Monthly Archives: September 2017

2017 trip – catching up to day 16

I haven’t been blogging every day so far, but will keep up better now.  The first part of the trip has involved some long driving days to get across some of the vast stretches in the middle and north of our country.  We are now done with with far north and heading into the central states.  More places and activities planned with less distance between.

Since my last blog we have visited 5 national parks, Voyageurs (those who voyaged across the north country by land and water to carry on the trade between people throughout the northern part of our country and Canada), Grand Portage (also related to trade, this was the path between the cargo carriers on the Great Lakes and the inland water ways in Canada), Apostle Islands (a beautiful set of islands in Lake Superior), Isle Royale (an uniquie island preserve dedicated to preservation and to providing a place for what they call silent sports like biking, canoeing, kayaking, and hiking), and Keneewaw (dedicated to the history of copper mining in the Keneewaw Pennisula in the upper part of Michigan – the U.P.)  Lots of amazing views, history, nature, things to think about.  That’s 7 parks so far.

For the numbers:  We saw 2 more state license plates, Iowa and Missouri.  Also saw a “US Government” plate which does not designate any particular state.  That is 39 jurisdictions so fare.  For our trip we on on day 16, passed the 3500 mile mark today, and are gettingg 49.6 mpg with the Prius. So far we have been in 9 different states.  We have seen many beautiful bodies of water from the Mississippi to Lake Superior, to Lake Winnebago and many more but have not really been counting.

Today we drove through some areas of Wisconsin where our ancestors lived in the 1800’s. We visited 3 cemeteries and found grave stones for 4 of my ancestors and 2 of Peg’s.  My 3rd great grandfather, Stephan Goeser, was part of 60 families that moved from the Rhineland in Germany to Johnsburg, Wisconsin in 1845.  He was the first person buried in the cemetery for John the Baptist Church, before the original church building was even completed.  One of his sons, Joseph Goeser, my 2nd great grandfather moved from Johnsburg to Westphalia, Iowa in the 1870’s and 3 more generations of my family were born and raised there.  Another of Stephan’s sons, Chrisant, after traveling from Germany to Wisconsin, made an even longer journey.  In 1849 Chris heard about the finding of gold in California.  He and another brother decided to try their luck.  To get from Wisconsin to California in 1850 they traveled east on the Great Lakes, then took and ocean vessel around the cape of South America and up to California.  The unconfirmed family story is that he returned with a stash of gold which he divided among his children.  Three of his daughters had become nuns and taken a vow of poverty, so their share was given to their order, and may have been used to create a vessel for use at Mass.  The convent they belonged to was the order of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, whose convent we visitited yesterday in La Crosse.

We have a good friend there, sister JK, who we met years ago when teaching in a small school in Iowa.  In talking with her, she told us she had checked with their archivist and the story about the gold could not be confirmed, though it was possible.  On further conversation, we discovered that the convent where our friend first connected with the Franciscan Sisters was in Carroll, Iowa.  This is the same convent where Peg’s grandmother had briefly studied to become a nun, and was on staff as a nurse in 1920.  Another sister in the Franciscan order, sister FF,  was a professor who taught several classes in Seattle which Peg took when studing for her Masters of Divinity.  Yet, another sister in the order, sister JB, who we had also met when teaching years ago, is now working in Iowa in the same area where my mother was born and raised.  Sister JB is originally from that area, Panama, Iowa.  She is also a distant cousin of mine.  Further, when my grandmother worked as a midwife around Panama in the decades prior to the 40’s, sister JB was one of hundreds of babies whom my grandmother helped deliver.  Of course she wasn’t a sister at that time. Recently sister JB took a group of local women on a immersion experience to Cental America where she had worked when she was young.  One of the women who went along was a cousin of mine is married to a descendant of the Stephan Goeser who’s grave we saw today.

As you can tell, I just love learning about family history and especially about the amazing interconnections we all have.  In the philosphy tapes we are listening to while traveling, a question was raised regarding who we are as humans.  The question is about Nature vs Nurture.  Which do you think controls who you are today?

I believe it is some of each.  Finding out about family history helps me understand both. Our parents and ancestors, through their DNA give us what amounts to our core nature in the form of our physical characteristics and some of our abilities.  However, in raising us they also are a major part of the nuturing that helps form who we are until we become mature enough to take responsibility for ourselves.

Anyway, enough for today.  Tomorrow, is an exciting day as I get to meet a niece and nephew and several grand nieces and nephews for the first time.

