Wet Line and Big Sky!

After a long journey on the road and a much needed rest in Billinings, I finally went fishing today on the Madison River! It was unbelievable. The rivers here are very high with fast water and rough current. Because of these tough conditions, there weren't many people out on the water. In fact, today I had the river to myself! I didn't catch anything, but if fishing was only about catching fish, I wouldn't fish at all. Today was about stretching my arm, casting my line, and putting a fly on the water. The scenery was unbelievable. Hills formed all around the river, creating a valley with sharp mountains in the distance. The air was hot without a cloud for miles. It felt good to cast, to be on the water and to fish. I didn't catch anything, but I know I had a good time because of the weather and the environment. Some of the land around me today seemed untouched by time and I felt like I was fishing some special water. I can't wait for more to come.

Steph was a Saint today- she dropped me off at the river and then went grocery shopping. It was great to have a friend who knows the area and to drive me to different spots on the river. After about two hours of fishing we headed to Steph's condo in Big Sky.

The road to big sky was unlike any road I've been on before. The asphalt cut through the mountains and trees like a knife with occasional sharp turns and steep mountains on each side of the road. The mountains rose up and up and I could sense a certain majesty from the car. These mountains, I swear, drew me in and captivated me. It was an uncanny feeling to be "sucked in" further and further by the mountains.

At the condo, we met Katie and her boyfriend. Katie's family owns part of the condo and she and her boyfriend were spending some time in the area. They graduated from Notre Dame this spring and are great great people. We cooked a delicious meal with grilled steak, baked potato, Caesar salad, and watermellon. The condo is in the middle of Big Sky, with mountains surrounding the area. With good weather and great people, it was the perfect place to enjoy a wonderful meal while getting to know some wonderful people.

It's late and tomorrow we are driving through Yellowstone Park! I can't wait! Thanks for reading :)

-rob

A Vast Land

Yesterday, a little past 8 pm Mountain Time, after 3,150 miles, 15 states, and three stops, Steph and I arrived in Billings, Montana to end our road trip. We drove from Denver up through Wyoming and into Montana. We stopped in Sheridan, Wyoming to have dinner with her grandparents. Her grandparents took us out to the "Chop House" and it was excellent barbeque. I had the pulled pork sandwhich which was very tender and full of great flavor.

Driving through Wyoming was a real wake up call for me. Steph drove from Wyoming and as I looked out the window I felt astonished at the vastness of the land. Hills rolled gently with green flatlands stretching out for miles and miles and miles. I've seen nothing like this in Maine, or anywhere else in the Northeast. The hills began to become more dramatic and I immediately thought of Tibet.

On a previous blog, I wrote about my experiences in India, Nepal, and Tibet (www.robindianepaltibet.blogspot.com). The hills and mountains of Wyoming reminded me of a land in Asia which stole my breath and teared my eyes. These hills in Wyoming are similar, but about 10,000 feet lower than those in Tibet. Still, it was great to drive on the highway and see a massive mountain range on our left, and rolling hills stretch out for miles on our right.

I must have seen over fifty deer and antelope. It was amazing to see them so close to the highway, and yet not even seem fazed. In Maine, I suppose there may be as many deer in the woods near the turnpike, but it's hard to know for certain because there are so many trees.

Today we drove around Billings- Steph gave me the grand tour. With a mall, Target, Walmart, and many other stores and businesses I'm familiar with, Billings seemed like any other town I've been too. As we drove around, I realized that it's a special town because of its location, and the people who live here. Billings is the biggest city in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Being the biggest city for such a large radius, it is a commerical hub for a large amount of land and people.

The people here are also special. Steph's family have opened their home and their hearts to me and have welcomed me to this place I have never been to before. Rather than feel like an outsider, they have helped me feel more comfortable, and if you'll pardon the cliche, "at home".

Although the road trip portion of the journey is over, the adventure is certainly not. Tomorrow we are heading to Steph's condo in Big Sky where I'll be able to start fishing some of best water in the world!! This has turned into a great adventure with more to come!

-rob

Mile High Fun

Denver, Colorado- the mile high city! We spent two nights in Denver on Denver University's campus. Steph's friend Ingrid, from high school, was able to let us stay at her place for a couple nights on our way north to Montana.

We first arrived in Denver two days ago. We drove into the city after a full day on the road from Kansas City. The drive from Kansas City was pretty incredible. The land was very flat (shocking). It was particularly interesting for me because I'm very used to buzzing down Maine's turnpike with a wall of tall pines on each side of the road, creating an almost "forest alley" on the road. Driving through Kansas was fun because it was so flat and open- at some points I was able to see out for what seemed like miles on each side of the road.

