10/28-10/31: Bee-lining to the Catskills

Heading out from Minneapolis, I did have a thought of visiting Chicago. I had wanted to take a picture of Jackson Park, where my aunt Ruby and Clarence Darrow's ashes were spread and perhaps seeing if I couldn't track down some information from the University of Chicago, or perhaps meet with a Mrs. Weinberg, who's husband wrote a biography of Darrow. But, it was not to be. I couldn't really find a place to stay and I have something of an aversion to wandering around in a big city (and Chicago is one of the biggest) by myself with no clear place to stay, or only pretty expensive alternatives. I was also feeling something of a push to get back to Nova Scotia before winter set in and snow came.

From Minneapolis/Saint Paul, I passed by Madison and Milwaukee, where conceivable there were sangha friends I could stay with, but no one had answered the phone or written back, so I took that as a sign to keep going. I got as far as Beloit, Wisconsin, just across the Minnesota border, and another Comfort Inn. Not much to be said about it really.

Next day I passed through Wisconsin and then into Illinois. I bipped thorugh Chicago, which like New York, has the turnpike (not freeway -- that's my California heritage speaking) going right through the center of it, so I could get my signtseeing in. I'd contacted Jan Wilcox in the Catskills, who said she was having some friends from Hawaii visiting from November 1-4 and if I could get there before or after, it would be good. So, I went for before.

So, I passed through Indiana, very close to my birthplace, LaPorte (only there six weeks though back in 1946), but didn't stop. Got a spoon for my daughter, as they didn't have any shot glasses, and a fridge magnet for me to commerate at least having passed through town.

Then on into Ohio, where I thought of my friend Annie Johnston, a fabulous singer and guitarist, who moved back home to Yellow Springs (from Berkeley) and didn't leave me a number, so I couldn't call her. Didn't quite get to Cleveland, but made it to Freemont, Ohio, where this time I stayed in a room with a jacuzzi right in it. I don't think I totally realized what that meant. But when I saw it sitting in the corner of the bedroom, I decided that I should take advantage and rest my weary bones and watch NCIS.

Next day, I passed through Cleveland (80 miles from Freemont), then Erie, Pennsylvania, which sticks up into Lake Ontario, then past Rochester, New York, but didn't think I'd make it all the way to Jan's, so aimed for Binghampton. It was a very long way, about 500 miles I think, through the Adirondacks, which were pretty in their upstate, New York way. Stopped at several rest areas for snooze breaks (see pics).

I kept seeing signs that I was getting close to New York City, which was somewhat confusing, but just because I didn't look at the map closely enough to see how the states fell together.

Binghamton was quite nice actually, though I had to negotiate city streets to get to the "Comfort Inn," which turned out to be a heritage hotel, which was pretty cool.

Next stop, Jan's.