Week Long Halloween

Speeding into Montana like a bat out of hell, fighting my drowsiness where the rain wasn’t helping, and I almost hit two elk. Arriving at Kent’s house around 8pm there was catching up and a celebratory Spotted Cow. After meeting the comrades that we would be hanging out with for the weekend there was talk of a get together down the street. By talk I mean every 10 minutes we could hear people walking into trees and yelling obscene jokes. This gathering was actually bumping, but it was soon learned that everyone attending just graduated high school. Not really, but they were young. I took it into my hands to invite all the qualified individuals to “our” party the next night. Waking up the next morning left us dazed and confused. A quick skip over to Main Street Overeasy gave us the energy to start preparing for a Halloween bash. The events involved driving around picking up supplies, getting last minute costumes made, and spray-painting the beer pong table. The costumes were hilarious in my opinion: Petey (Kevin Bacon), Josten (Mugen from Samurai Champloo), Palmer (pumpkin head), Kent (Stallone from Expendables), Lane (Cougar hunter), there was another Garrett (Bob Ross), and I went as a Mardi Gras lady. Jake got off work around midnight to lay down some sick beats into the early a.m. 

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Saturday night collaborated with Sunday morning and made a crazy album. Since I was traveling the decision to keep the train rolling forward was easy. The speakers were blasted, people kept popping in to remind everyone what was said and done the previous night, then our brains started craving fulfillment through our stomach. Kent and I went to Old Chicago where he used to work as a cook. He ended up getting the worst burger I’ve tasted in my 24 years on this planet. THE WORST! My calzone was unusually good. When we got back to the house Kevin Bacon was greasing up the stove with bacon. With all the goonies fed we decided to go bowling, only after the haunted labyrinth was axed due to rain. Packers lost to the Rams in a close battle. Jello shots were generously passed around. To top off the weekend Pete, Palmer, and Lane got tattoos by Josten in the living room while we were watching some Airbender episodes.

Mondays have been my day of driving up to this point and Bozeman was feeling sticky. After mailing an umbrella back to Lil Kev in Milwaukee, I proceeded to drive across the most desolate part of the United States I’ve encountered up to this point. Traveling by yourself can get lonely every once in awhile, especially for an extrovert. But this drive made me uncomfortably alone. Miles and miles of no people, no services, no warmth. The goal: Glacier National Park. Stepping out of my car at sunset I finally reached the town of Saint Mary on the East side of the park. Quick to realize the town was abandoned since tourist season is over. Tumbleweed abandoned. Ended up finding a campground where I set up the tent and caught up with Scotty K for a couple hours about life. 

I’ve been hiking one trail a day since the beginning of the journey to stay on top of my physical health. To find trails in your area there’s a neat app called “AllTrails” – your guide to the outdoors. Used it to hike up to Virginia Falls in Glacier which left me with incredible views and brief glimpses of wildlife. Discovered that Going to the Sun Highway was closed so the only way to get to the west side of the park is down and under, across Flathead National Forest. Couchsurfing for the win! There was a girl in Whitefish, Montana that said she would be able to host me. We met at a coffee shop in Kalispell where conversation flowed like a Jimi Hendrix riff. After several hours we adventured back to her house and cooked up some supper while listening to old vinyls sipping wine.

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Halloween! As Elizabeth was at a meeting for work I caught up on sleep and my journal. Returning home we immediately came up with some ideas of how to celebrate the holiday. She had heard of a costume contest going on downtown that coincided with bar hopping. $400 as the grand prize…Bingo! We quickly gathered our costumes and embarked on a five minute walk to register. Bouncing from establishment to establishment we had our fare share of strange encounters. Meeting Trump and members of Al Qaeda, getting blasted with saliva from granny cheerleader and our new friend JD (who is currently looking for wife number four). After munching down some pub grub we realized we had waited too long for the costume contest. Judging was over and we still hadn’t hit five bars. Laughing at our lackadaisical efforts we decided to see the 20 Grand Band at Great Northern Bar, where the winners of the contest were announced. Dancing, laughing, meeting yet another new friend (Ira). For claiming to be an introvert Elizabeth didn’t convince me. A small gathering of three took place back at Elizabeth’s house after the festivities died down. Side note: everywhere West of the Mississippi sells alcohol in liquor/grocery stores up until 2am, what is with Wisconsin law cutting us off at 9pm!? 

