Business and Pleasure–Days Nine and Ten: Change in Plans
I had a very long drive ahead, though thankfully the route was almost entirely on the interstate, specifically I-90, with speed limits up to 80 miles per hour. The GPS indicated that I could stay on I-90 all the way to Maryland. Then, it displayed a message suggesting that I could save 1.5 hours by taking I-35 south. I-35?!? The original route would take me above Iowa, and I was disappointed but tiredly accepting on this ninth day of my trip. Then, with this suggested change, I would not only enter the state, but actually drive through Grinnell after taking I-80 from 35! I knew that on a Friday during summer break, many staff would be off work. Still, I called a friend to see if I could stay overnight, stopped by the Favoli’s in Des Moines since there aren’t any in the DMV (hint, hint), and I bought the…
Business and Pleasure–Days Seven and Eight: Another Shot at Yellowstone
The night fell… and so did the snow. The next morning, I made the decision to take advantage of the low number of visitors due to the snow to see parts of Yellowstone I had not seen previously. I worked my way to the easternmost park entrance, taking lots of pictures along the way: Yellowstone’s bison roam freely across the park. This one got a bit too close for my comfort: The rest of my pictures of this Yellowstone winter wonderland are available at https://singin1.pics/piwigo2/index.php?/category/glacier-and-yellowstone-nps-may-2024-day-6. I guess most folks would find it hard to believe that all of this was happening the week before Memorial Day weekend, but I had had a similar experience ten years earlier and had lived in Iowa for eighteen years. Winters here can be intense and long, even when the calendar says it is Spring. I exited Yellowstone from its East Entrance Road and made…
Business and Pleasure–Days Five and Six: More Glacier
The forecast on Tuesday morning was, if anything, more ominous than the one from the night before. But even if I hadn’t been checking the forecast, I could see that darker clouds already beginning to form in the distance. My GPS routed me through a back road rather than the main roads between my hotel and the park. It was not crowded, so I could take my time and enjoyed the scenery. I went by the Apgar Visitor Center to get my usual walking stick medallion and magnet, as well as to talk to a ranger to get information about the best use of the time I had available. Even though I had looked at information on the website, the ranger’s info is always up-to-date, and they can answer specific questions I have. I learned that, not only was the middle portion of the Going-to-the-Sun Road completely closed due…
Business and Pleasure–Days Three and Four: Glacier at Long Last
And thus began two days of marathon driving, over 1100 miles from Minneapolis to the eastern entrance to Glacier National Park. I’ve driven distances like this before, but I was trying to beat a strong winter storm that was forecast to approach from the west by Wednesday. If I met my schedule of arriving by Monday afternoon, I would have about a day and a half to enjoy the park. Interstates took me from Minneapolis into Montana, primarily via I94 through North Dakota. The interstate actually cuts through the south portion of another national park, Theodore Roosevelt NP. I didn’t stop since I had already visited the park less than a year before (see http://singin1.com/a-quick-trip-theodore-roosevelt-np-day-two/). This was also not my first visit to Montana, having driving through initially ten years earlier during my first Goin’ West trip. The scenery was glorious, and I hadn’t even reached the park yet. I…
Business and Pleasure–Day Two: St. Paul and Minneapolis
I arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota, early on Saturday morning for the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) conference. After checking into the hotel and getting a short nap, I attended several presentations and ended the day at their awards dinner. I kept my acceptance of their Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research pretty brief, admitting my surprise at receiving their 2023 Best Discography in Research on Recorded Blues, Soul, R&B, Gospel, or Hip Hop award category for my book, Recorded Solo Concert Spirituals, 1916-2022, because of the high level of competition. Sorry, no pictures. Anyway, I got a fairly early start on Sunday morning since I had reservation for a tour of nearby Minneapolis. I lived only a four-hour drive away from Minneapolis for nearly two decades, but only now was I going to get to see the city. I chose the Narrated Scenic Trolley Tour that…
Business and Pleasure–Day One: Mammoth Cave National Park
This trip would allow me to combine a little business (receiving recognition for my second book, Recorded Solo Concert Spirituals, 1916-2022) and a lot of vacation. My initial plan was to visit two national parks, including finally getting to Montana’s Glacier National Park. I left home base before midnight on May 16th because I was scheduled to be at Mammoth Cave National Park in time to join a tour of the caves specifically organized for those with accessibility needs. Along the nearly 700-mile route, the Silver Bullet hit her 50,000th mile. I barely arrived in time, thanks to the park’s location within Central Daylight Time. We took the elevator down approximately a quarter mile to the Snowball Room. The caves were previously privately owned, and the spaces were treated as a commercial venture for the wealthy. The writings on the walls were left by visitors. The park ranger who…