2017 trip – day 10 – Out of Montana

Longest day driving of the trip.  About 450 miles.  No new sights today, just needed to get across the great plains of our country to some new sights in the East.  We passed the 2000 mile mark for this trip today around the North Dakota / Minnesota border.  We are in Ontario tonight making for the 6th state or province of the trip.  Only one new license plate, North Dakota, so we have 21 states left to spot.  I expect we will see them all by the time we are in Ohio, except maybe Hawaii.  The only sight of the day was a visit to the roadside marker in Rugby, South Dakota.  What is the marker for you ask?  For any of you who like to do craft projects, here is your assignment.  Take a piece of cardboard, carefully trace and cut out a precise outline of the North American Continent on that cardboard.  Find the point on that cutout where it is perfectly balanced in all directions.  That point is Rugby, North Dakota, the geographic center of the North American Continent.

Starting tomorrow we will be more in sight seeing mode and less in making miles mode.  We go back across the border to Minnesota to visit Voyageurs National Park.  From now on, every day we should either visit a Park or see a family member every day for a few weeks.

I am going to share what my honey and I are listening to on this long journey.  It will sound a little strange to most people, but let me share anyway.  One of my sons recommended to me to listen to a podcast series called Philosophize This.  The podcast has been running for 5 years and is a bimonthly series of episodes, each about 45 minutes long reviewing the history of philosophy.  He begins with pre-Socratic philosophers in Greece, 3 thousand years ago, and early philosophers in China and India during the same time, and then works his way forward in history.  I know it sounds boring, but we are finding it quite interesting.  We are up to episode 14 and I hope we can get to the current episode 80 by the end of the trip.  It evokes many thoughts about our own life experiences, about various people we have encountered in our lives, and about some of the current issues facing our country.  After every episode we put it on pause and have a discussion about what we each got out of the episode.   Too many specifics to share today but maybe some in a future blog.

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

2017 trip – Sep 10 – Day 6 – or Day 1

Today felt like the first real day of vacation since we left. The sky was clear for the first time since leaving Seattle. The Sun was out and I actually needed to use my sunglasses.  The West side of Glacier is still essentially shut down because of fires but some southerly winds overnight pushed most of the smoke and haze north of our place. We decided to take a crack at driving around the southern perimeter of the park and visit the East side. Turned into a longer day than expected but it was worth while. We visited both the Two Medicines and the St Mary’s visitor centers.

They had a very nice film about the history of the park and we were finally able to see the amazingly beautiful peaks of Glacier. It is really a very captivating view as you approach from the East. We were not able to see the glaciers up close but saw a couple from a distance. We will have to come back in the near future if we want a closer look.  In 1850 there were 150 active glaciers in the region. Today there are only 25 and they are much smaller. The expectation is that the last glacier will disappear between 2020 and 2030. I would like to hear the explanation for that from those who deny global warming.

The other place I wanted to see was the Triple Divide Peak. This is a mountain that lies at the intersection of the North South US Continental divide through the Rockies and what is called the Northern divide.  Rainfall on the West of the continental divide eventually flows to the Pacific Ocean. On the East it flows to the Missouri, the Mississippi, the Gulf, and the Atlantic Ocean.  Rainfall to the North of the Northern divide flows to Hudson Bay and the Artic Ocean. Thus, at this peak, rainfall can flow to any of three different oceans just by the fact of which side of the line it falls on. This is the only triple divide with water flowing to three different oceans in the world. Unfortunately the peak is nowhere near the tallest in the park and other peaks block a view of it unless you do some back country hiking for at least 6 to 7 miles. We were not prepared to do that and could not have if we wanted to because hiking permits are very limited due to fires in the park right now. But I got close.

We did see a bit of nature though. Lot’s of flowers, beautiful clear lakes, many squirrels, and, with a short hike, a couple of beaver dams and lodges. But the best sight of the day was along a roadside seeing a very large herd of Bison on the move. I have seen Bison before but never even close to this many.

For the numbers, not much to report. Our license plate count is up to 35, 29 states and 6 Canadian Provinces. We put on about 200 miles but are back at our same place for one more day before heading East.  Our little Prius is getting about 49 miles per gallon.  We will be heading East in a day and then we will start adding on the miles, the states and the parks.

2017 trip – Day 2 – to Glacier National Park – sort of

About 280 miles today.  2 new states, Idaho and Montana. Saw license plates from 4 more states and another Canadian province. That makes a total of 22 & 5. The western states we have not seen are New Mexico, North Dakota, Kansas & Missouri. Highest elevation was at Lookout Pass at 4725 feet. A lot going on at that point. Continental Divide, state line between Idaho and Montana, and change of time zones from Pacific to Mountain.

Second day of our trip was pretty uneventful. The fires throughout the northwest continue to fill the air with a thick haze. Visibility varies between about a quarter of a mile and a mile. Even with the low visibility you can still see the some of the wonderful variety of landscapes around our country. The rocky mountain slopes in Washington look different than those in Idaho and different from those in Montana. Even the round hay bales the making of which paid for part of my college education back in Iowa, look different in Montana where they like to stack them to look like the mountains surrounding the fields, somewhere beyond the smoky haze.

