Presidential Tour Part V: There And Back Again
OK so this isn't really president related at all....but figured I had to include the last chapter. :)
Originally posted by
direcorrector at Presidential Tour Part V: There And Back Again
Originally posted by
direcorrector at Presidential Tour Part V: There And Back Again I started my day with a scenic drive to Hell. Hell turns out to be in a very lovely part of lower Michigan full of trees and lakes.....just normal water lakes, no lakes of fire. I got a kick out of the fact that I had to turn onto Darwin Drive to get to Hell. I guess all those creationists in Kansas were right about where his ideas will take us!
Hell is very very small. (I guess C.S. Lewis was right!) Pretty much it's just about 3 shops. The people in Hell (the hellions?) were very friendly. "Enjoy your day in Hell!" I called my father from there specifically so I could say "Greetings from Hell! Bet you always suspected you'd get a phone call from here!" Also, I'd highly recommend Hell's ice cream.
From there I headed westward to Lansing. I found a neat Middle Eastern restaurant in East Lansing. My first impulse was to tell my friend Karen so that we could come together...but somehow I don't think we'll be taking a field trip to East Lansing any time soon. Still, no matter how far away I am, if the restaurant is really good, my first impulse is always to tell Karen. I could be on a moon in a parallel universe and I'd still think "Oooh...Karen should come here!"
The one problem I had with the restaurant was it was cafeteria style, moved really quickly....and I didn't know most of the items on the menu. The first thing I asked about turned out to be raw ground beef. So I opted for the baked vegetarian option instead. The patient cashier, knowing she had a *insert Arab word for gringa* on her hands wisely recommended I have hummus for my side dish.
After a quick drive past the capital, I headed for Muskegon. I recorded an audiobook for our 4th graders that took place there, so I got a kick out of seeing it in person. I spent a bit of time just sitting by the beach with my shoes and socks off, just savoring the moment. I was born and grew up near Lake Michigan, and I always figured the Michigan side, 90 miles away, was pretty much just a Lookinglassland version of what I saw all the time. However, the Michigan coast is considerably more dramatic with big sand dunes, bluffs and a wider variety of trees. I also kept thinking about how when I was about 5, and didn't understand that lakes were different than pools, I used to feel sorry for the people in Michigan who had the deep end of the Lake. I figured on their side it must be thousands and thousands of feet deep....which wouldn't be much fun for a little kid at the beach.
I took the ferry from Muskegon to Milwaukee. Pretty much I just lounged on a deck chair, watched the water and listened to "Radio Lab" podcasts. I really like listening to long audiobooks or the same series of podcasts when I'm on a road trip....it helps make interesting memories. Idaho will always be the rather lunar looking landscape where I listened to Jonathan Goldstein speculate that there are millions of universes out there, including one with people who spend all day on buses tickling each other. The Carolinas will always be David Tennant explaining "How To Train Your Dragon." And now Radiolab will always be associated sitting on a deck chair thinking "This is WAY better than driving through Chicago!"
I continued my road trip tradition of ending my trip in a Chancery restaurant....and heaving a sigh of relief that I'm back in Wisconsin. Although fear not, fair readers....in 3 weeks I go to Costa Rica!
Hell is very very small. (I guess C.S. Lewis was right!) Pretty much it's just about 3 shops. The people in Hell (the hellions?) were very friendly. "Enjoy your day in Hell!" I called my father from there specifically so I could say "Greetings from Hell! Bet you always suspected you'd get a phone call from here!" Also, I'd highly recommend Hell's ice cream.
From there I headed westward to Lansing. I found a neat Middle Eastern restaurant in East Lansing. My first impulse was to tell my friend Karen so that we could come together...but somehow I don't think we'll be taking a field trip to East Lansing any time soon. Still, no matter how far away I am, if the restaurant is really good, my first impulse is always to tell Karen. I could be on a moon in a parallel universe and I'd still think "Oooh...Karen should come here!"
The one problem I had with the restaurant was it was cafeteria style, moved really quickly....and I didn't know most of the items on the menu. The first thing I asked about turned out to be raw ground beef. So I opted for the baked vegetarian option instead. The patient cashier, knowing she had a *insert Arab word for gringa* on her hands wisely recommended I have hummus for my side dish.
After a quick drive past the capital, I headed for Muskegon. I recorded an audiobook for our 4th graders that took place there, so I got a kick out of seeing it in person. I spent a bit of time just sitting by the beach with my shoes and socks off, just savoring the moment. I was born and grew up near Lake Michigan, and I always figured the Michigan side, 90 miles away, was pretty much just a Lookinglassland version of what I saw all the time. However, the Michigan coast is considerably more dramatic with big sand dunes, bluffs and a wider variety of trees. I also kept thinking about how when I was about 5, and didn't understand that lakes were different than pools, I used to feel sorry for the people in Michigan who had the deep end of the Lake. I figured on their side it must be thousands and thousands of feet deep....which wouldn't be much fun for a little kid at the beach.
I took the ferry from Muskegon to Milwaukee. Pretty much I just lounged on a deck chair, watched the water and listened to "Radio Lab" podcasts. I really like listening to long audiobooks or the same series of podcasts when I'm on a road trip....it helps make interesting memories. Idaho will always be the rather lunar looking landscape where I listened to Jonathan Goldstein speculate that there are millions of universes out there, including one with people who spend all day on buses tickling each other. The Carolinas will always be David Tennant explaining "How To Train Your Dragon." And now Radiolab will always be associated sitting on a deck chair thinking "This is WAY better than driving through Chicago!"
I continued my road trip tradition of ending my trip in a Chancery restaurant....and heaving a sigh of relief that I'm back in Wisconsin. Although fear not, fair readers....in 3 weeks I go to Costa Rica!