Phase XXVI : Indiana

The next few phases are going to be harder to define on a state by state basis, but I'm going to try to stay true to the format I chose before I thought too hard about it.

Unlike our last two times leaving port, we were pretty relaxed.  We packed a bunch of stuff without sweating and groaning over every article of clothing.  We packed less than half of what we packed last time and made very conscious decisions over what we were parking, rather than freaking out that we had forgotten something vital.  Experience pays.

On the other hand, we were sweating where we were headed.  When we woke up Monday morning, we had two options:  head towards Niagara Falls, or round out the Midwest (with bonus North Dakota).  After a flurry of texts to people we wanted to visit, we decided to head north and then west to see what we could take in.

As a result, this leg of the trip is less a coherent string of National Parks and breweries, and a lot more "OOOOH!  LET'S DO X!"

Our first bit of business was to visit my dear friend in Toledo.  He dutifully led us to Maumee Bay Brewing, where we enjoyed Hot Beef Dip (a Midwestern favorite- basically a creamy bowl of corned beef and cheese, served hot with wedges of bread) and very tasty beer.

Next, we wandered to Black Cloister Brewing, which was also quite lovely.  There was a political talk that evening, which we didn't get a chance to see due to our timing, so it was a lively spot.

Since Ryan and I had put zero effort into this leg of the trip, we had no idea where we were going to sleep that night, until my friend recommended a spot where his family camped a great deal when he was a kid.  Good friends are essential, and this is why I don't discourage anyone from giving me ideas while we're on the road!

We had a bit of a rough sleep that night.  It was very stuffy and humid.  A skunk sprayed somewhere near our camp spot.  The van quickly filled with mosquitoes.  Ryan was up at 3.30am swatting at bugs, and we kept the fan on all night at risk of burning out Vincent's battery.  We managed to catch a little sleep after that, but the next morning was groggy and stiff for both of us.  Coffee and doughnuts definitely helped.

Our goal was to head to the Indiana Dunes area.  According to GPS, it was about 3 hours from the campsite.  We left the campsite at 11am.  Due to construction traffic and re-routes/detours by 1pm, we had made it exactly 30 miles closer to our destination.  Ryan was livid, and I had thoroughly researched the Dunes area and was ready to get out of the car and hike. 

We managed to shine it on to South Bend, when we had to stop out of total frustration.  Enter The Crooked Ewe.  It's a brewery and farm-to-table gastropub, and I assure you, it is out of this world.

First, they have a "Deviled Egg of the Day."  On this day, it was a pimento cheese egg.

They also had a cask-aged Scottish Ale that had Ryan swooning.  My IPA was very tasty, but I was frustrated by the menu.  Everything looked so GOOD.  As I labored intensely with this hefty decision, the bartender asked if I'd like to hear about the special.  "It's a ground pork belly burger- half of the meat was smoked, and half was brined, so it's mixed together before it's cooked.  It's got a corn and jalapeno pico, smoked Gouda, pickeled onion, on a pretzel bun, with house fries and fresh-made catsup."  And Sold.

As we sat there, devouring in an ecstatic silence, it started raining.  Like, really really really raining.  Ryan started groaning that we would NEVER get to hike.  I admit, I was not optimistic. 

And yet, when we left, the clouds parted, the rain dried, and by the time we got to the Dunes area, the weather was absolutely perfect.

Our first order of business was to hike the Bailly Homestead/Prairie trail as quickly as possible before it could even think about raining again.

It was a fantastic hike.  Also, there were farm animals.

We flew through the first couple miles, and then we came to the clearing of the actual Homestead.  Our pace immediately slowed, because there were signs to read and things to learn and objects to photograph.  Also, my mother called, so that burned a few minutes.

In a nutshell, this was a site where a lot of Midwestern trading and Native American relations came together, under the watch of Joseph Bailly. 

Our hike was fast and fun, and when we loaded up triumphantly in Vincent, it was thinking about raining.  Our timing was great.

Next, we wanted to see the Dunes, but given that it was late in the day and getting ready to rain, we didn't want to spend the entrance fee to get into the park.  The ranger was SUPER helpful, though, and gave us a location where we could step out onto the shores of Lake Michigan and get a feel for the surroundings.  He noted that the wave sensors were measuring 10 foot waves, so the weather was likely to get gnarly.

Thankfully, we managed to get to the lake and take a few pictures before the weather changed (again), but we did encounter a fellow on a bicycle with a handful of samurai swords, and he was yelling and waving them around, so we didn't exactly linger.