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When I woke up Elizabeth had left for work. Ira gave me his contact information with the intent of inviting me to bonfires and other Whitefish outings (he forgot I was traveling). Taking Elizabeth’s advice I hiked up to Avalanche Lake in West Glacier. Three glacial waterfalls fuel this transparent lake and it was an easy hike. One hundred percent recommend. There was a spiritual moment on the way back while I was playing the song “Kids” by MGMT over my portable speaker. My whole body was filled with a chilling energy. It seemed as if the trees were transferring memories through me. I was not on any drugs. Euphoria came over me and a grin could not be wiped from my face. It lasted for the duration of the song before succumbing to “Young Folks” by Peter, Bjorn & John. In the parking lot conversation was sparked with a young couple from Calgary, Canada who convinced me to visit Banff National Park up in their neighborhood. I brewed over this idea while cooking supper that night.

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Late starts are always dissatisfying. Trying to recover I thought about tackling a mountain within a close proximity to Elizabeth’s house. Big Mountain peaks around 6,800 ft and is used for Whitefish Mountain Resort during the winter months. About 7 miles out and back with a 2,000 ft elevation change it’s an intermediate hike. Climbing two miles up the side of the mountain my feet were drenched (forgot to put on my hiking shoes), I couldn’t see the top because of fog and traveled off the beaten path so it was safe to say I was lost. Tired and defeated with no summit. Getting back to the house I remembered that Elizabeth told me she might not get back until late. While sitting around flustered about not hitting my goal there was a knock on the door. An older lady (Ruth) with a soothing smile was inquiring about my vote in the upcoming election. After informing her I was traveling she opened up about her life and how her and her husband were from New Zealand. They have started multiple traveling exchange programs for neighbors around Whitefish, plus they try and involve themselves with giving back to the community as much as they can. Our talk could have lasted hours with all my questions, but she had to move on to the next house. Her support for Kathleen Williams needed to be spread. Shawshank Redemption and a light meal with Elizabeth coming in around 11pm turned the lights off.

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Today was a new day. Woke up early, conquered Big Mountain in 3 hours with full preparation. Minor incident with older couple at the summit who said my music was ruining the experience. Gently reminded them that the experience is different for everyone. Came back to the house with Elizabeth passed out. Ruth came knocking again with the intention to acquire Elizabeth’s pumpkin on the front porch. While waiting around I read, listened to Bob Marley vinyls, and caught up on my journal. When she finally arose from her slumber her brain was mashed potatoes. The auto immune disease she was recently diagnosed has sent her through a whirlwind of emotions all at once. I could tell she wasn’t feeling like herself. With an intent to understand and try to cheer her up I accompanied Elizabeth to the supermarket. Light laughs were shared, but her personality was drained along with the stress of work. Returning back it was understood that we would chill and watch documentaries and movies while eating comfort food. I also told Elizabeth that my next destination was Banff up in Canada and I would be leaving on Monday. 

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An invite to church was waiting for me as soon as I opened my eyes. The congregation was small in part to it being a fairly new organization. Everyone was eager to meet me and the old saying of ‘welcomed with open arms’ was embraced. After the service we went back to Elizabeth’s place to pick up soup and head over to a gathering held at the pastor’s house. The topic of discussion, over a pot luck style lunch, was death. I would be lying to say there weren’t parts of the talk where I was uncomfortable. All said and done it opened up my perspective of the subject and allowed me to grow mentally. That night we were feeling lazy so Last Chair Kitchen & Bar fed us a nice meal. Followed up with Sweat Peaks where I tried huckleberry ice cream for my first time. My taste buds are still thanking me. Monday morning had come again and more see you later’s were in store. Canadian borders were in my sights.

