5/30- 31: Hillsdale to Hillsdale (almost!)

Chris & I broke camp around mid- morning and were soon in Hillsdale, NY where I found myself having fun with the new found mobile picture feature on my phone. I knew Hillsdale was going to play a key role in my Michigan Adventure, and loved the thought of the last town out east having the same name. I'm not difficult to amuse.

We got some time at the library, then found the Hillsdale Country Diner where we enjoyed some good food, people watching, conversation, and cell charging. We lingered quite awhile before retiring to the public park across the road where Chris made phone calls while I wrote & listened to music.

Stacey arrived a bit earlier than expected so we were all on the road toward the Hudson River with a lot of daylight still ahead. She hates interstates and insisted on taking state roads, which suited us fine. We had our reunion with Lucy the Dog and commenced down route 23 toward Oneonta, where Chris happened to be born. We made a quick stop at the hospital for a picture, then he called his mom for directions to his very first house.

Oneonta was neat. I was thinking that, even for a college town, there were some astoundingly beautiful women there! It is also a quick 20- minute drive from Cooperstown where the National Baseball Hall of Fame is located and, had I been alone, I probably would have walked there to fawn over at the exhibits... again!

It was rather late when we finally joined Route 7 toward Binghamton. We chose it because it runs adjacent to I-88 and I planned to drive through the night to make a little time when Stacey inevitably fell asleep. Just as we were discussing the driver switch, we passed something you don't see nearly enough: a FUNCTIONING, packed drive- in theater! They were showing the new Star Trek which both Chris & I had seen, but we had loved it and were eager to see it again... if the cost was reasonable. When we pulled in to ask the price, we just kept going as there was no one taking cash! The movie was just 20- minutes in, so we quickly parked and figured out the radio frequency while exclaiming how "cool this is!" over and over.

After the movie Chris continued driving because we had discovered Stacey had lost a headlight, thus eliminating any possibilities of me driving at night. The two of us chatted while Stacey slept, and eventually broke off Route 7 near Elmira where we quietly slipped into Pennsylvania. Near the town of Mosherville, we fiddled with the idea of stealth camping, but with the car it proved to be folly. We elected instead to continue on, and once on US-6, it wasn't long before long my visions of being pulled over by a bored patrolman proved correct. Chris was stopped, warned, and quickly waved along with a warning- without so much as a glance at Stacey and I. It's amazing how little interest they have in arbitrary ID- checks when the traffic stop is "audio and video taped", as he was required to disclose.

Once the sun came up Sunday morning, it was time for a breakfast stop at a park inside the Allegheny National Recreation Area. Lucy had a wonderful time running free while we ate, chatted and took pictures. The clouds held little promise for a nice day, so Stacey chose to proceed on as far as we could instead of finding a place to camp after driving all night. It just seemed odd to camp at 8am!

Soon we were approaching Ohio and my mind was is racing in high gear. I had managed to grab a few precious winks and the idea of driving while everyone slept appealed greatly, so drive I did, stopping at a church next to the Ohio state line on route 84. We reclined in the grass beneath what had now become a sunny sky and just relaxed/ goofed around for a bit before continuing toward Ashtabula.

Ashtabula is in the extreme NE corner of Ohio on Lake Erie. Chris and I joked that we hoped the lake wasn't burning today as we found a nice vista point for Stacey. Then it was time to rejoin our old friend US- 20 which came to Ohio all the way from Springfield and continued on very close to Shelly's place in Delta, OH. By Cleveland, we had begun to discuss our options. I held out hope that Stacey would be able to get us all the way to Hillsdale, MI just so I could title this post "Hillsdale to Hillsdale", but she understandably wanted ample time to meander back to Massachusetts. My friends Brian & Joey were expecting us in Kalamazoo soon, but hadn't really had enough information to make any concrete "plans" (ha!). In the end, we left Cleveland aiming for Delta. That seemed the best for everyone because Stacey could immediately begin her return, from a closer distance, and Chris and I would have a place to organize. My only reservation was that this seemed an odd way to meet a sister! After some thought however, it became apparent that this was probably the perfect way for HER to meet me!