In traveling you also adjust to the subtle cultural differences. In Seattle the citywide speed limit has been reduced to a maximum of 30 mph even on major arterials. So getting out on the freeway it takes awhile to adjust to speeds of 55 then 65 then 70 mph across the state. Then you get to Montana.  The freeway speed limit is posted as being 75 mph. But you get the feeling that is merely a suggestion – a suggestion quite a few people pay little attention to. Even after getting off the freeway, on an ordinary back country 2 lane paved highway the posted limit is 70 mph. I think many locals think of that as a minimum rather than a maximum. If I set the cruise control at 67 or 68 and one of the few other cars on the road came up behind me they could not wait for a chance to get around the “slow vehicle” ahead of them. Just adjusting to the local culture.

Our plans for a tour bus trip to the Crown of the Continent in Glacier Park are postponed from Thursday to Saturday.  We are hoping for some rain and wind on Friday to clear out some of the haze and make the journey through the mountains more enjoyable.

2017 trip – Day 1 – to Spokane

Day one of our trip was relatively uneventful.  Many fires burning around the Northwest so the skies were hazy and the air was full of ash and the smell of burnt wood.   Other than that our trip is off to a good start.  300 miles today.  Only one state, Washington, though we did make it almost to the Idaho border.  Highest elevation was as we crossed Snoqualmie Pass at 3022 feet.   Though we were only in one state, we did play our traditional license plate game and already spotted vehicles from 18 states and 4 Canadian provinces.  One oddity for the day is passing the town of George, Washington.

Tomorrow we make it to near Glacier National Park.  With fires in and around the park we are not sure what our activities will be when we get there.  But figuring it out as you go is part of the adventure of traveling.

Today I was struck by one overriding thought – Isn’t is amazing how interconnected we all are?  In these times of extreme division, I find the fact of our connectedness much more powerful than our differences.  Our world seems to be focused on how people differ from each other by religion or ethnicity.  Our country is torn by differences with so many people much more sure of what they are not than of what they are.  Problems are blamed on Republicans, or Democrats, on Conservatives or Liberals, on Progressives or Tea Party members, on the Black Lives matters folks or on the cops, on white nationalists or on the antifas.  The one thing that is most common is that whoever is doing the blaming does not identify themselves as part of the group at fault.  Within my own family, factions have developed with no communcation allowed between those groups.

Today, with people and trucks from 4 corners of our country, with farm products and merchandize, with carnival rides on the move and with people of all kinds at rest stops and restaurants, what I saw was what we had in common and how we are all interconnected.  None of us, as individuals or as a single group, can survive alone in this modern world of ours and I hope more of us can see this and learn to work together to make our world a better place.

The other reason I was thinking in this direction is that on this trip we will be visiting several places of amazing connectedness.  Peg and I met at Iowa State University almost 43 years ago.  We knew from the beginning that we had some Iowa connections in our background. However, we did not think we had other connections further back in our family history.  I thought of myself as a 3rd generation descendent of German farmers and she was was from an Army family with recent ancestry in France and other parts of Germany.

Since then we have learned that her grandfather was born in a French village only 30 miles from where my great grandfather was born.  On this trip we will be visiting places in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana where various members of our ancestral families lived only miles from each other.  Tomorrow we will travel through Idaho.  Though not stopping on this trip, just south of us are places where both my adoptive grandfather and my biological great grandfather lived for part of their lives.

Just some thoughts about our connectedness and what we have in common.   I hope each of you can take a minute and identify some connection you have to someone who on the surface seems different from yourself.

 

Ready for the 2017 National Parks road trip – start -2

Seems like we are almost ready to hit the road for out next big National Parks and other adventures road trip.  The plan is to travel over 8000 miles in about 50 days; to drive through parts of 20 states; to visit 32 new national park sites, 20 other national park subunits or revisits, 9 presidential home or sites, a dozen other museums, sites for famous folks, or oddities along the way.  In addition, we will visit various parts of the country where our ancestors lived and 10 cemeteries where about 25 of our ancestors are buried.  Finally, but not least, we will make about a dozen visits with various individuals or groups of people as we travel, including former classmates, friends and family.  Below are 3 maps which show the overview of where we will be heading.  Feel free to follow along.

I will try to blog most days and let you know what we have found. In addition, if you know me, you know I love to play with numbers.  So I will be keeping track of, and reporting on, almost everything that can be quantified: miles traveled, hours in the car (expecting over 200), parks and sites visited, a countdown to spotting at least one license plate from all 50 states, and maybe some elevation and temperature extremes as we find them.  The trip starts in 2 days on Tuesday the 5th.

One request we have:  For the kids, holding down the fort at the Borkalow, while we are  on the road, for friends following us and waiting for our return, and for friends following us who we are expecting to meet on the trip.  Please keep in touch while we travel by either commenting on these posts or by sending an email or a text.  We like to feel like we are staying connected while on the road.