When we arrived at Denver it was late so we ate dinner at a noodle resaurant and then headed to Ingrid's apartment. The apartment was very nice. A one bedroom unit right on Denver University's campus, it was the perfect place to stretch out after a long day on the road. Ingrid had to wake up the next moring to run a race in Boulder, Colorado so we chatted for a bit then called it a night.

The next moring I woke up to something we hadn't seen at all during the trip- rain. I was worried it was going to dampen the day, if you will, but was soon to find out that it was nothing to worry about. After a quick breakfast, Steph and I headed to the downtown part of Denver. We drove the car to a light rail station, less than five minutes from Ingrid's apartment. We hopped on the light rail and in fifteen minutes we were in downtown Denver. No questions, no hassles. The light rail cost each of us 2 dollars for a one way trip to downtown and it was worth every penny. Fast, easy to navigate, and clean, the light rail offered us a fast route into the heart of Denver.

When we got off the train, it was raining quite hard. It was Memorial Day weekend so the downtown area was pretty much deserted. One of the streets in downtown was permanently blocked off to traffic and open only to pedestrians. We walked around a bit before we found a small coffee shop to wait out the rain.

As a small side note, I have to share my experience with the dark roast. I have recently, in the past year, hopped on the coffee train. I like it. Having an eight thirty class my senior year in college for the first time since I was in 18, it helped me not only focus in class, but also show up for the class at all. In this small coffee shop in Denver, the only coffee they had was an Ethiopean dark roast. Hey, what the heck, I'll give it a try. I had some bad experiences with dark roasts in the past, but I thought maybe this one will be okay- the coffee shop looked well established and didn't seem like it was violating any major health codes. A little bit of half and half, a pinch of sugar, and I sat with a hot cup, read to enjoy. About a half hour later I felt like I had an ulcer. I soon felt that the dark roast brought me to the dark side. As I tried to manage the molestation of my stomach, I was able to notice that the rain had stopped, so we decided to give the outside another go. Even as a passenger on the coffee train, I have to reconsider with more thought the next time I'm offered a dark roasted coffee.

Denver is a great city. The downtown offers a street open only to pedestrians, probably a mile in length, with two buses offering a free shuttle up and down the road throughout the day. There was also an art show on a couple of side streets which offered a fun and free way to see some local artists and their work. We walked around for a good part of the day then returned on the light rail to meet Ingrid for dinner.

After a short siesta, the three of us drove to Thai Basel, an excellent Thai restaurant not far from Ingrid's apartment. I had a dinner special- for ten dollars I got the sweet and sour soup, Thai eggplant, and a banana cake. The sweet and sour soup was full of bite and offered a tastful use spices and herbs to create a wonderful soup. The Thai eggplant was simply fantastic- full of flavor, served with white rice, and a wonderful sweet endnote with the surrounding sauce. The banana cake was very good, with a smooth cream frosting. A wonderful meal but no more than adequate when compared to the company. We returned to the apartment and continued a great conversation with some wonderful wine. Before the night was over, I was able to go to the bar next to Ingrid's apartment building to sample a local brew- an amber lager with a wonderful flavor, full body, and smooth finish.

Denver was a great chance to see a community thrive in today's ever advancing modern world. The light rail was the best public transportation I have taken on the trip. It was easy to navigate and understand. Unlike the New York City Subway system which makes my head spin just getting from a coffee shop to the hotel, the Light Rail in Denver was user friendly, even to a tourist from a state with no subways at all. It was great to see how Denver accomodates its citizens and advocates for greener living. The street open only to pedestrians is a perfect example. I felt like this was a perfect example of a community advancing itself with sustainability in mind, and its citizens at heart. I will miss Denver, even the rain.

Right now I'm in Montana- the end of the road trip. More to come and thanks for reading!

-rob

Kansas City

Hello from Denver Colorado!!

I spent the last night here in the the mile high city.  What a place!  I haven't seen too much of it because we drove in after dark.  We spent the previous two nights in Kansas City, Kansas and what an experience it was!

I have flown over the country three times, once to San Francisco and twice to San Diego.  I was younger and petrified, as I still am, of flying.  I can't remember exactly what I was doing on those 5 or 6 hour flights, but I'm sure that most of it had to do with annoying my older sister and paying absolutely no attention to what we were flying over.  These past few days gave me a chance to explore and learn about a part of the country I had never thought about before.  

