It's a Wonderful Life

Tuesday, 13 October 2009

Road Trip Day 55

Today I left the internationally famous Niagara Falls for the more secluded, rather swankier central area of New York State.

Quiet in the City

The first break in my journey was in Rochester, a mid-size city on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. There was no major draw to the city, just a convenient break and a chance to see more American city architecture. Here's a rather fetching mini "Flat Iron" style building.

Rochester exhibited one of the features I've seen in many of the cities I've seen here which is it was quiet. I've been struck by how empty many American cities seem to be. Even in some parts of New York city I saw near empty streets. Chicago was no busier than Brighton, probably even less so. Maybe I'm missing the rush hours, but still, it's strange to see so few people and such little traffic on the streets; strange, but refreshingly pleasant.

More Lakes

Inland from Rochester and Lake Ontario are the considerably smaller Finger Lakes. I diverted inland and skipped along the northern tips of several of the lakes. The surrounding areas feel well heeled and the towns are filled with large, beautiful houses that I'd describe as typically "American".

The Real "Bedford Falls"

On of the prettiest of the towns I passed through today is Seneca Falls, also filled with these large, traditional houses, a perfect small town America main street and situated on a canal.

As I'd taken a stroll around town I began to notice a number of references to the classic James Stewart movie "It's a Wonderful Life"; Zuzu's Café, Hotel Clarence, a Steel Bridge over the canal and, in the public park, a Christmas tree presented to the town by The Friends of It's a Wonderful Life.

Well, it turns out Seneca Falls claims to be the inspiration for the movie. It wasn't filmed here, but the town claims enough similarities to the movie, plus apparent evidence that the director, Frank Capra must have passed through the town.

I can't mark it down as a movie location, but it's a sweet story and a delightful town to visit.

Southwick Beach

I wasn't far from my destination when I needed an energising break from the road so stopped at the appropriately named Southwick Beach. Unlike Southwick, Sussex near where I live, this beach was sandy with barbeques and pretty parklands. However, none of them were in use in the biting early fall wind blowing off the lake.

Heading East

Tomorrow, I'm set for another boat trip and then head into The Adirondacks.

Goodnight.

View Driving Day 55 in a larger map

Stats - Day Eighty-One

Distance travelled - 275 miles - Buffalo to Alexandria Bay, NY

State count - 34 + DC + B.C.

Room numbers stayed in - 203, 1, 148, 212, 205, 210, 246, 118, 3, 145, 229, 111, 207, 206, 40, 605, "Cowboy", 35, 11, 18, 262, 216, 208, 430, 216, 59, 226, 115 / 110*, 309, 30, 8, 255, 428, 209, "Spare", 105, 207, 227, 126, 112

*room switch

Groundhog Day

Sunday, 11 October 2009

Road Trip Day 53

So, where was I last night? Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home of the famous weather predicting Groundhog of folklore and movie stardom.

Kidding!

OK, you probably saw that coming but having stayed at the home of the Groundhog Day I couldn't resist making the obvious joke. Here's the real entry...

- + - - | - - + - - | - - + - - | - - + - - | - - + -

All Falls Down

Monday, 12 October 2009

Road Trip Day 54

I ticked another one of those huge, unmissable sites off my list today. The area around the falls is covered in Casinos, Hotels, Restaurants and observation points. It's not too horrible though and I avoided the tackier parts, heading straight for the New York State Park and started my day with a look at the main attraction. In this photo the falls closest are America Falls with a very slight gap to the much narrower Bridal Veil Falls. In the distance you can see the mist billowing around the much larger Horseshoe Falls.

Misty Misty

I bought the bundled ticket of several attractions for one price and started with the much recommended trip on the Maid of the Mist. When you board the boat it feels sturdy enough, but viewed from above you get an idea of how much it bobs around in the turbulent water below the falls.

It's a great trip to take and an international tourist rite of passage. I got suitably drenched and spent the rest of the day with squishy shoes.

