functioning in the 1950s however manufacturing is still listed as one of the largest industries in Kenton. 

Next we came to the awesome and inviting town of Bellefontaine, Ohio, pronounced bell fountain.  We parked right by the town square which was filled with people sitting and talking. Most were eating ice cream as tables and chairs were set up for outdoor eating.

In Bellefontaine a man named George Bartholomew was working on creating a new concrete that would be cheap to produce but still able to hold up to the horse and carriage traffic that was increasing. In 1887 he founded the Buckeye Portland Cement CO. In 1891 he asked the city to allow him to pave an 8ft wide section along Main Street promising it would hold up to the buggy traffic but still offer a $5000 bond for any repair needed in the first five years, making me think he was an optimist and a realist. Seeing the value in his new concrete the city had the other surrounding streets paved in 1893. George Bartholomew was awarded first prize in the category of engineering technology at the International Exposition of 1893. Court Avenue was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1976, which I didn't know was a thing. 

        

It is very clear the town is super proud of their historic street. We got out of the car and I stopped to take the picture above of the gate over Court Avenue. A man stopped me to ask if we knew that Bellefontaine was also the home of the shortest street in America? I answered we hadn't heard and he gave us directions to McKinley Street so we could stop by before leaving. He explained that in Europe there is another street that is slightly shorter and so they are only the shortest in the US instead of the world. 

We took a walk around the Court House looking at the architecture of the older buildings as well as plaques and multiple historical markers. Once we got around to the front of the court house again we noticed a couple of interesting details. First in an upper window of the court house was a blindfolded statue of justice and second that out front was an eternal flame in honor of those who had served and died for this country. 

Next we left and took the short trip to McKinley street, basically just one building stands on the block which is cut awkwardly by rail road tracks and sits between two other streets. 

 Next we travelled to Delaware, Ohio, to visit a BP gas station... no really we drove to Ohio to go to a gas station like that was the actual stop planned out on my road trip. We filled up the car and then went over to the historical marker that explained that years ago in this very spot stood a brick home and that on October 4th, 1822, Rutherford B Hayes, the 19th President of the United States, was born there. In 1921 the Standard Oil company purchased the property and offered to sell it back to the community for $8,000. However the amount couldn't be raised and the gas station was built instead. The Delaware City Chapter of the Daughters of the Revolution placed a marker out front the station. We stayed in Delaware City to get something to eat for dinner. As we drove away from the bustling town center we saw a sign stating "no alcohol beyond this point," I guess you are allowed to walk around with drinks which I have seen a lot of towns doing in certain restaurant/public areas. We parked just at the end of it. There was a group of 20 somethings sitting on a stoop beside our parking spot. They said "hi" so we said "hi" and then they noticed I was wearing a NY Yankee shirt which had one of them exclaim a few expletives at the Yankees, for you non baseball fans the Yankees have a wonderful record of beating the Indians especially when it comes to playoff situations.  Though we all came to agreement that people are generally ok even if they root for differing teams. And we headed into the restaurant area. Restoration Brew Worx Pub. They had a very inviting outdoor seating area with four tables separated by large dividers in the name of social distancing. I went in to put my name for an outdoor table. Several groups had been there for a while nursing drinks but the hostess was unsure how long they would be since they had been sitting for sometime already. I left my name hoping they wouldn't be too much longer and we left to explore town for a bit and walk the dogs who needed to stretch their legs. 

We discovered a historical marker one block down the road that the building had been at one time a Templar Hall and on the third floor Frederick Douglass had spoken on June 6th, 1856. Admission was 25 cents with proceeds to support the Underground Railroad. We also found a marker with a picture on it of the 127th Ohio Volunteer Infantry/ 5th United States Colored Troops. They trained nearby and over the course of the Civil War four from that unit were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. We also found a statue of Rutherford B Hayes, commemorating the famous son of the town. 