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Cowboy State with the Views

After saying farewell to Anne in Rapid City and getting a new tire for the Buick, next stop on my escapade was Devils Tower, Wyoming! Coming up on this structure that Mother Nature graciously formed for viewing pleasures was beautifully disturbing. First of all, I recommend everyone coming from the East on I-90 to get off the beaten path follow WY-111 through the towns woven into the hills. Perfect sunset jaunt. Up close the tower’s history unfolds.

 

That night I drove as far as I could towards Jackson sleeping in my car at a rest area. Woke up by sunrise started the day catching a worm. Arriving in town around noon I had previously made arrangements with Vaughan (from the Couchsurfing app) to stay a night. After getting my bags into his spacious apartment, it was time to nap for a second. Met Vaughan and chatted for a split before he had to head into work. He suggested I hike Snow King Peak, which was taken up on. Make the most of your day!

 

 

After talking with Vaughan more that night over some beers I realized one day in Jackson Hole was cutting my time short. Heck, two weeks would have been strangling time. He was a rad dude who said one more night wouldn’t hurt, but Thursday morning his house manager was coming in to inspect. With that in mind I set out Wednesday morning looking to take on a massive trail in order to maximize sights of Grand Teton National Park. I was not disappointed. Several people informed me to check out Jenny Lake while in the area. Looking at a map posted in the parking lot and searching this app called ‘AllTrails’ it was decided to see Lake Solitude via Cascade Canyon Trail. A mere 16 miles later fighting the sunset I realized why it was rated Hard on the app. Incredible wildlife and noteworthy scenery.

 

 

Said goodbye to Vaughan next morning. Fueled up and talked with the gas station clerk about hitting Yellowstone. Surprisingly, this National Park is a lot of driving. Massive in size, plenty to see, A LOT of driving. Checked off the Old Faithful experience as is my duty for a tourist. Then, I realized there are geysers far more impressive and got a private tour guide by befriending an ex-park ranger who had to be pushing seventy years old, plus a current Yellowstone park ranger. We continued to walk from geyser to geyser with them telling me stories from their past. My phone died at this point which is disappointing because the explosions we saw were massive in height and length of time. Back to the car. After hours of driving around stopping to see bison and water falls a campground was settled for sleeping arrangements. Glad I bought that all season tent and sub-zero sleeping bag! Also, an advantage to hitting the National Parks at this time of year is the campgrounds that stay open (most are closed) are free. I finished “Into the Wild” finally having enough time to focus on a book.

 

Found out Yellowstone has there very own Grand Canyon the next day. Wonderful depth at every turn. After trekking down Uncle Tom’s trail (328 metal steps) you are face to face with the Lower Falls of Yellowstone which is spectacular, but it just wasn’t close enough. So I decided to climb over the railing and touch the spray. Extremely dangerous, wouldn’t advise to anyone. More driving until I got over to Mammoth Hot Springs. This area was hilarious to see a herd of 30-40 elk grazing and playing in the town where an old U.S. army station was formed over 130 years ago to protect Yellowstone against poachers. The formations were enjoyed while catching up with Anne and then my dad. Before heading to Bozeman, Montana I needed to relive some memories at the Boiling River. My friends took me there for my first time years ago when I came out to visit them for Spring Break. The Boiling River is created where a large hot spring enters the Gardner River, allowing the hot and freezing waters to mix into a temperature comfortable enough to bathe in. Glad I followed through because there was a couple from Alaska that was traveling around the United States about to stay in Bozeman for the weekend that I met. We talked for a solid hour before the park ranger came around to kick everyone out. Must be a liability after dark. We exchanged contact information and I invited them to my friend’s Halloween party going on Saturday. After drying off and changing it was sayonara to Wyoming with high hopes for Montana.