I had insisted on avoiding Sandusky completely. I have some not- so- flattering memories of this town on the lake that is the home to Cedar Point; an incredibly cool amusement park. It's also happens to be the incredibly cool amusement park where the events transpired that had cost me my radio gig in Kalamazoo, back in 2002! Not that losing that job was a bad thing in ANY sense, I just didn't want to be reminded of it! Chris, on the other hand, had other ideas, and he was the navigator. When we switched seats on the outskirts of Sandusky, I quickly realized that he was taking me not only INTO Sandusky, but he had managed to pick an exact route that would take me right by the bar where some of these "events" took place! How the fuck did he DO that?

Toledo was next, then it was a quick 20- minute drive to Delta and Shelly's house. I suggested we stop at a Subway to clean out the car and gather our things, but in reality I needed a cigarette and to mentally prepare. It's not everyday that you meet a sister you've known about for 30- years...

5/26- 28: The Big Left Turn

Bash Bish Falls State Park, MA


Following the morning Internet, we were in Stacey's Subaru on our way to the Verizon store then presumably to the park which borders the Massachusetts- New York border. The "plan" was to hang out there for a day or two... or ten... then hit the state highways thru New York hitchhiking, train hopping, or whatever, for a meeting with Shelly in Delta, Ohio on or around June 13th.

Shelly had arranged her schedule as such to maximize her time off while I was in the area so we could spend as much time as possible together, take a few day trips to meet family members, and possibly even have a get- together with Daddy Dearest. I figured nearly three- weeks was plenty of time but if needed we could catch a Greyhound to Erie or Cleveland, where Shelly had said she could pick us up.

From the beginning of the trip, Chris and I had both commented that, like the trip east from Santa Fe, we both felt the distance from Massachusetts to Michigan would be covered quickly, but this Tuesday morning we were resigned to the idea we would be back on the road & in the bivies. Our "plans" were once again made a mockery, this time by Stacey.

While Chris was haggling with Verizon, Stacey and I were chatting in her car when literally out of the blue she commented that she had already arranged her schedule to have four consecutive days off beginning the following Sunday and that she had done so to give her an opportunity to "go somewhere." Why not go to Michigan? I initially thought she was kidding, but I was quickly learning that Stacey wasn't the type to "kid"; she was dead serious.

Once Chris finished his business, this new "plan" quickly took shape, and it suited every one of us. On the drive thru western Massachusetts towards Bash Bish Falls, we tentatively decided to reunite Saturday and take a leisurely drive toward the Great Lakes. Meanwhile, Chris and I could vanish into The Berkshires for a few days and just detox from society. Chris needed that after the intensity of his past month, and I was mentally gearing up for everything that was in- store for myself. Based on what I had seen happen with Chris, disappearing into the "mountains" to prepare for a few days greatly appealed to me!

After a nice hike to the base of Bash Bish Falls, that's exactly what we did. Disappear. We crossed a river and wandered into the undeveloped, and undisturbed wilderness to find a place devoid of clues of recent human activity. We quickly found the perfect spot, built a fire, and just tried to "be" for a few days. It was fantastic. Our little camp kept us completely isolated from Tuesday afternoon until we broke camp on Friday, seeing absolutely no one. No one that is except for a killer frog that gave both of a us a "Vern Moment." I mean, the fucker was vicious!

While the setting was perfect, the weather wasn't. It began raining Tuesday night and continued on and off thru Thursday... mostly on. With the natural canopy over head, we had some shelter from the brunt of it, but enough rain came thru Tuesday night for me to realize that I had made a grave mistake in the "Minimalist Bivy" from REI. Despite their claims that it was "waterproof", my sleeping bag got soaked. While quite resistant to water, is was nothing approaching "proof." I had meekly suggested building some sort of shelter before the rain had begun but laziness, again, punished me. With few breaks in the rain on Wednesday, I was going to have to deal with a damp bag. Shelter was obviously Priority 1 Wednesday morning and, with two huge green tarps, it was easy to tie them off to two trees and stay dry and snug.