Nearly an hour after I put my name down and close to the time where we were thinking about giving up one of the tables opened up on the patio. Now I hope the people who sat there nursing their drinks left the waitress a huge tip. Because she definitely lost out on tables. An hour later we were sitting down. Another group of people just left because they didn't want to wait. I try and keep things positive but if you have read this far in my blog just a note: if you are some place with table seating when you finish and pay your tab leave. The wait staff needs turnover to make tips. Unless you plan on leaving an appropriate tip for your meal and the one she/he misses because you have been sitting there then leave. If it is a place where you just seat yourself then by all means stay as long as you want but a restaurant with staff once you pay you should go. Ok rant over. 

The wait was worth it! First off being in our current times I appreciate the steps they are taking to keep customers safe. They have the dividers up between tables, signage about social distancing, staff were wearing masks to protect themselves as well as us, and they had sanitizing spray to clean tables- chairs- and menus. We ordered the pretzel bread with ale cheese and I had the Restoration Burger. We also built two flights to try several of their beers. 

As we finished eating I went back to get the car and the Cleveland Indian fans were still out front. I went to the car and told them to have a good night one called back "Why did it have to be NY, I love you but F-NY" which definitely made them endearing in my mind :-)  We stopped for the night in Columbus, Ohio. Because of the long wait for dinner it was later than we originally planned on stopping. The next morning we slept in and didn't leave the hotel until close to nine. We had looked up good coffee and donuts in Columbus and ended up settled on Coffee Mess. Inside was a lot of funny/sarcastic signs. they were playing Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space and the donuts looked delicious.  Spoiler alert: They were delicious as was the coffee if you are in Columbus or near Columbus check them out. 

Then we found ourselves at the Ohio State University Campus in Newark, Ohio where they have a series of statues that allow you to sit on the bench next to great historical figures, called "The Great Contributors."  I had no idea how many figures there were. I just knew about Amelia Earhart's statue which is why her quote started this blog. It is a quote I have been thinking about since I first put it up there. I think it's true. I know that a kind act performed by someone else to me makes me feel better and more positive it stays in my mind and makes me want to give someone else that same feeling, hence the popular thought of sharing it forward. 

On her bench the sculptor carved another quote: "Everyone has oceans to fly if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries?"- Amelia Earhart. Amazing.

Other greats in the series included Mother Teresa, the Wright Brothers, Abraham Lincoln, William Shakespeare, Albert Einstein, Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Joan of Arc. The sculptor Gary Lee Price explained his thoughts:

"Throughout the ages there have always been those who have been willing to go beyond the norms and reach for that unknown and distant star. All mankind becomes the beneficiary of those 'leaps of faith', and oftimes we marvel and stand in awe at those 'great ones' and their contributions to humanity. Sir Isaac Newton said that his contributions were great because he was able to stand on the shoulders of his predecessors. I believe we all desire to help make the world a better place and role models helps us raise our own sights and set loftier standards. My hope is that as we sit down next to these leaders and rub shoulders with them, we will come to appreciate even more their role as givers and realize that they also were real human beings, just as each of us, and yet extraordinary. Who is to say what contributions WE will make?" -Gary Lee Price

 Our next location was one that I have wanted to go for a long time since seeing it mentioned on the CBS Sunday morning show. It is the Longaberger Company Headquarters. The company is gone but the unique building remains.

Our next stop was a totem pole in Newark that marks the high water mark from the January 21st, 1959, flood. Between January 21 and 24 3-6inches of rain fell on the frozen grounds of Ohio causing all rivers to reach flood stage. The ground was frozen and covered with snow so not only did the new rain waters have no where to soak into but the snow melted. 49,000 people had homes damaged or had to seek alternate shelters and 16 people were killed. On June 1, 1962, the Rising River Association erected the Totem Pole to prevent a recurrence of the great flood. The lowest figure is blue and his elbow marks the height of the water levels. 

