We all have an uncle Bob

Attempts to heel click and time it correctly. 

a sense of scale

Im sitting in Blue Moon Coffee Cafe on East Lake Street in Minneapolis and have already successfully spilled a nine tenths full americano everywhere. For eight of the last twelve years this place has won awards, primarily the "Feminist Finds" awards from the Minnesota Women's Press. Its quite ironic, there are four men in this coffee shop at the moment, it has been dominated my men the whole time I have been here. One of them being a gypsied out Vietnam vet with a fist full of rings, silver bracelets, eclectic worldly clothing telling me how he might have to fire his senile maid for putting his belongings in the wrong place. This coffee shop just happens to be the closest coffee shop to where I stayed last night, with a good family friend Nancy O. I looked up close by coffee shops online, read a review and one of them read as followed: "The place is a dump, to be honest. It's dark, dank and has little to no air conditioning. It smells bad. The food on display looks old. The chairs have mismatched cushions, many of which are ripped and torn. The floor is pock marked and unfinished. It is completely unacceptable." Well, If anyone has ever been to Cup-a-Joe on Hillsboro st. in Raleigh this review sounds just like that place too, to the T. So here I am and it is not nearly as bad as the review makes it sound. I know one thing, whoever wrote that review would be much more utterly disgusted upon visiting the ole faithful Cup-a-Joe.

wind farm, whoohoo!

Overhead view of wind farm

It was a long day of driving from Indianapolis, IN to Minneapolis, MN. A long day of looking at corn, corn, soy, corn, soy, corn, corn, soy, soy, corn and a few massive wind turbine farms. It was long but I had homemade cookies with me that made the day past quicker. In Indianapolis I had stayed with Marian and Doug Berky, he is a mime and she made my cookies! Great hosts and great snacks for the road. As I came to Carlock, IL I drove upon a wind farm that was right next to the Interstate. I got off at one of the exits and was able to drive right up to the base of these wind turbines. Check out the satellite image I have added from google maps of the farm there in Carlock which I stumbled upon. The shadows of the turbines casted on the fields is quite cool.  At lunch time I stopped in Peoria, IL got some authentic mexican pork and pineapple tacos from a food cart and a bacon wrapped hotdog, made "the way we make it." I also filled up for gas for only the second time so far on the trip.

Bob, is that you?

Then in Iowa City I found out that I have an uncle Bob. I was not able to figure out which side of the family he came from but apparently I have one now. In addition, you have an uncle named Bob too. Funny the way it just happens to be. I crossed the Minnesota State line on rural US-63 and decided to take some pictures at the state sign, could not find the sign. So then I took them at the welcome to Iowa sign instead, yes, even though I was leaving the state. Their state slogan is 'fields of opportunity.' Next time I eat something with processed corn or soy in it I am going to say something like "wow, I can taste the opportunity."
So I made it to Minneapolis, around dinner time last night, went to eat some yummy Ethiopian food and hit the sack. It is such a cool city here. However I am glad it is not in the negative temperatures like sometimes in the winter time.  I plan to spend the day here, exploring and planning my next step, Winnipeg, Canada maybe?

corn, corn, corn

Pound Town Found

Greetings from Anderson Indiana. Just outside Indianapolis, Anderson is an old GM manufacturing town and has turned into a partial ghost town like that of Detroit. It is quiet and rundown and was difficult to find a place open with some food, many places boarded up and vacant. Those places who are open gladly advertise that they accept food stamps. But its good to be out of the car and having a place to rest before another long day of travel tomorrow. 

I would have to say the adventures from today were mainly from the things I really did not expect to see. But thats the whole reason behind this trip. From Boone I got on 421 and headed North, went through Tennessee,  through the coal fields of South-west Virginia and Kentucky mainly on small highways. I then got on the interstate outside Winchester Kentucky. From Winchester and then Lexington, I passed miles of lovely white fenced horse fields. I then headed into the land of the blue grass towards the Ohio river and Indiana. As the sun was getting low in the sky I passed through a good portion of Indiana passing miles upon miles upon miles of corn and soy. Once I got here I realized I could have taken 421 the whole way, would have been a much longer trip though.