Still, it was worth it, though as the day was cold it took me a long time to dry out. With that in mind I chose not to do the Cave of the Winds walk. I was temped by the attractive high grip sandals and yellow poncho, but not by the prospect of spending the rest of the day soaking wet.

Other Stuff

There are other attractions at the falls but, frankly, they are a little tired. The Discovery Centre gives some of the history and geology of the Niagara Gorge but it's very simplistic. Over the road is an Aquarium with some pretty fish, twitchy penguins and some sealions.

Still, the area is really all about the Falls themselves which are pretty spectacular and well worth the visit.

Goodnight.

Stats - Day Eighty

Distance travelled - 0 miles - Stayed in Buffalo, NY

State count - 34 + DC + B.C.

Room numbers stayed in - 203, 1, 148, 212, 205, 210, 246, 118, 3, 145, 229, 111, 207, 206, 40, 605, "Cowboy", 35, 11, 18, 262, 216, 208, 430, 216, 59, 226, 115 / 110*, 309, 30, 8, 255, 428, 209, "Spare", 105, 207, 227, 126

*room switch

Groundhog Day

Sunday, 11 October 2009

Road Trip Day 53

So, where was I last night? Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home of the famous weather predicting Groundhog of folklore and movie stardom.

Following My Heart

So, yesterday as I left Pittsburgh I began to drive towards my intended destination of Erie. I glanced at my atlas for a more direct route to Buffalo and there was Punxsutawney staring back at me. Don't be silly I said to myself. You can't go there just because you really like Groundhog Day. I then thought about all the other places I have been just for movie links and it suddenly became a certainty. I rang the first hotel to appear in my Sat-Nav. They had a cheap room so that it; done deal.

An hour or two later, along a much prettier route than the nasty Interstate to Erie, I arrived in the fabled town. My hotel was suitably dated, with a large double height lobby, one slow lift, a dining room from 1974 and bathroom built from drywall in the corner of my room as a hasty conversion from the days of shared bathrooms.

The hotels, restaurants, shops and public buildings all synchronised with the image portrayed in the movie of a sweet, slightly tired town proud of its quirky place in American tradition.

I'd also like to give special mention to my waitress at the hotel, Erin. She was supremely laid back, very slightly surly but in the most endearing way and friendly yet off-hand in an overly familiar kind of fashion. She even had the nerve to recommend the only dessert they didn't have and then, when I had an alternative and enjoyed it, told me the Apple Dumplings would have been better. She was probably right...

As and when I write a screenplay / novel / lavishly embroidered autobiography, I'll be sure to include a laconic waitress named Erin.

But back to Punxsutawney in general, every other shop had a groundhog in the window, in the store sign or stood outside in giant fibreglass form.

There are over thirty of these fibreglass statues of "Punxy Phil" around the town, each one customised to a different theme. The one about is outside a bank. Below is the first one, and only one with a Top Hat. He's outside the Groundhog Zoo where the real Punxy Phil lives... except he was sleeping out back today so no photo of the real Groundhog.

I spent this morning wandering around the town centre, snapping fibreglass Phils as I went and also admiring the small scale architecture. How about this for a place to live? I'll have this one please.

Gobblers Knob

Of course, I could not leave town without a trip out to Gobblers Knob itself, on the outskirts of Punxsutawney. There's a large dais, viewing areas for family and general admission, floodlights, bathroom facilities and, of course, the stump from which Phil emerges each February 2nd to make his famous prognostication.

According to a display there, over 35,000 people turned up in 1976 (if I recall) so it's quite a big event and an even bigger money-spinner for little Punxy.

Symbolic Location

So, why does Punxsutawney feel like more than just a movie related whim? Well, it's symbolic of my situation, representing a desire to live and relive these three months over and over. But wait, now is not the time for soppy stuff. I have 2 weeks and over a thousand miles to go still. Onwards Beast!