We still stayed in Newark for one more stop. At their Veterans Park is a statue honoring John L. Clem. John ran away from home at just short of ten years old to join the Union Army. He served as a Drummer Boy for the 22nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry and was nicknamed The Drummer Boy of Chickamauga, which is on his monument in Arlington. He retired in 1915 having reached the rank of Major General and was the last Civil War Veteran on active duty. The sculpture was made by Mike Major, Ohio's first artist in residence. 

Next we traveled to Zanesville, Ohio in Muskingum County to see a statue erected in honor of their bicentennial (1797-1997). The figures chosen for the statue covers most of the 200 years with each figure being born roughly 50 years after the other. 

From left to right:

Figure 1: John McIntire. 

He was a cobbler who was hired by Colonel Ebeneezer Zane to repair the shoes for the family while they lived in Wheeling. That is how he meet Sarah Zane and they married in 1789. Colonel Zane was eventually commissioned by Congress to travel from Wheeling to Marysville, KY. The trail was finished in 1797 and Zane was partly paid with land. He then sold some of the land to John McIntire. Once John picked a spot for his own home that he could also use as a travelers rest he began urging others to help clear space and attract new settlers. His work paid off and Zanesville was made the county seat. In 1809 John and others built a brick building that they offered to the Ohio Legislature as a Capitol Building. The Ohio Legislature accepted the offer and made the building their temporary capitol and met there from October 1,1810- May 1, 1812. John also organized the Zanesville Canal and Manufacturing Company. John passed away in 1815 but the Canal Company and town stand as a testament to his legacy.

Figure 2: Noah Norris.

Noah Norris was born sometime in 1844. At 19 he enlisted to the Union Army and was assigned to Company C, Fifth US Colored Infantry on June 22, 1863. I wonder if he was in the photo I had seen on the historical marker the night before in Delaware. Noah fought in several battles in Virginia and North Carolina including: City Point, Petersburg, Black Swamp, Bottom's Bridge, Fair Oaks, Deep Bottom, Fort Gilmore, Fort Harrison, Dutch Gap, and Chapin's Fram. He died July 20th, 1942 and was the last Civil War veteran in Zanesville. He stands in this sculpture for all Veteran's of Zanesville.

Figure 3: Zane Grey.

Zane is the Great Grandson of Colonel Ebeneezer Zane for whom the town was named. He loved the outdoors and baseball and became a writer. He wrote 64 novels: 12 non-fiction outdoor books, 2 novel length baseball stories, and over 250 shorter works.

Figure 4:  John Glenn

John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth February 20, 1962. He briefly attended Muskingum College before leaving to join the Marine Corp and serve as a pilot in WWII. in the Pacific Theater. He flew 59 mission. In the Korean War Glenn flew 90 combat missions. He earned five Distinguished Flying Crosses and 19 Air Medals. He became a test pilot and in 1957 set a transcontinental speed record flying from LA to New York City in 3 hours and 23 minutes. In 1959 he joined the Mercury program and his contributions to Space exploration are plentiful. He also served  as a Senator from Ohio earning his spot on this statue for multiple reasons. 

Then we started home with one last stop in Mason, Ohio, for dinner at Sonder Brewing. We went because of the name. Sonder is defined by John Koenig in his Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. It is a noun that he defines as "the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own". That is an amazing thought and realization. I think it is definitely an expression that needs a word. I have always loved people watching from being in NY on subway trains or just walking around the city, to being in TN and noticing differences in mannerism and from based on where people have lived, to even as simple as going on these road trips and knowing each person I interact with has a wealth of thoughts and experiences I know nothing about.  

The brewery was large and welcoming. One guy from a table near us came over because he saw the dogs and had to pet them. The brewery and restaurant are technically two businesses sharing the same space. I ordered beer while Meg ordered food. While the brewery is newer it is clear that the owners have a lot of experience in brewing and crafting unique styles.

And then we drove home knowing that we had the next weekend off from road trips because it was July 4th and my neighbors put on an amazing firework show. But we are getting closer and closer to the big trips that will really get us a lot of states and make this dream of driving all 48 contiguous states feel more  real.