 However, the most interesting places I passed along the way. Slayersville, KY was one of them. Quite a nerving name but I dared to go check it out. One of the first things I saw was the partially roofless "Teen Scene" with bars on the windows. I have no idea what kind of establishment this was. Movie theater? Dance Club? Both? Interested upon the name I looked it up a little bit. It is located on the Licking river, another strange name and there are only around 2,000 people who live there. There was also a recent tornado, last year that may explain the missing roof of the notorious Teen Scene. Fortunately there was not a mass slaying here, yet unfortunate because there is no really crazy story and lots of haunted places around, just some guy named Samuel Slayer.
Also, I found another strange/interesting town. Pound Town, or the Town of Pound. Not sure why it is named what it is. We can only assume. Home of the wildcats and "The Big E-Z" they also have a Hardware Store and a super creepy mannequin inside the store with insulation on him. Other than that not much. Motoring on for 11 hours of driving to Minneapolis tomorrow.

The real last night in Boone

Ryan and the Venison

Ryan Puckett is manning the grill at the moment. We have no bacon wrapped- cream cheese filled jalapeno peppers, nor bacon burgers with gouda nor grilled pizza, all previous endeavors. Tonight we are making venison burgers and back strap as well. You know, just cleaning out the fridge and the freezer. Such intricate foods I leave frozen all year.
I have said it was my last night in Boone before but I guess I was not telling the whole truth. So tonight, will actually my last night in Boone, at least for a long while. I will be turning in my apartment keys in the morning and headed out of North Carolina. That is, well, if everything turns out right. As I was headed to Wilmington I realized my cars registration is good through the end of the month, so something else on the list of things to get done tomorrow. After heading out of town I plan to head to Indianapolis and then plan to be in Minneapolis tuesday evening.

The Gang on the Bench, Jessica, Mike, Me, Ben Nikki

Wrapping up the last few days was a wonderful closure to North Carolina and an excellent beginning to this trip to come. Wilmington was absolutely wonderful, beach time, surf time, great food and great times. $1 island tacos, Flaming Amy's Burrito, Flaming Amy's Bowl and Vito's Pizza and some 'Eggs Neptune' from Causeway Cafe in Wrightsville. An interesting breakdown of eggs benedict with fresh tomato and blue crab instead of canadian bacon. Friday night we had a round of sunset croquet in the neighborhood park, South Channel Park.  The next morning, right before leaving I decided to hit the beach one last time. I went out with Ben where he suggested we take a slightly different route to the beach from what I was used to, swim across the channel, so we did and I can mark that off of things I have done.

Last goodbye with my dad

My grandma Mema, Marvin-
my dog, Aunt Chris, Tom and I

Ben showing Jessica
how you REALLY play

I got back to Raleigh, packed the car, thought around thirty seven times of what it was that I was forgetting or not, said goodbye to the folks and was off. I did not make it too far until I made my first stop, REI in Durham. I kept thinking about buying something recently and when the exit for South Point mall arrived I thought, why not. I bought myself a GoPro HD Hero 2. Its a pocket sized video camera with waterproof case, a slew of mounting clips, wide angle lens and tears. Tears which it constantly crys, screaming for more adventure. So be ready for some videos from the trip as well! I stopped again in Winston Salem to say goodbyes to my grandma who whipped up some mean pizza sandwiches and also to my aunt Chris who stopped by as well.
It still has not hit me that I will be around 4,000 miles away in about a week, maybe once I cross out of North Carolina tomorrow morning I will begin to feel the unknown of the roads, leading to the places which I am yet to discover. See ya' later NC!

A new beginning

Well I guess I am back on the web and ready to write about my lives adventures once more. A brief rundown of the past little while of my life. I wrapped up my degree in Appropriate Technology from Appalachian State a semester ahead of what I was expecting in december. For the last seven months I have been living in Boone working, skiing, hiking, tubing and honestly spending too much time thinking I needed to leave and contemplating my next real adventure.

After quite a bit of researching, planning, reading and whatever else you put into a trip I have decided I am going to Alaska and I am about to make this dream come true. Right now, I am sitting on a porch swing at seven in the morning writing this just off the ocean in Wrightsville Beach. As I slept on the couch I saw the early glow to the sun about to rise coming through the window; a minute later my shoes were on and I was out the door. As I was on the beach watching the sun raise its self from the horizon I began to realize that this sunrise, right now, is the dawning of my new journey. At 6:13am I declared this sunrise to be the first day of many on my trip to Alaska. 