We stayed with Steph's aunt Trish and Uncle Keith.  Her aunt is retired from the Hallmark corporation and her uncle is a photo historian.  There home was in the suburbs, or "burbs" as I soon learned it was referred to, but was not too far from the city.  Filled with art and generosity, their home provided us a much needed rest stop.  It was such a big difference being in a nice residential home compared to a hotel room with a broken toilet in the outskirts of Chicago!

The first night we ate a great salad with some local greens and chicken with grilled asparagus.  Wonderful!  I especially liked the "slow food" atmosphere.  Even after we finished, we sat at the table for what seemed like an hour and talked.  That night I crashed and slept like a rock, much needed after 8 hours in the car.

The next day was a great day in Kansas City.  In the upper 80s with all blue sky, it was the perfect day to explore the city.  Trish and Keith took us to a museum exhibiting artifacts recovered from a steam boat, The Arabia, that was found in the late 80s in the Kansas City area.  It was a project conducted by 5 men who had no prior experience in Archaeology but had a high passion for adventure and preserving the community.  The museum had what seemed like thousands of artifacts from the pre civil war period.  The men and women who work at the museum even claimed that it had the most pre civil war artifacts in the world!  Either way, it was great to see.  

After the museum we walked briefly at an outdoor market filled with venders selling local produce, flowers, and crafts- very similar to a farmers market.  We then ate lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant that seemed like a hole in the wall but served delicious Vietnamese food that was authentic and filled with fantastic flavor.  After lunch and a short stop at a shoe store, we went to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.  

Keith is a director of fine arts at the museum and it was great to have him there to explain the different pieces and point out works I might not otherwise pay attention to.  The museum is divided in a very tasteful manner between the old museum, created in the 30s, and the new part of the museum, created in 2007.  The museum was, quite simply, amazing.  I would not have had the same experience without Keith and Trish there to guide me and help me understand the significance of different works.  We also saw a photo exhibit of Homer Page which was created and organized by Keith.  Fascinating works and again, I had never heard of Homer Page before but was very happy to learn about a new artist from an authority.  

After the museum we went to an Irish Pub so I could taste some local beer.  I had the Boulevard Brewing Company's IPA and it was crisp, smooth, and full of well nurtured hopps.  It was a fantastic beer and wonderful pit stop in the middle of Kansas City's downtown area.  

That night we had another wonderful meal of salad and pasta.  The pasta had local garlic which I was happy to help Trish prepare.  Another slow food meal, with what I thought was an even longer conversation after the dinner.  Next was a nights rest, then a breakfast with Trish and Keith and a long drive to Denver, Colorado.  

I need to emphasize here at the end of this post the importance of generosity.  On this road trip, I've found that generosity has been the difference between a comfortable trip with little to worry about, and a road trip with nothing to worry about.  In Chicago we organized our own lodging, food, and transportation.  With Trish and Keith, I can't recall ever worrying about anything.  Everything was taken care of and it was this generosity that helped create a much more comfortable stay in Kansas City.  

Looking back on my preconceived notions of what Kansas City had to offer, I'm lucky to have been able to stay with Trish and Keith who showed me that despite what you think a place is about, or what it has to offer, generosity can help draw out the full potential of any place, or anything.  As we move forward on this road trip, generosity is one characteristic that I want to carry with me not only on this trip but for long after it is over as well.  

Teeth and Tolls

Hello from the Road!

I must talk about two experiences I've had which I think are important for anyone travelling on the road. They involve teeth and toll booths.

Teeth- important for how you look, and more importantly for me, they help you eat. I've always taken relatively good care of my teeth- I brush twice a day and will floss quasi-regularly. Having a tooth brush when I travel is important because after a long car ride, train jaunt, or flight, I usually feel the need to brush whatever has built up inside my mouth to feel truly at ease. I've never been on a long road trip and I felt the repercussions of forgetting my tooth brush on this particular occasion.

When you forget your toothbrush, what do you do? You probably do what I do, you smack your forehead, give an "oh darn", and head down to the front desk for a complimentary toothe brush from a front desk employee. Well, I soon learned that in budget hotels, they will be more likely to have run out of complimentary tooth brushes. Great. Perfect. At this point I was going on over 24 hours without a good brush of the pearly whites. I went back to my room, did the best I could with my finger and a gob of tooth paste, and called it a night. When I woke up, I realized that a trip to the pharamacy was necessary before I officially started my day. Immediately I felt something growing on my teeth that was thick, potent, and I needed to get it off soon. My advise for those out there thinking of travelling on the road- don't forget the toothbrush. Forget the comb. Forget the shampoo. Forget the hairdryer. Don't forget the toothbrush- you want those guys clean and happy.