We had a reprieve from the rain for most of Thursday and by Friday we were ready to leave our little Walden to connect with Stacey & confirm our planned Saturday pickup. I thoroughly enjoyed my time out in the woods, and the rain managed to accentuated it. I used the opportunity to practice building fires in the rain, which we had every night, and to refine the shelter making. We also began to process everything and discuss how events were fitting in the overall scheme. With the "Big Left Turn", Chris' phase was ending, and I could feel myself becoming a bit more assertive. Growing weary of being the passenger and impatient to get to my own stuff. Bash Bish was the perfect spot for this transitional period, and exactly what I needed. I was also happy to be heading west again, and even cautiously optimistic about the prospects for Michigan- the latter being no small thing.

5/23: Springfield, MA- Stacey

We awoke too early to suit me, but Gus had his daughter for the afternoon, and was in a rush to pick her up. To say I was hungover would be a stretch, but I surely wasn't feeling chipper.

Gus dropped us at a park near the Chicopee River, so we just reclined beneath a tree for a stretch until coffee called. As we were walking, we randomly ran into an acquaintance of Chris' from years back. He gave us a ride to an IHOP where we spent the next few hours eating and drinking coffee.

Chris had made arrangements for another of his old friends, Dave, to pick us up and we had been invited to a Memorial Day barbecue that night. The plan was for another of Chris' ex- girlfriends, Stacey, to pick us up at the barbecue around 9 so we could camp in her back yard for the night.

Once Dave arrived around 5, we were off to the liquor store so he and his girlfriend could grab supplies, and soon we were eating burgers and mingling. Dave was a guy I knew little about, other than Chris had known him since they were 5, and they used to be close friends. Chris had not seen him in years, and had just learned Dave's younger brother had committed suicide a couple of months ago.

I wasn't exactly feeling like a social butterfly as the night went on, so pretty much kept to myself while sipping a few beers and people watching. Another of Dave's brothers, Addison, and his friend, Tool, showed up and I began getting to know them a bit as Stacey showed up for the next transfer. I really took to Addison. He was probably in his early 20's, and was hyper- intelligent. He was drinking Jim Beam, straight, and talking physics. I like anyone who can mix Jim Beam and physics. He and Tool are planning a cross- country trip, so the four of us had much to talk about.

Chris and I loaded Blue and Elmo into Stacey's Subaru station wagon, and took the short drive to her tiny house only a few miles away. Despite being small, her house had a great yard, and a better vibe. I felt right at home almost immediately.

Chris & Stacey had dated years ago, in the mid- 90's and had not seen each other since. It seemed, to me at least, they may have more in common now than they did then! She had recently lived in Silver City, New Mexico, which gave us a common interest, and had apparently been fond of vanishing into the woods for weeks or months at a time, which we could ALL appreciate!

Stacey also had a VERY cool New Mexico style wood stove on her front porch, complete with a pile of wood. We put it to good use as we sat for a few hours watching the fire, talking, playing with Lucy the Dog, and taking pictures.

The chatting was easy flowing and there was no need to explain verbatim what we were doing. On some level she just got it. It had become obvious that there was a nice collective energy between the three of us, so I offhandedly suggested that Stacey drive us out to Bash Bish Falls State Park on Tuesday. Bash Bish is Chris' old hangout on the New York state line, adjacent to Taconic State Park. I figured we could all spend Tuesday hanging out, then Chris and I could begin the trek toward Michigan, or make a little base- camp, on Wednesday. Stacey must have loved the idea. She declared that she'd "tell" work she was taking the day off, and make a day of it. I liked her even more, and this was an indication of things to come. She is most definitely a free spirit who does what she feels.

Chris and I made camp in the soft grass behind her house, and this was the first night in the new bivy. It worked very well, although it is of a bit thinner material than the other. I really liked having the open- top however, and enjoyed the breeze in my face thru the night. It reminded me of sleeping outside last summer...