Wood for the Trees

A short distance north from Punxsutawney, and another justification for staying there, is Allegheny National Forest. Much of the areas I've seen in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania have been heavily wooded with the glorious fall colours I have waxed lyrical about already.

But seriously, if there is any way you can get to see these colours for yourself in these states or further up in Minnesota I urge you as strongly as I can to do so. My camera doesn't capture the magnificence of this natural display. So many times I turned a bend and immediately searched for a place to stop and drink in the view.

Rolling hillsides, as far as the eye can see, covered in trees, each one seemingly a slightly different colour is a sight to behold.

My final picture on the tree theme is as much a reminder to myself as anything else. If I forget, can someone please nag me into translating my painting style from pretty girls faces to this leaf, and also some of the many flowers I have photographed with an eye to recreating on canvas.

A Million Miles (I Love You)**

A quick nod here to whichever authority is witty enough to put these signs up in Pennsylvania. A funny way to get the message across.

Oh, and I feel like I've driven a million miles now so can I take mine off?

The Empire State's Back

After "closing the donut" yesterday, today I returned to a state I've been in before; state number one on my list, New York. Of course, the difference between Upstate New York (am I using the correct term?) and New York City is like the difference between Coldplay and a talented group who deserve a great deal of acclaim and admiration.

I'm only a stones throw from Canada, but over 290 miles from the Empire State Building, so whilst I am back in a state I have visited before, it's all fresh territory.

Return of the Dee-Dee

So, tomorrow Niagara Falls from both sides, then for the last two weeks I have the six states of New England to cover before I see New York City again. No problem.

Goodnight.

P.S. The Twins were swept by The Damn Yankees and are now out of the Play-off's and so won't make it to the 2009 World Series. I obviously didn't chew hard enough.

View Driving Day 53 in a larger map

Stats - Day Seventy-Nine

Distance travelled - 194 miles - Punxsutawney, PA to Buffalo, NY via Allegheny National Forest.

States entered - New York, again

State count - 34 (still) + DC + B.C.

Room numbers stayed in - 203, 1, 148, 212, 205, 210, 246, 118, 3, 145, 229, 111, 207, 206, 40, 605, "Cowboy", 35, 11, 18, 262, 216, 208, 430, 216, 59, 226, 115 / 110*, 309, 30, 8, 255, 428, 209, "Spare", 105, 207, 227, 126

*room switch

** 30 Bonus Points to anyone who knows which band have a song with this title.

Hip, Hip, Hip, Hooray!

Saturday, 10 October 2009

Road Trip Day 52

Today the cloud lifted and with it, my mood. On reflection, I'd say yesterday's driving was amongst the most gruelling of my trip so far. It wasn't the distance, but the rain and accompanying level of concentration required. Also, for some reason which is probably to do with safety, The Beast's cruise control turns itself off in the rain. Still, onwards and upwards... and eastwards.

Smalltown USA

I took breakfast today in the small town of Carrollton, Ohio, set in rolling countryside and with streets lined with cute, functional local stores centred on a town square all decked out for Halloween.

Carrollton was a sign of things to come as my surroundings became progressively more rural, tranquil and idyllic as I drove southwards towards my first target for the day.

Here's a taster.

Closing the Donut

There are two reasons for my current southward loop. The first is to knick the top of West Virginia. We came within a few miles of the West Virginian border early on during the TrekAmerica section of my trip. Today I put that omission right and in so doing "closed the donut". Let me explain. My route is a loop of America, encircling five states which I have not been able to get to. Visiting West Virginia closes the loop as it abuts Virginia. This leaves Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri as my five "Donut Hole" states.

More than Just a Number

Happily, my trip to West Virginia was more than just a tick in the box as I stopped in Weirton. Formerly a huge player in the Steel Industry, times are hard and the factory employs only 10% of previous numbers (again, thank Wikipedia). The town is dominated by this monstrous, unusual looking manufacturing plant which really caught my eye.