Now, at the beginning of this journey, I thought it would be fun to see if I could cross our great nation on a shoestring- using as little financial resources as possible. That was fun until we hit my arch nemesis of life on the road- the toll booth.

We've passed through nine states and we've spent over 25$ in tolls. Next to food and fuel this is our biggest expense. Now, you may not think 25$ is a lot of money and I'll probably agree with you. But, when I think that we aren't even half-way done with our trip yet, I start to get sweaty palms and trembling hands. These tolls are starting to turn my once brilliant idea of a shoestring into a not so intelligent jump rope! After arriving at Chicago yesterday, it dawned on me that the shoestring isn't the way to go- bring on the jump rope! When I think about it, "The Bank of Bob and Sue" were generous enough to bail my sorry post graudate tail out of the depths of bankruptcy, I need to take what I can and run, right? Well, as my shoestring turns into a jump rope over the coming days, I hope that's what I'm thinking more and more.

See you miles down the road!

-rob

Chicago!

Hello!

After driving throught the night- through Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indianna, and Illinois- we have arrived at the Windy City!

We drove through the night in shifts according to the gas tank- I would drive a full tank and then fill up the tank, then Steph would drive and then fill up the tank. At 1:30 in the morning we hit a wall. Steph was driving and we were overcome with fatigue. We set an alarm and slept until 3:30.

The next morning, knowing that we couldn't check into the hotel until 3, we decided to make a stop in South Bend, Indianna on the way to Chicago. We arrived at the Notre Dame campus and walked around on a self-guided tour for about two hours. We parked across from the football stadium. Walking up to the entrance, I could just barely hear "Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!" in the back of my mind. The campus is unbelievable- modern stone buildings with nods to a Gothic past, wrapped in Ivy, and looming over a lush green campus. Before leaving, we stopped by the 5 year old performing arts center. The facility was incredible with a concert hall, theater, organ and chorale hall, and cinema. We were given a tour by an older woman who showed a tremendous amount of loyalty to the school. After the tour, we continued on to Chicago.

What a beautiful city! The outskirts of the city reminded me of an industrial city with mills, warehouses, and working communities. I was worried with the amount of pollution but that fear soon dissipated when the downtown came into view. Full of skyscrapers cutting into the sky, I drove the car on I90 through the city and couldn't believe the shear scale of the community that surrounded us.

It took us over an hour to find the hotel, but as we were searching the outskirts of Chicago, I couldn't help but recognize the suburbs of the city. Being an old city, the suburbs of Chicago reminded me of the suburbs of Boston, especially Cambridge. Old brick buildings, brownstones, and shops up and down the streets brought a smile to my face as I was reminded of my experiences in Boston as a youth.

Tomorrow we are planning on spending the day in downtown Chicago. I'm excited to see this beautiful city- I can't wait!!

-rob

Let the Drive Begin!

Hello Everyone!

This blog is going to chronicle my cross country road trip with a friend from Montana.  Beginning in Boston, we are going to drive to Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, and then end our trip in Montana.  My friend, from college, bought a car out here for an internship.  She needed help driving it back.  Knowing that she is from Montana, home of some of the premier fishing in the world, I offered to help with one simple condition: let me stay at your house and fish for a few days!  

The plan was set.  A few days after graduation we would start West.  

After a generous bailout from the "Bank of Sue & Bob" (my parents), and an ever popular last minute packing job, I am ready to begin this journey to the land of big sky and big trout.

Knowing that most of the money that I have with me at this time is not my own, I am going to try and put a twist to this, my latest adventure.  I am going to try and cross this great nation on a shoestring, using the resources only necessary to get from point A to Z.  Before this journey begins, there are a few added expenses that I will share, so I'm not pasted as a cheater in the future :)  film- I will be buying film and I will be documenting every aspect of this trip.  food- hey, I gotta eat :)  fishing equipment- now, I'm not talking a new rod or anything drastic, I'm simply talking 5 dollars here or there for fishing line and maybe a fly or three.  

Now that you all know the concept of this trip, I hope you enjoy hearing about this great land we call home from the eyes of poor college graduate.  I promise that although it will be frugal and resource hoarding, this trip will be a blast and I can't wait to share it with you!

In a few hours I am meeting my college friend in Boston.  From there, we head West!!

See you on the road!

-rob