Walking on air

I got up early. Really early this time. I was meeting a friend in Milwaukee, and she was only available early in the day. At 3.30, my cellphone started chirping to wake me up. I was out of the hotel just after 4. An hour and a half later, the Sun rose. It was a beautiful sunrise. I took a few photos. The traffic was light. Which was great for me. Since I needed to get to Milwaukee early, I took the interstate all the way.

After the short detour to Milwaukee, I was back in Chicago. Completing the circle. I was back were I started.
Almost 11 000 kilometers in three weeks. More than I ever expected. But the byways and detours was something that added a lot of kilometers. But they were well worth the ride. I wouldn't be without them. The GPS helped doing this. A lot. Ah! Modern technology! I was a bit concerned that I would go tired and would not be able to complete. Or just freak out and drive directly back to Chicago. But it has been surprisingly easy. Of course, twelve hours on the road some days has been tiring, so those days, I have been able to do nothing when arriving at my hotel for the night, other than dropping on the bed and falling asleep. Thus, the blog entries have not been so frequent as normal. And not as long. But I guess it is not that much of a problem.
It has been a fun roadtrip. I have seen a lot. A lot more than I have depicted or written about here. That would take too long to do. But I have the memories. When I and my friend spent three and a half weeks on the road on Greyhound buses 21 years ago, we also saw a lot and did a lot, but the photos were far too few to tell the whole story. But we also have the memories. And we still sometimes talk about them when we meet. I would of course wish I wasn't alone on this trip, but that is how it is. And I just have to accept that.
For my last nights in Chicago, I found a motel an hours drive NW of the city centre. It was not far from a train station. In Arlington Heights. Cheap and ok. I got to wash my clothes for the last time. That was needed. Didn't want to spend my last days in the US wearing dirty underwear...
I had planned to take the train to the city center. Don't like to drive in cities. Not even Oslo. And since the train station was only a short (less than an hour) walk away, I decided to park the car for the day.
21 years since the last time I was in central Chicago. One of the only things we (I and the friend I was traveling with at the time) we did, was to go up to skydeck on Sears Tower (or Willis Tower as it is called today). I knew I just had to do the same thing again.
I walked the 3 miles to the train station (I misunderstood which station was closest), only to find out I was 1 hour early. But not that I am complaining. I stood at the station waiting in the relative nice temperate air. Watching people walking about in the small center around the station. There had been a serious thunder storm the night before, so they were repairing some electrics on the line that had been fried. Thus, the train was 20 minutes late. In the end, it arrived, and I got on. I sat down beside a young woman. After we started driving, she picked up her phone and started talking to someone. Mostly "I am so f¤!"# tired. I am freaking out here! I just need money! And that is the only reason I am on this train! If I could afford a car, I would have driven, but now I am stuck on this train!" And so on. No a happy commuter, I can tell you that.
We arrived in Chicago OTC twenty minutes late. I wasn't in a hurry. So I didn't mind. I walked across a bridge, and there, on the right, the giant stood. Willis Tower. I want straight to the door for the trip to the Skydeck. After standing in line for security check. For buying the ticket, and then another for going on the elevators, it was finally my turn. The elevator accelerated, and I could feel the light g on my shoes. I had to pop my ears every 20 floors or so. The elevator was really moving. After just over a minute, we had zoomed the 412 meters to the top. I disembarked the elevator, and walked over to the windows. What a view! Love it!
After walking around the building, I found that they had added a new feature. Four glass boxes where you could stand, and look straight down to the street below. Like standing on air. I had to try that of course. The lines were , of course, long. But in the end, it was my turn. I dropped my backpack on the floor and stepped onto the glass. My brain was screaming "Nnnnnnnoooooooooo!", but I managed to overcome the natural reaction. And there I was. Staring between my feet. Straight down to the street below. More than 400 meters below me. Like walking on air. I may never have walked on sunshine, but now I can safely say I have been (almost) walking on air. My whole body was tingling. This was even better than the Arch in St. Louis. Or more precisely : A totally different feeling. And I loved them both.