At the age of fifteen I traveled to Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana with my parents, another road trip of many which we had done together. On this road trip something special was achieved, I could successfully say I had traveled to all of the contiguious 48 states of america. Through my travels to the islands in Micronesia I went to Hawaii, only for a few hours, regardless I had been there. So now, Alaska is the only state which I have not been to. Not ever been to Alaska before is the greatest reason to make this trip come true. However, there is more to this trip as well. Its a personal journey, to see the true wilds of Alaska, to see the grizzly bears and salmon spawning and to discover it by myself. It is a solo trip for me to discover the vastness of Alaska and rediscover much of the rest of America in my own time. Not very many people go that far away from home, for so long, and surrender themselves to the toils of epic road trips. Its a different kind of mindset you must put yourself in to know you will be driving tens of thousands of miles through country where you may pass through only a hand few of towns in a day. Its a weeks long journey of hard, long, driving days just to go from North Carolina just to the Alaska-Yukon border. It will be months of living out of a car, a small car, and a long time until returning home. But I think it is worth it. 

Oh Canada

So here we sit I sit in a hotel room in Thunder Bay Ontario, yes Canada. So time spent in Minneapolis was pretty fun. We got to do quite a bit and eat a lot of food. We saw two great shows, A Prairie Home Companion and another one called Triple Espresso. It's surprising to me in the twin cities how many people don't drive. Well I guess there are just as many cars and people still drive but the number of people using other means of transportation. There are people running, walking, lots of bikes, skateboards, roller blades, wheelchairs, just everything but cars. We toured Guthrie Theater backstage and all three stages. Saw their super cool public library of four floors and fireplaces. Did you know that Minneapolis has 7 miles of sky walks connecting their buildings downtown so people don't have to walk outside in negative temperatures? Did you know that there was a Red Bull sponsored bike race through them? I have to admit that this is some of the prettiest country up here. Today we left the last of the leaves behind us, the snow picked up around noon and snowed all afternoon, but none of it stuck. Driving along the rocky shores of the Great Lake Superior on one side with white birch trees and fur trees along the side of the road. Passing over creeks and waterfalls too. Well we saw a moose on our way, some deer, more bald eagles, a fox, a snowshoe hair, and lots of trees. One other thing is trains. There are lots of trains here. On the Mississippi River there are lots of barges used as well. There was a diagram we saw about transportation. One jumbo barge is equivalent to 15 jumbo hopper train cars which is equivalent to 58 tractor trailer trucks. Now out on the Mississippi where its wide they may have as many as 15 barges all together (we saw one). 15 barges can carry 22,500 TONS. Now would you rather see a tugboat pushing 15 barges down the river of 870 tractor trailer trucks. Hows that for a load?

the twin cities

So here we are in Minneapolis and its cold. Highs are in the high 40's and cold enough at night that things freeze and they are calling for snow. This is the beginning of winter here, some people don't even call this winter. Just wait a month or two and the mid day high wont even break 0. We stayed in a hotel last night in the middle of Illinois. Driving today was very beautiful and especially through Iowa. As we traveled up the Mississippi River we counted around 86 bald eagles. Thats a lot. Well I am not feeling very well and tired too so I don't feel like writing much more. Here are two pictures taken today. One is of the many bald eagles we saw today and the other picture is, well how do you describe it?

another journey

Well if you don't know yet I am safely back in the United States as of a little over a week. My first realization when I stepped out of RDU was "it's cold." My body had gotten used to those island temperatures and wearing zorries every day no more old man winter is here. I feel that I have gotten used to the temperatures once again and am glad to be here as well. I miss fish though. So one of the first things I did once I got back was I went to the grocery store. It was insane, there it was, everything you could ever eat except for weird things like shrimp crackers, and stuff with Asian writing on it. Basically mystery food. Star apples or star fruit they are something like three dollars a piece. In Pohnpei there were two trees that I could walk outside and pick more than I could eat. And fish in Harris Teeter comes from the Philippines, Greenland, Alaska, South America. Only some of the shrimp and the trout are from North Carolina. Tuna is like three or four dollars a pound and out there on those islands its just about a dollar. I am getting tired so I am going to wrap this up. I'm going on another trip, I leave in about 6.5 hours. My dad and I are going to Minnesota, why FOR FUN. So I have a bag full of cameras and lenses and stuff like that. And warm socks, and ski pants, and a coat, and another coat, and two pairs of gloves. I hear its cold up there. Weather online is looking in the 30's and low 40's. Thats for a high. Snow? I hope so. Palm trees? most likely not. So look for an update in a day or two. I am tired, goodnight. Oh, and here is a picture of Joe Dirt aka me on Halloween, enjoy.