A few years ago someone knowing of my dream gave me the book titled "Blue Highways". The story of another man in transition that traveled the back roads of America discovering real people living diverse lives. Romantic encounters with the rich variety that life has to offer are documented throughout his book.
Here I make a confession. For the last 7 years or so that I have had the book, I have only managed making it to page 22 (out of 433 pages) which is about halfway through the first section. I have always intended to read the book cover-to-cover like I have "Travels with Charley"..... but I could never get past those first few pages describing his transition into this new life on the road, pulling out of town, and his early encounters. It may have been his writing style, quite different than Steinbeck's, but more likely I have been growing beyond the desire to read about another's adventure.... I am ready to start preparing for my own. I kept the book close on an endtable as a reminder of what I hoped to do someday... and have several times reread those first pages of William Least Heat Moon starting off on his way to a new life.
This past year, I have reached that point of transition, where it is possible and necessary for me to pursue new dreams. Early last fall, I actually began the plan that has brought me to this point. My love to travel and sightsee was not shared by my family during the growing years, so with new (unwished) independence, and a need to get away, I began taking short trips in my Honda Accord to interesting points in the Midwest (don't laugh, we have plenty of neat things to see here). First were day trips following the Mississippi river up the Minnesota side from Lake City to Red Wing, and back down the Wisconsin side crossing at Winona. A beautiful drive on the weekends with many motorcyclists taking the same tour, stopping at the turnouts overlooking the Mississippi from the bluffs. On sunny days, Lake Pepin (wide spot in the Mississippi) would be covered with Sail Boats, a former love of mine. Day trips were enough at first, as I was not accustomed to being away from home in recent years.
My first real "getaway" trip was up to Bayfield, Wisconsin, to visit the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior. This is a favorite spot for weekend sailors as there are many beautiful areas to visit and camp on the islands, and challenges that sailors will not find elsewhere in the Midwest. I stayed in a motel in the center of town, near the docks for the two nights. The first day I took the ferry to Madeline Island, which is the largest of the 21 islands and only one that is inhabited year round. During the winter months,as the lake freezes, travel is by windsled or snowmobile on the "ice road" to and from the island. The older children make the trip daily to attend school in Bayfield. After touring the local museum, I sat on the dock sipping one of the local Wisconsin micro-brews, waiting for the ferry to return... enjoying the sun and being far away from it all. The next day after taking the Grand Tour Cruise of the Islands, I headed back to Rochester... noting the many friendly looking campgrounds in the area and throughout Wisconsin on the drive back.
Another dream I have had is to ride around Lake Superior on a motorcycle. This was not the time for me to attempt that alone, instead I hopped in the Honda and headed for the North Shore... a region above Duluth that is beautiful in the fall. From there I continued into Canada stopping at Thunder Bay, Ontario, for the night. I continued my trip around the lake to Sault Ste. Marie where I visited a friend and toured St Joseph Island. The next day I continued through the Michigan Upper Peninsula to Mackinaw City where I spent the evening sightseeing. Then I followed the north shore of Lake Michigan to route 94 north through the Hiawatha National Forest back up to the south shore of Lake Superior. From there back along the south shore until I got to Bayfield. After spending the night, I continued the journey completing the circle at the city of Superior just across from Duluth. Riding back on the interstate I thought of how much I had enjoyed the 5 day trip.... and of the many campgrounds I had seen while driving through Canada in places where there were no motels to be found..... and wondered how I was going to pay off my Visa Card.
By now it was clear that I enjoyed being on the road... but that I was not equipped for the trip that I wanted to take next... leaving through International Falls, and traveling west across Canada through Calgary to Vancouver. Or east toward Quebec and Nova Scotia... back down the eastern seashore investigating the islands along the jagged seashore of Maine... around the time of Lobster Fest. So many places to see... so little time. Then as I was studying the maps I followed the routes north from Calgary, and spotted the Alcan....
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