Walking on air?

Not quite, but my brain thought so...

Looking up at the boxes way up there. 

After this, I was due for some chow. A street restaurant serving wonderful pasta was just what I needed. Street life gave me just the entertainment I needed to go with my meat-sauce pasta. A filling meal later, I decided to just walk the streets and enjoy watching people and the sights.

Wonderful pasta meal

I took the train home a bit earlier than I had planned. Guess I was starting to be full. Too much seen and experienced in three weeks. I walked back to the hotel from the train station, and turned on the TV. I was definitely getting into overload. But this was my last leg, so it was not too early.

Chicago seen from the train.

Afterthought

It has been an enjoyable trip. In a day or so, I will be on the flight home. This has been a different trip from most of my vacations lately. I felt I needed an "easy" vacation this time. And I guess it has been. No strange languages. No strange cultures to relate to. So I am guessing, this has been like a real vacation for me. It would have been boring if I didn't cover so much. See so much. Laying on a beach for three weeks? Not me. Maybe when I'm old and gray.
Stats : 11 000 km, 16 states, 15 hotels, 11 blog entries, 3 observatories, 2 national monuments, 1 alligator bite, 0 McDonalds meals. That's about it. Hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did.

Entering Troy

With a halfway broken car (they did offer me a replacement, but I couldn't be bothered since it was so short time left), I headed for Saint Louis. And as usual, Interstates are boring. So I opted for the long road. Which took me through the backyards of America. Through small towns and forests. By rivers, streams and small lakes. And plenty of "dancing roads". The unfortunate meeting with the "Alligator" had made my rear bumper a bit unstable. I thought I had snapped it into place and that would be it. But after about 50 km, I saw in the side mirror that it was hanging in the wind. Flipping up and down. I stopped and snapped it into place. A few km later, it jumped off again. So I stopped at a gas station and bought some duct tape. If you can't fix it with duct tape, you haven't used enough. A couple of strips and it was stable. I also duct taped some plastic coverings under the engine. It was scraping on the road every time I drove across a bump.
I realized now why I had not seen so many "alligators" on the road. I had spent most of my time off the interstate. And of course, most trucks drive there. It's faster and more efficient. And thus I didn't have to worry about any more jumping up and "biting" me. So I could just enjoy myself. Even at much lower speed. It did of course take longer. I could have driven straight and been in St Louis in under 5 hours. But instead, I spent 12 hours on the road. But it was worth it. I finally arrived not long before sundown. And much to my amusement, the suburb I was staying in, was called Troy. I was entering the city of Troy in the belly of a car, not a wooden horse... That evening was spent on the bed, just resting before falling asleep.

Cool ridin'

Through forests

And small towns

The source of the interstate. This interstate actually
started here...