 

 

How Two Days turned into Two Weeks

Disclaimer: I’m breaking my number one rule of keeping it short and simple. This story holds too many memories that need to be remembered.

On Tuesday the 9th I drove into a dark, rainy deserted wasteland that is best described by two words…South Dakota. After five hours of barely being able to see I stopped in the city of Mitchell for gas and grub. Marlins Family Restaurant seemed to be flourishing with life so the decision was to stop in, grab myself supper, and see what the environment was like. After a much needed brew and the promise of warm food soon to enter my belly the conversation began. First, it was the cheery waitress from Chicago who left her freight logistics job in order to follow her husband across the country for the promise of a more peaceful life. Then, I met Jeff. Jeff is a trucker and has been for the better part of thirty-six years. He rambled about every topic from President Trump, to the Vietnam War, to his prospective fiancé (who resembled a porn star in her twenties) waiting for him to claim her father’s estate in Florida after this month’s project in California was over. He kept me chuckling and nodding my head for a couple of hours before I had to break off his adherent behavior. Good fella in nature and I can only imagine what those long hours on the road can do to a man.

Looking to stay the night in Mitchell, however after waiting for a response from the Couchsurfer app the town didn’t look promising. The next move was driving to Wall where I slept in my car overnight at a rest area. Waking up there was a couple inches of snow on the ground. It was around 8 a.m. and the original plan was to hike around Badlands National Park. After little internal debate, the plan stayed course. Saw beautiful rugged hills and valleys, hiked the Castle Trail (which says it’s easy, but that is prior to rain and snow) and even found a crazy perch up a slippery slope on the Saddle Pass. On the way down my shoes lost grip and I had to catch myself by digging nails and hands into the side of the sedimentary rock. Looking down over the valley I thought my journey had ended before it began. After that little scare it was three miles back to the car. The snow had all melted by the afternoon which left prime sights.

 

Back to Wall to check out the famous Wall Drug Convenience Store. The place has everything shy of a brothel, and who knows maybe I didn’t ask enough questions. Cleaned up with 5 cent coffee…over to Rapid City we go.

Proceeded to sit at Starbucks for hours waiting on a response from Couchsurfer. No hits. As my eye lids were getting heavy and the moon was moving up the sky it looked like a motel was going to be my only option. Just as I was leaving there was a ping in my pocket and I saw a message from Anne V. that said she could meet up in a couple hours. To pass the time I found a quaint Vietnamese restaurant with huge portions called Pacific Rim Cafe. Then, I went downtown to see what Rapid City had to offer and got a drink at the oldest brewing company in all of South Dakota: Firehouse Brewing Co. (1991). Moseying down the street noise could be heard from around the block. It was an Irish pub by the name of Paddy O’Neills which turned out had an amazing happy hour; half off drinks until 11pm. When Anne came into the pub I had already made a couple of friends who were more than happy to accommodate me for the night, but there was no backing out. Boy am I glad that she accepted my request. We spent hours spewing our life each other’s way. She is a student at South Dakota Mines and Technology, which is an engineering school where she is pursuing a degree in Math with an emphasis in Biochemical Engineering. The least I can say is that she’s one smart cookie. Aside from being an attractive girl she had this angst that immediately struck me with curiosity. Going back to her house reminded me of asking out my first girlfriend. There were nerves followed by excitement with underlying lust. We got back to her house and the electric vibe was obvious. Two animals trapped in human bodies waiting for the other to make a move. Magic sparks slowly ignited.