Another very eye-catching sight in the town is All Saints Greek Orthodox Church, which has a Stainless Steel Clad Dome and Tower.

Pittsburgh, PA

West Virginia is just a few miles wide at the point I crossed today, so I was soon in Pennsylvania. Another major American city which didn't even cross my mind during my planning was Pittsburgh. Happily, a recommendation from Simon, plus it's proximity to the West Virginian "Panhandle" made it an easy, and fantastic stop today.

Overlooked

Downtown Pittsburgh sits on a point where the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela rivers meet. To the south a huge cliff rises to around the same height as the city skyscrapers. The lookout is phenomenal and with the powerful sky today made for a compelling view.

Oh, and no, your eyes do not deceive you. The fountain at the tip of the promontory is pink. I assume it is to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month and not some hideous chemical spill.

Street Level

Down at street level, Pittsburgh is a mix of old and new, with some striking, though possibly slightly questionable architecture. Here's a couple of shots of the no-holds-barred "PPG Place". I'm not sure if I like it or not.

Home from Home

From Pittsburgh, I headed back in the general direction of Buffalo for my next big stop at Niagara Falls. I'm not telling you where I am yet, I'll save that for tomorrow when I have been to the spots I want to see. However, on the way I reflected how much this part of Pennsylvania looks like the English Cotswolds.

The only clue to my location is to tell you I am in Amish country. Here's a warning sign unique to the area.

Fiddy Cents

Good news by the way. I've completed my collection of all 50 state quarters! Here they are in my collectors book.

Oh good grief, I am such a nerd!

I'll see you for more of the same again tomorrow.

Goodnight.

visited 34 states (68%)

Create your own visited map of The United States

Stats - Day Seventy-Eight

Very sharp eyed readers will notice I appear to have jumped forward three days. Well, it turns out I messed up my "Day Numbers" a few times. I've put them right, and can say I am definately on my 78th day in the USA today.

Distance travelled - 191 miles - North Canton, OH to an as yet undisclosed destination via Carrollton, OH, Weirton WV, and Pittsburgh, PA

States entered - West Virginia, Pennsylvania

State count - 34 + DC + B.C.

Room numbers stayed in - 203, 1, 148, 212, 205, 210, 246, 118, 3, 145, 229, 111, 207, 206, 40, 605, "Cowboy", 35, 11, 18, 262, 216, 208, 430, 216, 59, 226, 115 / 110*, 309, 30, 8, 255, 428, 209, "Spare", 105, 207, 227

*room switch

Rain on My Parade

Friday, 9 October 2009

Road Trip Day 51

When I woke up in Ann Arbor this morning, I opened my curtains to take a look at the Highway mere feet from my plugged ears and it was raining.

Motor City

After breakfast I packed my car and drove through the torrential downpour towards Detroit.

Detroit had been firmly on my "Avoid" list but as I was just 30 miles away and had read good things about the city in my guide book I took time out to take in another of America's major cities.

I drove to the Renaissance Centre, or the "Ren-Cen" as it's known locally. It's a huge office complex with public spaces including a food court and small shopping mall. There's also an observation platform but the visibility was pretty poor through the drizzle.

Though I didn't stay in Detroit city centre for long, I liked what I saw and it seems like a very clean, modern city at it's heart.

I Love You’re A'sent

On the way out of Detroit my Sat-Nav appeared unwilling to go to Cleveland so I had to pull over to let it make it's calculations. As I was in a McDonald's car park anyway, I popped in for a Café Latte and to use the bathroom.

I was quite a hit the McDonald's on Mack Avenue. I don't think they get many white chicks, from England, wearing a Prince Symbol necklace and a Minnesota Twins Baseball cap. My accent was enjoyed, the symbol admired and I gently apologised for the recent beating which the Twins dished out to the Detroit Tigers.