The day after I decided to go to the Gateway Arch. A ginormous arch by the Mississippi river. I knew that it was possible to take a ride in a small elevator to the top. Almost 200 meters above the ground. How can I resist that? So I drove to the parking garage of the arch, and walked towards it. It was truly a spectacular build. Simple in itself, but still. Simple physics meets engineering and architecture. 200 meters tall. Held up by simple forces pushing it together. Making it strong. A fact known for ages.
I walked down into a tunnel at the base of the arch, to get to the elevator. $10 for a ride. I asked for a ticket, and the lady behind the desk asked me "Do you suffer from a fear of heights, fear of closed spaces or do you have a heart condition?" "No" I said and thought "even if I did, I would want to do this, so I wouldn't tell you". Beside the ticket counter was a mock-up of the elevator box. It was TINY. With cramped space for five people. I smiled. This was going to be interesting...
I walked over to the line for the elevator. It was a long line. A girl asked a family in front of me. "How many in your party?" "Four". She gave them some plastic tags. Then she turned to me. "How many" "One". "One?" "One!". "Come here sir!" And she took me straight past the whole line. When we arrived at the elevators, she yelled to a girl "This guy is alone, he can ride in number four!". So I skipped the whole line, all the wait, and got straight into the really tight little car. And we were off. As we ascended, I marveled at the simplicity of the construction. And at the same time, the complex ride it took care of. We were going in a circle. And of course, when going in a circle, the box would tip over eventually. But it had a simple system that every now and then, tipped the box over to compensate for the angle of the track, so we always sat upright. We heard a "Gzzzzzkadunk!" every time. And the box shook a little. It was fun! Like a ride at a fun fair!
About four minutes later, we stopped, and the doors opened. The final few meters, we had to walk the stairs. And we were greeted by a staggering view! Small windows that let you look straight down to the ground. I laid down on my belly on the angled walls and looked down. My body was tingling from the view. I could see both ends of the arch. I brought out my camera and took some pictures. I loved the view. Simply loved it! I just laid there for minutes enjoying it. Taking lots and lots of pictures.
Then I moved to the other side and got to see the shadow of the arch on the Mississippi. It was beautiful. I laid there for several minutes. What a ride! What a view! What a feeling! I wanted to stay, but I realized I was holding up others, so in the end, I decided to give others some room too. And I took the elevator back down. Ah! One of my best moments on this trip. If you ever come to St Louis, and don't suffer from fear of heights or tight spaces, or suffer from heart problems, or don't care that you do, try it! You will not regret it. Unless you panic in the elevator and faint or throw up or start screaming like a maniac and bang on the doors. Then you probably will regret that you didn't care. But not the ride.

Long way up

Casting a shadow on the Mississippi

Ends of the arch, 192 meters below. The tiny specks
are people

Downtown St Louis

Elevator box

Entrance

Cramped inside

The life-size mockup

Five states, a graceland and an alligator bite

Fourth of July was celebrated, or observed if you like, in Albuquerque. Not very much going on as I could see. But then I didn't look very hard. But I knew there was going to be fireworks at a park just north of where I was staying. I knew, and had read, that roads would be packed with people, so I didn't really want to go there. But a quick check on the map led my attention to a shopping mall not far away. I could see the fireworks from there. Good idea. I arrived an hour before the fireworks started, and it was obvious that I was not the only one with that idea. But I arrived so early I got a good spot.
The fireworks started about 15 minutes after schedule. But it was great. I LOVE fireworks. The bigger and louder, the better! And if I can light it myself : Beyond great! But I knew that in Albuquerque itself, fireworks were illegal. Although some people still used it here and there. As is always the case, I guess. I tried to take some images of it.

The trip from Amarillo to Oklahoma City was the best so far. Not so much the scenery along Route 66, since much of it ran right beside I-40, but because it was so easy to find the old trails. I have a notebook with me, and every morning, I have jotted down notes on how to get on the old route. And this day, it worked like a charm. Only a few spots here and there I drew a blank, since the road had simply "disappeared". At least compared to Google Maps. But most of the trip still was on Route 66.
It is somewhat relaxing to ride lazily at 55 mph on the route while watching all the traffic on the I-40 zooming past. I maybe meeting one or two cars. I can stop almost anywhere and anytime. And not blocking anyone. Sometimes, the road took off from I-40, and into some beautiful scenery. Across old bridges, through small forests and across streams. I have taken some pictures, but they fail to depict the view. I cannot seem to capture it. Guess you'd have to be there.

Giant cross by the road

Frozen WHAT?!

On the restroom wall in a rest stop

Graveyard for old cars

Nature has started to reclaim some of the road

Some plaques in the pavement describing Route 66.
(Several photos put together)

One of the places I passed, was a small town called Weatherford. Not anything unusual there, save for the fact that one of the most experienced astronauts of the early space age was from this place. Thomas Stafford. 2 Gemini flights and 2 Apollo flights. And he had a museum set up out by the airport. "Stafford Air and Space Museum". I decided to check it out. I arrived at 4.30 PM, and the note on the door said it would close at 5.00. I pulled on the door, but it was closed. Nobody inside. I was puzzled. Had they closed early? Then I realized I had crossed into a new state, and a new timezone. The time was now 5.30. Bummer! I took some photos of  the statue of him before leaving.