The next morning I went downtown for tea and breakfast at this wonderful AUSTRALIAN cafe called Essence of Coffee. There I was greeted by a tall foreign man (found out later that he owned the cafe) who helped introduce me to the owner of a local landscaping business, after my questions about work in the area. Good conversation that led to big ideas. Decided to walk around Rapid City and noticed they had a statue of every President leading up to George W. Bush. That discovery led me to the Dahl Art Center where I had a pleasant talk with Nancy, a wise woman who has been living in Rapid City close to a quarter century. Walking through the art center provided me with creative juices and new perspective from the local artists in Rapid City and the surrounding towns. As I was leaving I remembered that Nancy had directed me to go see Tyler Read, the Community Event Organizer, to see if he had an income opportunity. Nothing he could think of at the moment, but he did inform me that if my creativity needed release he could issue an art permit for a street mural in Art Alley. Went back to Anne’s and decided we could use a visit to the gym (yoga with Sofie was tight). To reward ourselves for being productive with our Thursday night a trip to Armadillos Ice Cream Shoppe was in store. The rest of the night was filled with Anne showing me new music.

Friday was action packed! Anne let me borrow the book “Into the Wild” so while she took a quiz I started reading. When she got back we decided to take a hike in the Black Hills up to Black Elk Peak. This is the highest point in South Dakota reaching a modest 7,244 feet into the sky. The whole hike was filled with material. Anne and I came up with a band named the Eloosive Moose. We have a whole album of songs already laid out for an official release sometime next Spring. More ideas that were born: “island in your eye” , “Queen of the Orange Forest” , “Sex Rogane” , “snow angel with devil horns” , “King Wildberry” . Anne had to coach her swim team in Deadwood in the afternoon and I thought to hop along for the adventure. Driving through the Black Hills is wonderful. We ended up arriving into town earlier than expected with both of our stomachs rumbling. Spotting an old 1960’s gas station turned into a cafe/glass blowing session our eyes had led us to muffins. After we snacked and danced to a funky beat I dropped off Anne so she could teach her students for two hours. How did I keep myself busy? The local saloon. Turns out there was a Songwriters Music Festival going on in town so they had local and national talent performing at different venues throughout the weekend. After a few good tunes and a couple brews the mission was to pick up Anne. We roamed, saw the sunset, a deer with a tumor on his chest crossed our path, sampled Moonshine, and ended the night with Bloody Mary’s accompanied by delicious food at Mustang Sally’s.

 

Over the weekend our events included watching sports, shopping excursions, cooking meals, grabbing applications, and barhopping. One of the moments I remember fondly was dancing in Rapid City’s only night club named KOL where Anne and I stole the show by getting down and dirty.  Patrick Swayze would have approved. I also met up with Ben (from Alaska) and Janel (from Taiwan) who are traveling across the United States towards the East Coast. With the weekend behind us, Anne had school and work responsibilities so I decided to explore Wind Cave National Park and Mount Rushmore on a solo mission. Plenty of history and awe while visiting these monuments.

 

One day I got a call from Anne later in the afternoon and she was startled after having HIT AN ELK! She came out of the accident mostly unscathed, except for a giant bruise on her upper thigh that would still be there when I left a week later.

Custer State Park, which is in the Black Hills National Forest, became a regular spot for me over the two weeks I spent in Rapid City. There is a beautiful trail that loops around a hill before ascending up to a bluff overlooking miles of natural scenery, rightfully named Lovers Leap trail. At the top Anne decided it would be necessary to mentally strip our egos by physically taking our clothes off. Her confident adventure is unmatched by many. The rest of the night was filled with artistic pictures, abandoned buildings, inventing new gypsy shirts, and making zucchini & shrimp pasta.

 

I decided that before I left this city the art alley would have my mark on it. A visit to Tyler was necessary to get a permit where he also offered a side gig for cash (mowing his lawn). After performing the duty and buying the supplies there was paper left over from an old piece that needed to be scraped off the wall. Once the sun was gone Anne and I whipped up food before she told me another couchsurfer was staying with us…Ethan! He arrived from a fourteen hour drive with a mixture of exhaustion and excitement on his face. We talked into the late hours of the night before he couldn’t handle our shenanigans anymore. Morning after, the mural was taking shape as I primed the wall for a base color. Decided to buy a lottery ticket after finding out a television interview was in store for the local news station. I accompanied Ethan on another hike up to Black Elk Peak with plenty of story sharing. That night when we got back Anne had a plan for us to go out and get crunk. Starting at a local Mexican restaurant (Que Pasa?) we coated our stomachs before trekking to an Arcade Bar where I ended up winning a free beer from skee-ball. Over to the Oasis where there was a battle to see whose dart skills were superior and then a one hour dance party at our favorite club, KOL.