I had my Latte plain, but on reflection, I should have ordered the Vanilla.

Burn On

I drove through the continuing deluge, into Ohio and followed the shoreline of the third Great Lake that I've seen, lake Erie. About all I knew of Cleveland was what I had learned from the classic (in my opinion) baseball movie, "Major League". In it, the Cleveland Indians are on their last legs and the owner is trying to get them to play so badly that they can relocate the team to Miami.

The movie portrayal of Cleveland is of a heavy industrial town, somewhat shunned and down on it's luck.

I much preferred the reality that I saw of a great looking city with strong, powerful skyscrapers and pleasant open spaces.

That's not to say it's industrial base has gone. On the contrary, the journey from Detroit to Cleveland was punctuated by huge factories, frequently billowing clouds of steam, smoke and even flame into the sky. Huge piles of blue "stuff" stood next to one stinky chemical works and cooling towers, cranes and rail yards abounded. I'm not sure I'd want to live near this industrial heartland, but it was an impressive spectacle to visit. I was filled with memories of Teeside in Yorkshire and journeys there with my folks when I was little.

My Bad

My main, if not only reason for going to Cleveland was the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, a museum like institution dedicated to popular music. Each year new members are inducted into the Hall of Fame and to qualify, it must be 25 years from the release of their first material. For instance, and you know who I will mention here, Prince was inducted in 2004, the first year he became eligible.

This 25 year rule and the limited annual induction means the Hall is limited to well known, big selling, highly influential artists... and that is where I came unstuck.

You see, I tend to be passionate about and interested in relatively unknown artists, passing fads, new music and one offs. Sure, I've got a bunch of greatest hits albums, including one by Bruce Springsteen to whom the top two floors of the museum are currently, temporarily dedicated. However, save for The Beatles and a few other major names, I don't really give two hoots for the likes of REM, Tom Petty, The Ramones and so on.

And that is why I found it pretty dull really. It's nice to see a few famous stage costumes and instruments, but as it covers such a wide range in a relatively small space, you don't get to see much.

If you are maybe 10 to 20 years older than me, or if you are the kind of music fan who likes to dredge through the influences of your current favourites, then it's probably quite interesting. For me, not so much.

Oh, and on top of that, you can't take photos or video anywhere inside so here's one of the heavily soaked exterior. What a swizz!

Damn Yankees

The Twins lost again, so go back to Minneapolis with a 2 game deficit in the series of 5 against the New York Yankees to see who progresses towards the World Series. My jaw hurts.

Oh, and did I mention, it has been raining all day long and is still raining now!

Goodnight.

View Driving Day 51 in a larger map

visited 32 states (64%)

Create your own visited map of The United States or vertaling nederlands duits?

Stats - Day Seventy-Seven

Distance travelled - 276 miles - Ann Arbor, MI to North Canton, OH via Detroit and Cleveland

States entered - Ohio

State count - 32 + DC + B.C.

Room numbers stayed in - 203, 1, 148, 212, 205, 210, 246, 118, 3, 145, 229, 111, 207, 206, 40, 605, "Cowboy", 35, 11, 18, 262, 216, 208, 430, 216, 59, 226, 115 / 110*, 309, 30, 8, 255, 428, 209, "Spare", 105, 207

*room switch

Signs

Thursday, 8 October 2009

Road Trip Day 50

Today has been all about signs.

Street Cleaning

Free parking around Simon and Nicky's place is difficult to find. I searched in vain last night and had to bite the bullet and park in a pay zone. No big problem really, I just had to be sure to get up in time to feed the meter at 8:00am.

A the appointed time this morning I wandered out, bleary eyed and pumped enough quarters to keep the meter maids at bay for over an hour. I had approached The Beast from behind and didn't bother looking at the windscreen because I was in good time.

Here's where the first of today's signs came in to play. It turns out the side of Sheridan that I'd chosen has street cleaning in the early hours of Thursday morning. I didn't see the sign. I got fined $50.