After Oklahoma city, I decided to take a detour from Route 66. I was going to Memphis and Nashville. And then go to Saint-Louis.
The two cities are not so unknown, I guess. To get there, I had to go through Arkansas. I crossed the border on the I-40 East, and stopped at a "visitors info"-place. Mostly because I had to take a leak. It was a splendid place. Made like an old log cabin. With the wonderful smell of wood. And even with its own fireplace with two rocking chairs at one end. In the middle, a guy and a lady sat smiling. After my visit to the bathroom, she wanted to know if I needed anything. Maps, guides or anything else. I said I was just passing through on my way to Memphis. She looked disappointed. "Well, can I at least put you down in my register?" she asked. "Sure", I said. She jotted down "Norway, passing through" and the date. I bid her goodbye and left.
When I booked my hotel for Memphis, I didn't quite note where it was. And when I typed the hotel into the GPS, it suggested Mississippi. I zoomed out and checked the map. Seemed correct. And when checking the map, I saw that Memphis was at the lower western edge of Tennessee. So just a few km from the border of Mississippi. And my hotel was just across the border. That means that in just a few days, I have been through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi. Five states in three days. Not bad...

A Weird place...

Elvis who?

The one thing to visit in Memphis is of course, Graceland. The home of Elvis Presley. My hotel is in Mississippi. Which is fitting, given that Elvis actually was born in that state. In Tupelo. A small town around 60 miles away. But Graceland is just across the border into Tennessee.
Today I went to Graceland. I learned that it has nothing to do with grace as in mercy, but rather it was the name of the daughter of the man who originally built the house, Grace. It was a beautiful place. To some it is probably a shrine, but to me it is a nice museum. Beautiful interior. At least for the 70's style. Took a lot of pictures, and I have included some here.

Main mansion

Livingroom

Private jet "Lisa Marie" with a tail designation "TCB"
(Taking Care of Business)

Smaller private jet

After Graceland visit, I turned onto the road again to go to Nashville. Halfway there, a truck lost the outer part of its wheel (an alligator). I steered clear of the debris in the road, and drove on. Thinking it was good I wasn't driving right behind him. A few minutes later, I was driving behind a guy with a truck in front of him. The truck suddenly started to swirl, and I thought "crap! He is loosing control. The car in front of me pushed the brakes, and I did the same. Suddenly, a big part of a tire flew out from underneath his car and straight for me. I pushed the brakes so hard my tires were screaming. But it still wasn't enough. I rammed straight into it with a bang! It rumbled underneath the car. I looked in the mirror and saw part of my rear bumper hanging loose. In addition, there was a scraping noise from the front right wheel. I stopped at a gas station, same as the guy who had driven in front of me. His front was totally smashed. We spoke a bit about what had happened before he drove off, after calling his insurance company. My bumper could be snapped in place again. The scraping sound came from the plastic cover above the wheel had been ripped off and was scraping against the wheel. I pulled it out. I walked in to the gas station, and the lady behind the counter said "I see you got bitten by an alligator!". "What?" "A truck tire". "Ah! Yes!" I borrowed the restroom to wash my hands. A call to the rental company later I was on my way again. With no more mishaps. But a maintenance lamp started flashing. So I guess I will have to call the rental company again. Hopefully, that is the extent to my mishaps on this trip.
One week to go before I head home to Norway. Surprisingly, I still am not tired of driving. Tomorrow, if nothing else happens, I will be on my way to Saint Louis for a couple of days. Then on to Chicago before the weekend. About 1500 km to go. And still loving the "life on the road".