Our final destination in Indiana was the holiest place in Indiana- 3 Floyds Brewing.  By the time we got there, we were mostly tired, mostly stiff, mostly damp, and ready to find a place to sleep, but we powered through a DELICIOUS IPA and helped ourselves to a few slices of fried chicken pizza.

After dinner, we rather quietly drove to Illinois for the night, having a mixed bag of success in Indiana, but ultimately conquering the Ales and the Trails.

The Interregnum

We arrived home towards the end of July.

The first thing I did was take a long, long, long shower, and change into clean pyjamas that had not gone on the road, and crawl into bed.

After several months away, I was afraid my cats were going to be very, very angry.  They were not.

After a delicious nap, Ryan and I toasted our success thus far with some of the bourbon we picked up at Maker's Mark, which felt like a very, very, very long time ago.

We also sorted through our National Park pamphlets.  Here are the places Vincent has been:

Becoming civilized was hard at first.  Hanging out with people we knew was interesting, since we'd really only spoken with each other and fun people from breweries for the past several months.  Did people want to hear road stories, or did that make me sound snobby?  Was I too enthusiastic?  Did anyone care about seeing my pictures?  How much sake is too much?

I spent nearly ever morning at the barn with my faithful horse, Bragg.  Eventually, the barn owner let me do morning feed so she could take care of some dire family issues, and I played with ponies until it got too hot.

I did a lot of cooking, which was challenging, since I didn't remember where things lived in my kitchen.

I went to Washington DC for a dear friend's tenth wedding anniversary and drank Soju for the first time.

Ryan and I went to Dayton and checked out the Air Force Museum.

We celebrated my mother's birthday. 

We celebrated Ryan's mother's birthday.

We attended the funeral of another friend's grandfather.

We helped people move- Ryan helped his brother move down the street, and I helped a friend move from St. Louis to Cincy.  We both helped my mother move out of her home of the past 20 years to a new apartment across town.

Ryan went to Colorado with his brothers and scaled three 14ers. 

We mostly tried to keep busy and not spend money.

And yet, the road called to us, so soon, we'll load up Vincent and head out to see the rest of the country before Ryan's sabbatical runs out in October.  Stay tuned- there's going to be more.

Phase XXV : Nebraska 2 and Iowa

This entry is shamefully late due to technical difficulty.  Some of that difficulty involved my own limitations; some of that can be blamed on "why is cord?" type error.

But here we are.  The next leg of the trip is about to start tomorrow, and I'm finally revealing how the last leg ended... last month.

Anyway.

After Kansas, we jotted back into Nebraska, because I had this weird need to see Omaha, and it was a great way to seg over to Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Home.

Omaha is really very transparent and sincere about its situation.  That being said, compared to the Jesus-filled fields of Kansas, it was kinda cool to see buildings and structures and people.

Our first stop was to Zip Line Brewery, which included a wrong turn into someone's driveway.  They didn't even set down their beer before they started chasing us back to the main road.  Sneaky Van People.  We just think we can show up anywhere... .

Zip Line, though.  Once we arrived at the correct location, I was very quickly and very fully impressed.  We talked camping with our compatriots, and enjoyed a brand-new release beer dedicated to the Red Panda at the Omaha Zoo.  It was very, very tasty.

We followed Zip Line with take out Vietnamese, including some incredible pho, and a spicy shrimp and rice dish.  We devoured our food in a sketchy hotel room with American Pickers on the sketchy hotel tv, basking in the loud air conditioning that is the hallmark of every sketchy hotel room.

The Omaha Zoo kept coming up, like some sort of non-frightening, adult version of Bloody Mary.  Say it three times into a glass of beer, and BOOM! you have tickets.

Of course, the next morning, thunderstorms began almost the same instant we stepped out of the hotel.  Ryan and I spent a significant amount of time rending our clothes and rolling our eyes before we decided to hit the brewery first, then see what the weather was doing.

Nebraska Brewing Company receives mixed reviews, but I have an open mind.  I grabbed a glass of their special limited-release-barrel-aged-whatchamacallit, and it was fabulous.  I believe it's on Ryan's Untappd, if you need the name.  I was too busy enjoying.