Crossroads of America

The next sign of note today said "Welcome to Indiana, Crossroads of America". This was a much nicer sign than the snippy little one 15 feet up a pole in Chicago and marked the point at which I entered the 30th state of my adventure.

Junction 26B

As I drove through the drizzle on 94 East, I followed a brown tourist sign to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Brown signs rarely lie and this one led me to the Visitor centre where I met the effusive Dennis who played the expositional video and gave me the low down on what to see in the park. We also chatted about England and Brazil, prompted by my yellow hoodie. Dennis was the second person to have heard of the Iguacu Falls and knows a Jesuit man who was a consultant and bit player in the movie "The Mission" which was filmed there... but I digress.

I took Dennis' advice for a good trail to walk and enjoyed a slightly damp, breezy, but very pretty stroll through the oak wood that has taken hold on an inland dune.

Further along the road I came to another highlight of the park. After the 1933 Worlds Fair in Chicago an enterprising fellow bought 5 "homes of the future" which had been on display. They were barged across Lake Michigan and reassembled on the Indiana shore to be the start of a new settlement. They fell into disrepair but are currently being refurbished.

Slow

I've seen many different "Animal Crossing" signs on my travels. The most common is for Deer, but there's also been ones for cattle, sheep, goats, bears and elk. They have usually, but not always, been indicated by a silhouette of the animal concerned. This animal caution sign may be unique though.

Mount Baldy

As well as the inland dunes I had walked on earlier, there are some huge, more recognisable dunes on the Lakefront. One spectacular example is Mount Baldy. It's over 120 feet tall and is advancing inland at over 4 feet a year. Here's the inland side of the dune as it eats mature oak trees by the soon to disappear car park.

The dune has begun advancing faster recently due to people climbing on the inland side, so a path has been set up to keep people from scrambling up the slope. I followed the signs to the path.

The sign was correct, but the effort was worth it.

What Time Is It?

Of the many signs on my route today, I clearly missed the one which told me I had entered the Eastern Standard Time zone. It was somewhere around the Michigan border, but according to the lady in Pizza Hut where I stopped for what turned out to be a very, very late lunch, things get a bit wooley around these parts so pick whatever time suits best.

Here's the border sign that I didn't miss.

Last Detour

My last detour of the day didn't take me too far off track, so seeing as I was going past anyway, I stopped briefly in a pretty little village for a donut... only to find that the time difference meant the shop had shut an hour ago. Never mind, it was worth it for the final sign today.

The Lemon and Jalapeno Butter Anecdote

Sadly, there was no warning sign on my side dish at dinner tonight. The little paper pot of spread with my free warmed bread looked innocent enough. I assumed the green flecks in the butter were parsley. I was wrong.

If you have not braced your taste buds for a dose of "Lemon and Jalapeno Butter" it comes as quite a shock. As I explained to my waitress who had failed to issue a health warning for this vile, tart concoction I did not like it. "Oh dear, people really like it". I, clearly, am not one of the "people" in that select group of gastronomically suicidal individuals.

As I further explained to the manager as I left, they should warn people before inflicting such nastiness upon them. "Sorry. People really like it" he told me.

People are stupid.

Goodnight.

View Driving Day 50 in a larger map

visited 31 states (62%)

Create your own visited map of The United States or vertaling nederlands duits?

Stats - Day Seventy-Six

Distance travelled - 255 miles - Chicago, IL to Ann Arbor, MI via Indiana Dunes, National Lakeshore

States entered - Indianan, Michigan

State count - 31 + DC + B.C.

Room numbers stayed in - 203, 1, 148, 212, 205, 210, 246, 118, 3, 145, 229, 111, 207, 206, 40, 605, "Cowboy", 35, 11, 18, 262, 216, 208, 430, 216, 59, 226, 115 / 110*, 309, 30, 8, 255, 428, 209, "Spare", 105

*room switch