Next day, the plan was to get up early and finish painting in the art alley. First, I woke up later than intended and then when walking outside there was a realization that my front left tire was completely flat. After putting on the spare and driving down to the alley Saturday officially began. Bumping music and creating outdoor art was relaxing. Finishing up I met new friends (Starchild and Bryce) who gave me stories about the local scene, plus a phone number in case I got lonely. As Ethan went to Mount Rushmore that day, and Anne had to work I used the time to stream the Brewers game at Anne’s house. Unfortunately, they lost and no World Series would be gracing Milwaukee’s presence in 2018. Ethan got back from his solo excursion and rested up before us three headed out on the town once more. Karaoke night at the Clock Tower. Anne and I sang “Gold Digger” by Kanye , Ethan wooed the ladies by performing “Party in the USA” , then I busted out with a grammy-deserving “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles. Our inhibitions were low at the club, while mixing in the fact that it was hotter than the Devils furnace, so our clothes came off. Pure bliss, no second thoughts. That’s what it was like hanging out with Anne for two weeks.

Sunday was here and Ethan found another host in Wyoming so his time with us was over. We said our goodbyes and exchanged a long group hug. This was to be my last day in Rapid City as well. Anne and I spent most of the day in the coffee shop, where she was finishing up homework and I read “Into the Wild”. At one point I remembered a bet that was lost to Anne where my punishment was to jump into a lake naked. The temperature was reading around 50 degrees so I thought we should capitalize before the chance was over. Grabbing towels with the sun getting lower in the sky we headed towards Lake Pactola, the largest and deepest reservoir in the Black Hills. Everything was moving in slow motion. The drive out there and seeing the majestic lake was reminding me that tomorrow was my departure. We crawled around the shore until finding a secluded cove off the beaten path, stripped down and fulfilled my end of the bargain. Being a good sport Anne joined me. We sunbathed undisguised by clothes for a good while vibing to psychedelic rock and hip hop. Jumping back home we cooked Pad Tai, watched Across the Universe and indulged in unsupervised adult fun one last time.

Anne is a wonderful human being with an idiosyncratic personality. She has been through plenty of ups and downs to keep conversation flowing for hours upon hours. There is no way to thank her enough for time spent with me.

 

 

 

Leaving Wisconsin

As I was deciding how to write my first article about the road trip I came to a conclusion to keep it short and simple. If you know me, then you know how in depth I can make any story…even if it’s going to the laundromat. We don’t need a novel here. There was also an internal debate about how often I was going to post. The winning side chose the idea of writing every time a state border was past me.

So I decided to spend my last day of Wisconsin in La Crosse catching up with a good pal from high school. He is one of those friends where we just picked up right where we had left off. The night consisted of beers, burgers and billiards. Good conversation leading to good memories.

While I was leaving the next day I took in La Crosse as a beautiful city surrounded by some decent size bluffs tucked away on the border of the Mississippi River. It was my first time experiencing it first hand. Caught a couple pictures on the way out.

You can’t complete a marathon without taking the first step

I’m creating this blog to recollect the memories made on my adventure out West. About a month ago an opportunity arose when I was laid off from my freight logistics job in Milwaukee. Some people might get slowed down by this event, but I’m taking it in full stride by traveling. I have a couple goals to smash; along the way I will visit several National Parks, meet up with old friends that I haven’t connected with in years, and experience pages of this story otherwise left un-turned. Into the rabbit hole we go…

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Collect Moments, Not Things