We ordered a Hawaiian pizza and some nachos, because we're predictable.  What ensued was the most controversial nacho picture I have ever posted.  I posted on Instagram and Facebook, and the negative comments began rolling in immediately.  The general consensus was that the nachos looked like vomit, and how DARE I eat something so gross.  I will be the first to admit that nachos are a food that does not necessarily photograph well.  I will also loudly proclaim that I have limited photographic skills.  I did not expect backlash from what I thought was just another nacho picture.  So, if you are not faint of heart, keep scrolling, and view this controversial, disgusting nacho picture is all of its gory glory.

There ya go.  Thank you for being so brave.

Having eaten our nachos and consumed our beer, the rain subsided, and we headed out for the zoo.   Typically, I'm not a "Zoo Person."  I'm not really into looking at animals languish in boxes.  The mission statement for the Omaha Zoo (properly known as the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium) is directed towards preservation, conservation, and education, which I can appreciate.  I was very impressed with the design and layout of enclosures to match what the individual animals might find stimulating in the wild.

I was also very impressed with how absolutely idiotic some people were.  Honestly, it was like the zoo attendees paid an entrance fee to a contest to see who could be the biggest imbecile.  Pounding on glass, shouting, trying to throw things at animals, attempts to climb into the enclosures, and my personal favourite- a dude very loudly trying to do a drug deal while pushing a stroller holding a screaming baby.  One child screamed so loudly at the vultures that he knocked himself silly and almost passed out.  How unfortunate.

So, before I get myself all worked up again, here are some majestic animal photos:

The zoo has a walk-through lemur enclosure, which was very cool.  One lemur stood right by the entrance- a sort of fuzzy and feral welcoming committee.  I very cautiously observed and photographed said lemur, then let it have its space.  One of the zookeepers approached us and asked if we had seen any lemurs yet.  "Oh, just that guy by the door," Ryan replied.  The zookeeper took off running towards the lemur, who was trying very hard to escape.

This zoo was unique in that there were indoor facilities.  I deeply enjoyed the Desert complex and, of course, the aquarium.

We ended up picking up a Red Panda stuffie at the gift shop, since we had enjoyed the Red Panda beer and seen the Red Panda habitat.

And then it was off through the drizzle to Iowa!  Thankfully, the rain let up before we found camping for the night, so I managed to crack off a quick picture of sunshine while updating the blog in my underwear in the van.  Naturally, as I was doing so, a truck full of people and cars appeared from nowhere, and one of the dogs tried to jump into the van.  I am grateful that the dog ran off before its humans could judge me on my undergarment choices.

So.  What do you do in Iowa?  The bartender at Nebraska Brewing recommended a shop that had over 200 beers on tap, which sounded great, but we had to "DO" something first.

Ryan came up with this great plan to do the covered bridge tour, and I don't remember necessarily agreeing to this plan, but I also probably just shrugged when he mentioned it.

The interesting thing about The Bridges of Madison County is that they are covered in graffiti that isn't terribly old.  Some of them have guest books you can sign.  Also, they all look exactly the same.

Again, I'm not blessed with rampant photography skills, so trying to make covered bridges look interesting was abundantly challenging.

Ryan kinda picked up on the fact that I wasn't entirely thrilled, and thus, we drove down dirt roads through corn that was high as an elephant's eye (wrong state) until we reached El Bait Shop.

Just cycle those photos over and over again for a few hours, and you have a pretty good picture of Iowa.  Picturesque?  Certainly.  Serene?  Of course.  Fascinating?  Now, I'm a good Midwesterner, and I worship my corn, but come on.

Meanwhile, El Bait Shop has 262 unique beer options.  And jalapeno-stuffed, bacon-wrapped, cheese-covered tater tots.  And cheese sticks that do not compare in size to any of my body parts.

After stocking up on beer and cheese, Ryan and I looked at each other, shrugged, and unanimously voted on going home.  Technically, we didn't have to be back until the beginning of August, but we were ready.  We didn't want any bed but OUR bed, in OUR room.  OUR toilet.  Staying perfectly still.  Cuddling with our cats.  I wanted to see my horse.  I wanted to take my mother out for her birthday.  It just made sense to go home.

We drove as far and as fast as Vincent could muster, but Ryan ran out of enthusiasm somewhere in Illinois.  I think.  I immersed myself in reading blogs and fell into some kind of worm hole that Ryan interrupted at three in the morning by stating he was going to lie down in the back for a bit.  That was my first time sleeping at a truck stop, and honestly, it wasn't that bad.  I woke up at 5 and had Ryan walk me to the bathroom, but nothing awful happened, and we immediately fell asleep again, safe and sound.

And then, after a few hours, there it was:  My front door.